Plip, the droplet fell. But where was it coming from? From the right? Plip. No, from the left. Plip. Above? Plip. Behind? No, it was everywhere. The water-drops came from every direction in the lightless space. He didn’t know what to do, where to go: but he had to find that droplet. Its echo reverberated in his ears, touching his heart with its vibrations.
It was so... sad.
With his claws scratching the surface of the floor, the dragonling walked aimlessly, searching for the source of such sadness. First went the seconds, then the minutes. Hours passed by and his quest was still fruitless, but never for a moment did the thought of yielding cross his mind. He couldn’t tell why or even how, but his feet kept on moving without ever stopping or tiring. Right... left... right... left...
The sweet fragrance of spring flowers invaded his nostrils as the scenery around him shifted into a meadow. Surrounded by the immense variety of flora, the dragonling continued his indifferent search, but as he walked across the field he found a beautiful multi-colored flower bed. It was composed of many majestic flowers: jasmines, gardenias, hyacinths and a large variety of others. However breathtaking the sight was, something else caught the dragonling’s attention. It was a round, green gemstone; perfectly cut in every angle. He reached his hand out to grab it...
As soon as his claws touched the gem, a scalding heat-wave came over him. Holding the stone in his palm, he felt his feet sink a few inches into the sand. The fresh sea breeze brushed across his scales, cooling down his body as he squinted his eyes to look into the distance. Holding the green gem, the dragonling resumed his walk, each step leaving a print on the soft sand of the beach. After a few minutes of hiking under the blazing sun, he felt his foot touching an unexpected hard surface. Looking down, his emerald eyes fell upon a triangular shaped gemstone. Its igneous color shone bright with the light provided by the fiery star in the sky. Entranced by such beauty, the dragonling crouched and grabbed the red stone...
In the blink of an eye the scorching sun was gone, and the beach was replaced by the clearing of a forest. The trees surrounding him bore yellow and orange leaves. Said foliage also adorned the ground, painting the scenery with an array of bright colors, illuminated by the setting sun. The dragonling noticed an amber spark from out the corner of his eye. Rotating his head towards it, he found a rectangular gemstone sitting on top of a rock, its yellow brilliancy bringing shame to the leaves surrounding it. Without so much as a second thought, the dragonling grabbed the gem.
The freezing blizzard emerged with great force; the howling wind striking like razor-sharp blades against his scales. The cold snow rose up to his waist as he made his way across the mountain’s trail, his body shivering under the low temperature. His vision went out of focus as his body succumbed to the punishing weather. As the snow began to cover him, his eyes caught the glimpse of a drop-shaped form. The object was a crystal of incredible transparency, its white color as beautiful as the sparkling arctic ice. Unconsciously, the dragonling reached his claws towards it. Suddenly, silence took over the environment, until...
Plip.
His ears shot up, searching for the source of that familiar sound.
Plip.
With the weight of the snow gone from his shoulders, he rose to his feet.
Plip.
He eyes wandered around the space. He was there: so close that he could feel it in his bones. The sadness... the loneliness... touching his heart with icy fingers...
Plip.
And there he found it. The source. A white unicorn. Entranced by the mare’s beauty, the dragonling’s eyes registered every detail about the diva: her beautiful purple mane, the magenta and violet dress, her golden tiara... but something was amiss. However dazzling she was, her splendor was tainted by the sound... the sound of her tears falling.
Plip.
Something or somepony had done harmed her, he could tell. The mare was struck with such sorrow and grief that it was almost tangible, and he could feel it like it was his own. It wasn’t right: the whole world was wrong because of her sadness.
Plip.
The dragonling approached the weeping lady. Stopping in front of her, he extended his arms and offered her his gems. That would cheer her up, wouldn’t it? He was making her happier, right?
Plip.
Yet it was to no avail, for her weeping continued. No, that wasn’t it... it wasn’t enough. Such simple presents wouldn’t suffice. He had to go farther for her, to bring back her smile.
Plip.
Placing the stones by her side, the dragonling placed his claws over his chest and pushed sideways, like a sliding door.
Ba-thump. Ba-thump.
From inside his breast poured a radiant scarlet light. Every beat increased the glow momentarily. The mare lifted her eyelids, revealing deep blue eyes that stared stunned at the sight unraveling before her. The dragonling reached his hand inside the compartment and retrieved yet another gemstone: a Fire Ruby. A heart-shaped, fully-ripened Fire Ruby. Once again, he offered her the gem. Mouth agape, the unicorn accepted the gift with a smile on her face.
And no more tears were heard.
I’ll take it from here... whispered a husky voice into his ear. His eyes widened as his body froze in place. A hoof slowly lowered itself beside the dragonling as the whisperer brought himself into view. Coming out of the shadows was a unicorn.
A violet unicorn.
The stallion gave the small dragonling a sideways glance. His lips curled up into an evil grin as his emerald eyes narrowed down. The little dragon tried to voice a protest: to raise a claw and scratch him, to burn that snob smile off his face.
But he couldn’t. His body refused to move an inch. He was utterly and completely petrified with fear.
The violet stallion walked calmly towards the mare before them. Her eyes gazed dreamily at the stranger, completely disregarding the presence of the small dragon in front of her. The mare let out a passionate sigh as he nuzzled her neck, the stallion keeping his stare on the little one the entire time. The dragonling simply stood there, boiling hatred building up inside of him. Who did that guy think he was? Coming in after the storm had cleared and taking the laurels of victory? It wasn’t right. He didn’t deserve her. The stallion raised an eyebrow as he moved his lips.
And do you? they read.
The couple began walking away, their heads resting on each other. The dragonling tried to run to them, but tripped and tumbled over. He turned his head to see what had made him stumble, and that’s when he saw it.
