Crowland hadn’t spoken in hours. Instead he focused everything he had at the task at hand. His blade had to be sharp enough to pierce the thickest of hides. It came with the job. So after sharpening his blade for a while, he had the job of cleaning it. Many of his older blades were rather dull, so it had taken some time.
He was tempted to chuckle at how his gear looked as old as he was. Old and dull, that’s what many griffons would call him. Well most griffons don’t live to be his age, so he knew a thing or two they didn’t. Old or not, he was going to make it shine like new before his next hunt.
He sighed as he gave his sword a look over. It was a perfect long sword. Clean and efficient in its job. It hadn’t failed him before and he sincerely doubted it would fail him now. His face glinted in the metal. “Old bird, you pull this off and you won’t have to worry about another hunt.”
He sheathed his sword and went to look at the rest of his gear. As he did, his mind wandered to his apprentice. He furrowed his brow slightly as he rummaged through some old leather wear. ‘Gonna need to find a tailor.’ He poked his claws through some holes he acquired through some near misses and wounds. He made a mental note to ask Suri to get it fixed.
‘I’m not going to do it, that’s for sure.’ He snorted. He wasn’t the lazy sort and he knew how to fix clothing, but this job required magically enhanced clothes. Which meant he needed a unicorn or other equally fit magic user. He had heard about the one in town, but given the react of the ponies, he really didn’t want to keeping walking around with them screaming or pointing spears at him.
“One last job,” he grumbled. “And then it’s all over.”
_________________________________________________________________________
Coco hummed in delight as she checked over the available mannequins in the store. The last few days had been rather slow, with more ponies leaving town and whatnot. It was bad for business and Rarity had made a few… overly dramatic speeches about this travesty. Thankfully for them, they had enough ice cream to placate her. Coco herself didn’t really care. It gave her more time to herself and to relax. That’s what she needed.
She narrowed her eyes as she looked over a little tear in one of the dresses. “Grundle, could you get me some white thread and a needle please?”
“Grundle do it,” the Grundle nodded and went off to find some.
Coco smiled as she watched him go. Ever since that dreadful night, this grundle had stuck around to help the duo out. She was grateful for that. He was actually a big help even if it took a long time to teach him how everything went about in the shop. He still had a hard time telling some colors apart.
It was then when she heard a knock at the door. Coco trotted over to the door and opened it. She slightly gasped when she saw the mare that was travelling with that griffon from before.
Suri spoke, “Can I come in? I need to place a few orders.”
Coco gulped. She was used to dealing with soldiers and the like. Ponies who were trained to kill in the name of Celestia. They however exuded an aura of protection whereas this mare just exuded an aura of death. It didn’t help that she was so friendly with a griffon but Coco wasn’t one to judge. He didn’t seem so bad and it would be really mean to act on her fear. “O-okay. You can come in. I’ll go and get Miss Rarity. You can come and sit down if you want. I mean, if that’s okay with you. I don’t want to force you to do anything you don’t want to”
“Oh it’s nothing major,” Suri seemed a little reluctant to come in the door as she nervously eyed whatever laid indoors. “I just need a few clothes stitched up is all.”
Coco opened her mouth to say something, but decided not to. ‘I’m sure she’s just shy. Maybe she’s kind of like me.’
“Coco, darling~” Rarity called from the back. “Is somepony at the door?”
Coco turned her head to see Rarity shooing away the diamond dog guards. Normally Rarity would have guards around even outside. It wasn’t that she was scared of Ponyvillians doing anything to her or her shop. It was more so that the dogs were really protective of Rarity and wanted to make sure she was okay. Now that there weren’t as many Ponyvillians around, Rarity wanted to make sure everypony felt safe and calm. Large and imposing diamond dogs don’t exactly create such a feeling.
“Yes,” she simply said.
Rarity trotted over and opened the door, “Welcome to Carousel Boutique. How may we help you this fine day?”
“Oh I just was wondering if you could patch some things up for me,” Suri stated. “I don’t have them with me, but I was hoping I could bring them along tomorrow. I just thought I’d give you a notice beforehoof.”
“Well I do greatly appreciate the notice,” Rarity smiled charmingly. “Would you like to come inside? I’m sure we could find something new that you would like or perhaps I could customize your attire.”
Suri nervously took a step back, “No, I’ll just bring them to you and you can bring them back here… outside… of the boutique.”
Rarity and Coco slightly tilted their heads in a unison question.
“...Okay,” Rarity spoke. “I can do that, but wouldn’t you want to at least-”
“I’ll bring the clothes and you fix them,” Suri cut her off. She was sweating slightly and had a slight glare to her features. “We don’t need to go inside. I’ll be back tomorrow.” She stormed off.
Rarity watched her leave, “What a strange mare. It’s almost like she was scared to come in.”
“Maybe she heard about the Diamond Dogs we employ,” Coco suggested.
Rarity sighed, “Mayhaps I should tell them to dig under ground or something for a while so as not to spook more ponies. Still, we shall carry on.” Rarity went to the backroom after shutting the door.
________________________________________________________________
The stallion before her was shivering. Sitting on the other side of a table as you stared into the face of an Inquisitor can do that to a pony. Trixie wouldn’t regularly say this but she enjoyed putting fear into others. It made her feel powerful. Her parents of course had dissuaded her from completely taking to this approach but she indulged in it as much as she could.
“Do you praise the sun?” Trixie asked the squirming stallion.
“Y-yes, Inquisitor.” He stuttered.
