//------------------------------// // Chapter 3: Crime Pays Well // Story: Villainy // by Ghosted Note //------------------------------// Villainy Chapter 3: Crime Pays Well “Okay, so here’s the deal. Grayscale has confidence in your abilities, but you're still green as grass," stated Hurricane. "Our boys should be just about finished by now, so it should be more or less safe to meet our buyer. I'll do most of the talking this time around, but feel free to introduce yourself. Just try not to get too over the top. No offense intended. We'll meet up with the rest outside of town, except Grayscale. He'll be taking a train. He's gotta spend a bit more time here recruiting." Trixie laughed nervously, trying to ignore the faint shaking in her legs. “Ah, yes. T-Trixie appreciates the sentiment behind taking a personal hoof in one’s business. It would be rather simple to delegate such tasks, Trixie imagines.” Hurricane nodded in response as they finished packing up Trixie’s stage. “Lock ‘er up, Trixie. But yeah, I suppose he could, but it’s not really his style. Grayscale’s a real hooves-on type of pony. It’s how he built things up as well as he did, way back when, before me and Meteora hooked up with him.” Trixie raised an eyebrow as she slipped a saddlebag onto her back. “Is that so? He seems a bit old for the hooves-on approach. Perhaps his coloring makes him look older than he is.” Meteora giggled. “Oh, he’s getting up in the years, but he’s still fit as a fiddle in the house of a country pony. I think he’s actually ex-Royal Guard. I heard he guarded Celestia’s day court when he was younger.” Hurricane rolled his eyes. “Yeah. I also heard he took on ten ponies at once when he ousted the old bootlegging operation in our neighborhood. Don’t believe everything you hear. The only thing we know for certain about Grayscale is the only thing we need to know at all; he’s a good stallion who treats everyone who works for him well.” Meteora snickered. “Yeah, in case you couldn’t tell, my brother’s been making goo-goo eyes at our boss ever since he got his cutie mark.” Trixie said nothing, but silently wondered about the origins of the lightning bolt on his flank. It wasn’t an especially uncommon image for a mark, but even if the imagery was shared, the interpretation was always different. Hurricane snorted. “I’ll see your blatant exaggerations, sis’, and I’ll raise you a considerably more truthful story about you getting rejected by Hotshot.” Trixie couldn’t help but laugh a little. “You had a crush on Grayscale’s lead enforcer?” Meteora rolled her eyes as they left the park and entered into a considerably more run-down section of the city. “Well... yeah, I admit it. Hey, you’ve seen him though. He’s got body, mind, and spirit. A real catch, you know... I just didn’t know that he wasn’t interested in being caught by a mare.” Trixie flinched. “That must have been rough. While we're on the subject, though, how did you get your mark, Hurricane? Lightning doesn't seem exactly fitting.” Hurricane shrugged dismissively. “It isn’t anything particularly special, but it’s a bit funny. Got it after my first job with Grayscale. Meteora and I were pulling a carriage for Grayscale in Trottingham when some of our rivals decided to open fire on us in broad daylight. So, we end up being chased and shot at through the streets. Little did either party know, Celestia herself was actually discussing taxes with the mayor over tea right as Meteora decided to make an impromptu shortcut through the town hall’s stained-glass windows. Well, that got the attention of the Royal Guard, so we had Celestia’s finest chasing us from above while we were under fire from the Canterlot brewery’s enforcers. I was the one to notice the roadblock ahead of us, so the chase ended when the Canterlot boys ran smack into the same guards we had just flown over, creating a distraction for us to slip away in.” “Trixie does not mean to be offensive, but that seems like a very old age to obtain one’s cutie mark,” Trixie noted. “In any case, that story is more interesting than you make it out to be. What does the lightning represent, anyway?” “No offense taken,” replied Hurricane. “The lightning represents quick thinking and quick action, the two things that I feel define me. I was a bit of a late bloomer, though. It’s not very common, but it happens occasionally. Got plenty of trouble for it growing up, too. Mother always said that the only way any of her children ever got marks involved wrecking something, and I was the most well-behaved.” “I wasn’t!” Meteora chirped. “That’s why I got mine first, when I won this race at flight camp that got a little out of hand.” “It surprises me to the core that you would have been a problem filly,” Trixie snarked. “I know, right?” Meteora seemed oblivious to the sarcasm as she continued her story. “But yeah, we were all visiting Cloudsdale for the summer, ‘cause Manehattan didn’t have its own flight camp back then, being mostly unicorns and earth ponies, on account of a bitter rivalry between the old blood of Cloudsdale and Manehatten, and a lack of any real pegasus-specific employment. Anyway, I got in trouble a bunch ‘cause I was a bit of a rowdy filly, believe it or not. I didn’t really make too many friends either. In fact, these two dolts, I forget their names, actually kinda hated me. They decided to play this prank on me by challenging me to a race and then unravelling some of the cloud