His feet had vanished and, to his despair, his legs were being erased as naught steadily climbed his body. Panicking, he tried to call out to the couple, now far from him. Yet, they did not give him any attention, not even a simple glance. He shouted once more, but was ignored again. For the third time he yelled and for the third they paid him no mind. It was no use, they did not care about his existence. He was nothing, a faded memory long gone.
Plip. And then he was nil, sent to oblivion forever.
“No... don’t go... don’t forget me... Rarity, no...” Violet Fire mumbled.
“Um... sir? Are you okay?” whispered a sweet, gentle mare’s voice in his ear. “I really think he’s having a nightmare.”
You’re not Rarity... he groggily thought to himself
“Gee, what gave it away, Shy? The wincing, the grunting or the shaking?”a hoarse voice asked sarcastically.
You’re definitely not Rarity, he concluded flatly.
“Ah’m more worried about why in Celestia’s holy name he’d be sleeping on a bench in the middle of the park. It ain’t what ya’d call comfortable”
You’re not even close!
“Hang on, I got an idea,” said the hoarse voice, followed by the sound of beating wings.
And off she goes, thought the stallion. I don’t care what she does, I can’t face them now. I’m just going to pretend I’m sleeping until they--
Chuaaaaa
His thoughts were interrupted by a wave of icy water. “HOLY GUACAMOLE!” Violet Fire shouted as he lunged into the air, shivering from head to hoof. His eyes now open wide, he looked at a yellow pegasus and a tangerine cowmare that stared worriedly at him.
“Rise and shine, partner!” Applejack exclaimed, pushing her stetson hat back.
“Is that a-a-a-any way to wake so-so-somepony up?!” the stallion asked between chattering teeth.
“BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!” cracked-up the hoarse voice from above. Violet Fire tilted his head backwards and found a cyan pegasus laying on a cloud, slamming her hooves on the fluffy surface as tears rolled down her cheeks from the uncontrollable laughter. He gave the chuckling hyena an accusing glare.
“To-to-top of the morning to you too, Ra-ra-rainbow,” he said in a sarcastic tone.
“Bwahaha — sorry pal,” Dash said as she jumped off the cloud and onto the ground. “but —hahaha— it’s tough to take you seriously when —hahaha— you’re shaking like that!” Dash replied between giggles.
“What did you expect?! I’m freezing over he– Aaa...Aaa...atchim!”
The laughing stopped. Rainbow and Applejack looked at Violet with incredulous eyes, their mouths slightly open. They gave each other a sideways glance and...
“BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!” the laughing resumed, now reinforced by the cowmare’s laughter.
“Would you two quit it?!”
Applejack bit her lower lip to prevent the chuckling.“Ah’m sorry partner, but... ya sneeze like a kitten,” she said before resuming her unrestrainable laughing.
“Girls, that’s not very nice! No matter how adorable his sneeze is, you should not laugh at it!” Fluttershy said, stomping her hoof on the ground as she reprimanded the other two ponies.
“That’s right, you shouldn’t– Did you say ‘adorable’?” Violet Fire asked, looking at the meek pegasus. The laughter increased tenfold. After a few moments of more chuckling and giggling, the two mares managed to stand up straight without bursting into laughter.
“Ahh, man, that made my day,” Rainbow commented.
“You done?” Violet Fire asked, giving her a disapproving stare.
“Awww, look, he’s pouting!” she replied as she walked towards him and pinched his cheeks with her hooves. “Who’s the cutsy, wootsy wittle kitten with the adowable sneeze? That’s right, you are!” she said mockingly.
“Cut it out, Rainbow!” ordered the stallion slapping her hooves away. Rubbing his right cheek, he gave the trio a inquiring look. “Why are you three here anyway?”
“We heard ya moaning in yer sleep and got a tad worried,” Applejack answered.
Violet Fire’s eyes widened as he remembered his dream. That was a nasty nightmare. I hope I don’t get more of them. He shuddered at the thought. He noticed a pile of posters neatly stacked and tied with a string next to Fluttershy.
“You putting up more of those?” he asked, pointing a hoof at the pamphlets.
Fluttershy gave the pile a quick glance. “Oh no, far from that. We’re actually removing them.”
“Removing? How come?” Fire wondered, tilting his head to the side.
“You tell us, mister Violet Fire,” demanded Rainbow.
“How do you know my name?” the stallion asked, looking at the cyan pegasus with a raised eyebrow.
“From Twilight, of course. She rounded us up this morning and told everything about yer little... talk, last night,” Applejack answered.
Violet Fire felt his heart stop for a second.
“Yeah, I can hardly believe it myself. Who knew an egghead like Twilight was so bold like that?” Dash commented with a nod of her head.
His pupils shrank to the size of pinheads.
“I feel embarrassed just remembering it. It was so... embarrassing,” said Fluttershy with a flushed face.
The stallion’s violet coat faded into a paler shade.
“But we really gotta thank ya for yer help. Ya were the hero, after all,” said Applejack.
“Aww yeah! Shining armour and all!” Rainbow added.
Then, he snapped.
“IDIDN’TMEANFORITTOHAPPENITWASANACCIDENTSHEFORCEDMEIWASCAUGHTBYSURPRISEITHAPPENEDALLOFASUDDENSHEWASN’TFEELINGWELLANDSHEHADDRUNKALOTITMEANSNOTHING!!!” Violet Fire desperately cried out in a single breath, sliding on the floor and grabbing Applejack by her forelegs in a pleading fit. Suddenly, a terrifying possibility came to him. “Tell me Rarity didn’t hear about it...” he said in a weak voice, looking up to the mare with a anxiety in his eyes.
“Why, of course she did. Twilight called everypony in town for the rally,” she answered.
“Everypony... in town?” he asked, the already pale color on his face fading even more.
“Eeyup.”
“Oh Goddess, oh Goddess, oh Goddess!” Violet Fire chanted. He threw his hooves over his eyes, his ears splaying back as he trembled in fear. “I’m doomed, doomed! Everything I’ve done went down the drain! Oh Celestia, if Rarity hated me before, she’s definitely gonna kill me now!”