Trixie snorted and let him stir a little bit more in his fear. She smirked as she took a sip of her apple cider, “Do you know why you are here?”
The stallion gulped and shook his head, “No, Inquisitor.”
Trixie quirked an eyebrow. Casting her magic, she pulled out a pistol and put it onto the table. This got a slight gasp from the pony. “Let me ask you again. Do you know why you are here?” The stallion had the gall to shake his head through his ever present shaking. Trixie narrowed her eyes as she placed a sigil of Nightmare Moon onto the table. “This was found in your home, was it not?”
“I’ve already talked with Inquisitor Time Turner about this,” the stallion tried to regain his bearings. “He’s cleared me…”
“And that’s why I was sent here,” Trixie sneered. “To clean up his mess.”
“Inquisitor, please.” The stallion pleaded, leaning forward in his seat. “They had my family. I had to cooperate.”
“How many ponies lost their families because you lacked a spine?” Trixie countered. “If you had done anything at all to inform another pony of their presence, many lives could have been spared. Instead you were a coward. You turned your back on everypony around you.”
“I had no choice.”
“Everypony has a choice,” Trixie snarled. “And you chose to turn your back on the Sun Goddess herself and allow the heretics to water her soil with the blood her her faithful.”
“I would never turn my back on Princess Celestia!” He seemed so sure of himself, but Trixie knew better.
‘I always know better,’ Trixie raised a hoof to face in a traditional noble lady laugh, “Oh-hoh-hoh-ho.” Her Prench was coming out a bit. “Vous imbécile naïf. Consorting with the enemy under any circumstance is an act of treason. If we allowed you to live, this would give other ponies the idea that they too can turn their backs on the one goddess who has saved our species time and time again. What travesty that would be.”
“Please,” tears collected at the corner of his eyes. “D-don’t do this. My family-”
“Your children will be taken care of,” Trixie spoke up. “They will be taken to an orphanage until such a time that a respectful and Celestia-abiding set of parents can care for them. They will grow up to contribute to this sun blessed country. Your wife will share your fate since she kept her mouth shut the same as you.” She stood up from her chair, “May Celestia’s radiance guide you.” She turned to leave.
“Inquisitor, wait!” The stallion shouted. “Please, you have to understand. What would you have done if they had come after your children?”
Trixie stopped and the thought of Cato in the grasp of heretics flashed through her mind. She snarled, pulling out her pistol as she twirled around. “I WOULD HAVE FOUGHT!” The stallion lurched back in his chair. “You dare to compare yourself to a blessed Inquisitor? You dare to ask that question to one who fights in her name. Who would do anything to safeguard this country? That I would just sit back and do what a blasted heretic says as they threaten my son?!!!”
She wanted to kill him. To paint the walls with his blood. She could do it. It was in her right as an Inquisitor. She had wanted to make his execution public, but now….
The door burst open, “Inquisitor Trixie!” Inquisitor Time Turner shouted as he pulled out a custom pistol that wrapped itself around his hoof. Useful for earth ponies. “Put the weapon down.”
“He is a heretic!” Trixie scowled. “He deserves to die for his crimes against Equestria.”
“He was forced against his will,” Time Turner kept his aim firmly on her. “I cleared his name. As a senior Inquisitor, you must respect my decision.”
“I am your replacement!” Trixie glared at him. “I respect nothing of yours.”
“Nothing is official until the Council says so,” Time smirked upon seeing her frown. “Do you think I wouldn’t know what’s going on in Canterlot? Oh I know they want to kick me out for things outside of my control, but I’ve been an Inquisitor for centuries. You don’t keep a job like this without a few connections. So until you have fair reason to oust me aside from reports, nopony will be executed unless I or High Sun Priestess Bon Bon decree it. So put down the weapon. Now.”
Trixie shook slightly with rage, “You… You dare?!!” She pulled out her second pistol and pointed them both at Time Turner. “You dare threaten the Inquisitor Trixie?!! Trixie has seen-”
“I have seen,” Dot poked his head in to correct her once again. “You’re going into third-” He ducked when a round almost took his head.
“Trixie doesn’t care!” Trixie’s chest heaved with her anger. ‘How dare he command me? I am a noble-stallion’s daughter. One of the richest and most influential families in all of Equestria’s empire! He should be doing what I tell him!’ She turned back to the shivering stallion. She hated this lowlife more than anything. She would never allow such a thing to get that far with Cato. Never… but she sighed and put away her pistols. “You win this round, Turner. Next time you won’t be so lucky.” She strutted out of the room.
She heard Time Turner sigh and try and calm down the stallion. It made her sick. ‘He is far too lenient to be an inquisitor.’
Dot nuzzled her, “Trixie, are you alright?”
“I’m fine.”
Dot gave her a ‘really?’ type of expression, “I’m a changeling. I can sense your emotions. You’re anything but fine.”
Trixie snorted, “He tried to draw parallels to the pair of us and… I snapped. It won’t happen again. He will be executed.”
“You did try and do it behind the town’s back,” Dot pointed out.
“I am an Inquisitor,” Trixie scoffed. “I have the power to do so.”
“It seems this town isn’t going to bend over as easy as others have,” Dot added. “Speaking of bending over….”
Trixie stopped and glared at him. She snarled and thought about pummelling him into the ground before he looked up into her eyes. Without a second thought, she pulled him into a deep kiss that lasted a moment. Pulling away, she glared into his blue eyes. “I hate you.”
“No you don’t,” Dot smirked.