The soft kiss of the cool silk sheets gently woke me from my slumber, the early red light of dawn filtering into the room dragging me away from unconsciousness. I lazily lifted my head from the pillow, feeling static electricity pulling my black mane back onto the pillow. With a few blinks and a small groan, I lifted the blankets and slipped out of the warm bed. Planting my four hooves firmly onto the wooden floor, I smacked my lips and winced at the familiar taste that greeted me every morning.
Shaking my head, I exited the bedroom and walked down the hall a few feet before stepping into the bathroom. My eyes slammed shut as I turned on the bright lights, continuing to carefully approach where the sink was. I stopped when I felt my chest bump into the cool surface of the sink. After allowing my eyes to adjust to the light, I pulled open a drawer and grabbed my toothbrush and the paste that went with it. I expertly held back my earth pony strength and squeezed a generous amount of the minty paste onto the bristles of the brush before beginning to brush my teeth vigorously.
I finished quickly and turned on the faucet as I began to gargle water from a clean cup. Placing the utensils away, I reached over and ran the hot water in the shower, testing it with my hoof until it was to my satisfaction. I jumped in and hung my head low, letting the pressurized water massage my sleeping muscles. Methodically, I flexed and stretched, assisting my body in getting my blood flowing. I finished off with a loud pop of my neck, feeling completely awake. I paused to enjoy the hot water flowing through my dark brown fur for a little while longer before reaching for the shampoo and getting to work.
After finishing rinsing all the soap from my body, I turned off the water and hopped out onto the tile floor. I grabbed a nearby towel and rubbed myself down swiftly with the drying cloth. Lifting it up, I used it to wipe away some of the condensation on the mirror before pausing. I looked into the mirror and stared at my reflection in utter horror. My damp mane looked as if a mop had been given life, ordered to hold my head from the enemy at all costs, before finally being struck by lightning, the strands of hair spiking up in numerous directions. Letting out an annoyed groan, I grabbed a comb and began the wild and deadly dance of taming my unruly mane.
If anypony had been relatively new in the building, they would have surely called the Guard as the shrieks and loud banging emanating from the bathroom pointed all hooves towards a violent domestic assault. However, the neighboring residents had long since learned the truth of the situation and actually looked forward to the comedic morning struggles of the unfortunate soul.
Finishing my morning bathroom rituals, I turned the light off and headed into the kitchen. I thought about what I wanted for breakfast shortly before settling on having something relatively simple. I opened the pantry and picked out a few packets of instant oatmeal. I then collected the utensils necessary and proceeded to make breakfast. I stepped away from the humming pinnacle of unicorn magic and earth pony ingenuity, the microwave, and moved back into my room.
The room was a comfortable size, spacious enough to fit a large bed, a dresser, a large artist’s desk and easel, and it even sported a small closet. The eggshell blue paint on the wall clashed interestingly with the now orange sunlight glaring through a crack in the window curtains. The light was thrown across the room when I pulled back the curtains, the warm sunshine eliciting a sigh of appreciation from me. I then made my bed neatly and fixed the pillows, hearing the hum of the microwave stop before it emanated a short series of loud beeps. I ignored it as it would still need time to cool down.
I opened the closet door and procured a smooth black dress coat, a white undershirt, and a royal purple bowtie. I slipped them on carefully, shuffling around the suit until it settled on me comfortably. Looking over to the nightstand, I spotted a golden nametag that read,
Gallery Curator
Marking Canvas
I grabbed the tag and pinned it to the suit, expertly operating the safety pin with my hooves after having plenty of practice. Checking myself in the bedroom mirror, I smoothed out a few wrinkles before making my way back towards the kitchen. I opened the microwave and carefully grabbed the bowl, ensuring that it wasn’t too hot to touch. After grabbing a spoon and placing it in the bowl, I hobbled on three legs and sat down on a stool at the island counter and ate my breakfast, quieting my hunger.
When finished, I placed the bowl into the sink and grabbed a cooled apple out of the fridge before walking down the hallway towards the entryway. Finding the keys in the clear glass dish by the door, I secured them in my pocket before opening the door and stepping through. After having made sure everything was locked up, I made my way down four flights of stairs and out onto the streets of Manehatten.
My ears flicked in the direction of a cart as it was noisily pulled down the street. The city’s inhabitants were beginning to wake up and start the day ahead of them, ponies of all shapes, sizes, and types exiting their homes. An icy breeze swept through the space between the tall buildings, ruffling all of my exposed fur and stinging my ears, reminding me that I had to pick up new head apparel. All in all though, if it hadn’t been for the warmth of Celestia’s sun shining brilliantly from the east it would have been an especially chilly day. The streets were clear thankfully, the heat of the city staving off most of the heavier snowfall. My muzzle wrinkled slightly as it brought with it the scent of the city pollution and the sharp salt swept off of the nearby ocean.
'I hope the weather holds,’ I thought before taking a bite out of my apple. Stepping out onto the warming cobblestone street, I began to make my way towards my place of employment, the Manehatten Art Museum. I breathed in the cool air and hustled my step a bit faster, eager to beat the city crowds. Luckily, I didn’t have to go too far as the museum was only about 12 blocks away.
Falling into the stream of morning traffic, I was able to keep up my pace as there was still room to maneuver, even with the ponies clustering onto the sidewalks due to more and more carriages and wagons pulling out onto the streets. I stopped at an intersection as I waited for our turn to cross, the nearby ponies exhaling white puffs while shifting impatiently. Some had foals standing close beside them as they were being escorted to school. My proximity to my fellow Manehattaner's also exposed me to the strong perfumes and colognes they wore. Luckily, the chilly air stifled the tickling effect it had in my nose before we finally started shuffling across the street.
The cobblestone street ended abruptly and split into two different directions as I finally reached a large plaza. I quickly glanced up and down the road before crossing, entering the gated pedestrian zone under the watchful gaze of a pair of gargoyles perched on the stone arch above me. The massive expanse of Broken Trinket Plaza was quite the sight to see. There were numerous food stands and tables scattered around, the space interrupted only by the presence of a large fountain. The museum owned the entire property, having built the plaza after they found that moving items from its warehouse across the old street to the exhibits was problematic as the city rapidly expanded. It proved to be a good investment as well as many food wagons rented out the large space to sell their wares, bringing in more visitors to the museum.
