//------------------------------// // A Simple Withdrawal // Story: Smooth Criminal // by dudenotactive //------------------------------// Roman slowly made his way through Ponyville, with the locals staring at him curiously as he passes by due to how sharp he dressed and how strange he walked. But he didn’t care, he was just there to make a name for himself, not to make heads turn, unless it was from the police. He took a glance at a few of them and notices that a lot of them had pictures on their rear, curious he looks down on his right to inspect his own, and there he saw his personal version of a smiley face in the same color as his mane on his white coat. He had absolutely no idea what it means, but whatever it is, everyone has it. As he walks by, he comes upon an empty bench which he decided to take a short rest, planting his back on the seat and stretching his hind legs forward he gave out a loud sigh. He was here, not just on the bench but in this world filled with sentient horse creatures with no idea of how to get back, leaving Neo to fight alone. He shouldn’t be worried, she can handle herself, she’s a tough cookie. But that still didn’t feel right, he isn’t with her is the subject, he wanted to shout out his lungs in frustation. All he could think about was her crying thinking he was dead and it pained him so. His train of thought was broken as a pony took seat right next to him, it was a pink colored mare with a poofy mane who was imitating his way of seating smiling at him. “Hi there!” She inches closer to him making him just a bit uncomfortable, “Can I ask why do you sit like that?” she asks him with an expectant look with her face almost touching. He pulled his head away from the strange mare. “Because I feel comfortable, something you’re not making me.” She only smiled, “I’m Pinkie Pie, welcome to Ponyville Mr.Torchwick!” she begins to rumage through her mane as if it was some kind of pocket. At the mention of his name Roman’s eyes narrow at the mare, “How do you know my name.” she finally found what she was looking for and pulled out a half eaten cupcake, Roman stared at the pastry then at Pinkie. “Woops, guess I was hungry and accidently ate it! That won’t do, not at all!” She excitedly spoke as she threw the rest of the cupcake into her moth and began chewing, after she finished she smiled widely at him. “Don’t worry Roman, there would be plenty more cupcakes at the party!” “Party? What party are we talking about here?” He ignores the fact that she offered him a cupcake and just ate it since it was not good enough for him, this world was an oddity itself. The mare hops on the bench with her hooves high in the air throwing confetti around. “The ‘Welcome to Ponyville and Good Luck to your New Life in Equestria’ party!” “Again, how do you know me?” She sat back down next to him. “Well duh! I know you because of RWBY.” “Ruby... Is that some kind of magical gem that gives out informations about a person?” She shook her head, “Not ruby silly, RWBY, with a ‘w’ instead of a ‘u’!” her words still didn’t make any sense at all, choosing not to ask anymore he changes the subject of the conversation. “Can you tell me about...” His words were silent as he tried to think up a question, “The Elements of Harmony?” he gave her a grin. She nodded to the request and began to give a long summary of the subject, “Well it all started with Twilight Sparkle...” after a few minutes the only thing he caught from her fast paced speech was who is who, even though he already knew Rainbow Dash. What interests him was what they defeated, ranging from great evil to petty riffraffs, they would be less of a problem without the elements. “And I was like, ‘oatmeal, are you crazy’!” He was unaware that she shifted to joke telling, “So what cake would you want for your party?” she asks as she started to list off different kinds of cakes. “I’m sorry Pinkie, but I wont be attending it.” She stops completely turning towards him with her eyes open wide. “B-but...” Tears started to fill the corners of her eyes. He groans loudly, “ALRIGHT!” he exclaims as he places his hooves on his face. Pinkie regains her happy expression and she smiles once again. “But! You would need to do something for me first.” She bobs her head up and down excitedly, “Uh-huh!?” a bit too excited if you ask Roman. “What I want you to do is find me a place that would be a great spot for the party, somewhere you and your friends likes to come together a lot.” He explained clearly for her. Pinkie thought of a few places until one came to mind, “What about Twilight’s place!?” she suggested. Roman smirks at how easy it was to manipulate her, “Yes, that would be lovely. Why don’t you bring some of your closest friends together at the library then I’ll come by in a few minutes for you to introduce them all to me?” “That’s a great idea!” Then she zips away in a speed that left him dumbfounded. Returning to his senses he once again found himself alone on the bench, until a mint colored unicorn mare sat the same way as he did right next to him with a wide smile, his eyes met hers as time seem to slow down. “I’m leaving.” He declared as he marches on his two hooves away from the mare. “Wait! I just wanted to talk about humans!” He heard her say as he gets further, something was odd about her, he could