architecture along the way. Back then, flying a unicorn up during a cloud construction was too expensive, so a lot of Cloudsdale’s buildings were held together by nothing more than a pegasus’ innate weather magic, which was fine, except for in really high-stress situations. That’s why Cloudsdale didn’t have its population boom until hot air balloons and the improved cloud-walking spell were invented.” Meteora paused. “Uh... what was I talking about again?” Trixie put a hoof to her face. “Your cutie mark story. Something about a race. I’m confused though. What harm could somepony disrupting clouds in front of you pose?” “Oh, yeah, yeah.” Meteora giggled, snorting slightly. “You’d think it’d be harmless, but pegasi interact with clouds like they’re mostly solid, if a bit soft and fragile. Adding to that, when the magic that keeps them more or less solid is disrupted, any non-cloud objects that are in the cloud buildings suddenly don’t have anything holding them up. Of course, that wasn’t gonna stop me. Getting permanently banned from flight camp was totally worth winning that race.” “You were banned?” Trixie rolled her eyes. “Why is Trixie not surprised?” “Maybe you’re just unshakable or something.” Meteora stuck her tongue out at Trixie before continuing. “But yeah, they banned me after I poked enough holes in the camp's main cloud mass for it to dissolve while we were racing under it. Apparently I caused a few hundred bits in property damage, but I had this bad baby to show for it.” Meteora wiggled her flank to emphasis the fiery comet that adorned it. “Fast and destructive, just like me. Mama tanned my hide real good though. Couldn’t sit without flinching for a week. Decided to change my name to something more fitting after that.” Trixie nodded. “Trixie had a childhood friend who did that. Seems like a trend nowadays. Why didn’t you do as much, Hurricane? Your name hardly matches with the lightning on your flank.” Hurricane offered no reply other than to scoff, choosing to remain silent as the two mares chattered away, only breaking his silence to signal their arrival. "We’re here. Remember, keep quiet, and follow my lead. If this goes well, we’ll get you some real practice in the next town.” - - - - Twilight Sparkle carefully folded the cape and put it back in the box that she had been storing it in. Ever since the so-called Great and Powerful Trixie had fled Ponyville, she couldn’t help but feel a little worried, and a little guilty about how things turned out. The last she had heard of Trixie was that piece that the Foal Free Press had done on her, and that didn’t bode well at all. If even the foals were mocking her, what state was Trixie in to be performing and earning a living? She hadn’t shared her worries with her friends, though. Twilight couldn’t help but fear that they wouldn’t be as sympathetic, after Trixie had taken time to personally humiliate most of them. She also couldn’t help but wonder how much ponies blamed Trixie for those two colts bringing an Ursa Minor into town after hearing her falsely brag about defeating one. Still, she couldn’t put her mind at rest on the matter, so she had sent a few messages to her mentor, Princess Celestia, asking for help on locating the unicorn. She’d also explained the story of how the braggart had come to town, humiliated some of her closest friends, and indirectly prompted two colts to bring a monster into town. Celestia had, of course, promptly put ponies to work in assisting her star pupil, and now some definitive information had come in. From the Desk of Princess Celestia Dear Twilight Sparkle, Until recently, tracking down this ‘Trixie’ character has been a little difficult. We’ve gotten a few mentions of a blue showmare putting on street shows and entertaining children in some of Equestria’s more rural locations, but my dear sister’s ‘Gypsy Reforms’ have made it hard to pin her down. Bless her soul, though, Luna’s really trying, and although I’ve already mentioned to you my slight frustration in dealing with a lot of her antiquated notions, I have faith that with a little time to adjust, she’ll once again make a fine ruler. Today, though, we finally have made a breakthrough on the matter of Trixie’s location. I’d like to also say that I’m extremely proud of you for bearing no grudge against Trixie. You’ve matured into a wonderful mare since your arrival in Ponyville, and I’ve never been more pleased with all that you have learned and accomplished. I digress, though. Trixie actually gave a performance in Fillydelphia earlier today, in fact. My guards have informed me that she had attire and equipment that completely belie the impressions of poverty that we’ve received thus far. My best guess would be that she has found a new benefactor. I’ve already instructed one of my ponies to find out where she’s headed next, and as soon as we get that information, I will forward it to you. As always, I greatly look forward to your next correspondence and I feel blessed to have a student as faithful and talent as you are. Sincerely, Princess Celestia Twilight tried to wipe the vacant grin from her face, with limited success. Anypony who knew her would also know that Celestia’s approval was probably one of the most important things in Twilight’s life. Celestia was aware of this of course, and took care not to tread on her student’s fragile self-esteem. Occasionally, she’d slip a few words of praise into a letter for Twilight, which