Chapter 62
Donut Joe’s was going through a lull. It was funny, before meeting Piper and Hennessy, this was just another place for Flicker, one place of many, but now, it seemed to be the place. A small mountain of crispy, glazed and unglazed crullers sat in the middle of the table, along with some frosted donuts, some cream-filled, and some jelly-filled. A thermal carafe filled with strong, rich coffee had been left at the table for the trio, and a pitcher of cream.
A small fortress of sugarcubes sat in the middle of the table, made by Piper, and she was now constructing a monstrous donut-creature. Hennessy, a cup of coffee gripped in his fetlock, watched Piper with great interest, while Flicker just stared out the window, distracted and out of sorts.
There were only two other patrons at Donut Joe’s, an earth pony wearing a hideous, tacky tropical print shirt and a donkey that spoke with a curious, southwestern Equestrian accent. The both of them spoke in hushed tones and the donkey kept prodding the earth pony with her hoof while making loud, indignant snorts.
Piper crammed the donut-creature she made into her mouth and it squirted red, sticky jelly everywhere as she tore its guts open. Hennessy rolled his eyes, shifted in his seat, and then looked over at Flicker, who was still staring out the window. Reaching over, he prodded Flicker to get his attention.
“Hey,” Hennessy said in a low voice, “stop looking so glum, you passed. It’s all over and all you’ve got to worry about now is fencing. I can help you build a fence.”
Chortling, Piper had glaze and sticky red goop go dribbling down her chin, which she wiped away with a napkin. Flicker however, had no response other than looking at Hennessy with a blank stare. After a moment, Flicker shook his head and resumed looking out the window. Sighing, Hennessy poked Flicker again with his hoof, determined not to give up on somehow making Flicker feel better.
“So what kind of a fencer is Moonlit anyhow?” Hennessy asked. “Is he like you, a hard hitter?”
Still staring out the window, Flicker responded, “He’s quick and fast. He doesn’t hit very hard. His telekinesis isn’t very strong, but he has a ridiculously long range for his magic, which I lack.”
“Range?” Hennessy looked confused as he drew his head back and his ears angled over his eyes as deep creases appeared in his brows.
“Unicorns have different ranges,” Flicker replied as he turned his head to glance over at Piper. “I have a very small radius for my magic before it loses potency. But in my small radius, I have a lot of telekinetic strength.”
“Which we’ve all seen,” Piper remarked as she cleaned the last bit of red jelly from her chin.
“Moonlit, he has a very large radius of potency, giving him an extended reach, but he doesn’t have a lot of strength. He’s fast though, very, very fast, and that makes me nervous. He hasn’t figured out how to teleport his weapon yet, though, so I have that going for me.”
“I wonder what sort of fencer I’ll be…” Piper let out a huff, inhaled deep, held it, and then let it out in another long, drawn out huff. “You know, at first, I didn’t see the point of fencing as a unicorn, but I think I’m catching on. It helps you find your limits and hone your magic. It isn’t spellcasting, but it is still pretty useful.”
“There are things that will resist your magic.” Flicker’s voice was low and flat as he spoke. “There are awful things in the sewers, things birthed by foul alchemical waste and magical pollutants in the sewer. Dangerous things that are far, far worse than rats. I’ve seen some things.” As he spoke, he thought of the spider-hag; that hadn’t come from the sewer, but it had certainly left a lasting impression on him. There were awful things in the world, just waiting to be discovered.
“So, Moonlit is fast.” Hennessy looked thoughtful and he studied Flicker, his eyes lingering on the colt as he looked him up and down. “And this makes you equal fencing partners somehow?”
“I guess, Mister Balister seems to think so. Moonlit and I are both considered mid-range in our skill.” Flicker slumped down in his seat a bit and his black coat rumpled. “I don’t feel good about this match”—the colt shook his head from side to side—“only one of us can win, the other loses, and the loser takes a hit to their grade. I like Moonlit and I don’t want to do that to him.”
“Oh… that sounds… well, I don’t know, but I don’t like how that sounds.” Piper’s expression soured as she lifted up her coffee cup and she blinked as she slurped some of the pale brown liquid from her cup.
