It all happened so quickly. Next thing Fizzlepop Berrytwist knew, she had ended up in the castle of friendship, which was to her an outlandish, gigantic, magical crystal treehouse. The very ludicrous nature of the thing was exactly the sort of waste of magic that Equestria was known for to her: and yet here it was, right in the middle of Ponyville.
“This doesn’t clash with the architecture of this quaint town at all!” She gruffly commented to a pinkish-purple mare across from the gigantic table that rested in the middle of the grand hall. She set her mug of Cider down atop it and belched, patting the chestplate of her armor afterwards.
“Pfft, I know right?” Starlight answered, crinkling her nose slightly. “You know, I think Twilight will have your head if she finds out you’re using her map without a coaster.”
Fizzlepop grunted and stumbled slightly as she picked the mug up with her hoof and shot a dismissive glare to the mare she had almost instantly become friends with. It was basically friendship at first glance between the two of them. When she laid eyes on Starlight she was already half soused, but something with that pink one was just too familiar. She picked up her mug and downed it like only a professional alcoholic could.
“Yeah right.” She grunted, adjusting her armor. “I’ll probably just get chewed out, I’ve been chewed out before.” She grinned after and gave Starlight a wink. “Chewed out by the sort of creatures that would think knocking you across the room : literally was an appropriate response if you got their drink order confused. You know - that kind of shit.”
Starlight cringed. “Yeah - maybe - maybe we should talk about something else.”
“Oh - of course - yeah - yeah! Starlight, I like you Starlight, you’re cool as shit not like these other losers. You know, I think you could use a pony like me, a bit of combat skills to back up your *hic* radical ideas.”
Starlight blinked slowly. “You know, I’m trying to be reformed here.”
“Eh, I’m not.” Fizzlepop argued. “I mean, yeah, I’m gonna work for ponies now, I guess, I dunno, you ever want to take over the world or whatever or a small portion of it again, we’d make a great team I can tell... you and your leadership *hic* skills, me and my military strategy, think about it, it could work.”
Starlight piqued an eyebrow at the inebriated military pony, but couldn’t help giggling. “Of all the ways to make a first impression.” She muttered to herself, rolling her eyes.
“BESIDES, you little shits call this cider huh? Back where i’m from we - “
Fizzlepop Berrytwist slumped over onto the floor. Starlight shook her head and rolled her eyes, then carried the mare off to bed, being careful to lay her on her side with her head positioned off the bed and pointed towards a trash can for good measure. Credit where credit was due, Fizzlepop could probably drink anypony: even Rainbow Dash under the table, she had consumed a whole 18 glasses of Cider from when the evening started: and Starlight was sure to keep count, just for fun. Herself, she had enjoyed about two and was halfway with her third, though now that Fizzle was passed out, she just dumped it out before she went downstairs.
The warpony awoke at an inordinately early hour despite her last evening, though she woke up with a groan and a disgusted look on her muzzle. She rolled out of bed, plopping onto the floor and looked about the room that was already becoming familiar to her: a bit too familiar. Twilight had graciously agreed to give her a room in the huge castle, though she rather suspected this was out of the Alicorn’s desire to keep her around.
Keep your mind open. She reminded herself, and she trotted downstairs to the kitchen to make herself a meal. The bountiful quantities of fresh fruits and vegetables astounded her. She sighed, there was really no option but to enjoy a delicious meal, it was so very different here. She made herself a simple salad, preparing it with almost no care or sense, and yet it was still frighteningly fresh and crisp.
Nopony was up or about: it was the crack of dawn. She groaned and slipped out into the early morning mist that surrounded Ponyville and went for a slow trot, to admire the quaint town, and as she trotted and looked about, a voice came from behind her, calling out in its folksy tune.
“Mornin’ Fizzle. Ain’t you up early!” Applejack greeted her, pulling a cart laden with apples behind her as she made her way towards the town square. She paused and gave Fizzlepop a tip of her hat.
“You know - there’s no real need to wear armor around Ponyville.” The orange one bluntly commented. “No immediate threats from what ah can see.”
Fizzlepop’s neutral expression suddenly drifted to a glare. Starlight had commented on her armor as well, though she had made sure to call it ‘bad-ass’ before questioning why exactly she was still wearing it. The simple answer: her cutie mark, she didn’t really fancy it much, and well, her armor felt like a second skin.
Applejack backed up a few paces. “Oh... ahm sorry if it - if it’s a touchy subject uh - uh well its just that I don’t think ponies here will understand or appreciate the whole storm king logo thing you’ve got plastered on your sides - you know, i’m sorry: i’ll be going now.”
