“Repeat after me.”
“Repeat after me.”
“Don’t be obnoxious.”
“Don’t be obnoxious—sorry.”
Opacare sighed. “Sweetie Belle, I appreciate your enthusiasm, but please, you must know I do not have so much patience as to overlook such juvenile techniques for annoying the teacher.”
“You still reacted to it.”
He shook his head. “Sometimes I wonder why I have to endure so much from you…”
Sweetie only grinned.
They were in the hotel, a day having gone by. The others were somewhere else in the vicinity, with Prose taking a seat in the living area with Sweetie Belle. He had become a mentor to the young filly, teaching her Latineigh from the ground up. Though he was not a teacher by conventional standards—he neither had the materials nor desired them—he was still able to teach the filly without sounding like a bore; a blessing that both he and Sweetie were grateful for.
Sweetie had been progressing quite well, if he were to be honest. She still remembered the words he had taught her from a week prior, and could speak in basic sentences that were about herself and her state of being.
“Let’s start over,” he said, leaning back against one of the sofas. Sweetie placed her hooves in front of her and leaned forward eagerly. “Tell me, Sweetie Belle, how do you feel today?”
“Sentio magna!” she answered. (I feel great!)
“Ah. Aliqua causam cur?” (Any reason why?)
“Quoniam tu huc!” (Because you’re here!)
He rolled his eyes, but smiled. “Flattery will get you nowhere… unless you do it right.” He looked back at her. “You’ve improved. I’m impressed. Latineigh is not an easy language.”
She rubbed her head sheepishly. “Yeah, Scootaloo and Apple Bloom sometimes call me a walking dictionary.”
“Really? I can see why,” he said. “I was called something similar back in foalhood.”
“Yeah, Bookworm, right?”
“You remembered?”
She smirked. “I don’t think anypony would forget a dumb name like that.”
“The colt who called me that did.”
“Well, he’s not you, is he?” Rarity interrupted, stepping in from the bedroom area and getting their attention. “If you two are finished, could you help us pack?”
“Pack?” Prose asked. “What for?
“Why, to go sightseeing, of course,” she answered with a flip of her mane.
He narrowed his eyes. “Are you sure that’s a good idea?”
“You said it yourself: Finch is gone for now. And you still have to make up for stopping our tour short when we first arrived.”
“That wasn’t a—” He cut himself off with a sigh. “But the Family might still be around. They might try something—”
“Try something?” Rarity smiled. “It’s flattering that you care for us all, Prose. I don’t mean to brag, but we are the Elements of Harmony, and if anypony tried to, say, assault us, they’d wind up in Canterlot Court faster than you can say lacum missus sum!”
“That’s not the proper way to say locked up in a dungeon.”
“But the point got across, did it not?”
He sighed again, looking between the mare and the filly. The latter had her eyes wide and hopeful, while the former held an amused smile.
“Who am I to argue the whims of charming ladies?” he finally said, standing up, getting a squeal of delight from Sweetie and a giggle from Rarity.
They went into the bedroom, where the girls were already packing their things. Sweetie went over to help her friends, while Prose raised an eyebrow, confused. The mares had their saddlebags filled with an assortment of goods, ranging from books (notebooks in Twilight’s case) to fabric samples to a bag full of apples.
“What, do you plan on settling in sometime soon?” he asked.
Twilight blushed. “Well, we’ll be walking for quite some time today. We thought we’d find some way to keep ourselves occupied.”
“It looks like we’re going on a camping trip,” Apple Bloom commented. She cocked her head. “If, ya know, a camping trip had us bringin’ books and clothes.”
Applejack chuckled. “It’s a trip, alright, Apple Bloom. Into the heart of Manehattan.” She sighed, remembering. “Ah haven’t been in this city since I was a kid!”
Prose looked at her, intrigued. “Really? You used to live in Manehattan?”
“It was before Ah got my Cutie Mark, but yes; I did live with mah Aunt and Uncle Oranges.” She gave an inquisitive gaze to the author. “Ya didn’t happen to know anypony named that, didya, Prose?”
He shook his head. “I lived on the western side of Manehattan. Left before I could fully explore the eastern district—that must have been where you lived. I had heard that some country folk were moving there…”
While the two of them continued talking, Scootaloo moved over to Rainbow Dash. The pegasus was cradling an older edition of Daring Do and, surprisingly, one of Prose’s older books. “Which one is that, Rainbow?” Scootaloo asked, pointing a hoof out at the unknown novel.
Rainbow held it up. “It’s called X25. It sounded cool, so I thought I might check it out.”
“Isn’t that a science-fiction book?”
“It is?” Rainbow scrunched up her novel. “Ugh!” She threw the book down.
Prose glanced over with a frown. “I’d ask you refrain from destroying my belongings any further, Dash.”