“It is supposed to teach us grace in losing and loss.” Flicker shrugged a bit and his ears pivoted forwards. “We can’t always win or be victorious. And when Moonlit and I have a go at one another, somepony will have to lose. I don’t like it, but I understand why it is done this way. As Mister Pepper says, there is a lesson in everything. I can be a gracious loser if I have to be, but I don’t want to lose. At the same time, I don’t want Moonlit to lose, because he’s not a bad sort.”
“I don’t like losing,” Piper confessed, “and I don’t think I could be gracious about it.”
“So, this fencing, it’s just swords banging together, and no magic?” Hennessy asked
“No direct magical attacks,” Flicker replied.
“But indirect ones are allowed?” Piper now looked curious.
“Yes, but they are frowned upon.”
“But they are allowed.” Piper clopped her front hooves together, which made Flicker’s ears perk. A devious grin appeared on Piper’s face and she rubbed her front hooves together as her own ears splayed out sideways.
“I prefer to have an honourable duel,” Flicker said in a cold deadpan as he focused his steely gaze on Piper.
Shrugging, Piper replied, “And I prefer to win. To each their own.”
Eyes narrowing, Flicker poured himself some coffee, refilling his cup, all while he stared at Piper, scowling at what she had said. He added a little cream and a sugarcube to his coffee, stabbed in his spoon, and gave it a good stir. Across the table, Hennessy made an impressive slurp from his own cup of coffee, a slurp so loud that Donut Joe himself glanced over at the trio.
Fearing that his friends might bicker, Hennessy changed the subject as he put down his cup on the table. “Doctor Sterling tells me that I still can’t see my mom. She’s in the asylum wing of the hospital and she’s having something called delirium tremens. He says she’s not herself at all right now. I’m worried.”
The tension vanished as both Piper and Flicker stopped staring at one another and instead they focused on Hennessy. The earth pony colt now looked both relieved, a bit sad, and a whole lot worried as he sucked in a deep breath.
“They’re trying a new experimental treatment,” Hennessy continued, his eyes dropping and focusing on the sugarcube fortress in the middle of the table. “They drain out all of her blood and give her fresh blood from a donor. Doctor Sterling says that he is hopeful that she’ll respond well to it.” Hennessy’s barrel hitched and he looked up at his friends. “I just want her well… I left everything behind me, everypony and everything, and I just want her well.”
“Experimental treatment?” Piper’s voice was now thick and a little husky with concern.
“It reduces the cost,” Hennessy replied as he squirmed in his seat. “This is gonna cost me. I could’ve had her put in the poorhouse asylum, but they don’t do much in the way of treatment there, so Doctor Sterling talked with some ponies that he knows and a deal was made where some of my wages will be docked for a long, long time. I’m fine with that.”
Looking disheartened, Piper crammed a whole unglazed cruller into her mouth and began chewing, her ears rising and falling with the movement of her jaw. Following her example, Hennessy did the same, only somehow managing to cram not one, but two crullers into his mouth. There was much lip smacking as he chewed and he drummed his hooves on the edge of the table.
There was a loud gulp when Piper swallowed, and she looked around at her fellow companions with bright, excited eyes. Sucking in a deep breath, she bounced up and down in her seat, overcome with exuberance as she had a most wonderful idea.
“We should all go out tonight and see a concert,” she blurted out. “Well, that is if the concert is still on after everything that’s happened and we can somehow still get tickets, that is. That might be the tricky part, getting tickets. Octavia is putting on a show. I’ve been dying to see her live and in pony.”
Flicker groaned and rolled his eyes. When he did, Piper slugged him right in the shoulder while Hennessy watched in wide-eyed astonishment. Flicker, turning his head, gave Piper an icy stare, but did not retaliate, as his stare was more than enough.
“Don’t be a boob,” Piper said, chiding Flicker. “This could be wonderful for all of us, and I think Hennessy could use some cheering up as well.”
Glowering at Piper, Flicker’s eyes blazed with dangerous inner fires and his nostrils flared. “I suppose this might be a way to satisfy Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, and Apple Bloom,” he muttered, “and try to develop some interests with my friends.”
