//------------------------------//
// A Frothy Mug o' Scuttlebutt 
// Story: The Ties that Bind 
// by the7Saviors 
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True to his word, Apple Core had taken it upon himself to both tend the bar and deliver the drinks. Things were a bit slower when it came to service, but the patrons didn't seem to mind.

Still, there were so few customers that he was able to spare enough time to talk with his old friends and the Abyssinian. The three took the time to update Apple Core on the most recent happenings in the area, and the more Apple Core listened the graver his expression became.

Ancient Scroll had left out a lot of the details regarding what happened with the three fillies themselves, and made sure to use their false names while they were still surrounded by potential eavesdroppers -- pausing every now and then when a customer would come near.

The old beige stallion hadn't had much to drink, only sticking to two mugs of hard cider -- both his preference and limit when it came to most alcoholic beverages. Rouge and Yojimbo had held back as well at Apple Core's own request -- reminding them that they were supposed to be taking care of the fillies.

The late afternoon dragged on and by the time the three were finished with their tale, it was creeping towards evening.

After their story concluded, Apple Core let out a heavy sigh.

"It's a darn shame what happened ta Little Trot," the rust coated stallion responded after a moment, "knew some good ponies from there. Ah'll hafta check on the town when ah get a chance."

He shook his head and looked at the three with a grim frown.

"And now, ya'll are tellin me yer on some trip to Canterlot to find out more about... what was it?"

"We're trying to find out more information about what's going on in Canterlot as well as any kind of news we can find," Ancient Scroll replied, "I won't lie to you, old friend, but I will say that there's some other things we have to do there that I'd rather keep quiet for now."

"Ah getcha, Scroll," Apple Core replied with a knowing nod, "wouldn't want word gettin' around that little Fia is in the area, now would we?"

Ancient Scroll furrowed his brow and sighed in resignation.

"Should have known better than to try and keep secrets from you," he muttered before addressing the bartender in a normal voice, "look, Apple Core, I'm not sure how much you figured out from the story, and I'm sorry I had to keep the filly's identity a secret, but you've got to understand why I did it."

"Oh, I understand, Scroll," Apple Core replied with a shrug, "and believe me, after everything I've heard, ah don't blame ya in the slightest fer keepin' it a secret," he then gave the beige stallion a level stare, "just because ah value honesty over most other virtues don't mean ah don't understand the need for secrecy every now an' then."

He gave the patrons sitting at the various tables a significant glance before returning his gaze back to Ancient Scroll.

"If ya wanna keep secrets, it ain't never a good idea ta say more'n ya need to in this or any other bar or tavern."

"That's true enough," Rouge replied, "you never know who might be on the lookout for the information you want to keep hidden."

"Speakin' of information," Yojimbo added with a raised eyebrow, "how much do you know that we didn't already tell you, Core?"

"Well, to be perfectly honest -- ah, gimme a minute..." 

Apple Core prepared another drink at one of the customers' request and delivered it to their table before returning to his original spot he glanced around briefly before continuing in a hushed whisper. 

"...now, as ah was sayin', a lot of what ya told me about Fia lines up with some of the things ah've been hearing from the customers from Canterlot."

"Oh?" Rouge inquired curiously, "this must be quite the hotspot to get patrons from Canterlot all the way out here."

"Naw, this place ain't that popular," Apple Core replied with a small chuckle, "but ah do get the odd Canterlot pony from time to time, and a few of em' stopped by here not too long ago."

"Really?" Ancient Scroll responded, leaning forward and resting a foreleg on the counter, "any relevant news you can share?"

"Well normally ah don't share personal details about mah customers," the rust colored stallion replied slowly, "but seein' as how most of what they said weren't nothin' personal, ah could tell ya what ah heard."

"Then by all means," the unicorn stallion urged, "don't hold back."

Apple Core nodded and began.

"The ponies over in Canterlot are scared witless from what I understood," the old bartender explained with a shake of his head, "the folks that came around these parts had a lot to say about what was goin' on in the city."

"And what'd they say?" Yojimbo asked as he finished off his glass of apple whiskey, "anything useful?"

"Well -- oh, pardon me a moment," Apple Core stopped to serve a griffon who had walked up to the counter. The patron gave the group a nod of greeting before returning to his table, "sorry 'bout that, folks," Apple Core continued, "accordin' to the ponies, some bad business involvin' the double murder of a unicorn couple had the city in a frenzy."

"I'd imagine so," Ancient Scroll responded with a grimace, "from what I know about Canterlot, very little happens in the way of even minor crimes, and this..."

"Now hang on a moment, Scroll. It gets worse," the old bartender interjected, "if what those city folk said was true, things in Canterlot are beginnin' to go to Tartarus in a hoofbasket." 

"How so?" Ancient Scroll asked with a concerned frown, "things are already bad enough as it is."

"Yeah," Yojimbo said with a concerned frown of his own, "I'm all for a little danger and intrigue, but with the pups involved in all of this, we don't need anymore than we already got right now."

"Well if that's how ya'll feel, then yer gonna hate what ah have ta say next," Apple Core replied with solemn frown, "seems there was another murder in Canterlot recently."

"Wha -- are you serious?" Yojimbo growled as he shot up from his stool. 

He turned an irritated look towards Rouge who had tapped him on the arm. She pointed to the tables behind him and he glance in that direction before giving a small huff and returning to his seat.