“Hey! I bought this fair and square! I just didn’t know it was an egghead’s book!”
“You’re reading a children’s tale.”
“Daring Do is not a children’s tale! It is a story about a mare who doesn’t fear anything!”
“Rainbow, I’m an author, and I can tell you with one-hundred percent certainty that A.K. Yearling wrote that for foals.”
Rainbow grit her teeth. “If you weren’t my second favorite author, I’d cream ya just for saying that!”
“What? I’m your second favorite—” They began griping back and forth, almost like siblings fighting over something small, drawing the stallion away from Applejack. The farmer mare smirked as Rarity walked over.
“I must say,” the fashionista said, “Prose has certainly grown more comfortable around us. And in such a short timespan.” They watched as the stallion tried to lecture Rainbow about the physics of a photon, with the pegasus clamping her hooves to her head, trying to block out his words. Twilight added a few of her own explanations in, much to Prose’s pleasure and Rainbow’s annoyance.
Applejack chuckled. “Eeyup! Who’d have thought he’d be considering us his friends?”
“Tribuo is a casu!” Prose was shouting. (“Give it a chance!”)
“Don’t throw that foreign language stuff at me!” Rainbow responded.
Pinkie and Fluttershy walked up to Rarity and Applejack, the former beaming, while the latter had a small smile on her face. “It’s kind of nice to see Prose acting… okay,” Fluttershy commented. She hid behind her mane. “Not that there’s anything wrong with Prose not acting… okay…”
“I hear ya, Shyshy!” Pinkie exclaimed. “It’s great to see Prose all happy and enjoying himself!”
That visibly shook the stallion, as he suddenly cut off his tirade. He zoned out, staring at the wall behind Rainbow for a few minutes.
“Or… maybe not,” Pinkie said.
Prose blinked, before shaking his head and clearing his throat. “A-anyway. We’d best be off. The city doesn’t wait for newcomers to gradually grow accustomed.” The others nodded, grabbing their belongings. A short while later, the room was left bare, devoid of its ponies.
The city’s sights and sounds greeted them once more. Loud and boisterous though it was, they still found themselves ignored by a majority of its residents. Even Prose, who had his hood down, was not approached by some fan.
He had decided against wearing his hood; for one, it wasn’t too cold out, and for another, he doubted that it would matter. It was guaranteed that a pony would recognize him eventually, with or without the hood. Rarity the night before had added a few patches to it so that it wouldn’t look teared. Underneath he wore his signature vest. He carried his small bag by his side, it still being filled with its original contents.
“Where to first?” he asked the others.
“Me and Scoots are gonna go check out those sport shops,” Rainbow answered.
“Shopping? Already?”
“Well, what else do you do in a city as big as this?” asked Rarity.
He frowned. “You said sightseeing…”
“Aw, is Mister Opa going to be upset that not all of his lady friends will be able to accompany him?”
He ignored the jest, turning to the cyan pegasus and her pupil. “Just be careful. You don’t know what dangers these streets could have.”
She grinned confidently. “That won’t be a problem, Prose. As soon as some ugly mug tries something funny, I’ll wallop him.”
“Yes, I am certain you’re more likely to hit before talking,” he answered dryly. “Nonetheless, avoid the alleys when you can, stay in the crowds, and do not lose each other. Understood?”
“Understood, sir,” the orange pegasus responded.
He nodded, then turned to the remaining seven, prompting them to tell him where they were heading.
“Ah think Ah’ll tag along with Rainbow,” Applejack said. “How about it, Apple Bloom?”
The filly nodded, walking up to her friend and exchanging a hoof bump.
“I’m going to find the best bakery in Manehattan!” Pinkie exclaimed. She grabbed Fluttershy. “You’ve gotta help me, Shy!”
“Um, okay,” the mare replied, smiling nervously. “I’ll… I guess I’m going with Pinkie.”
“Keep her in check,” Prose reminded her, before looking at the remaining three.
“Well, you can probably guess,” Rarity said, smiling.
“Fashion expo.”
“As astute as ever. Yes, I am going to see if I can’t drum up a few business deals… perhaps even get some advice.”
“I’ll come with you,” Twilight said. “I’m… kind of interested, actually. I’ve heard that some of the ponies attending are from educated backgrounds.”
“And I’m coming too!” Sweetie said. She then looked at Prose. “And you’ll come with us, right?”
“I don’t think I could argue otherwise,” he said, shaking his head.
They all bid their farewells, before setting off in three different directions. Rainbow and her company trotted to the east, while Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie decided to try the southern area. Prose’s group ventured north, towards the Education and Arts Districts.