just feel it. Applejack was enjoying her time at the apple stand, slow day as it may be she was still working, until a pink blur stole her away from the spot bringing her to Twilight’s home next to said unicorn “Twilight, what the hay is Pinkie up to now?” Twilight was as confused as her, “I have no idea, but it is Pinkie we are talking about here.” the same pink blur passes by and left a blue pegasus and a white unicorn next to Twilight. After gaining her bearings Rainbow Dash groans loudly, “Pinkie, what are you doing!?” Said pony finally stops next to her with a shaking yellow pegasus, “Silly Rainbow Dash, you know what I’m doing.” “No I don’t!” She shouts at Pinkie, who was hopping in place right in front of the door expecting her ‘guest’. “A new pony is in town and he said he wanted to meet my closes friends!” At first Rainbow Dash was confused but then she recalled the stallion he met earlier that day. “Are you talking about Roman Torchwick?” “Yup!” Twilight got up and walks over to her sugar fueled friend. “I’m sure he is as excited as you Pinkie, but you should relax a bit.” She turns to face Twilight, “I am relaxed!” she said as she kept hopping in place. “Who exactly is this Roman feller we talking about?” Applejack joined the conversation. “Just a weird pony I met outside of Ponyville, nothing much, except that he dresses like he had a fancy party he was going to.” Rainbow Dash gave her own explanation. Rarity’s ears perked at the mention of fancy clothing. “Well I would love to meet this pony, he sounds like an interesting stallion. When is he coming dear?” She turns toward Pinkie where she was now painting the banner for the welcoming party. “He said a few minutes.” She gleefuly spoke. “‘Good Luck to your New Life in Equestria’?” Twilight gave her a look of confusion, “Did he come from another country Pinkie?” “Nope, he came from another universe silly.” Pinkie explained casually. “WHAT!?” Everyone in the room especially Fluttershy jumped at the sudden outburst from their friend Twilight, “Pinkie, details!” she demanded from the party pony who was just finished decorating the banner. “He came from another universe Twilight, thats not really hard to understand!” Pinkie giggles at how her friend could be so silly at times. Rainbow Dash for once pieced together what she remembers from the odd stallion. “That actually explains how wierd he acted when I first met him: first he never used his wings before, second he hadn’t have heard of us before which is really crazy and third he had this wierd explosive ‘trick’ with him.” “What about you Pinkie, what can you tell me about this guy?” Twilight ask for deeper information. Said mare returned to waiting by the door, she turns to Twilight with a big smile. “He’s from Vale and he was eaten by a griffin!” Silence envelopes the room after what Pinkie had just told them, “Sorry sugarcube, but did ya’ say that he was eaten bye a ‘griffon’?” the farm pony wanted confirmation, which the cotton candy nodded yes. “Now ya’ just pullin’ mah leg here, there is no way for a griffon to do such a thing, right girls?” “But he was! You can ask him as soon as he comes.” She turns back to the door waiting for said pony, while her friends except Rainbow Dash, doubted the pink mare. “Pinkie,” Rarity spoke up, “Does he even know how to get here?” her question hits Pinkie like a brick at the sudden realisation of not giving directions to Roman. Just as she was about to run out the door, a cyan hoof held her shoulder. “Don’t worry Pinkie, I’ll look for him before you can even say ‘Rainbow Dash is awesome’.” “Ah’ll help too,” Applejack volunteers, “Ah mean, how hard would it be to find him? He’ll stick right out like a zebra in a rainbow.” giving her friend a reasuring smile. At that they both went off to find the stallion, after a few minutes they were long gone, happy that her friends would help, Pinkie went back to decorating. “Oh yeah!” She had just recalled something that she should mention. “He is also one of the most wanted criminal from his world!” The room was once again silent, until a powerful voice came from Twilight. “WHAT!!!?” One long walk had brought Roman to an oddly designed building, “Is this real sweets?” he asked himself as he taps said building with his cane, “Nope.” he simply declared causing a few bystanders to groan as a few of them had made bets if he would try to take a bite out of the building, ignoring the few ponies he proceeds to go inside. Meanwhile somewhere close by, an orange mare was asking around for him, after a good lead on him she strided over to the same building he had just entered. Back with Roman, he was overwhelmed with the scent of sweets causing his stomach to growl, listening to his instinct he heads over to the counter where a yellow stallion was behind it. “Greetings and salutations, Roman Torchwick here! I couldn’t help but noticed the delicious smell of these pastry.” The stallion behind the counter nodded with pride. “Nice to meet you Roman Torchwick, I’m Carrot Cake. What would you like sir?” Roman looks at the assorted pastries and came upon a familliar cupcake, “A pink pony with cotton candy like hair tried to offer me one those,” he pointed to said food, “but sadly, it was ruined enough for her to deem it unfit to give so she ate it herself.” his stomach