The applecart left with a hurry, and Fizzlepop leaned against the bridge railing she found herself on. She sighed and gazed down at the water, looking at the scar that crossed over her eye, the broken horn. She thought about the stares that attracted to her like a magnet, she knew she was scary, wasn’t it obvious. Already, she was regretting being here for the very reasons she thought of the other day, and knew of before that: long before that.
Perhaps Applejack was right though, Perhaps the armor did not help at all, though she did like the look... no, Applejack was dead right. She would call out to the mare to apologize for her harsh glare, but she was already gone. A look about the town revealed that things were beginning to start up, get ready.
She sighed and headed somewhere, somewhere she already knew where she needed to go. The one pony that could help... well, maybe.
“Welcome to the Carousel Boutique, where everything is Chique, Unique, and Magnifique!” The marshmallow mare greeted her first customer, before internalizing the sight of the mare that stood at the door. Fizzlepop looked around and then let the door close behind her. The dresses and things on display held no interest, but... this was the town Dressmaker, surely she could come up with something.
“I - forgive me for asking but you are still wearing your armor Darling, it - it looks nice but it isn’t exactly...”
“Welcoming?” Fizzlepop asked. “Yes - I know. I need to change it. To what, I don’t know.”
“I’ve got just the thiiiii-iiiing!” Rarity chimed, trotting off and returning with a flowing gown. Fizzlepop narrowed her eyes before the piece neared more than twenty paces from her, and delivered a flat-toned.
“No.”
“Oh. How about...”
“No.”
“Maybe?”
“No.”
“What if...?”
“No.”
Rarity zipped about the Boutique a few times, pulling things out only to have Fizzlepop reject them at first glance, and not just sternly but: remarkably sternly. At last resort, she pulled out the only remaining example she kept of the Midnight-themed princess dress. “And what if...?”
“No.”
“Oh... I see, Darling. You - you must have a clear picture of what you want then?” Rarity asked hopefully, offering a smile to the odd pony. “Or something? You - you do want something to wear, right?”
“I need something - practical. Close fitting. Black looks good on me. I was honestly thinking about a cape, maybe but... ugh. I don’t know. This - stuff - you make, you know, it really is too...”
Rarity looked Fizzlepop over and smiled. “It’s too much for you to handle. I can tell.” She winked and twirled her hoof in her mane for a moment, thinking it over. “No, I get it Darling, I really do. Honestly I could see you being a pony that never wears...”
Fizzlepop narrowed her eyes and sent enough of a message that Rarity’s thought stopped right there. She didn’t even realize she was doing it. She did her best to stop, but already Rarity’s train of thought had been broken and turned right around. I need to work on that.
“Right, but you are obviously more comfortable in your armor, but it scares ponies. What we need is something simple, perhaps a touch stylish but not - fancy. Elegant but not showy. Have you considered leather? I don’t often get to work with it, most ponies find it distasteful but...”
“Go on.” She encouraged, sitting down and tenting her forehooves. Maybe dress horse isn’t so bad?
“I could maybe make something that is - armor like, but not Armor. Subtly decorative, uh - please tell me we aren’t keeping the Storm King emblem?”
Fizzlepop shook her head. “Of course not.” She answered. “I want to keep as much distance between me and him as possible. I tried painting over the letters but...”
“So... forgive me for being so bold, Darling, but why are you still wearing the armor, then?” Rarity asked. The warpony answered with a stern glare, that turned icy and frigid and hateful all at once. “Oh, I see... w-well, would you be willing to take it off at least - so I can take your measurements? Whatever it is that you are trying to hide - I - your secret is safe with me. You wouldn’t believe how many pregnancies I’ve helped keep secret over the years.”
She grunted indignantly and glanced over her shoulder. “Shop - closed. Secret - between us. Not even Twilight - Especially not Twilight.”
* * *
Just the thing - from Rarity’s point of view, was an odd blend of stylishness and yet forced minimalism. Fizzlepop insisted upon it - after the design phase was underway - that no colors other than black were to be used: black and a few tastefully placed zippers and buttons in a natural silver tone.
Simple enough as the garment was, the effect was striking. Black leather with raised squares and ribs sewn into it and padded from underneath, giving almost the impression of containing armor plates, almost offering a little bit of protection on their own: though not a lot. Two pockets up front - bordered by silver zippers, a single zipper running down the belly - hidden by a flap to make it almost seamless. A stiff collar, designed only to be popped and frame the neck. The sleeves were short, not down to the knees even, but the cut was long, like her armor, it shrouded her flanks quite nicely.
She spun around in the mirror and gave more than a satisfied nod, well, after a few moments she lept forward, picked Rarity up, and held her in a tight hug for a moment, before dropping Rarity back to the floor, standing straight.
“That will also be a secret.” She grunted. “Hugs are usually not my thing.”