“Um... excuse me, but why would Rarity hate you?” Fluttershy asked, laying next to him on the ground.
“Because of what happened at the library last night!” Violet Fire answered with a squeaky voice.
“Now, why in tarnation would Rarity hate ya fer dropping a message from Spike?”
“Of course she’d hate me for that, I–” he cried out desperately, stopping abruptly. “Wait, did you say ‘dropping a message’?” he asked, removing a hoof from over his incredulous eyes.
“Duuuh, yeah! What else could it be?” Rainbow said. “Twilight called a meeting this morning to talk about your message and to call off all patrols.”
“Ah personally think this might be a tad early to quit, but Twilight seems to trust ya,” Applejack spoke as she looked down at the stallion, whose coat returning to its original bright violet. “Besides, this is Twilight’s business and we’re gonna respect her decisions.”
The other two mares nodded in agreement. Violet Fire rose to his hooves, scratching the back of his head in utter confusion. So Twilight didn’t tell them about the... thing? I don’t get it, he thought. His eyes widened when a sudden realization came to mind. Wait, if Twilight didn’t say anything about... that at the rally, than that means Rarity doesn’t know it either! I still have a shot!
Guuuuurllllll... complained his stomach.
But first: breakfast. I’m starving, he thought as he turned towards the glass jar with gems that he had acquired the night before. Grabbing it with his hoof, he looked at the trio of mares behind him. “Well girls, I gotta go. Have to sell these if I want to eat before I pass out.” Biting the lid with his teeth, he waved his hoof in the air to say goodbye. “Gatchia rader!” he said and parted ways with them.
The three stood in the middle of that park, staring at the dot that was now the violet stallion from before.
“He seems like a nice fella,” Applejack said. “A bit weird, but good-hearted.”
“A ‘bit’ weird? AJ, the way he was acting, you’d think he and Twilight slept together or something,” Rainbow commented as she hovered towards the cloud from before and pushed it away.
“Well, yes, but I think it’s a reasonable reaction, considering the way Twilight described their encounter yesterday,” Fluttershy commented, walking towards the pile of posters. “Remember how badly she was blushing as she spoke? It was really embarrassing.” Suddenly, the meek mare’s cheeks flushed a bright red, mimicking her magician friend’s description perfectly. Her face remained rosy as she bent down to hold the string with her mouth.
“Yeah, I still can’t believe Twilight would threaten somepony like that! And she only drank a bottle of cider. One bottle! How much of a lightweight is she?”
“Hehehehe, ah agree with ya,” Applejack said with a chuckle. She placed a hoof on her chin, tapping it in thought. “But now that ah think about it... that Violet fella seemed awfully familiar...”
“Fow fo?” Fluttershy mumbled with the string on her mouth.
“Well... that ‘Holy Guacamole’ of his reminded me of... Spike.”
Silence fell over the trio before Rainbow Dash broke it with a snicker.
“Ha, good one AJ! ‘Violet looks like Spike’... Next up you’ll be saying Fluttershy looks like Pinkie!” she mocked.
“Hehehehe, yer right. Ah must be going outta my mind.”
Unbeknownst to most ponies in Equestria, the Ponyville Market was actually one of the best places to shop, be it for duty or leisure. Anypony needed to could find just about anything there: from Sweet Apple Acres’ trademark fruits and Carrot Top’s unparalleled vegetables, to all sorts of wonders and trinkets sold by the travelling merchants from all over the land.
The marketplace was filled to the brim with ponies of all shapes and colors. As Violet Fire walked around the place, he could discern some fragments of the conversations between vendors and customers.
“Fanfics for only 2 cents, folks. I’m literally giving them away”
“I’ll give 3 bits for those and that’s my final offer!”
“Gather round Ponyville, for my sister and I have a great opportunity for all of you ladies and gentlecolts!”
“I didn’t put those in my bag!”
Quite busy, as always, the stallion thought. Violet trotted down the street looking for a vendor, when a sweet, citrus fragrance stopped him on his tracks. Eyes closed and mouth watering, the stallion raised his muzzle and sniffed the air, trying to pinpoint the location of the delicious scent. With his sense of smell heightened by his hunger, it took but a few moments to locate the stall responsible for the fragrance: a fruit pie stand.
Oh boy! That looks soooo good, Violet thought to himself, licking his lips before his delicious find. He started walking towards the delicacies, his mind going into a complete daze as his stomach agreed quite vehemently with his actions. With his eyes closed, the stallion approached one of the freshly baked pies and opened his mouth, ready to take a generous bite out of its crunchy, juicy form.
Crunch! The stallion cringed at the ringing noise as his teeth closed on air?
Ouch! That hurts! he complained internally. Beside the stand, a caramel colored earth pony looked at the unicorn with her delicate eyebrow raised. She held in her hooves the pie that Violet had tried to eat and if the white apron with a pie logo was any indication, he presumed that the mare was the baker responsible for the cart.
“Can I help you?” she asked with a tone of confusion. The two maintained the position, eyes engaged in a deep gaze. Considering the awkward nature of the situation, Violet Fire did the only thing expected of somepony in his position
He fled in a purple blur.
“Weirdo...” she whispered. The salespony turned to look at the customer she had been attending to.
“Lassie, would ya -hiccup- mind not wastin’ mah time?” asked the dark brown unicorn. The mare twisted her muzzle at the stranger’s breath. Sweet Celestia, you could smell the booze a mile away!
“Al-cough-right sir! Here you go!” she said, covering her nostrils with a hoof as she hoofed over the pie.
“Much obliged,” the stallion said. With his horn, he levitated the pastry towards his mouth and took a sizeable bite out of it, covering his mutton chops in purple jam. Suddenly, he turned his head and spat the food on the ground. “Why in tarnation is there no booze in this thing?!”
“It’s a blueberry pie... of course there’d be no alcohol in it,” answered the confused mare.