The more vibrant color scheme of the mares and filly masked Prose’s darker complexion; and in the throng of city folk, his greyness perfectly matched the smoke, ash, dirt, and bark shades. His small frown contrasted with their wide smiles. Outnumbered in that way, he truly was anonymous.
That did not seem to deter any of those accompanying him. Sweetie continually asked him about the various buildings and landmarks that they would pass, and he answered as best he could. While Rarity had been a good source of information, it was Prose’s natural Manehattan in him that could answer fully all of Sweetie’s questions. He spoke with authority and the tone of somepony with experience; he lived and breathed the answers, and he could pass the knowledge on down easily, without having to consult a travel guide. Soon Sweetie became wrapped in the city’s history, and her head swarmed with the facts and figures. Each landmark opened her eyes and mind, and she soon stopped questioning, her mind busy on absorbing this new information.
Taking that moment to turn to the others, Prose asked, “Are you sure this is a good idea?”
“Hmm?” Twilight asked, looking up from her book. “I’m sorry, what do you mean by that?”
“Leaving the others alone.”
“Come now, Prose,” Rarity chided. “Surely you know they are more than capable of handling themselves.”
“You don’t know these streets like I do. The threats, the dangers—”
“Prose, I have seen nothing but kindness and graciousness in these ponies’ eyes. I have yet to see this danger you so eagerly fear.”
He narrowed his eyes. “Then perhaps you aren’t looking hard enough.”
“Do I really need to?” she challenged, also narrowing her eyes.
They all stopped, watching the two stare at each other. The tension in the air arose. Yet ponies passed them without sensing it.
Finally Prose sighed. “Look, I just don’t want any of you to get hurt. Even though you are the Element Bearers… that doesn’t make you invincible. Grifford is dangerous; and so is the Family.”
“You keep talking about them like that,” said Sweetie Belle, “but we haven’t seen anything bad happen yet.”
“What about the mugging?”
“I heard you put a stop to that,” Rarity answered, softening her gaze. “Admirable, I must say. But that still does not show us how ‘dangerous’ this ‘Family’ is. For all we know, that could have been a completely unrelated incident.”
He fell silent, looking away. Rarity stepped forward, placing a hoof on his shoulder. “We appreciate your concern, Opa,” she said quietly. “Really, we do. But you have to stop worrying so much. Everything will be fine.”
He shook her off, but nodded slowly, turning away. He continued trotting, and, after a sharing of looks, the others followed.
Soon they reached the Education and Arts Districts. Prose saw a sign that pointed to the fashion expo, and they followed its directions, heading east. The buildings began to reflect the district quite beautifully. Drapes hung from balconies and walls were colored bright, lively colors. Windows were tinted with prismatic glass, and the very sidewalk became a reflection of colorful liveliness. Rarity commented on the tapestries that hung from the nearby buildings, while Twilight babbled on about the various old buildings that they passed. Prose, however, remained silent, eerily silent—like he wasn’t even there.
Sweetie was the first to notice. She tugged on his cloak, but got no response; Opacare only continued walking. She frowned. Manehattan must be stirring up some old memories, she thought.
She had guessed right. Each comment that either Twilight or Rarity made brought up an old mission. He felt himself tense up as memories of nearly pushing ponies off balconies and railings passed by. His brow furrowed, and he lowered his gaze, looking down at the tiles below, trying to stave off the memories. He failed in doing so; he clenched his teeth as he saw himself ramming a stallion into a fountain, hearing the crunching of bones as the stallions’s shoulders were shattered.
He blinked, seeing that he had slightly trailed behind the others. They gave him strange looks. “Opacare? Are you alright?” Twilight asked.
He grunted. “Yes, just… thinking.”
They didn’t question further, and he caught up with them.
The great marble columns of the Manehattan Arts Museum greeted them in the horizon, and posters and signs hung from the sides, revealing that the expo was being held inside. Cyan-colored, with orange highlights, the advertisements quickly captured nearby gazes, drawing ponies in.
“A color that is contrasted against a neutral background certainly makes for an excellent lure,” Prose commented.
Rarity nodded. “I would expect no less from experts in all aspects of design, color included.”
She led the group forward. Pedestrians looked at them and gasped, seeing who walked with the girls. Whispers concerning the author left mouths and traveled on the wind. He ignored them, following quietly.
The admission was a few bits, and children for free. Rarity paid the price easily, then gestured for the others to follow her. Twilight and Sweetie took the middle, while Prose kept to the back.
Entering the museum, they immediately turned right. Down the hall Prose could hear the clamoring of loud voices. As they traveled, the voices grew louder, and they appeared to be right above them. They entered a stairwell and went upstairs to the second floor.
“Here we are!” Rarity sing-songed.
A large crowd had gathered in front of a stage that had been set up earlier. They were cheering ecstatically as models trotted up and down the floor, showing off various dresses and gowns. An announcer called out each model’s name, getting the crowd even more excited.
