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// 6 - Deja Vu 
// Story: Velvet Underground 
// by MagnetBolt 
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Veneighs, the city on the water. One of the oldest and most beautiful cities in the world, and a stunning example of determination in the face of adversity. That’s what the tourist board said, anyway. It certainly was beautiful, but it was also incredibly expensive to maintain and existed mostly because Old Unicornia had been unwilling to admit anything was wrong even when boats replaced carts in the streets and everypony had to build an extra story or two on their homes to keep their hooves from getting wet.
The buildings were all in that classic decaying empire style, brick fronted with stucco and marble pillars added purely for decoration, amazing artwork framed by crumbling ruin barely held at bay. The tourist trade had made a larger mark on the city than any art movement, though. Safety railings were bolted to buildings hundreds of years older than the laws requiring them, small shops offered the latest editions of the Canterlot Times, and down the street Velvet could just make out a sign for a very ambitious expansion of Hayburger Princess.
“Are you sure we can’t just go there?” Velvet asked, looking forlornly at the sign.
“What, are you predicting we’ll get food poisoning?” Clearwater asked.
“It’s comfort food,” Velvet muttered.
“If we manage to stop the evil chaos spirits, I’ll buy you a Princess Meal myself,” Clearwater promised. “For right now we’re going to eat in this wonderful local cafe.”
Velvet looked around the ‘wonderful local cafe’. Ponies often talked about taking in the local color. In this case, the local color was black, in a dozen different shades. She was very quickly learning the difference between newsprint black, rich black, ebony, nightshade, and the very dark shades of navy that could easily be mistaken as black at a distance.
“I can’t help but notice this place is kind of themed,” Velvet said. “In fact, when we were walking in, everypony on the serving staff was wearing a rather odd pin.”
“Here we go again,” