//------------------------------// // Culprit // Story: The Olden World // by Czar_Yoshi //------------------------------// Three loud knocks sounded on the door to Arambai's house, and it obligingly swung open. "Aha," the stallion muttered, seeing the two mares, one filly and griffon standing in wait. "It's you." "It's us," Starlight answered, still upset and very much willing to take the lead. "And your village of respectful ponies who don't go poking at others' business just sent a mob to bother me about where I was from, didn't listen when I tried to talk to them and then ran off." "Yeah." Arambai looked at the ground. "I'm, uh, sorry about that. If it interests you to know, I've actually had quite a few of them show up here already, talking about being stuffed in crystals and wanting to know if they'll be alright." Starlight bristled. "I didn't have a choice! They were pushing and talking and wouldn't shut up so I could answer them!" She drooped slightly. "But the crystals are safe. I used them a lot on myself in the mountains." "They'll be glad to know that," Arambai said with a sigh. "...So. I imagine there's a whole bunch of stuff you want to ask, and can't decide where to begin?" "How they found out would be a good starting point," Maple offered defensively. "You said you were going to spread some rumors to take everyone's focus off of Starlight!" "That one's easy enough," Arambai replied glumly. "Everyone here says it was the fault of a certain loudmouthed stallion who's a little bit embarrassed about a recent mishap that made him look bad. Can't say I know how he found out, but as best I can tell, this was nothing more than a petty little revenge scheme from a bruised ego looking to pin blame. A reputation for a reputation, you know. That sort of thing." "Hemlock...?" Maple's ears folded. "Yeah. Apparently he was stirring up a crowd at the market this morning. Again, sorry there was nothing I could do in time." "I always knew he was trouble," Amber said darkly, pounding her hooves together. "So why'd he do that to me?" Starlight pouted, stomping. "It was his fault the crane broke! That's what you're talking about, right?" "Well..." Arambai shrugged, still standing in the doorway. "The whole episode made him look pretty bad, and you were kind of a hero even if ponies had other things to talk about. I guess, somehow, he figured out that you didn't want attention and went around to grab you a bunch. You know, as punishment for stealing his spotlight, or something. Beats me how his mind works. I just wish I knew how he found all that out..." "If I may," Gerardo asked, stepping up, "what do you plan to do about this? I'm afraid miss Amber and myself wouldn't be nearly as successful if we attempted a repeat of our last stunt." Arambai nodded. "I haven't gone out to look for him yet. Although, something tells me you're better at hunting miscreants down than I am..." He sighed and turned to walk into the house. "There might be nothing to do but live with it, I'm afraid. I'll try to take my usual disciplinary actions, but that can only deal with Hemlock. And even then, I'm limited in what I can do. Lock him up? This town doesn't have a jail. Banish him? Much as I'd love to, that's a horrible idea when the crime is spilling secrets. Think you can manage, Starlight?" Starlight frowned back at him. "I'm not scared or hurt, or anything. I'm frustrated because they were being idiots and don't get it! Do they want me to be better than them? Don't they get that that's a bad thing? Why do they want some ponies to be special or important?" Arambai sighed. "Some day, you're going to have to get that outlook of yours looked at. Still, at least it's a lot easier to get by being offended by something than it is being traumatized. Anyway, get in here. I've got a bit of reassuring to do, and then we can go look for Hemlock." "Actually," Gerardo offered, turning to Amber and motioning at the sky, "it doesn't seem either of us are needed for this present conversation. Might we get a head start on that mercenary business while you and Starlight have your talk?" He was met with nods all around. "Starlight's here, girls," Arambai's voice boomed through the house. "She says she's done the crystal thing to herself and it's perfectly safe, and she apologized for using it at all and said she only did it because you lot wouldn't let her get a word in edgewise. Everything fine with that?" A collective sigh of relief radiated through a sitting room, where no less than ten mares were huddled on couches, loveseats and even the middle of the floor. When Starlight came into view behind the stallion, there were instant chattered apologies, everyone tripping over each other until they realized what they were doing. The room fell silent. "Look," Starlight mumbled, realizing she finally had their attention. "If you really need to know, yes, that's where I'm from. But it shouldn't and doesn't matter because I'm just as much of a pony as you are and there's no reason to treat me any better or worse for it. Okay?" "But you're not," one mare countered, boldly pointing a hoof. "You must have seen things that are legendary! You probably know more than all of Riverfall combined!" She swallowed, and added, "Why shouldn't that make you special?" "Because..." Starlight fumbled briefly; no matter how many times she rehearsed this in her head, it was difficult to say it without imagining other ponies poking mercilessly for cracks in her logic. "Because you never had a chance to! I just got lucky, or... or unlucky. How is it fair to make someone special because of luck?" She glared back, hoping she wasn't appearing too threatening. "Well, I... I dunno..." The mare stared at her hooves, perplexed. "If you don't mind," Maple interrupted, stepping up close to Starlight, "what really would be best is if we could have our space. Could you simply treat us like everything is normal for now, please?" A chorus of nods echoed in return, and Maple sighed. "There," she said, turning to Starlight. "We'll probably get strange looks for quite a while, but we'll... we'll live with it." "Glad to see that's all cleared up," Arambai announced, looking in from a hallway. "Anyway, since it'll probably be a while before those two heroes drag our suspect back in for questioning... and I am very curious to learn where he found that information out... think you two are feeling up to assisting me in an experiment down below? It's something I was hoping to work on before all this mess, but since you're here anyway, why not?" "As long as it doesn't need my horn," Starlight grumbled, rubbing her head. "It hurts, now..." "I'll help." Maple glanced around at the mares in the sitting room, some of whom appeared to be leaving, and others settling in to stay for a while. "Err... should we go downstairs to say what it is?" "Eh, it's not really a big deal." Arambai trotted nevertheless towards a staircase leading to the shop below. "It has to do with that incident the other day when Starlight tried to use my teleporter. Basically, I want to try that again, to see if it was some sort of freak accident or is actually reproducible." Starlight sighed loudly, pouting as she set hoof on the stairs. "Whatever. I already have a headache. Maybe if I get blown up and knocked out again, I can sleep it off..."