growls again. “You mean Pinkie? Tell you what,” Carrot Cake took out one of the cupcakes and handed it to Roman. “you can have one on the house, I think that’s what Pinkie would have wanted for a new pony in town.” He thanked the stallion taking the cupcake and gladly eating it away, “I have to say, this is really good!” in seconds he had already finished slightly satisfying his hunger. “This kinda makes me feel bad for what I’m about to do.” Confused, Carrot Cake scratched his head, “What do you mean sir?” he soon came to understand as the end of the cane was pointed right at him. “Empty the cash register, do it and you wont come out of this in a body bag.” He demanded from him and the patrons of the store gasps at the robery that was occuring, “That goes with all of you, give me all of your currency or else!” a pony fainted in the background and the rest were doing what he said, except for one who stood up. “Or else what!? That’s just a cane!” They tested Roman, who gladly played along, aiming the cane right next to Cake he pulled the trigger, and a loud thundering sound came from the cane creating a gaping hole on the wall behind Carrot Cake. The brave pony gladly sat back down to take out their bits. After taking all of the bits from the register Carrot Cake placed it all into a pouch and pushing it over to his captor, the door burst open as an orange mare with a hat came in, “What was that explosion, is everypony alright in here!?” she then notice the pony she was looking for standing on two hooves pointing his cane at Carrot Cake and she stared into the ‘eye’ of the cane wielding stallion. “Help Applejack, he is trying to rob us!” The same pony from before pleaded with the new pony in the establishment. “You’re trying to rob Sugar Cube Corner?” The confused Applejack asks Roman. Roman nods confirming it all, “While you’re here, would you kindly gather the rest of the money from the crowd and bring it to me?” Seeing how he was a no good crook she gritted her teeth and narrowed her eyes. “Ah am very sorry, but Ah have to stop you there sugarcube, don’t want any more trouble especially from some random stallion.” “Really?” He groans loudly, what did he expect from one of Equestria’s heroes, “Listen, I have already wasted a bullet teaching these ponies not to be a hero but looks like I still need to make an example,” he lifts his left hoof over the cash register before bringing it down on it crushing the metal device into scrap, her eyes widen at how easy he reduced the register into bits of metal. “I can break those bucking legs of yours Applejack, so unless you want to be bed ridden for months, I suggest that you do what I say.” She barely budge but with a simple wave of his cane the mare flinched, feeling as if she had no chance she complied to his demands, she turns her back to him and began walking. Until she bucked him away and sending Roman into a wall, “No one threatens me and gets away with it you darn varmint!” what she heard next sent chills down her spine, it was Roman’s laughing as if he didn’t feel anything at all. Rising back to his hooves he gave the cowpony a devilish smile, “I expected you to hit hard but not that hard!” in a swift motion he swatted Applejack with his cane knocking her away crashing into a table and giving the mare a bruise on her left cheek, “Well it has been fun, but I have places to go and money to steal, see ya’!” swiping the bag of bits from the counter leaving the patrons with their currencies he ran out of the building. Regaining her stature she ran after him with a limp, as she exited the building she saw Rainbow Dash passing over, she called out her friend which she got the attention of. “Hey Applejack,” She landed landed right next to her. “You find him yet?” Applejack was fuming with anger, “That darn Torchwick just robbed Sugar Cube Corner!” she informed her. “He did what!?” Noticing the bruise Dash became tensed, “Did he do this to you!?” the orange mare nodded yes, “Now he’s gonna get it! AJ, you tell the others, I’m going after him!” without another word she flew away with determination to catch the one who attacked her friend, as for Applejack, she headed straight to the library. After galloping in a fast pace she arrives and burst through the door of the building, “Twilight!” there she found Twilight being held in a head lock by Pinkie Pie. “Hold on Applejack.” She threw Pinkie over head and onto the floor, “He shouldn’t be given a second chance, you said that he helped some great evil conquer his home!” she declares to the pink mare. “But what if he wanted to be nice this time!?” “No ‘buts’!” Twilight turns to Applejack. “What’s wrong AJ?” “That Torchwick fella just robbed Sugar Cube Corner!” She explains to her friend. “WHAT!?” Twilight turns to glare at the Pinkie who was still on the floor, “I knew he would be trouble! Alright girls, it’s up to us to catch him. Are you going to help us Pinkie or not?” Pinkie only nodded in silnce, “Does Dash know this?” she asked Applejack. “She does and she’s finding him right now.” Twilight started to walk out the door, “Fluttershy, go to sugarcube corner and make sure nopony is hurt, as for the rest of us, find Roman Torchwick and bring him to justice.” the mares then went on to find the run away criminal, Pinkie was hesitant but she followed anyways.