“Pie?! Don’t ya have any rum?!”
“Sir, this is a pie stand. What do you think I sell?!”
“Easy there, lassie. If ya don’t want to sell me anythin’, just say so...” he said as he rolled his eyes. He turned around and wobbled away.
“But... but... URGH!!!”
Meanwhile, Violet Fire was trying to breath normally again. After his rushed gallop, the stallion stopped by the wall of a house to rest a bit. He placed the jar on the side and stuck his tongue out as he gasped for air, his body burning from the heat of the exercise.
That... was close, he thought. My hunger is greater than I thought. Never expected to try dining and dashing. The stallion gave the glass jar next to him a quick glance. I better hurry up and sell these gems. The sooner I do that, the sooner I’ll eat.
Gurlllllll, his stomach chastised.
“Oh, shush you!” Violet grumbled to his belly. Suddenly, a sheen caught his attention. The stallion raised his head and turned his eyes toward the source of the glow. A few meters away, in front of a very busy beige barrack there was a wooden table covered in a lime green cloth. Scattered across it, Violet saw beautiful jewelry of all kinds: golden bracelets, sapphire rings, diamond tiaras, silver necklaces. An immense variety of precious accessories could be found for all sorts of tastes, but what caught the stallion’s attention was the sign standing next to the table.
Want gemstones? I’m selling! Got gemstones? I’m buying!
Violet Fire’s eyes shone brightly as his lips curled into an expression of pure joy. This is perfect! he thought as he grabbed his glass jar with his teeth and walked over to the barrack. I can sell the gems and finally get some food! Mumbling a few apologies as he made his way through the crowd, Violet slowly approached the front. Almost... there... he thought as he reached the last row of ponies.
“Excuse me, kind sir. Could you be a gentlecolt and help a damsel in distress?” asked a beautiful and very familiar voice. Violet Fire stopped on his tracks, turning his head towards the owner of that charming tone. His eyes widened in terror as he saw a white unicorn batting her eyelashes at the jeweler.
“RARITY?!” he yelled, surprised. At the mention of her name the mare turned her head around, missing the violet stallion by a fraction. Ducking behind a light green unicorn and a cream-colored earth pony, Fire hid from her searching eyes. Not finding the one who had called out her name, Rarity turned towards the vendor once more. Violet raised his head high enough to look over the couple’s shoulders.
Rarity?! Here? But... why would she-- hang on, of course she’d be here, you idiot. This guy’s selling gemstones, for Celestia’s sake! The hunger must be making me dumber or something... he thought. The couple of mares that were currently acting as his cover looked at the odd unicorn with raised eyebrows. In the meantime, Rarity began giggling at something the vendor had said. Fire frowned and growled at the situation as a tight knot of jealousy formed in his stomach, which also resulted in the two mares in front of him moving a few inches away.
The stallion closed his eyes and breathed deeply. “Calm down, Fire. She’s just bargaining, that’s all. You’ve seen her do it hundreds of times before...” he said between gritted teeth, trying to comfort himself. And you felt like making pony barbecue with every single guy she ever bargained with, but that’s not the point. Still, however mature he tried to act, the knot kept getting even tighter as he observed the unicorn throwing her hair back and batting her eyelashes one more time. That settled it.
Lowering himself as close to the ground as equinely possible, Violet Fire crawled towards the fashionista, causing a few gasps of surprise on his way.
“Hey!”
“What are you...?”
“He-hey! Do-don’t touch me there!”
The stallion blushed slightly at the last remark.
His sneaking successfully completed, Violet Fire finally got close enough to discern the conversation between the two. The jeweler was a grey-coated earth pony with yellow eyes. He wore a monocle and a midnight blue vest. His purple mane was curly and cut short. Overall, a charming and charismatic stallion. However, what really unsettled Violet Fire was the fact that, adorning the vendor’s face was a fine, slim and gentlecoltly moustache. The violet stallion touched his own muzzle unconsciously.
“Anyhow, my good sir, I can see from your display that you have quite the variety of gems available. Would you, per chance, happen to have any diamonds in stock?”
The grey stallion gave her a mischievous wink as his lips curled into a roguish grin. “For you toots, anythin’,” he said before entering the barrack and rummaging through his things. Violet Fire felt his muscles tensing up as he fought the nigh-uncontrollable urge to jump on the jeweler and choke him.
“Oh, you flatter me,” Rarity said with a wave of her hoof. Her words had the effect of throwing fuel to the fire of his jealousy. Violet Fire violently shook his head, trying to calm himself. He suddenly noticed he had been pressing his hooves on the ground under him and that they had sunk quite a bit due to his enraged strength. The stallion slightly raised his hoof and examined the groove he had carved. Comparing his limb to the impression reminded him of something unpleasant.
The enormous pawprint he had seen during his birthday. His pawprint. The one left by his greedy, monstrous self.
I... I have to leave, he thought to himself. If I stay here, I might end up doing something stupid. Violet Fire stood up and started making his way out of the crowd. Besides, I bet I can find somewhere else to sell my gems, it’s not like there’s any real reason for me to talk to this guy--
“Here you go, toots: Volcanic Drake Diamonds! The finest in all the land,” said the jeweler. Violet Fire suddenly stopped on his tracks as the words reached his perked up ears.
Wait, how in Equestria did he get his hooves on Volcanic Drake Diamonds? wondered the stallion in silence. Curiosity struck him hard. On one hoof he feared that staying any longer increased the odds of him being spotted by Rarity or of his jealousy getting the better of him. On the other hoof, he had only seen a Volcanic Drake Diamond once in all his life. The transparency and brilliance of the gem were unrivaled by the majority of gems. It was also quite rare and hard to acquire for most ponies, so it could prove to be the chance of a lifetime. The stallion nervously bit his lower lip.