Towards the back of the stage, Prose could see some ponies talking. He guessed that they were the designers of the outfits. They didn’t seem hostile towards each other; rather, they were complimenting the others on how they created their dresses. He frowned, not used to seeing such mannerisms in the city.
Rarity giggled. “Oh, my, these dresses look absolutely lovely!”
“They sure do, Rarity,” Twilight said with a smile. “Though, to be honest, I think your work rivals theirs.”
“Oh, you flatter me,” Rarity responded with a bat of her hoof. “But, if you really think so…” Her eyes twinkled as she considered the realm of possibilities that were opening up before her.
They walked forward, entering into the crowd, trying to part their way to the stage. Rarity suddenly gasped, her smile widening. She waved a hoof excitedly; Prose couldn’t tell who exactly she was waving to.
“Who’s Rarity waving at, Twilight?” Sweetie asked.
“I think it’s—”
“Sapphire Shores!” Rarity called. “Over here!”
The famous pop singer Earth mare looked up, and smiled as she saw her main dress designer. She trotted through the crowd, reaching her. “Rarity!” she said. “It’s been so long!” She reached over to hug the unicorn.
Rarity giggled. “It most certainly has. But I see you’re getting along quite fine.”
“Yes. The glamor of stardom certainly has its wonders at points.” She looked over at the others, not yet recognizing them. “Oh? Are these your friends?”
“Hello, Miss Shores,” Twilight greeted with a wave. “I’m Twilight Sparkle, one of Rarity’s friends.”
“Pleasure to meet you, Twilight!” she responded, before looking down at the filly by her side. “And I imagine that this is Sweetie Belle?”
The filly nodded. “Yep! I’m Rarity’s—”
“Younger sister,” Sapphire completed with a grin. “I hear you’re quite the singer!”
She blushed. “Ehehe… maybe… Oh!” she exclaimed, looking up at the mare. “I have to thank you for letting all of us stay in your hotel!”
“The Greenwood? I knew it would suit your needs!” She threw her head back in light laughter. “Judging by your expression, I’d say you enjoyed the surprise party.”
“Oh, definitely!” Sweetie nodded so fast her head might have fallen off.
Sapphire then looked to the final member. He stepped a little closer to greet her. She held up a hoof, stopping him. “I think I already know you,” she said, her eyes twinkling.
“It’s hard to guess wrong,” he said, shaking his head. “Even when you try to hide, something shows up to break your barriers.” He glanced at Sweetie, feeling suddenly ponderous.
“Opacare Prose,” Sapphire mused. “Do you know that you’re nearly as famous as me? Just from that disappearing act a month ago?”
“And here I thought it was my stories.”
She laughed. “You’re just as sharp and witty as I imagined! I’m impressed.” She glanced at Rarity with a slight smirk. “You certainly have good taste in stallions, Rarity.”
The unicorn blushed, while Prose frowned. “That’s not—we’re not—” she stammered.
Sweetie and Twilight looked between them, confused.
“Anyway,” Sapphire continued, “I suppose you’re here for the fashion expo, right, Rarity?”
Relieved that the embarrassing moment had passed, the unicorn nodded. “Yes. I was hoping I could talk to some of the lead designers who are here.”
“Oh? Then perhaps I can help!” Sapphire smiled, offering a hoof. “I happen to know a few of them from business. I think I can get you a moment with them!”
“Really? Oh, how grand!” The two trotted off, leaving the others alone for the moment.
Prose blinked, sighed, then rolled his eyes. She’ll come back… eventually…
Sapphire’s appearance had done more than take Rarity away. Ponies had been looking over, trying to see who the star had been talking to. They gasped when they saw the Opacare Prose standing in the middle of the crowd.
“Hold up, folks!” the announcer cried. “Look who it is! The famous author himself, Opacare Prose!”
Ah, damn it. He flinched back, trying to hide from the sudden attention. Twilight and Sweetie exchanged nervous glances as they backed up into Prose.
Twilight and Sweetie let out sighs of relief when they saw the crowd pull out books to be signed. Prose pressed his hoof into his face. They’re everywhere…
Meanwhile, Rarity and Sapphire were now at the back of the hall, gathered with a few of the lead designers of the dresses being showcased.
“You mean to tell me that you helped reveal that Dusk Prosa was Opacare Prose?” Sapphire asked her. They heard the cries of the crowd as Opacare was forced to reach for his quill pen.
The unicorn giggled; she could practically hear her friend’s annoyed snort as he signed his name repeatedly. “I wouldn’t call it revealing,” she said, turning to her famous client. “Rather, I think it’s more like I helped him find his way.”
“Which wasn’t an easy task to do, I would imagine,” Sapphire responded.