I crossed the worn yet still beautifully bricked ground to the main entrance of the museum. The two dozen or so marble steps in front of me were of no consequence as I had long since gotten used to traversing up them. The doors were unlocked for the public and a good number of ponies were milling about the exhibits in the large building. The main foyer stretched away into the sky, the intricately carved stone supporting the domed ceiling. A very large mural of Equestria's history was captured in the vibrant hues of paint on the ceiling.
I heard a very low whistle of awe from one of the entering visitors behind me, causing me to smile at their appreciation for the priceless works. Ignoring the hallways that led to more of the buildings treasures, I waved at the guest's service desk and walked through a staff only door. The air smelled of ink and parchment, dust being added to the mix as a cart filled with paper and packages passed me by. I made my way to one of the busy offices and entered the one labeled as mine. I sat down on a slightly worn chair and turned on a lamp, staring at the previous night's paperwork. There were a few hundred pieces of paper detailing the different works prepared for today's auction, one that I had been asked to host.
Letting out a small sigh, I gathered it up and placed it in a folder. I then found the art lineup and looked it over, checking for any discrepancies in the information I was to speak of. It took almost twenty minutes, but once I was satisfied, I turned off the lamp and stood up, grabbing the folder and placing it in a small sling hung across my withers. With confidence in my step, I exited the office and headed towards the showcase room. I had an auction to oversee.
Gasping in the cool air, I stumbled through the crowd, pushing my way through the locals. My lungs burned as I pumped my legs, fatigue being driven off by the sheer amount of adrenaline rushing through my veins. I violently bumped into a crossing unicorn, throwing them to the street. The mare yelled at me, as did many of the others I smashed into in my desperate bid to run.
“Halt!”
‘No! Must. Go. Faster!’ They were gaining on me, the loud clanking of their armor growing ever closer. I poured more into my muscles as I struggled to evade my pursuers. Thank Celestia they didn’t have any pegasi, but even though they lacked air guards, flying was not an option. The team’s unicorn would easily drag me out of the sky. The pony meatshields between myself and them were the only reason they hadn’t used their magic yet.
‘There!’
I pulled a sharp right turn into a dark alley, sprinting towards the other side. The sooty brick walls lit up an eery green as I pushed magic into my horn, an emerald blaze washing over my body. My previous guise washed away in the unholy fire and was replaced by that of an orange pegasus, an unassuming lipstick cutie mark adorning my flanks. My now light brown mane billowed behind me as I spilled into the street on the other side, stopping in the middle of the shuffling traffic. I looked up and down the street, hearing the sharp clicks of the guards entering the alley behind me. My eyes zeroed in on a large museum looking building nestled inside of a fenced plaza.
I moved with a slower pace than earlier, but I still moved with a noticeable clip to my step as I made my way under the stone archway above the entrance, immediately beginning to weave my way through the dozens of packed tables. I moved up the museum steps and entered the building, avoiding the gaze of the smiling security pony. A strand of my mane dropped across my muzzle, causing me to quickly tidy up my long hair as quickly as possible. I glanced around the large room before making my way towards one of the exhibits, eyeing it with disinterest.
I mixed in with the crowd as hooves met the white marble floor, echoing within the interior. Exploring further, I was met with the sight of rows upon rows of organized antiques and priceless artwork which looked to have been preserved for countless years, yet have seen much better days. I was not one to care for the culture of the ponies, but nevertheless, they had gained a modicum of respect as I learned to blend in to survive. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed two guards enter the building, instantly conversing with the security pony. Attempting to move as naturally as possible, I moved towards one of the hallways, disappearing down its length.
I didn’t get far before I saw guards heading down the hall towards me, their eyes scanning the crowd. Fearing discovery, I ducked into a closed curtain, finding myself in another large room. This one however had a large stage set up with more than a hundred occupied chairs placed in front of it. A brown earth pony wearing a dress suit was addressing the crowd while gesturing to a piece of art next to him. ‘An auction,’ I thought, smiling slightly as I figured that this would be the perfect place to hide.
“Miss?” I looked to my right, noticing a stallion standing behind a small booth next to me. “Have you registered?” He spoke in a quiet tone as to not interrupt the pony on stage or, Celestia forbid, disrupt the Manehatten nobles currently bidding.
I shook my head, “I’m just here to watch.” He nodded, apparently satisfied with my answer. He gestured towards an open seat on the edge of the middle rows by the closest wall. Getting to it would be relatively easy and less distracting to the audience. I walked along the wall, pausing briefly to excuse myself as the noble mare sitting behind my seat moved to set down her purse in my path. She thankfully allowed me to pass with little incident. Sitting down, I turned my gaze towards the brown earth pony standing on stage.
He had just finished selling an item and was currently waiting for his assistant to pull a cloth off of a new piece. He was a rather handsome stallion. His eyes matched my own yellow irises, although his were much more striking due to his dark coat and mane color. Dragging my gaze away, I looked over the gathered nobles, grimacing in distaste.
‘Relax, I only have to be here for a little while longer,’ I thought to myself. My attention was brought back to the stallion as he began speaking about the new painted canvas in front of him.
“And here we have a lovely creation by Smooth Stroke, a well renowned artist of the 14th Celestial Interim.” There were some positive murmurs among the crowd regarding their interest. “Stroke, after having served in the Second Frontier War, settled down in what is now known as Old Trottingham. He would become famous for the many paintings he made of the wild and stunning frontier. This one in particular is said to…” I tuned out the rest of his sales pitch, instead attempting to find something else of interest.
The stage had a few other covered works hidden from view, waiting for their turn to be showcased and possibly sold to a new owner. The stage hand and the curator’s assistant were carefully shuffling along the merchandise, double checking their numbers and ensuring that they were mounted properly in their stands. They then stood patiently as the curator began the bidding. I ignored the rapidly rising bidding numbers as the nobles competed for the purchase, the mare behind me particularly insistent judging by the small huffs of irritation and whines of annoyance.