“Only a quick peek... then I’ll scramble,” he whispered to himself. Violet Fire pivoted around and rested his eyes upon the table, where the grey-coated vendor had placed a small wooden chest with a brass padlock. Rarity and a few other ponies looked at the recipient with eagerness, wondering what amazing beauties lay within.
“Ladies, gentlecolts,”– the stallion gave the beautiful fashionista a foxish grin. –“toots: I bring thee the most marvelous of all gemstone-related wonders. Of all the gems in Equestria, diamonds have always been a mare’s best friend and, of all the diamonds that ever existed, the Volcanic Drake is ranked amongst the top three. It is so rare that some say even Princess Celestia herself does not possess a piece of jewelry with the precious rock.” The salespony paused momentarily for dramatic effect. He looked to the sides a few times before motioning to the crowd to lean closer. “But today is your lucky day, folks, for I happen to have a few of the gems in stock for just such an occasion.” The jeweler placed a key on the padlock and gave it a twist until it clicked open. After removing the restraints, the grey earth pony placed a hoof over the lid. “BEHOLD! The Volcanic Drake Diamonds!” he announced in an exaggerated manner as he opened the chest in one quick swing. The eyes of the crowd widened as far as equinely possible, threatening to pop out of their sockets.
“Ooooooo! Aaaaaaaa!” they exclaimed, completely taken by the beauty of the innards of the chest. Within the recipient were gemstones of different shapes, but all possessing the same dazzling brilliance and luster. There were probably fifty or so gems being displayed. The crowd was speechless at the the impressive sight before them. Violet Fire was speechless as well.
Speechless at how big of a sham those rocks were.
Unbelievable! I’m not sure if I should be impressed by how bold this guy is to try and pull such a stupid plan, or be impressed by how stupid he actually is to believe anypony’d fall for it. However, the ponies around him were of a different opinion. Some were already checking if they had enough bits to make their purchase. We-well, they don’t know the first thing about diamonds, but Rarity won’t fall for that trick! She works with gems every day! She’ll see see right through his little--
“My word, they are absolutely fantastic!” exclaimed the fashionista.
WHAT?! Violet Fire protested in his mind. How could it be? Rarity falling for that scam, so easily? Who are you and what have you done with my beautiful Rarity?!
“I knew you had a good eye on you, toots. So, how many will you take?”
“The whole box, if you don’t mind,” Rarity answered, already levitating her bag of bits. Violet Fire’s jaw dropped instantly.
“Right away, toots. That’ll be 1,000 bits,” the vendor said, reaching for his customer’s money bag.
“WHAT?!” Rarity and Violet Fire exclaimed in unison. The mare’s eyes widened as she noticed the second, huskier voice coming from the back. She turned her head around and, for the second time, missed the stallion by a fraction of a second. Shaking the thought away from her head, the mare turned towards the jeweler once more. “I-I mean... surely you must be joking, dear.”
He’s not joking, but that’s way too much for those fake rocks! At least that’s what Violet wanted to say, yet he remained silent.
“Sorry toots, I ain’t. Volcanic Drake Diamonds are usually 50 bits for every 100 grams. I’m actually makin’ it for 10 bits. If you do the math, you can see I’m bein’ quite generous, now, aren’t I?” asked the vendor with a smile on his face.
“Putting it like that... I suppose so,” Rarity answered.
No, you don’t suppose so! He’s lying! Well, technically he just told the truth, but those are fakes! Real fakes! Crouching on the ground, Violet Fire was already pulling his ears as he was consumed by anxiety. The mare from his dreams was about to make an enormous professional mistake and she had no idea. He had to do something, anything.
“Well, what will it be, toots? If you’re not buyin’, I’ll just sell it to some other pony in the crowd,” the vendor said, slowly turning towards a mare with a curly, orange mane who was eagerly awaiting her turn, a heavy bag of bits jingling on her mouth.
“Wait!” Rarity called out. With a heavy sigh, the mare levitated her bag of bits in the vendor’s direction. “You drive a hard bargain, sir.”
No he doesn’t!
“Hehehe, what can I say, toots? It’s just business...” responded the stallion, lifting his hoof towards the cash.
Uhh, it’s called FRAUD, you little son of a--
“Agreed,” said the mare with a nod as the bag steadily approached the jeweler.
No, don’t agree! He’s... I... you... ARGH!
I give up, Violet Fire thought. Raising to his hooves, he hung his head low and let a weary sigh escape from his mouth. It was over. He had to come to terms with that. There was nothing he could do to change what was about to happen. The dice had been thrown, and it was now time to accept the cruel reality of fate.
“HOLD IT, BUDDY!!” Violet Fire roared with a husky, confident voice. The shout startled both vendor and customer as they stumbled from surprise due to the sudden yell. With his chest puffed out and a fierce determination burning in his eyes, the stallion made his way towards the two ponies, his hooves striking the ground with each stomp. Throwing caution completely out the window, he had to do what he had to do; there was not a snowball’s chance in Tartarus that he would let harm of any kind befall the mare of his dreams. Of course, it meant having to face her after being verbally slashed the day before, but he was ready to suffer a small amount of torture in order to save her.
When Violet Fire reached the table, he realized everypony in the crowd had their eyes set on him. A few individuals whispered and mumbled to others next to them, buzzing like a beehive. The stallion’s limbs shook nervously from suddenly being in the spotlights, but his expression remained still and serious, unfazed by his fear.
Rarity gasped when she noticed exactly who was standing next to her. Her surprise, however, was short-lived. In an instant her eyes glared daggers at him, her teeth gritting with pure anger as the rage from the day before returning stronger than ever.
“You...” she growled. “I thought I was very clear yesterday when I said I didn’t want to see your face again!”
“Look Rarity, believe me when I say this, but I didn’t want to face you either,” Violet said looking at the mare with an apologetic sigh. “I screwed up big time yesterday, but my apology is gonna have to wait,” He turned his head back to the vendor, frowning at him, his emerald eyes staring at the grey stallion with an angered look. “First I gotta deal with this chump!”