Rarity nodded. “Indeed, it wasn’t. He has to be the most stubborn stallion I have ever met!” She briefly picked up a sample of garment that one of the designers was holding. “Ooh, so you used this style. I should keep that in mind!”
She then turned back to Shores. “Honestly, if it wasn’t for Sweetie Belle, I don’t think Prose would have easily been found out.”
The singer sighed. “Yes, we often underestimate the power of the filly, don’t we?”
“I’ve heard that Prose is a genius,” a designer spoke up. “Is that true, Miss Rarity?”
“Well,” she said, waving a hoof, “it depends on what you define as genius. According to Prose, he’s not smart; only logical.” She snorted. “So logical to a point where it’s nearly cold!”
The designers exchanged glances. “That doesn’t sound particularly pleasant.”
“On paper it isn’t. But, once I got to know him, well, I’ve gotten used to his unique… perspectives.” She frowned, and Sapphire noticed.
“Something come to mind?” she asked.
“It’s nothing, really. I was just thinking that Prose could be a bit… paranoid at times.”
“Paranoid?” another designer asked.
“Well…” She glanced around. Maybe I shouldn’t say… then again, I suppose it wouldn’t hurt. “He doesn’t seem particularly fond of Manehattan, for one. He keeps warning us about these ‘streets of danger’ and all that. Honestly, I don’t see where he’s getting that vibe.” Her smile widened. “I’ve seen nothing but generous and amazing artists since I arrived!”
The ponies laughed jovially at that, but Sapphire frowned in turn. “Prose said that?”
Rarity caught her client’s questioning look, and immediately felt herself grow uneased. “Yes, he did. Is something wrong?”
Shores shook her head. “It’s just a weird thing to say, that’s all.”
Another sample appeared before Rarity, and using her magic, she lifted it up. “I see… this is an interesting string arrangement. Where did you get this?… Oh? That close? Well, I must simply check it out, shouldn’t I?” She was distracted by the artists that surrounded her. Sapphire stayed quiet, thinking.
As the designers moved away, Rarity turned back to the Earth pony, seeing her troubled look. “Okay, Sapphire. Now I know that something’s not right with you.”
Glancing furtively around, Shores leaned in to speak softly in Rarity’s ear. “It’s odd. I’ve been hearing something similar from some ponies I’ve been by.”
Rarity raised her eyebrows. “What do you mean?”
“Some ponies talked about how there’s a coming storm, a war between families. Something to do with how Manehattan is, and was.” She shook her head. “I thought it was just typical gossip, but hearing that Prose is thinking something similar… perhaps there is some credibility in those words.”
Rarity’s eyes widened. “Sapphire, you don’t mean to say that there is a danger in this city!”
She shook her head. “I’ve been here for a long time, and I have yet to see anything above a rare mugging happen.”
She stepped back, still troubled. “Manehattan is a good city, I think. It has good ponies, good morals, and good ethics. At least, that’s what I see now. But Prose comes from a different time, doesn’t he? When the city was much more corrupt.”
“So maybe that is transitioning over to now,” Rarity said.
“Maybe.” Sapphire sighed. “Maybe his past is something that neither you nor I can hope to understand. You described him as a living paradox; perhaps this is just another aspect of his oddness?”
Rarity didn’t answer, looking somewhat away, thinking.
“Manehattan’s a wonderful place,” Sapphire assured her. “With the right amount of connections, you could probably learn a thing or two about how business works here. It’s called the City of Dreams for a reason. But maybe Prose’s dreams were shattered sometime ago, and now he can’t think of how good the city is.”
“Perhaps.” Rarity shared a look with her client. “I do hope you’re right, and that Prose is simply a bit odd and all.”
Shores flashed a smile. “If he’s every bit as eccentric as the papers say, then there really isn’t anything to worry about.”
“I suppose you’re right,” Rarity said, giving her own smile.
They turned as they heard the crowd slowly begin to return to its original position. “I should probably make sure he’s not dead,” Rarity said. Shores followed her as she trotted back to her group.
She covered her mouth with a hoof to stifle a giggle. A few of the models had actually walked off stage to get their books signed by Prose; several were posing with the stallion, grinning madly. The author, however, had a look of utter torment; he couldn’t find it in himself to force a smile, even as the cameras flashed and clicked.
“C’mon, give us your signature cool look!” a pony shouted out.
He has a cool look? Rarity wondered, her smile stretching from ear to ear.
Seeing Rarity trying not to laugh made him furrow his brow, unintentionally making him look much cooler.
The last model then leaned close and kissed Prose on the cheek, making his eyes widen and causing Rarity to forego her smile. A bright red imprint of her lips was left over. The model walked away, smirking at the others. The crowd dispersed soon after.