It didn’t take much longer before the bidding trickled to a stop, the insanely high prices having shaken off all but the determined and prodigious. The curator asked for any more bidders and, after having received no response, sold the painting. His stage hand put a cloth over the work before carefully wheeling it offstage, returning to prepare the next one while his coworker quickly finalized the paperwork.
The auction continued on as the brown stallion slowly conquered the attention of most of the crowd, his exuberant tone and factual presentations keeping the atmosphere alive. Even I found myself paying more attention as he was certainly more interesting than staring at the walls. I could see why he was the lead for this event and if the situation had been different, I might have even considered buying one of the more tasteful images that caught my eye.
He had just finished another successful sale when his assistant pulled up the next exhibit. I was expecting it to be another random fancy yet boring painting, but when the cloth was pulled away my eyes widened in surprise. It was nothing at all what I had expected it to be; a portrait of the Changeling Queen herself. The portrait was dark and grim, depicting Chrysalis and her swarm of changelings during their invasion of Canterlot. I quietly snorted at the grotesque image, the painter having distorted her image and turning her into a mindless slavering monster. The crowd reacted in tones of disgust, and yet the curator was not deterred. He launched straight into his spiel with all of his previous confidence intact.
“Now, I know what you’re all thinking, ‘Who in their right mind would buy a portrait of the evil insect queen?’ Well, this image is one of very few in existence. Not many ponies have had the courage nor desire to capture this important event in our history. Many are still pained by this event, having been only three years since the invasion. However, the owner of this painting will be in possession of one of the first portrayals of Queen Chrysalis. In twenty years this will be worth three times it’s current sale price.”
The stallion was able to stir up a handful of nobles, but it was still a depressingly low number. He gave his preliminary bid price, pausing when nopony offered anything higher. He dropped the number… again, and again, and again. My ears rotated in agitation before somepony finally accepted his ludicrously low number. Only a few ponies bid slightly higher amounts, resulting in it being sold soon after for a steal.
‘This is ridiculous!’ I sneered, my eyes narrowing in anger and offense. Surely the portrait, even with its terrible inaccuracies such as the glowing red eyes, was worth more than the measly amount paid! Whoever painted that abomination would be getting a very unpleasant visit from me.
I almost got up and left right then and there were it not for the next revelation. The stagehand pulled the cloth off of the next image, leaving me with a turbulent mixture of emotions. Chrysalis, staring right back into the eyes of the crowd, was depicted as a being of grace, power, and mystery. Her burning green eyes caged an iron will and her expression was hard like steel. A burning battlefield was lost in the shadows behind her, casting a strange glow to the scene. I stared at it in utter shock, awed by the sight before me. Many of the nobles as well were entranced by the influence it held.
I turned my sharp gaze to the curator as he cleared his throat. “I think we can all agree that this piece is a bit more enrapturing than the previous one?” He received a chorus of affirmations from the crowd, the nobles eager to hear his presentation on the exceptionally well done artwork. “This was created to show an entirely different aspect of the Queen. Instead of showing the terrible destruction she wrought upon Canterlot, we are given a glimpse into what she may actually be. Here we are shown strength, a cold tactician mindset, and a ruthless determination to succeed and conquer. All who oppose her fall to her might and seductive power. Her name strikes fear into her enemies!”
I stared at the stallion intently, floored by the amount of passion and truth emanating from him, its taste pure. The way in which he spoke of the portrait evoked a sense of excitement in both myself and the crowd. Nopony, or buggy for that matter, had ever described myself in such a manner. I certainly felt basked with affection at the attention the nobles and curator were giving the image. A very dim hunger gnawed inside of me, forcing me to push away the arousing words of the stallion.
“Shall we start the bid at three-hundred thousand?” Almost every hoof raised into the air. The curator smiled before beginning to take offers, driving the price higher and higher. I could only look around, dumbfounded by the excitement of the nobles surrounding me. I faced forward with a thoughtful look on my face, a small grin slowly working its way across my muzzle. ‘Yes… Quite impressive.’
I turned my attention to the entrance when I heard a few sharp clicks. I quickly ducked down when I spotted the two royal guards from before. I discreetly watched them from afar, noticing them slowly scanning the crowd. I had no choice now; I had to stay and prevent my disguise from being exposed to the authorities. I was still a wanted fugitive in the eyes of Celestia and Luna, along with any surviving changelings out there; if any. I kept my cool but couldn’t help feeling a bit nervous as there was always the chance I could be found and taken into custody, or worse, turned to stone on the spot. I turned my attention back to the bidding in an effort to look involved. I couldn’t afford being discovered here and now, especially since I was so close to freedom!
[Marking’s P.O.V.]
I looked amongst the crowd as I took in their reactions. I couldn’t help but let out a satisfied smile. My eyes continued searching intently for the tells of bidders, some more subtle than others. My eyes briefly locked with the similarly yellow eyes of an orange pegasus mare. I had seen her enter earlier, but had thought nothing of it. The showing was open to the public after all. Strangely enough, I found it a bit difficult to pull my gaze from hers. She stared at me with such intensity. Blinking, I snapped out of my thoughts as a few of the bidders called impatiently for my attention.
From the back of the room, I spotted two unicorn royal guards enter. ‘That’s unusual,’ I thought. Now normally, I would speak with them as was expected from someone of my station, but they stayed in the back of the room, simply scanning the crowd. They weren’t causing any trouble nor did they motion for my attention, so I dismissed them of any concern and continued the bidding.
I had just sold the painting for a very good price when the two guards began speaking to each other in a connivance manner, subtly pointing to somepony in the crowd. I followed their gaze as the stage hand prepared the next showpiece. That’s when I noticed the same mare that had entered earlier acting rather strangely. She looked eager to see the next artwork, even though throughout the entire time she was here she had seemed bored, disconnected even. All that I knew is that, more than likely, I was going to be needed.
The royal guards were making their way down the one side of the room and were almost on the mare when one of them seemed to have tripped on a noble’s ‘precious belongings’ in the walkway, evoking a very hostile reaction from said pony.