would leave the unicorn in an upbeat mood for at least a week, or until she invoked Celestia’s disappointment with an unusually destructive want-it-need-it spell. However, now was not the time to bathe in praise. Twilight had no experience in sewing, but she’d managed to do at least a few rudimentary repairs on Trixie’s hat and cape in her spare time. She’d also preserved what she could from the wreckage of Trixie’s old wagon before those two colts had cleaned up the remaining mess. A quick preservation spell, and it was all sealed away for the day that Twilight had put her fears to rest. When Trixie had fled Ponyville, caring more for her shattered pride than her well-being, she’d left all of her possessions, including her bits. Twilight had searched around for her the following day, but the performer was nowhere to be found. It was comforting to know that she was fine now, but Twilight still felt the need for resolution, and at the very least wanted to let Trixie know she wasn’t universally despised in Ponyville. The mare had seemed so heartbroken when she had left Ponyville; her pain and shame had been obvious to anyone who had observed her weak declaration of superiority as she had turned tail and fled with a poorly conjured puff of smoke behind her. Surely there was more to her than that flimsy wall of pride, and everypony needed a friend every now and then. Of course, Twilight would be a fool to deny that she was also a bit curious about Trixie’s new benefactor. Who else could better relate to the importance of having a great mentor, after all? Twilight allowed herself another satisfied smile, and began packing. - - - - The undercover division of the Royal Guard did not see much action, but the action they did see tended to be rather dark. Crime was at an all time low in Equestria, but it still existed, and with advances in technology and technique, it was becoming harder and harder to track down ponies who broke the law. With the return of her sister, Celestia had also seen fit to reinstate Luna’s long-unneeded harbingers, the Night Guard. Of course, every officer worth his salt lick hated the Gypsy Reforms with a passion only matched by his fanatical loyalty to the throne, Luna included, so nopony said a word while in Canterlot. Occasionally, however, the Night Guard found a more mundane use in performing tasks that the Royal Guard’s fanfare would cause too much stir to be effective at, such as locating a pony for Princess Celestia’s personal student. A subtle hoof in such tasks often proved to be the most effective, and two Night Guards were currently wandering around the less well-to-do districts of Fillydelphia, wondering where their target had slipped to. The first turned to her partner. “I’m pretty sure she’s still in this area, but I’m not sure where or why.” “Seems fishy to me. You saw that stage, right? That’s custom-made. Expensive-looking too. Where does a mare like her get the bits for that?,” the casually-dressed stallion replied in response. “You’re too suspicious, you know that? Not everyone is a hard-boiled, salt-licking, convict.” The mare laughed softly. “Besides, would little Twilight be associating with criminals?” The stallion snorted. “She might not know. That filly’s always been a bit naive. Moot point for now though. Wait here a sec’, I think I see her.” - - - - Trixie let out the breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding. The deal had been... surprisingly tame, boring even. There was no overhanging threat of rivals, or a sudden police raid. Hurricane had escorted them to a humble-looking soda parlor, the owner of which then took them to a back room. Hurricane presented a calm, business-like sales pitch, the two had bantered for a bit afterward, and it had been done. Trixie had occasionally offered a quip here and there, and even though her inexperience had shown, the stallion that they were pitching to had taken warmly to Trixie, and gave her a few kind pointers. It seemed almost unreal. Hurricane had given Trixie a few of the bits that they’d made, and sent her off to wander the city while he and Meteora unloaded the alcohol. “Excuse me, ma’am.” Trixie looked up from her reverie to see a smiling stallion waving to her from across the mostly empty street. “You’re that performer from the park, right? The Great and Powerful Trixie?” “Yes, the one and only,” Trixie responded with a nod, wondering who this stallion was. “Can Trixie help you?” “Oh, yes,” the stallion said, eagerly nodding. “My two fillies and I are on a bit of a vacation, and they really enjoyed your show, so I was wondering if you’d be appearing in any other cities soon? We wanted to be sure to catch you if happened to stop by any of our other destinations.” Trixie resisted the urge to giggle and suppressed a rather undignified noise that can only be quantified as a ‘squee’. “You really-I mean-Trixie means, yes, she will be appearing in other cities soon. Trixie will actually be returning to Manehattan after her time in Fillydelphia has concluded. It would be a pleasure to entertain your fillies once again if you happen to be in the area.” It had been so long since Trixie had received direct praise for her work, and it felt heady. As the stallion thanked her and departed, she was too wrapped up in the praise to hear him muttering to a mare nearby about having accomplished his task. For now, only one thing mattered to her. The Great and Powerful Trixie was back.