Rarity walked over with Shores. Prose visibly relaxed, before reaching back into his satchel.
“You aren’t going to keep that on, are you?” she blurted.
In response, he, frustrated that he had not packed a tissue, grabbed a bit of his cloak in his mouth. He pulled, ripping the material. Holding it in his hoof, he then wiped away the lipstick, scowling. “I should hope not,” he said. “What she did was uncalled for.” He glanced at Rarity. “You seem a bit flustered.”
She shook her head, trying to hide the sudden thrill of excitement that raced through her heart. “I’m fine. Just sad that you had to rip your garment.”
He acquired a small smile. “But you can fix it, can’t you? Miss fashionista?”
She rolled her eyes, but returned the smile. “I suppose I can.”
Shores walked over to Twilight. “You can see it too, right?”
“Huh?”
“Look! The way Rarity talks when she’s near Prose! The way she looks at him!”
Twilight stared at the singer for a moment, before her eyes widened in shock. “You mean—”
Shores smiled. “Well, it’s a stretch. Maybe they’re just good friends. But then again…” She looked back at the two, seeing that they were now talking about the preferred fabric to use.
“I don’t know,” Twilight said. “I think Prose has enough to worry about. Then again… maybe a good friend, perhaps something more, would be better to have at this point.”
“Now you’re talking!” Sapphire laughed, making Twilight smile.
“Twilight? Sweetie Belle?” Rarity called. “I think we should go. Opa here is getting a little nervous.”
“Nervous?” He snorted. “I believe the term is uncomfortable.”
“Psh. Anyway, I think I’ve gotten what I needed. What about you two?” Seeing them shake their heads no, she continued, “Then, I think we should be off. It was nice seeing you again, Sapphire!”
“You, too, Rarity. Keep out of trouble, you hear?”
They hugged, before Rarity turned to leave. Opacare followed after her, then Sweetie Belle, then Twilight. Shores watched them go, a smile on her face.
“Whoa! Apple Bloom, check these out!” Scootaloo exclaimed, holding up some sort of manuel.
The tan filly trotted over with a curious frown. “What’s that, Scootaloo?” In response, her friend handed the object to her. Bloom held it in front of her face, reading the front. “‘The Complete Guide to Artificial Aerodynamics?’ Scoot, Ah didn’t know you were into this kinda stuff!”
Scootaloo blushed and shrugged. “Well, I wasn’t at first. But Opa has been looking for ways to help me fly, and I remembered that he had said something about using models as a way to help me.”
“Like using birds or something? Using their wing size?”
“Yep! He said that he doubted I couldn’t fly forever. He reasoned that I needed extra help, that’s all.” She looked away. “‘Course, that doesn’t sound all that great…”
Bloom placed a reassuring hoof on her shoulder. “Cheer up, Scootaloo. You’ll be one step closer to flying with Rainbow Dash!”
Scootaloo smiled. “Yeah, I guess you’re right.”
As they continued browsing the shelves of Hooven Sport and Science Wares (“That’s not weird or anything,” Scootaloo had initially said, thinking that the title couldn’t work), they saw a prismatic mane hover in front of the counter. A familiar stetson hat pointed out; the two were in the midst of talking to the cashier.
They walked up to them. Scootaloo gave Rainbow her purchase, while Apple Bloom handed over a book on gardening to her sister. They paid (a low price, because, as the mare at the register said, “We’re having an Opacare Returns sale today!”), then left with a smile.
“Ah didn’t think Prose could be this influential,” Apple Bloom said.
“Having sales just because he returned?” Rainbow smirked. “Hey, Applejack. If I did something really cool right now, do you think we could get a discount at every store just by saying my name?”
“Maybe if you were a tad bit more humble,” Applejack retorted, grinning.
Carriages raced by, the wooden wheels rolling heavily on the tar streets. Hooves clacked against the sidewalk, and suits and vests were tugged as ponies passed each other. A few greetings were given, and some even reciprocated; most, however, simply ignored them, focused on getting to their destination.
Rainbow frowned. “I don’t get it.”
“Get what?” Scootaloo asked.
“Prose made it sound like this city wasn’t all that great. I mean, yeah, the ponies can be kinda rude, but that’s for a good reason, right? And it’s not like these streets are dangerous or anything; at least, it doesn’t appear that way.”
“Ya have to remember, Rainbow,” Applejack said, “Prose comes from a different time; a different life.” She smiled. “Ah think it’s real nice that he cares enough to warn us. Means he’s really warmed to us all.” She cast then a dry look at the cyan pegasus. “Considering, you know…”
Rainbow groaned. “Don’t remind me. I mean, I don’t think he holds it against me, but it’s kinda embarrassing accusing you of offing yourself.”