“Excuse me!” she all but screamed, the entire crowd turning their attention towards the scene. The guards ignored her and moved up onto the orange pegasus. The mare attempted to ignore them, only adding further to their suspicion. They stepped into her line of site, forcing her to look at them.
“Ma’am, you’re to come with us.”
Closing my eyes and cursing to myself, I began to make my way off the stage, looking towards my assistant “Stencil, could you take over?” I saw him nod before stepping off of the platform.
The orange mare shied away from the guards. “What’s wrong?”
“We’ll inform you when we get back to the station,” they replied.
The mare shook her head, “Surely we can talk about this later? Can I stop by after my visit here?”
The guards moved towards her, “I’m afraid you’re coming with us, now.”
Before the guards could touch her, a gray pony moved between them, getting right into the faces of the guards. “And just wait a minute!” the noble from before snapped. She thrusted her purse out at them, wiggling it right under their muzzles, “But who is going to pay for the damage you’ve done!?”
The guards looked at each other irritably, “Send in a damage reprisal to the local Guard office. Now if you’ll excuse us, we-”
“Oh, but while I normally would,” the mare said in a particularly sarcastic voice, her tone getting angrier as she jabbed the guardspony in the chest, “it would only just get ignored! As all of my requests do!”
The guards pushed past the mare, “I apologize, ma’am. We’ll pass along your message.”
The noble sputtered incoherently at the guards seemingly complete lack of professionalism. “You dare tell me what to do, guard?” the noble snarled, becoming more hostile. The armored ponies ignored her and instead one of them reached out for the pegasus.
“Don’t touch me!” she yelled, worming away.
Before the situation could develop any further, I finally reached them. I cleared my throat quite loudly, catching their attention. “Gentleponies, I trust that you have good reason for interrupting this very important event?”
One of the guardsponies pointed at the orange pegasus, “She is to be brought in for investigation for… suspicious activity.” He eyed her with poorly disguised distrust.
I nodded slowly, “Well, she hasn’t been a problem so far, at least, not until you two came here. Can this be taken care of discreetly afterwards? My boss will not be happy with this interruption.”
“Sir, we are doing as ordered and we have been ordered to take her with us. Please, return to your auction and we’ll be out of your mane.”
I looked at the mare, noticing her eyes were again locked with mine. She stood in a defensive stance and she had an air of strength around her… and yet her eyes betrayed her. I peered deeper into her facade and could see the fear she held against these two intruders. A sudden rush hit me, my body feeling as if I was momentarily falling towards her. The feeling passed quickly and my heart twinged in sympathy. I blinked as the emotion filled me. I didn’t know this mare, but the second I pitied her something else took over, almost as if I was under direct control. Feeling compelled, I sighed internally. ‘I’m going to regret this aren’t I?’
“I’m afraid that is unnecessary.”
The two guards paused and looked at one another in confusion. “What do you mean?”
I wielded my most diplomatic tone and attempted to appeal to their good graces. “Look, I know you’re just trying to do your job, but look at her. She clearly doesn’t want to go with you and she has been of no trouble here.” I watched them carefully, keeping my voice strong. “She looks like she’d fight you the whole way there, and we do not need a scene like that here. I’m also authorized by those who own this property to make do what’s needed to maintain the fine upstanding of this establishment, meaning I can ask you to leave under that authority.”
The guards looked at me in disbelief, glancing back to the mare, who held a stare of distrust. They turned their gaze back to me and set their jaws, their stance stiffening. “While you are within your legal bounds to do that, you are also putting yourself at risk for sheltering what could possibly be a very dangerous criminal, to which the crown won’t be responsible for any damage or injuries resulting in your decision.”
I nodded, “I am well aware and I still stand by my request. I wish you a good day sirs.”
After shaking their heads in frustration, the two ponies turned to leave. They hadn’t even taken one step before they fell to the noble’s assault, halting as she stood in their way. After hearing the mare begin her rant again, I felt a migraine coming on. The two guards again used their trained stoicism to ignore the pony. However, it was when the noble jabbed one of them with her hoof again that the two, having been frustrated and denied their mission objective on several occasions today, snapped and quickly arrested the mare on sketchy legal gray matter.
It only took the noble a few seconds for her brain to register what had just happened before she began struggling against the ponies dragging her away. “Unhoof me at once, you ruffian!” She began to yell and resist her captives, her voice becoming more faint as she was led outside.
I turned towards the pegasus, glancing up and down her body quickly, ensuring she was not harmed. ‘Celestia knows how my boss would react to a lawsuit.’ “Are you okay, ma’am?” I asked concernedly. The mare jumped in surprise.
She recovered before eyeing me up herself, making no attempt at hiding her own distrust of me. “I’m okay, thank you for your concern.” After a brief moment of her thinking, she followed with, “I’m not going to be kicked out, am I?”
I shook my head. “Of course not. You haven’t done anything wrong while here. You’re more than welcome to stay for the duration if you wish,” I offered. The mare did not smile but instead nodded in appreciation.
“Thank you.” The mare sat back down in her seat. I sighed again in relief, having defused the situation. I looked over to my assistant, realizing that he had not moved from where I had left him. Taking in my surroundings, I saw that I was the center of everypony's attention, Stencil having failed to garner their attention away from what was sure to have been an interesting event in their day. Clearing my throat, I quickly trotted back to the podium, thanking Stencil, before slipping back into my duties as smoothly as possible.
“The auction bids for the next pieces shall resume. Who’s first?” I announced. Many hoofs were in the air before I could finish.
[Chrysalis’ P.O.V.]
‘That was too close’. I wiped the sweat from my forehead, relieved to have avoided being taken into custody.
“The auction bids for the next pieces shall resume. Who’s first?” the curator announced. Many hoofs were in the air before he could finish his sentence. ‘If it weren’t for him…’ I trailed in my thoughts. True, I might have used a bit of changeling magic to play on his emotions, but there still had to be some sort of base emotion to work with, which meant he had seen something during his little staring match. I shook my head and got up from my seat, composing myself. I nodded goodbye to the greeter, whom had a small frown when I passed him, and entered into the marble hallways. I chose to linger around for some time as I paced down row after row, examining the ancient artifacts that were up on display. Some of them weren’t worth much in my eyes, but a few did catch my attention which earned a little bit of admiration for the creator that made it. ‘Not bad, for a pony.’