There was a whinny from Hennessy and it turned into a chuckle. He watched his friends, his eyes glittering with amusement, and after chuckling for a bit, he gave a nod. “I’d like to see a concert. Maybe Flicker and I could sit together and he could hold my fetlock.”
As Flicker turned his baleful stare upon Hennessy, Piper let out a squeal and said, “Let’s finish up these donuts and then let’s go and see if there are still tickets for sale.” This caused another groan from Flicker, which the over-excited and happy filly ignored. Lifting her coffee cup, she gulped down the contents and then began cramming her mouth full of donuts, in a race to outdo Hennessy, who had a fantastic lead.
Flicker’s hard expression softened and with a turn of his head, he resumed looking out the window. His horn glowed with a faint, soft light and he lifted up an unglazed cruller. He ate it with small, polite bites, interspersed with sips of coffee. One ear twitched when Piper oinked, making fun of Hennessy and his eating.
While the others were clearly excited and happy with the prospect of a concert, Flicker just looked bored.
The urbane canyons of Canterlot were a strange place at times, ever-changing and odd. Riots could happen one day and a day later the streets could be a snarl of traffic as a cargo convoy hauled a load of precious, priceless ambergris to a perfumery. The wagon convoy had a group of protectors from the Guardian’s Guild that Flicker recognised. He didn’t know them by name, but he had met them on a couple of occasions now.
As he and his companions tried to find a way around the traffic, Flicker could not help but feel that there was something menacing right beneath his hooves, lurking below, down in the dark, maybe below the sewers. The sewers were a strange place, an actual maze, and were constructed from the ruins of the old Canterlot. A long time ago, when the city was still new, there had been an earthquake. No one was quite certain of the cause, some blamed mining in the mountain, others blamed magic, but the damage done to the city was catastrophic.
Much of it had fallen down into a sinkhole and other parts just fell over. The parts that had fallen over had been pushed into the sinkhole to fill it and now, the undercity of Canterlot was a strange, strange place indeed, filled with curious warrens made of the bones of old buildings. Old tower sections formed cisterns that held stormwater and sewage. The rooms of old mansions could still be found, somewhat intact. In his many excursions into the sewers, Flicker had seen some strange things, and there were even ponies that lived down there.
Down there, the rats thrived.
Far below in the confusing maze, there were no doubt thousands of openings and passageways to the old mines and Flicker had heard stories that the Canterhorn had been completely hollowed out by ponies greedy for gems. For Flicker, it was a nightmare scenario. Who knew what enemies might be lurking below, waiting to strike the city?
But he couldn’t sit and brood about it because he was expected to go to a concert and have a nice time. There wasn’t much he could do, he was just one pony, if he did go down there alone, he would get himself killed and he knew it. But it didn’t stop him from thinking about it and the ways to solve the problem.
Pumping vast quantities of gas down there would be stupid; the gas would leak and the ponies of Canterlot would suffer. The city would need to be evacuated, which was possible, but that would cause a panic. Ponies panicked too much and Flicker felt a fundamental sadness as he contemplated this fact. His species was prone to fits of stupidity when massed together and herd-think ruled the day.
Shaking his head, Flicker fought back a sneeze. Ambergris… what need did ponies have for whale vomit, anyhow?
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H0w h@5 th15 t33n r@t3d st0ry n0t b33n t@k3n d0wn y3t f0r 3xpl1c1t c0nt3nt?
Love this slice of life part of the story, some adventure stories just need to chill, y'know?
Looks like a couple of folks who are together, and who may or may not be fighting crime.
I'm curious to see how Flicker might react to a concert by someone as renowned and talented as Octavia. Somewhere between blank stare and rapturous awe, I'm sure.
7907088
Octavia's talent is to inspire others...
7907047
Seconded.
7907088
Mr. Spade? Ms. Serape? Is that you?
I fully expect that, at just the right time in the duel, Piper will telekinetically grab Moonlit's balls.
7907157
And here she finds her greatest challenge yet.
7907236
That's direct.
7907316
Ah, but it's not Flicker directly doing it, you see? Indirect, as in through somepony else.