They continued walking, talking about the day, the stallion, what they planned on doing for the rest of their stay. They headed back west, towards their hotel, which was still several hundred blocks ahead. Considering how large the city was, and how long it had taken them to reach the sport store, they would arrive in maybe a half hour, if not more.
Scootaloo took the time to reach over and bring out her book. In the past, she hadn’t wanted to read and be considered an egghead, but, after learning that Rainbow liked Prose’s books, and having spent enough time with the stallion to like what he had to say, she found she had a greater appreciation for the written word. Maybe not as much as Apple Bloom or Twilight, but substantial enough that she could choose her favorite genre.
Her mind took in the words like a ravenous and hungering beast. It wasn’t a particularly tough book. There were a few words that were somewhat difficult, but she got by easily. She learned all about lift, and drag, and weight, and thrust; she found herself realizing that there was more to flying that simply beating your wings hard enough. She found a footnote that talked about how, in pegasi, there was an additional force used: magic. Sometimes it came instinctively, and other times, one needed to train hard enough to use it.
The note continued with saying that without magic, a pegasus—as well as an alicorn—would not be able to fly as well as they were known for. They were simply too big, and their wings, no matter how massive or strong, would struggle to keep them aloft. In fact, it was hypothesized that a regular sparrow would have been able to fly better than a magic-ridden pegasis. Magic, it was noted, gave them their amazing ability of flight.
Huh, Scootaloo thought. Maybe I can get Twilight to help me figure this stuff out. Or maybe even Prose!
“Hey! Scootaloo!”
She looked up, surprised. She had been so wrapped up in her book that she had fallen some distance away from the others. Apple Bloom was waving to her from the side of the sidewalk.
“Coming!” she answered, closing her book and trotting forward.
However, the oncoming traffic of ponies blocked her view, and she instinctively stopped, trying to see to the side of them. The greys and whites blurred past, and she found herself suddenly dizzied by the onslaught of bland coloring.
She noticed something stop in front of her; she apologized and made to move away. She yelped, as she felt a hoof suddenly grab her by her mane. Another hoof reached down and grabbed her book.
“Hey! Let go!” she exclaimed, pulling with all her might. The pony didn’t answer, only grunting as he strained to rip the book from her. “Help!”
It seemed nopony would answer her cry; that is, until a familiar voice shouted, “Let go of her!” It distracted Scootaloo enough for her to loosen her hold, and the book was torn from her. She looked at the thief, seeing that it was a stallion, before being knocked away.
“Ow!” she shouted, landing hard. She got up, looking for the stallion. A cyan blur appeared next to her, along with an orange and tan pair of ponies.
“Where’d he go?” Rainbow asked, eyes darting around. Apple Bloom grabbed her friend, holding her tightly, comforting her. “No… don’t tell me he got away!” Rainbow flew up, scanning the crowd, her lips pulled back and teeth bared.
“Look for somepony with a light green book!” Applejack shouted from below. “Excuse me, can anypony help us?” A few ponies stopped to ask what was wrong, and as they did so, Rainbow continued scanning for the thief.
Finally, she saw him; his black coat and dark blue mane didn’t stand out, but the book certainly did. “Found ya!” she shouted, and flew fast for him.
He heard her coming, and, with a startled and strained cry, raced away, galloping through the throng of pedestrians. Rainbow lost him twice in the crowd, but kept finding him as he broke away from the masses. She let out a growl, and resumed chasing him. Scootaloo and Apple Bloom followed from below, while Applejack convinced a few ponies to help catch the thief.
He ducked around a corner, and Rainbow followed—before suddenly crashing into him. “Ugh!” she groaned as they both rolled onto the walk. She recovered quickly, shaking her head, then tackled the stallion as he struggled to stand. “Where do you think you’re going?!”
“Let me go, ya joik!” he shouted in a thick accent. “I ain’t done nothing!”
“Nothing, ‘cept steal from a kid! Give me back that book!”
“Ya ain’t got jack-shit on me!”
She growled angrily, before picking him up and hoisting him in the air, his cloak flapping in the wind. “Listen, dude, I could wallop you right now to kingdom come if I wanted to, so unless you like having all of your teeth, start talking!”
“I ain’t talking, ya stupid horse—” He stopped, and Rainbow saw his eyes widen as they gazed down. Following his gaze, she saw two unicorn stallions underneath. They were a pale green and a darker blue, respectively; and their eyes shone with coldness that nearly matched Prose’s.
“N-no, no!” the stallion she held stammered. “Anypony but them! Please, wallop me, knock me out, do something! Just don’t let them touch me!”
“That’s enough,” the pale green stallion said, looking up the Rainbow. “Miss, I don’t think he’s going to talk anytime soon.”
“You got that right,” she said, looking back at the thief, confused as to why he was reacting so nervously.