Eventually, I got bored and, after having deduced that more than 20 minutes had been enough time for the guards to have moved on, I decided to leave. It didn’t take me long to reach the entrance to the museum, but after having stepped outside, I noticed the royal guards from earlier, standing outside of the fenced plaza. Their eyes were locked onto me.
Audibly gulping and with my ears pressed flat against my head, I began to feel nervous as I knew that if I left, I would be running the risk of being pursued and prosecuted. At my own risk, I decided to take a chance and attempt to walk away unscathed. I sighed and inhaled some fresh air, holding my breath as I began to walk forward. After making it to the bottom of the stairs, I headed in the opposite direction of the guards, sensing their eyes train on me. ‘That’s right. Just keep walking,’ I reminded myself. I was nearly lost among the bustling crowd near one of the smaller exits until I felt somepony collide into me, sending me stumbling forward down to the ground.
“Oh my, I’m sorry! I didn’t see you there. My apologies,” said a familiar voice. Dazed, I looked up and saw that it was the curator who drove away the guards. He held out his hoof which I looked at before reluctantly taking it as he pulled me up.
“It’s okay,” I muttered.
“Oh, it’s you again. Listen, I would like to apologize for earlier,” he began, gesturing to the rather obvious guardsponies. The guards, professional as they were, kept their stoic expressions and stood still as a statue. “I’m going out for lunch and I could use some company. Would you like to join me? My treat as compensation for the trouble. What say you?” he offered. I stood there, gazing at him hesitantly. ‘Just what is he playing at?’
“I don’t want to impose.” The curator let out a chuckle, causing me to raise an eyebrow.
“No, you won’t be imposing. I insist.” I gazed at him some more, my eyes locking with his yellow ringed eyes. My magic must have influenced him a bit more than I intended, especially given that I wasn’t at full strength, not like during the attack three years ago. However, I did not feel a predatory presence within him. Plus, the little nourishment I could get from food would be welcome. I sighed and nodded my head reluctantly.
“Alright,” I said. The curator smiled.
“Pardon my manners, but I never caught your name,” he asked.
“Oh. My name is…” I trailed. I didn’t have a snappy alias ready, seeing as I had changed appearance in the middle of my escape. But, I was experienced in my own right. Quickly, an idea came to me.
“My name is Cosmetic Beauty,” I answered. The curator nodded in understanding.
“That’s a pretty name. I’m Marking. Marking Canvas. A pleasure to meet you, Cosmetic,” he said, gesturing to his badge with his hoof as he held his other out. I gazed at his hoof and reluctantly shook it with my own.
“So, would you still like to go with me for lunch?” he asked again. From the corner of my eyes, I could see the guards. I glanced at them, their watchful gaze stuck on me in return. I frowned and looked back to the curator. ‘I guess I have no choice.’
I sighed and nodded my head. “Alright. I’ll join you for lunch. I don’t have any bits though,” I warned.
“I’ll pay for it. I did say it’ll be my act of compensation for the trouble, didn’t I?” he reminded, chuckling.
“Alright, let’s go.” I followed Marking away from the art museum as we walked off into the plaza, looking for someplace to eat. I looked back behind me to see the guards leave their posts as they made their way somewhere beyond the outskirts of the plaza. ‘Probably to set up a stakeout.’
“Here we are.” I stopped and stood by Marking’s side and surveyed my surroundings. We had stopped in a particular area of the plaza that was filled with a variety of businesses. There were a few outdoor restaurants, food stands, and high street shops with ponies here and there going about their daily lives. Marking looked over to a particular restaurant and approached it as I followed closely.
“Hello, good sir and ma’am. What can I get you?” the vendor spoke in a Prench accent.
“Hello there. I’d like a cup of coffee and the variety salad, please.”
“And what about you, ma’am?” the vendor asked me.
‘I’d like some love if you could give me some’ I thought hungrily. I stood there, gazing at the food in front of me. “I don’t know,” I trailed, scanning the menu tacked on to the side of the wagon.
“Pick anything you want.” I sighed. ‘I need to pick something or I’ll seem suspicious’.
“I’ll have… this.” I pointed a hoof at a random menu item.
“The Istalian pasta? Is that all?” Marking asked. I nodded my head.
“That’ll be thirteen bits please.” Marking grabbed some bits out of his pocket and handed them to the vendor and thanked him.
“Your waitress will be with you shortly.”
“Thank you,” we both said. Marking and I walked over to a table and sat down.
“So, what was with the guards back there in the museum?” Marking asked. I suddenly grew alert as I tried to think of an excuse to his rather blunt question.
“I… don’t know to be honest. I was just minding my own business at the event, you know?” I explained. Marking hummed in thought as he gazed at me.
“Hmmm. Surely, the guards must have a good reason for their actions?” I shook my head.
“As I said, I don’t know. I’ve done nothing wrong,” I asserted. Marking continued to gaze at me and nodded his head, accepting my excuse. I mentally sighed in relief, only needing to expend a tiny bit of my drastically depleted and dangerously low energy on him.
“Anyway, enough about that. Where do you come from?”
‘The Hive.’
“I’m from Las Pegasus,” I replied. After my defeat during the invasion of Canterlot, I’ve been running and hiding from the authorities. It had taken me months to recover enough to even move without sign of injury, desperately feeding off of random ponies passing by my selected hidden locations. After which, everypony was on high alert, forcing me to move slowly and not seem like I was on the run. Having slowly worked my way through Equestria for three years, earning bits wherever I could find work to pay for my transportation, if I was lucky enough to pass the now mandatory screenings, I had worked my way towards the sea; my best chance of escape is by leaving the nation entirely. I don’t know how many other changelings are out there, but I could care less. I have to look out for my own survival, feeding off unsuspecting victims as well as trying to leave as small of a trace as possible.