“I - if you - if you Insist, Darling... I” Rarity blinked and took a breath to regain her composure. She was on the verge of calling Fizzlepop strange - if outright cold in a way, but she restrained herself. It was not her place to make such judgements onto a pony who was trying to be a force for good, if in her own way.
Fizzlepop briefly primped her collar and then scooped her armor up, and with merely a nod to Rarity, and a “Thank you,” she swept out of the boutique and hurried back to the castle. Merely trotting through the town of Ponyville felt oddly hard, without the mask to hide behind, without the authoritarian air of the Storm King to stand and hide herself behind. She still felt bare. She swept into the main room of the castle... and
“Fizzlepop oh my gosh it is so great to see you out and about and making friends! How many friends did you meet? I’m so excited for you!” The princess of friendship could hardly contain herself, bubbling with such excitement, it made the warpony’s heart jump.
Panic!
Starlight had just opened a door into the room when she witnessed the tall mare in a leather jacket suddenly leap into the air like a click-beetle and launch herself into a wall, jumping against it, she did a perfect flip through the air, her combat skills put to the highest use. In a moment of pure adrenaline fueled rush, she sailed from one wall to the other, almost in the same time that it took for her armor to crumple into a pile on the floor. She landed beside Starlight and launched herself down the hallway at breakneck speed.
Panic!
The second panic was far more straightforward to explain than the first. The floors of the castle of friendship were made of very polished crystal. Normally, a pony could walk on them just fine, but running in the halls, it was not the best of ideas. Fizzlepop attempted to stop with her hooves, broke into purely sliding friction, and slammed into a wall hard enough to make the throne room shake. Starlight winced, Twilight cringed. Before they could inspect the damage though, Fizzlepop was gone, leaving Starlight looking to Twilight and Twilight looking to Starlight, both equally bewildered in their own way.
“I think you might have overexcited her...” Starlight commented.
“You THINK?”
Twilight sighed and shook her head. She bit her lip in worry for a moment, and then stepped forward, softly muttering to herself “Maybe I should...” Only to find that Starlight stepped right in her way.
“No, you shouldn’t. I - I think I should handle this.”
Starlight trotted down the hallway to Fizzlepop’s room, Carrying her armor on her back. She knocked at the open doorway, though she couldn’t help but already peer beyond it to see the warpony there, sitting on the bed, looking rather distraught, slowly bandaging a cut foreleg with gauze that she held in her mouth.
Fizzlepop glanced up to Starlight and nodded. “Come in. Close the door.” She muttered, and Starlight - to her delight perhaps, did exactly that.
“D - do you want any help?” She asked, setting the armor down. “I’m pretty good a-”
“Mffrhtnnngh!” She answered angrily, tying the bandage off as she shot a quick glare, the sort of glare not to show hostility exactly but a ‘I’ve got this let ME do it’ look. Starlight recognized it immediately and sat on her haunches, smiling.
“Right.”
To her credit, Fizzlepop finished the dressing with a grace and speed, and she made the wrapping tight tight tight - just how she liked it. A bit of blood soaked through, but it quickly came to a stop as the clotting began. She flexed her leg, testing out the bandage, and then gave it an approving nod, before finally giving attention back to her friend.
“She’s a pushy one.”
“You’re telling me. I’m her student of friendship, I mean, don’t get me wrong I like it but sometimes - come on...”
“H-heh...”
“SooooooooOooooo...”
“So?”
“So!”
The two mares sat there, silently staring at each other for a longer time than either was comfortable with. Finally, starlight cleared her throat and stated. “That’s a pretty cool jacket.”
“Thanks.” Fizzlepop answered bluntly, killing the conversation right where it stood. Back to staring, it was. Starlight let her forelegs swing, tapping them together. Starlight tried to think of friendshippy things. Learning more about your friends, a friendship lesson she took to heart. She glanced the warpony over, trying to think of something that wasn’t broken-horn related, that would just be too offensive.
Of course, her brain worked its own sort of magic, and before she could think about the ramifications of the question, she asked.
“So, ever killed a pony?” Oh gosh did I just say that aloud? This is bad.
“You want that question answered?” Fizzle snorted, giving her mane a toss. Of course, even saying that was a big enough hint. She figured most ponies would freak out and start saying ‘no, no’ or something like that.
Starlight shook her head. “I - I guess I don’t... not right now.” She sighed, though that had already basically answered the question, she could deny it, plausibly.
“Starlight. You don’t need to work hard to be my friend. I can be a little bit of a hard case, but you’re alright.” Fizzlepop answered, smirking and giving Starlight a wink. “Lets leave this emotions crap at the door and go do something!”
Starry jumped up eagerly. “Yeah!” She smiled wide. “Let’s!”