“Oi! Who’re you callin’ a chump, lad?!”
“Oh, I’m sorry: I didn’t know there was another big fat liar around here,” Violet rebuked sarcastically.
“What gives you the right to call me a liar, eh?” the vendor asked, shooting his head towards the accuser. Their faces were so close their muzzles were touching each other, their stares fighting off a battle of wills.
Violet pointed a hoof at the chest beside him. “These are not Volcanic Drake Diamonds!” The crowd gasped in horror at the sudden revelation. Some voices of disbelief could be discerned from the buzzing.
“Celestia’s mane, this is terrible!”
“We were being tricked?”
“This guy is a swindler!”
“And to think I almost spent a month worth of grocery shopping on a fake!”
The grey-coated jeweler, however, looked unfazed. Hopping on the table, he clamored to the unsettled ponies. “Calm down, ladies and gentlecolts, there’s no need for panic. I’m not a swindler, and this lad over here is clearly a jealous competitor tryin’ to ruin my business.”
“This is too precious... a fake calling me a liar! Now that’s something you don’t see every day,” Violet retorted as he rolled his eyes.
The jeweler turned towards him. Still on top of the table, he sat on his haunches and crossed his arms, defiantly. “Oh yeah? Do you have any proof, lad?”
“I was expecting you’d say that.” A sly smile curled up on Violet’s lips. Calmly, he raised his glass jar and placed it on the green cloth. With a twist of his mouth, he opened it and reached inside with his hoof, removing a dazzling, sparkling gem from within. The jaws of the crowd slammed the ground in a synchronized movement.
The stone was round and quite large. It was just slightly bigger than your average ruby or sapphire found while digging around. However, what truly caught their attention (and, consequently, their admiration) was its brilliance. Unlike any other gem on the table, the round stone shone brightly, sparkling with incredible brilliance, as if it had a source of light in itself. The ponies closest to it could see their reflections perfectly on the smooth surface of the gem. It was grander and more majestic than the jeweler’s diamonds.
“This is what a real Volcanic Drake Diamond should look like, mister ‘chump’,” Violet Fire said. Seeing the look of shock on the vendor’s face brought a satisfied grin to the unicorn’s face. “These gems aren’t called Volcanic Drake for kicks. They can only be found in caves of Volcanic Drakes, creatures that live under the hottest temperatures in all of Equestria: inside a volcano.”
Silence replied.
“Shocking right? Oh, but that’s just how you find them. The reason why your little rocks here are fakes goes even further,” Violet Fire grabbed the biggest gem in the chest and aligned with his own diamond. “The Drakes love the stones, so they take really good care of them. By using their claws they cut the rough diamonds in veeeeeeeery slow motions, throughout years of careful work, and that’s how the diamonds get their brilliance. Cut, not shape and polish, is what gives a diamond its brilliance.” He pointed a hoof at the vendor’s gem. “Your rocks don’t have as much luster because their cut is wrong. I mean, come on, the light is not even reflecting right! It’s not going 90-90, it’s more like 60-30,” Violet explained, motioning with his hooves to show the angles of reflection. “Let’s keep score. Volcanic Drakes: one. Fakes: zero.”
Silence replied yet again.
“Tough crowd huh? Well, that was cut. Normally I’d do a ‘by-the-book’ analysis of the clarity, color and carat weight, but hey, that’s boring. Let’s take a look at it from a professional POV, shall we?” Violet Fire said, sitting on his haunches and picking both gems with each hoof.
Taking a closer look at both diamonds, Violet Fire rubbed them on his cheek, one at a time. “Because the Drakes have such sharp claws, not to mention years of experience, the cuts are very clean and precise.The Volcanic Drake Diamond has a smooth surface that should feel as slippery as butter when rubbed against your cheeks. These fakes, on the other hoof, are smooth, but more like a clean glass kinda smooth. Volcanic Drakes: two. Fakes: zero,” he announced, proudly. “Also...” he said as stretched his hooves. Without hesitating for a split second, the stallion dropped the two gems. The crowd gasped in shock as they watched the precious stones falling on the hard ground. Nonchalantly, Violet Fire picked them up and showed it to the ground. While the Volcanic Drake was perfectly fine, the fake gem had a few small scratches, barely visible to the naked eye. “Volcanic Drakes: three. Fakes: zero.”
Looking at the table, Violet saw that amidst the trinkets was a silver tuning fork. Grabbing it with his teeth, he gave his diamond a quick bang. An angelic, harmonic sound rang from the precious gem. A green unicorn and a pony with a long black mane sighed, enamored by the beautiful note. With another swift strike, Violet hit the other stone with the tuning fork. The sound produced by it made the two mares from before cringe and agonize at the tune, hitting the ground with a loud thump as they fainted. “Thank you Lyra, Octavia. Volcanic Drakes: four. Fakes: zero.”
And now... for the final blow, he stallion thought as he brought the two stones closer to his muzzle. The crowd looked in awe as Violet closed his eyes, took a deep breath and...
Sluuuuuurp, licked the gems all over.
“Ewwww,” the other ponies complained in unison, a few of them twisting their muzzles while others stuck their tongue out in an expression of utter disgust. Rarity’s left eye twitched a few times.
Savoring the taste, Violet Fire looked up, contemplative. “Eeyup, like I thought: the real deal is warm and spicy, but it’s perfectly seasoned and cared for. The fake one, on the other hoof, is rough, cold and tastes bitter. Yuck!” The stallion turned around to the vendor, who by then had curled into a ball and had his ears splayed back, fearing whatever destiny might befall him. Violet Fire puffed out his chest and looked into the swindler’s eyes with a fierce determination and fiery rage in his own emerald pupils.
“Volcanic Drakes: five: Fakes: zero,” he said, pushing his head as close as possible to the cowering stallion. “Now, as a good friend of mine usually says to no gooders like yourself... Git!” he growled between teeth.