“Oh? You’re from Las Pegasus? I lived in a smaller town about a hundred or so miles south. I could see the lights from their fancy casinos at night sometimes. I myself have only lived here for a few years.” I nodded, waiting as he went on. “So, what brings you to Manehatten then?”
“I’m… looking for store property.”
Marking winced a bit. “Ah, I see. Well, if you’re looking for a good building with plenty of hoof traffic, you’ll have to pay a lot. Space is hard to come by in the city. What do you do for a living?”
‘I feed off the love of ponies, command armies of drones, and infiltrate the lives of you soft ponies, taking whatever I desire!’
“Oh, well…” ‘In the name of… buck!’ I cursed to myself. I was way off my game today! I could hear Marking talking, but his words were blurred out as I was too focused, attempting to think of something that matched my cutie mark. My eyes caught sight of a mare inside a cosmetic shop who was busy trying out beauty products and making herself look ‘pretty’. That’s when an idea clicked into place.
“I… work as a cosmetician!” I exclaimed.
“I see. Now that’s saying something. I should have guessed, since it’s your talent. Silly me.” Marking heartily chuckled, pointing at the purple lipstick on my flank. I faked a chuckle to avoid suspicion.
“What about you?” I asked.
“Oh, I work as a curator at the art museum as you witnessed earlier.”
“I see.” The air around us quickly became silent as neither of us responded any further. Fidgeting slightly in my seat, I remembered the earlier painting of me that had caught my attention. Finding it to be the best course of action, I spoke. “Soooo, what do you think of the art piece about… Chrysalis?” I inquired, cautiously choosing my words.
“Which one? There were two.”
“The one depicting Chrysalis as majestic, yada yada yada,” I clarified.
“Oh, that one? I made that art piece myself.” I raised an eyebrow. Noticing my look, he matched my actions. “What?” After not having received a timely response he continued, “Is it because I was selling my own work? I assure you that it’s perfectly acceptable. I sold it for a fair price and pretty much all of it goes to the museum anyway.”
I slowly shook my head, “No, no that’s not the, well, anomaly as it were.”
“It’s because it was Chrysalis then right?” Marking deduced quickly.
“Yes, yes that’s it.” I blinked and and my gaze dropped slightly, but only for a moment. “The way in which you spoke of it. Most ponies only see her as a dirty insect.”
“Well, in my opinion,” he began “I believe everypony has a beauty to them, even the villains.”
“Oh? So, you were only after looks then?”
Marking scoffed, “You wound me.” After shaking his head, he continued. “While I do appreciate the outside ‘canvas’ as it were, that is more for show. It’s what drives the individual that captures my attention. What fuels their internal fire and gives them the passion in which they conquer their world. If you can capture that you give true life to the painting. Some even think that a painting gives more emotion than writing does.”
Marking stopped in his explanation, shaking his head. “Forgive me, I can sometimes get a little carried away.”
I dismissed his words absentmindedly, thinking over what he had said. My internal antenna picked up only honesty from him. ‘This stallion is just proving to be stranger and stranger… in a good way.’
We were interrupted as a waitress approached us with a food tray on her back. The blue unicorn had a chipper smile on her face as she levitated the food items. “Here you are! One variety salad with tea and an istalian pasta!” She finished placing it all down in front of us before placing the tray back on her withers. “Is there anything else I can get you?”
[Marking’s P.O.V.]
The waitress stood at the ready, waiting for further orders. I gave the waitress a smile and shook my head. “No, that’ll be all, thank you.” The waitress smiled in return and walked off to conduct her other duties.
“This is where I normally go for lunch, so I can only hope you’ll also like the food,” I chuckled nervously. Cosmetic nodded her head as I moved in to consume my own food. ‘I’m famished,’ I thought, licking my lips. I took a bite out of my salad and hummed in appreciation, marvelling the flavour.
“This is good,” I said to nopony in particular. I noticed Cosmetic sitting still, eyeballing her food. “Aren’t you going to eat? Do you not like it?” Cosmetic jumped in surprise as if she was deep in thought.
“Oh, sorry, what was that again?” she asked.
“Aren’t you going to eat?” I repeated.
“Of course.” She leaned forward and began eating at her istalian pasta. I was about to take another bite of my salad when I saw Cosmetic’s eyes grow wide. I blinked, pausing to rub my eyes. For a brief moment, I thought I had seen something there. I looked at her eyes for a bit longer before I shook my head wildly and gazed back to my companion. ‘I must be seeing things’.
She started spluttering and coughing widely. “Whoa there! Are you okay?” I asked concernedly. Cosmetic was still choking and coughing which prompted me to stand up and go over to pat her on the back. She began to calm down after recovering from her food. I ran towards the vendor and quickly asked for a glass of water. I thanked him and ran back, careful not to spill the liquid with my three legged gate as I handed it to her.
“Here, drink this,” I offered. Cosmetic grabbed the glass from my hooves and took deep gulps of her water, slamming it down after emptying its contents.
“Are you okay? I repeated. Cosmetic nodded rapidly, still spluttering here and there.
“That’s spicy,” she pointed out. I stood there, taking in her words before looking at her oddly. Cosmetic gave me a confused expression, “What?”
“Uh, I’m just surprised. Surely you’ve had worse before right? There’s very little spice to that at all,” I replied. Cosmetic sat there as she continued to gaze at me.
“I’m really sensitive to taste.” There was an awkward silence between us.
I cleared my throat to shake it off. “Would you still like to eat your food?” Cosmetic nodded her head slowly.
“Yes. I was just taken by surprise of its piquant taste.”
I nodded my head and returned to my seat as I began to eat my own food. I was focused on quenching my own hunger, failing to notice time passing by or anything else around me. I raised my head and covered my mouth as I belched inwardly. “Pardon me,” I excused. Cosmetic nodded in acknowledgement as she finished her food as well.
“Goodness, I feel much better,” I muttered to myself, sighing in relief. I looked over to my companion who was staring at her plate. “Are you still hungry?”
Cosmetic gave a small shake of her head. She glanced around the table before meeting my eyes. “Thank you, for lunch that is. Not many stallions offer to take me out anywhere.”