“Maybe we can help?” the dark blue one asked. Rainbow nodded, before lowering herself to the ground. She pushed the stallion into the two.
They lit their horns, and he tried to shrink back. He was enveloped in a magical aura, preventing him from moving. He struggled. They stepped closer.
“Now, Clutch,” the pale green unicorn started, “you know our laws regarding thievery.”
Clutch struggled some more, seemingly trying to say something. A magical vice wrapped around his neck, cutting off his voice and air supply.
“This is your third offense, correct? And you decided to use that offense to steal from a filly? Truly deplorable character!” he continued.
Clutch struggled; he seemed to roll his eyes at the theatrics. It was hard for Rainbow to tell, because his head was rolled back, and he was too busy looking panicked.
“Now, then. The book. Where is it?”
Clutch’s tongue fell out. Straining against the magic, he pointed his hoof to his back pocket. Rainbow flew in and found the book, taking it out swiftly, landing behind the unicorns. She glanced behind, seeing Scootaloo, Apple Bloom, Applejack, and the crowd of ponies catch up.
“Hey! You got it back!” the orange filly said, looking up to her mentor with bright eyes. The look faded into confusion as she saw the two stallions holding up the thief. “Hey, what are they doing?”
“I don’t know,” Rainbow said. “Hey! I think you can stop now!”
“Such an act cannot go unpunished,” the green unicorn said, ignoring her. “Perhaps we should trail him…”
“Or maybe we could break his legs, here and now,” suggested the blue one.
They continued offering up darker ideas, and Clutch’s eyes widened. His face began turning blue, and his eyelids began to close.
“Halt!”
A platoon of police officers appeared in the rear, pushing past the crowd. “That’s enough, you two!” the commanding officer shouted.
“… As you wish, officer,” the green unicorn said. They cancelled their magic, dropping Clutch. He took in large gulps of air while the police surrounded and cuffed him.
“You… bastards…” he choked out. They ignored him, walking up the Rainbow and the others.
“No need to thank us,” the blue unicorn said, smiling. “Just doing our duty as Manehattanites. Anypony else here would have done the same, if they had reached Clutch fast enough.” Several murmurs of agreement ran through the crowd. Rainbow, however, kept silent, giving them a confused gaze, as the two unicorns trotted away.
“I guess that was helpful,” she said to Applejack. “But… don’t you think it was a bit excessive?”
The farm pony nodded. “Yeah, Ah hear ya. Still, though, at least we got the book back.”
Scootaloo and Apple Bloom nodded, though they looked unsure. They decided to head back to the hotel, though, this time, Scootaloo made sure to stay close to the others, the manual tucked safely against her side.
They entered the hotel room, looking tired, carrying their purchases. Pinkie and Fluttershy, already there, helped carry them in. Prose and Rarity sat on the front couch. The unicorn was busy fixing Prose’s coat, while also talking with the author. Twilight sat nearby, reading her book, while Sweetie Belle sat with her. Seeing her friends arrive, she jumped up and ran over to them.
“Hi, girls!” she greeted. “Did you have fun?”
They nodded at first, before revealing what had happened. Once they were done, Fluttershy flew over. “Oh, you poor thing!” she cooed, grabbing Scootaloo in a hug.
Rainbow shook her head. “Chill out, Fluttershy. It wasn’t like a manticore or a cockatrice or Discord was attacking. You okay, Scoots?”
“I’m fine, Rainbow. Just a little rattled.” She smiled, trying to appear comfortable.
Opacare looked at them with a frown. “What happened?” he asked, not having heard the news.
Applejack proceeded to fill him in as they placed the bags down. The fillies walked over and sat on the couch with Sweetie Belle. As Applejack finished her recount, the author’s brow furrowed, and he glanced at Scootaloo. “Another mugging? Already?”
He looked at Applejack. “You said you had some help?”
“Yeah,” Rainbow answered for her. “They were unicorns; a pale green one, and a dark blue one. They were a little overdramatic, but they helped us get the book back.” His scowl did not fade, as he searched his mind, thinking that the descriptions sounded vaguely familiar.
“I told you to keep out of trouble,” he said tersely.
“Hey!” Rainbow protested. “It’s not our fault some jerk decided to try and rob Squirt here!”
He sighed. “Well, thank goodness it was in the open, I suppose. If it were in a more secluded area…” He didn’t finish, his mind already filling with dark thoughts.
Rarity cleared her throat. “It’s good that you are all alright. Now, then, perhaps we should focus on lunch.” The others nodded, getting up and walking to the kitchen, where some menus were piled.
Prose, however, stayed on the couch for a moment longer, thinking, worrying. As he got up, he never lost that scowl, that faraway glare of his. And his heart worried for what was to come.