"I'm startin' to think those fillies of yours are a magnet for trouble, Scroll," the husky muttered to the stallion next to him, "if our luck keeps up like this, we're gonna have a tough time keepin' them safe."

"Don't I know it, old friend," Ancient Scroll agreed before addressing Apple Core, "what can you tell us about the murder, Apple Core?"

"Not too much about the murder itself, ah'm afraid," Apple Core replied with an apologetic shrug, "all ah know is that it was a griffon livin' in the city that got done in, and that nopony knows who the killer is."

"That isn't good," Rouge replied, "assuming the Princess hasn't caught the murderers of that poor filly's parents yet, I'm sure ponies aren't going to be too happy about the situation with this recent murder."

"That's puttin' it lightly," Apple Core replied with a grimace. Another patron called out to him and he made his way over to their table with more drinks before returning to the bar, "folks in Canterlot were already jumpy about the first murders, now they're losin' their minds.

"Story goes that the Princess is doin' everythin' she can to reassure the ponies, but ah personally don't think puttin' the city on lockdown until the murderer is caught is the right way to go about things."  

"For cryin' out -- she put Canterlot on lockdown?" Yojimbo cried in disbelief, "she's lost it!"

"Well apparently it ain't gone quite that far yet," Apple Core conceded, "but there's certainly rumors floatin' around that she's plannin' on it. Fear and paranoia's gotten so bad that folks are startin' ta leave the city all together. From what I hear, the Royal Guard is already out in full force patrollin' the streets an' lookin' fer any kinda trouble."

"Wow," Rouge muttered, "ponies... don't take too well to strife do they?"

"Not in Canterlot, they don't," Ancient Scroll replied with a sad shake of his head, "I only realized this after I left Equestria, but Celestia did the city no favors by coddling all of its ponies like foals. None of the ponies there have ever experienced anything like this in... centuries I think. Same goes for the other towns surrounding the capital."

"Ah reckon yer not wrong there, friend," Apple Core agreed, "ah don't think the ponies of Canterlot are wired fer this sort of trouble -- heck, ah'm pretty sure most of the towns close to Canterlot ain't doin' too well with the news either."

"It seems the ponies have less faith in their Princess than I realized," Rouge commented, "a peace that's lasted for centuries, only to be brought down by a few murders in the capital city. One has to wonder how she managed to keep the majority of her Kingdom at peace for so long if this was all it took to send it into a downward spiral."

"You know what?" Ancient Scroll muttered thoughtfully, "you're right. From what Corona told me about Princess Celestia, she has the power to bring her subjects under control, and there hasn't been any kind of problems of this magnitude in centuries, and yet everything is crashing down around her."

"Just what are you gettin' at, Scroll?" Yojimbo asked with a bemused raise of his brow, "you sayin' there's some kind of conspiracy or somethin'?"

"I don't know, Yoji," the beige stallion replied with a slow shake of his head, "I'm just having a hard time believing that a peace that's lasted so long was this fragile to begin with. I think there might be more to this than what we know so far."

"So what are we going to do then?" Rouge asked, "do we still head for Canterlot?"

Ancient Scroll didn't reply for a moment, lost in thought as he was.

"...I have my own reasons for wanting to go to Canterlot," he finally answered, "but at the end of the day, I'm doing this to help Fia," he turned to fully face Rouge as he spoke, "I think I'll let the fillies know what's happening in Canterlot and leave it up to them to decide whether or not we should still go."

"Ah don't know if that's a wise decision, partner," Apple Core interjected with a frown, "in fact, ah think it's a plumb crazy idea. With what little ya told me about the fillies' situation, ah don't think ya should risk it."

"You're probably right, Core," Ancient Scroll conceded as he turned back to the bartender, "but after everything that's happened to her, Fia deserves some answers, and I think Canterlot is our best bet at finding those answers."

"And besides," Yojimbo added with a smirk, "the pups are in good paws. We can handle anything that fancy city can throw at us."

"I'm not too sure myself," Rouge responded with a worried frown, "we've already lost the little ones once, and that was in a small town. Canterlot is supposed to be quite a large city. You said it yourself, Yojimbo, with all the problems we've run into so far, we may have a difficult time trying to keep the little ones safe while we're there."

"We're off to a bad start, I'll admit," Ancient Scroll replied, "but the important thing is that we learn from our mistakes," he turned to Apple Core with a determined nod, "my decision still stands. If the fillies still want to go to Canterlot after what they've heard, then I'll support that decision and we'll do everything in our power to make sure they stay safe."

Yojimbo gave a nod of agreement and after a moment, Rouge did the same. Apple Core eyed the three with an unreadable expression for several long seconds before huffing and shaking his head in exasperation.

"Ah still reckon ya'll are makin' a big mistake bringin' those fillies into Canterlot right now," he replied, "but ah know it's important to ya, so ah won't say anythin' more about it," he looked Ancient Scroll and Yojimbo in the eyes, "just be careful you two."

He leaned closer and whispered his next words.

"Ah've always thought there was somethin' fishy about the Princess, and if there is some kinda rebel group out there tryin' ta take down the Princess, that just makes me all the more suspicious."

He leaned back once more and spoke in a normal tone.

Just make sure you an' the fillies don't get yerselves caught up in all of their nonsense."

Ancient Scroll let out a wry chuckle and gave the bartender a sad smile.

"I think it's a bit too late to worry about that, old friend."