It took him less than five seconds to grab all of his things and flee. In no time the swindler was a spot in the distance.
Now that the show had finished, the crowd began to fade, each pony going about their daily business. The cream-colored earth pony from before threw her fainted unicorn friend on her back and carried her away, muttering complaints at every step. In the meantime, a shade-wearing unicorn rose from the ground with a yawn. Stretching her back, she looked around groggily, apparently surprised by the sudden lack of a crowd. Noticing her friend drooling and twitching by her side, the mare shrugged and magically gripped the brunette pony by her tail and dragged her away, while mumbling something about along the lines of ‘wild party’ and ‘hangover’.
Violet Fire stood stood in complete elation over the situation. He was not used to being in the spotlight. If Twilight and the others’ prior adventures had showed him, it was that he was never a hero or a protagonist. He was always on the sidelines, being the secondary. Of course, he had his moments of grandeur, but even at those times he was either a victim in need of help or a giant monstrosity tearing the town apart. For the first time he had his own ‘hero moment’. The first time he did something good, something right.
And he loved every second of it. However, something was amiss. Something on the back of his mind that he had forgotten in the adrenaline of the situation. What could it be?
“Ahem,” somepony harrumphed.
Oh, right... Violet Fire turned towards Rarity who stood next to him, completely still. The image of the mare of his dreams giving him an ice-cold stare with an indifferent expression somehow reminded him of an old saying Princess Celestia used to tell him when he was younger.
Tartarus hath no fury like a mare scorned.
He could see why.
The stallion sighed. He expected to be able to postpone their talk a while longer, just enough for him to sell the gems and get back on his hooves, maybe even enough to buy her an apology present. Yet, it seems the fashionista had an agenda of her own.
Well, Fire, at least you helped her, right? Now you just gonna have to suck it in and get on with it...
“Guess there’s no way around it huh?” he asked, scratching the back of his head. Rarity did not flinch.
“Yes,” she answered coldly.
“Alright, this is as good a time as any.” Not really, this is the worst time, but I let’s pretend it isn’t. “I’m sorry by the way I acted yesterday. I had every bit of good intention in me, I really did. I wasn’t really trying to take advantage of you. Well, I actually kinda was, but I didn’t plan it. I’m not one of the greatest masterminds of the world, you know.”
“That is clear, darling.”
“Ouch, no need to--” Wait, did she just say ‘darling’? He looked at her dumbfounded. Was it working, in a twisted, unexplainable sort of way? Rarity merely crossed her forelegs, as if trying to telepathically say ‘carry on’. Unable to maintain eye contact with her icy stare, the stallion lowered his head, splaying back his ears.
“Ri-right... um... I... I don’t want us to start on the wrong hoof here. I’m new in town and I really wanted to us to, you know... be friends. So, will... will you forgive me?” he asked in a meek tone as he raised his head with pleading eyes.
Heavy silence fell over the two, making the atmosphere more tense than it already was. For a while, she said nothing, until...
“No,” she answered dryly.
Violet Fire’s eyes widened in complete shock. He was expecting that answer. After all, what he had done wasn’t a small screw up, it was a rather large one, but to finally hear it coming from her mouth was still a pain in his heart.
“W-w-why?”
“Did you really think I would forgive that easily? Darling, I am a lady and ladies don’t forgive scumbags like yourself in one single day.”
“But... but I’m being honest here! I’m not scheming or anything!”
“Granted, you did just save me from falling into a cunning trap. For that, I am grateful, but it doesn’t prove that you feel sorry for messing with my feelings yesterday,” she said. Rarity stood up and looked at the stallion straight in the eye with a judging stare. “I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt for your little rescue, but that’s all you get. Good day.” She turned around and being walking away, her head held high in a snobbish manner.
Violet Fire merely froze, unable to give any rebuke strong enough. Meanwhile, his mind worked at full-speed, a million thoughts and ideas rushing through his head.
She... she called me ‘darling’. She didn’t call me that before. So, there is some progress. Also, she gave me the ‘benefit’ of... whatever. That’s... that’s something, but it’s not enough! If I leave it as it is, it’ll take me forever to get her to forgive me. Think, Fire, think! His eyes shot all over the place, scavenging his surroundings with a stare for anything that could give him a solution to his problem. His search, unfortunately, proved fruitless. Rarity was already quite far from him. Maybe the direct approach would work better? He could try to apologize a second time, this time with more begging and pleading. Violet Fire moved towards the mare, when his hoof bumped into something. Curious, he looked down and saw his glass jar from before, neglected ever since he removed the Volcanic Drake Diamond from its innards.
A spark of hope flickered in his heart.
“RARITY, WAIT!” Throwing the Volcanic Drake Diamond into the jar and grabbing it with his mouth, Violet Fire broke out in full gallop in the direction of the white unicorn who had turned around at his call. When he got close enough to her, the stallion shoved his hooves on the dirt, braking until he came to a full stop before her. Rarity raised an eyebrow, confused at this sudden shouting and running.
“What is it?” she asked
Violet Fire sat on his haunches and held the jar with his forehooves. He extended it to her.
“I want you to have this,” he responded. His answer, however, did not lower her confusion, but rather increased it even more.
“I beg your pardon?”
“Uh... I want you to take these gems with you?” he asked, not particularly expecting an answer. “Sorry, I don’t really know how to explain it any better than I already have...”
Dumbfounded, Rarity unconsciously grabbed the jar as she glanced back and forth between the the object and its former owner.
“But I don’t understand... why would you give me these?”
“Some time ago, I did something... bad to somepony I really liked. I thought she’d hate me forever because of that. But she forgave me. I still don’t know why she did it. I mean, I screwed up pretty bad back then,” he said, looking down. He shook his head violently “Sorry, I’m sidetracking. The point is, I made a promise that I’d never hurt somepony that I care for again and that I’d do anything to set things right... does that make sense? Sorry, I’m not very good with explanations,” he said meekly, scratching the back of his hoof. Rarity remained shocked, her mouth agape.