Ambergris... pray tell good sir, what is the purpose of that aside?
7907363
Interference in a duel means flogging or walking papers.
7907420
If I remember right it's refined and usedas a base for perfume in our world. But in this one, a fuel source, alchemical ingredient, regular ingredient? Who knows beside kudzu.
7907504 It is possible that ambergris is referenced in one of Kudzu's other works.
7907524
Not to my knowledge, but there is an extraordinary large amount to text to comb through last I checked. It might have been mentioned and I overlooked it, I'm just not sure.
7907593 True, true. With the sheer mass of literature that Kudzu puts out its like he is an army of monkeys dancing on typewriters while eating cappuccinos. He just doesn't stop and it's awesome, tiring as anything sure, but it's still awesome.
7907609
7907593
Back in Victorian times ambergris was moved overland by large, well armed convoys. It was incredibly valuable, worth more than gold at times, and entire fortunes were made or lost on being able to deliver it safely and securely. You might hire two hundred or more well armed goons, have decoy wagons, and maybe even a few plain clothes dicks... even with this tremendous expense, money was still made.
An ambergris delivery in Canterlot says a lot about the city and the economy. There is wealth there, and inhabitants that mean business.
7907676 I'm sure there are all sorts of alchemical agents some rare some not so rare. Some made rare by the risk to get them some by the simple fact of the ethics involved Say something like unicorn horn or dragon's heart or dragon's liver. in Victorian times you'd have to worry about really getting what you were buying and whether or not it was pure
other common agents not so bad. Dragon's blood just ask the nearby dragon though you might not like the price greedy critters
7907763
What about a Virgin's Tears. stuff like that has been seen in fiction for potion making which is part of Alchemy. Just imagine how awkward it would be for anyone to get those.
7907811 embarrassing though we always assume a female virgin though from the technical definition it could be male or female
Done lots a fencing over the years, Still have two sets of weapons!!
An old antique one of these
tractorfactory.co.uk/product-image/bac9df6f-9b60-4a4f-b882-8efa19e26d40/909.jpg
and one of these.
toolman.com.au/images/12102.jpg
D'you think Flicker might like music after Octavia's done with him?
Probably not, but one can dream.
Had to look up what Crullers were, never heard of them here in Oz before. Looks like one of the tyres I used for mud racing!
3.bp.blogspot.com/_8bNiEFs_Y8g/TCM5wREIz8I/AAAAAAAAAK0/iOg-XNY5lc0/s1600/IMGP0146.JPG
gb-import.nazwa.pl/Tobiasz/OPONY%20FELGI%20T/C-484.JPG
7907833
7907811
Easy enough, have the youngest 50% of students help peel onions once a week, while wearing some sort of mask with test tubes below the eyes. A sort of reverse drinking hat.
Well, now I'm even more concerned about Hennessy's mother.
Now that's quite the adventuring environment, and it's so close at hand too.
7908028 Possibly, however the closest thing I could find was the 'Infinite Monkey Theorem ' which, while weird, is rather intriguing.
7907925 crullers are great! Like donuts, but with a slight crunch and go well with coffee. I like the blueberry cake variety... explains my lard ass
7908504 SNERK
7909008
I said what it was in the comments.
7909122 oh yeah you woulda thought being born between a mining town and a former whaling/shipyard town I'd have remembered that bit of trivia :p
7908799 What? They are!
7909413 I was chuckling at the last bit of your comment, I'm not a 'hole'
lot better with Krispy Kreme donuts when I can get them from Adelaide stores occasionally. (very occasionally)
7908167 it's like the dnd campaign where adventures would go down a well inside a major city to fight in a labrythian dungeon thst somehow still has loot untouched after all the decades of adventures going down and looting the place.
7909731
Well there are sometimes some creatures there with a certain Level of Sapience that have treasures they may leave around. And then lets not forget sometimes rats like shiny things, steal them and take them back down with them. And then there are all the people who died down there looking for treasure who had useful things on them as well.
7907420 it was used to make perfume, if I am not mistaken, as well as other things.
moar!
7915651
Why, thank you.