My eyebrow lifted in surprise. “Surely that’s not true?”
“But it is. Don’t sweat it though,” Cosmetic shook her hoof at me. “I don’t have a lot of time to go out anyway with work and all keeping me pretty busy.”
“Ah, you have my sympathies.” I gestured towards the museum. “I work almost every day, all day. I still have two hours left until I get off. My boss always lets me off early on auction days.”
Again, the orange mare nodded. I sat still, thoughts tumbling through my mind as we sat in the peaceful, yet steadily growing awkward silence of our table. Cosmetic’s eyes were going everywhere but mine while her muzzle held a slightly strained smile. Knowing that my lunch break was soon coming to an end, an idea popped into my head.
I sat up straighter and leaned forward a bit. “Listen, I don’t know if you’re busy for the rest of the day, but would you like a personal tour of the museum? Think of it as a final act for making up the earlier incident.”
Cosmetic blinked and held a small frown, her mouth opening in what I expected to be a declination, until she paused. Her mouth clicked shut as her eyes flickered back and forth briefly while she thought. I waited patiently as she checked a final time towards the outskirts of the plaza before nodding. “You know what, I think I’ll take you up on that.”
I smiled pleasantly, “Sounds good! Do you need anything else before we head back inside?”
“I should be fine.”
With that, the two of us stood up and made our way back across the plaza and up the steps, entering the old building. Seeing as it was midday, there were less ponies in the building due to the lunch rush. I stopped and looked to Cosmetic. “So, what have you already seen?”
“The main foyer and the displays along the main hallways. I didn’t enter any of the other rooms or go too far down the corridors.” She flicked a stray strand of her mane out of her face.
I nodded and began walking down one of the hallways. “Have you ever been here before?” Noticing her shake her head, I smiled. “Excellent! You shouldn’t get too bored then!”
Cosmetic gave a small smile before glancing at me. “Well, by the way you talked earlier during the auction, I would be surprised if anypony so much as yawned.”
I grinned, “I had to learn really quick how to keep an audience’s attention. After a few months, I pretty much mastered it.”
Cosmetic hummed. “I can tell. I have a lot of my own experience with… crowds.”
Wanting to start off with a bit of a bang, we turned into an exhibit. Cosmetic’s eyes wandered around the bright golden walls, the exquisite carvings showing off the many creatures of the world. I watched as she wandered around the room. Her head struggled to crane all the way around as she attempted to take it all in. “Is this real gold?”
“And amber, yes.” I smiled at Cosmetic’s look of disbelief. “The Saddle Union gifted the museum their Amber Room, which weighs over 990 pounds, before Germaney invaded. They did this to protect it from the anticipated invasion.”
Cosmetic nodded, “Yes, who knows what would have happened if the invaders got their hooves on this. It could have been lost to time for all we know!”
I smiled, “I see you know your history as well too.” We moved along, exiting the room.
“Well, if you walked a mile in my horseshoes, you would see quite a lot,” Cosmetic remarked offhoofedly.
“Mhm,” I hummed. “I can understand. A lifetime is filled with many experiences, all equally harsh and benevolent. Were you a part of some big event?”
Cosmetic looked away as we continued moving through the exhibits. “Well, uhm, you could say that…”
The air became very awkward suddenly, and I quickly jumped to break it. “I’m sorry if I asked something personal. I didn’t mean to be nosey or bring back any bad memories.” I frowned.
“It’s… alright. I made a few mistakes that I’d rather just forget about.” Cosmetic looked at me and gave me a weak smile.
A herd of screaming school foals suddenly careened around the corner of the hallway, running us over as they thundered past. “What the hay is going on!?” I exclaimed, pulling Cosmetic back up onto her hooves before dusting myself off. “Where is their guide?”
My question was answered as a gray pegasus stumbled from the direction the foals had come from, a large clay pot stuck on her head. The vase was turning in every direction as the mare struggled to get her bearings. She sat down and attempted to use all four of her hooves to remove the vase from her head, pulling with all her might.
“Oh! Hang on!” I began running over to her, concerned over the safety of both her and the very, very ancient vase stuck on her head. I had almost reached her before, with a final hard grunt of exertion, the vase came off with a loud pop, streaking straight up and arching over me. Attempting to stop my forward momentum, my hooves slipped on the smooth stone, causing me to crash into a faceplant before my body flopped like a fish behind me. Coming to a stop, I groaned in pain, struggling to lift my head.
I heard a sharp gasp before a set of hooves helped pick me up. “Are you ok?” a feminine voice asked.
I blinked the stars in my vision away and winced as I flexed one of my hooves, feeling as though I had rolled it slightly. “I’m fine.” I looked up and almost started at the cross eyed gaze a mere five inches from me. Getting my bearings back, I took a small step backward to give myself a bit more personal space. “What about you? Are you alright?”
She gave me a small nod, relief flooding my system. A second hadn’t even passed before my eyes widened, my blood pressure rising. “The vase!” I whipped around, expecting to see a billion little pieces of the valuable vase scattered across the floor. What I did not expect was the vase sitting on the floor, intact! I looked up at Cosmetic, surprise and confusion in my eyes.
“Did, did you catch that?” I asked in disbelief.
Cosmetic blinked before replying, “Yes, yes I caught it. With these two hooves see?” She crouched backwards and wiggled her forehooves at me.
It took me a few seconds to register exactly what she had claimed to have done before nodding appreciatively. “Thanks for the save! My flank would have been toast if that had broken.”
Cosmetic smiled, “No problem. I owed you after all.”
Shaking my coat, I turned to look at the gray mare, said mare was looking at the ground nervously, a hoof trailing circles on the ground in anxiety. “Hey, you sure you’re alright?” The pegasus nodded quietly. I turned to look back down the hallway, noticing a few young eyes peeking around the corner. I glanced back, “Are they yours?”
She looked up at me and nodded again, her sun yellow eyes drifting. “Yeah, I’m their chaperone.”
“What happened?” I asked as I motioned for a unicorn employee to take the vase.
She frowned in embarrassment before scratching her head in thought. Eventually she just shrugged. “I just don’t know what went wrong.”