“Well, darling, it’s.. it’s a very noble and... sweet act, but let’s be reasonable: I can’t accept this.”
“Why not?” he asked, tilting his head to the side
“Twilight has told me of your situation, dear. You need to sell these to get money, correct? I bet you haven’t even eaten properly since you arrived.”
Gurllllll, his stomach grumbled in agreement.
“We-well, that’s true, but it’s no big deal, really. I can manage for a few days,” he said with his cheeks flushed from the embarrassment. He looked away and started fidgeting with his hooves. “Besides... I’d rather not have you mad at me than to have all the money in Equestria.”
Rarity’s eyes widened a little at the stallion’s confession.
“But even so, I--”
“Look Rarity, please accept my feel-- I mean, my gift!” he exclaimed, startled at his near faux pas. “It’s the least I can do. As for money, don’t sweat over it. I can probably find a few odd jobs to do around here,” he comforted her, waving his hoof. “I’m a big pony, so relax, okay?”
Rarity looked at the stallion and back at jar. The sincere, warm smile that Violet Fire displayed seemed to unsettle her somehow. She looked down at the ground, completely immersed in thought.
“It can’t be... this is just like...” she muttered.
“Sorry, what was that?” Violet Fire asked, leaning over to hear better.
Violet’s sudden question startled her, making the mare shoot her head back up as she snapped back into reality.
“Oh sorry! No, it’s nothing, just... something personal, that’s all,” she answered. Rarity looked at the jar and hugged it. “Thank you, Violet. This is a lovely gift,” she said, her lips curling into a beautiful, charming smile. Her sapphire eyes glimmered in joy at the thoughtful and selfless present she had just received. Violet Fire felt his heart melt away as he looked into her eyes, the hunger being completely forgotten as he enjoyed every bit of that beautiful smile. His own face had a dumb, happy expression plastered on it.
Oops, not good, I’m gawking again! Focus, Fire, focus!
“Anyway, I better get going. You know, job hunting and all.”
“Oh, right. I’m sorry, I’m keeping you here.”
“Nah, it’s alright. Well, see you later?” he asked, hopeful. A few moments passed before Rarity answered.
“Yes.”
Violet Fire tried to contain his joy. Although he was able to hold back the hopping and the cheering, the goofy smile returned ten times stronger. The stallion reluctantly made his way across the dirt path.
You did it Fire! You finally got in her good books! Well, more like you made it out of the bad ones, but that’s a great start! Sure, it cost you your only source of money, but you can find another way. Maybe Mr. and Ms. Cake need some help? With Pinkie travelling and all. Or maybe--
“Violet?” an elegant voice inquired from his back. He halted and turned his head over his shoulder to see who was calling him. Rarity was making her way towards him, the glass jar already packed on her saddlebags. As the mare stopped next to him, her lips forming a dazzling smile on her face, Violet’s heart melted once more. With a bit of struggling, he managed to keep a puzzled face.
“Yes?”
The mare looked into the stallion’s emerald eyes with her own sapphire pupils. Leaning over towards him, she opened her mouth slightly. Violet’s heart beat furiously at the unexpected turn of events. Wowowowowowow, what’s going on?! he thought, his mind going into overdrive.
Then she spoke.
“I have a proposition I wish to discuss with you. Would you like to join me for brunch?”
Caught by surprise by the sudden request, Violet Fire answered with the only plausible answer for such a question. One single powerful word, developed in the early years of ponykind, that had survived through eons of changes. One expression, known by all creatures in all languages and that perfectly conveyed the feelings of a stallion in his situation like no other response could even dream of.
“Huh?”
AUTHOR’S NOTE
Howdy, mates! First of all, the usual cookie offering goes to my lovely editors: Frederick the Saiyan, TheWattsMan and Aquillo. They are the ones responsible for picking all of my grammar mistakes and making sure I’m not screwing up too badly. Also, dashes. Pesky little things.
Weird chapter, huh? This is the third dream sequence we had so far and they will keep coming. Why? One, I like writing them. Takes some time, but it’s well worth it. Two, they are challenging. Four... no, three, they have an important part in something that will remain a secret for now. Yes, I’m that evil.
This chapter was very tough to write. First was the dream sequence, which is always very challenging. Then there was the waking up scene. I was initially going to do a quick scene with only Fluttershy and Violet Fire there, but I had a sudden craving to toss in RD and AJ, which caused the scene to be replanned. Finally we have the biggest time consumer: research for this chapter. I can safely assure you that if I ever find a woman crazy enough to want to marry me, I’ll know how to buy a diamond ring. From the gems of the dream sequence to the Volcanic Drake Diamonds, it took an awful lot of time to find everything I needed.
Look forward to the next chapter. Given this ending, I’m sure you all have a pretty good idea of what will happen next, but I still got a few tricks up my sleeve.
As a final word, I posted a blog about this chapter and something important that’s happening this week. For those of you who did not see the post (which is most likely everybody), here’s what’s new: I’m going on a 2-week trip to Italy this sunday. What does that have to do with Violet Fire, you ask? Well, since I’ll be plenty busy there, chances are I won’t be able to write as much as I’d like. I’ll be taking my notebook with me and I’ll write every chance I get, but understand that this is a family trip that’s been planned for over a year.
I know I might be overreacting, but I’ll put it in big, capitalized letters just to be sure: VIOLET FIRE IS NOT GOING INTO HIATUS!!! I’ll be writing as always, mates, but the biggest problem is that I have no guarantee that I’ll find an internet connection or if I’ll be able to stop long enough to do anything productive. As far as updating and editing goes, I’m not sure how it will go, but don’t worry, for I shall be writing as much as possible!
I sure hope those lightning speed italian lessons come in handy. Otherwise, me and my family are screwed.