Sighing, I waved it off, figuring that since nopony was hurt and nothing had been damaged, that everypony could just go on about their day. “You have a good day miss. Oh, and maybe steer clear of… breakable things?”
The mare’s gaze hardened in determination, her hoof saluting me smartly before she galloped off towards the group of foals. I turned towards Cosmetic and stretched my sore hoof. The orange pegasus strolled over to me and placed a hoof on me, “You took quite the tumble there. How’s your hoof?”
I cracked the hurting area with a satisfying pop, “I’ll live.”
“Pfft,” Cosmetic rolled her eyes, “Stallions.” We chuckled before she continued, “Seriously though, that was nice of you, how you treated her. I think most others in your position would be a lot more... unforgiving.”
“Nah,” I brush it off. “I just did what I thought was right is all.”
“Hmmm,” Cosmetic hummed. “So far, you seem to be doing a lot of things right.” She looked at me in mock suspicion.
I smiled cheekily before giving a small bow. “Shall we continue milady?” Cosmetic curtsied exaggeratedly in return before moving on. I watched her for a brief moment before glancing at the employee as they put the heavy vase back on its pedestal, watching as the pony let out a relieved sigh and wipe some sweat off their brow before moving on. I gave Cosmetic one last appraising stare before shaking my head and moving on.
Around two hours later, Cosmetic and I had just finished looking through the museum in it’s entirety, including the sublevel where I showed her some of the work not currently on display. The both of us had a good time and we almost constantly had smiles on our faces. She stuck with me as I briefly turned in some paperwork I had finished earlier.
“Thanks for showing me around Marking. I would have never guessed that I out of all ch-,” she coughed, hitting her own chest. “Excuse me, must have been some dust or something.”
“Oh,” I sheepishly rubbed my forelegs together. “Sorry about that. Sometimes a lot of dust accumulates in storage.”
Cosmetic shook her head. “It’s no problem. I was just saying that I never really had much interest in art, but this experience certainly has changed some things.”
I smiled proudly. “I’m glad to hear that.” I hurriedly punched my card in the outgoing box, now officially off of work. I tucked it away before both Cosmetic and I exited the building. My body visibly relaxed as I stepped out into the afternoon light.
Cosmetic noticed this while she walked beside me. “Tired?” she remarked.
“No,” I answered. “Just glad to be off is all. Everypony looks forward to getting off work after a long day.” Given the chance, I would have caught my words and crammed them back down my gullet before they reached Cosmetic, but unfortunately, Celestia never blessed mortals with that ability.
Cosmetic smiled evilly, “Oh I see, showing around a pretty mare is just too much a burden for you to shoulder eh?” Seeing the mortified look on my face, she winked. “Relax, I’m just messing with you.”
I metaphorically wiped the nonexistent sweat on my brow and instead smiled with her. The day hadn’t turned out too bad so far. I had successfully taken her mind off of the earlier incident and whatever else had been bothering her. Plus, she wasn’t lying when she said I got to show around a pretty mare. That was always a bonus.
In the end however, all good things must come to an end. We had just reached the gate exiting the plaza before we both stopped. My eyes drifted across the crowd of the city while my smile slowly shrank along with some of my earlier happiness. A quick peek at Cosmetic also showed the same reaction while she looked at the ground.
I struggled to come up with anything to say, anything that might break the awkward tension that flowed between us. My brain catching some semblance of intelligence, I asked what I thought to be a fairly appropriate question given the circumstances. “How long are you staying in town?”
“Not long,” she responded. “I… am expected back home.”
“Oh.” My hopes plummeted, but they weren’t too high to begin with. “Well, have you found what you were looking for yet?”
She shook her head. “No, and by what you told me earlier, it will be pretty hard to appropriate what I need. I don’t have too much in bits to back me up.”
I stood there in silence, frowning. “I’m sorry to hear that it may not work out for you.”
“Yeah, well it’s not like I had much hope to begin with.”
I winced slightly at the grim tone in her voice. This was not turning out like I had hoped for at all.
She lifted her head and looked into the crowd. “Well, I had better be going. I’ve taken up enough of your time.” She looked at me. “Thanks though. I had fun, I mean it. It’s been a long time since I’ve been able to say that.”
Hearing her words, a new determination arose within me. Whether it was my moral compass demanding that I not leave her on a rather low note or something more… well, more, I do not know. Before she could take a further step I took the chance.
“Wait!” I half shouted rather abruptly, causing her to recoil slightly. I cleared my throat, feeling a sudden wash of nervousness. “Uh, I mean, before you go, would you like to…” ‘Come on you coward! Just ask her already!’ “Go for a walk with me?”
The incredulous look on her face almost caused me to slap myself in stupidity right then and there.
“A walk?” she finally said, her tone half condescending.
“Yes, well, er, I mean, maybe I could help you.” I stuck to my guns; so my mind, while wildly burning cabinets filled with actual intelligent responses, and chugging down metaphysical alcohol in self despair, all caused by the idiocy of this meatbag it was cursed to inhabit; was nice enough to push out a half decent excuse.
She raised an eyebrow, “You want to go shopping for store space… really?”
A slightly crooked smile graced my face as I tried to rectify my offer further. “Well, we could go check out some of the more well known tourist spots in the town if you’d prefer? I’d be more than happy to show you around, seeing as I am rather good at doing so. And as an added benefit, I have a distinct advantage as I know a lot of the more special places.”
Cosmetic visibly hesitated before her eyes bored into mine. She seemed to be looking for something, maybe for any hint of misdirection or malicious intents. I kept my thoughts true and my gaze never wavered. After a few more moments, when I began thinking that she would not accept, she surprised me with a slow nod. “Alright.”
I almost cheered in joy before she held up a hoof. “On one condition.” I nodded intently, waiting for her request. She smirked, “We don’t shop for store space. At all. Not one stop. Capiche?” At my eager nod she took in a deep breath. “Lead the way.”
I gave her a beaming smile. “Great! Shall we?” Cosmetic answered with a nod. Falling in step with me, we both journeyed into the crowd ahead of us.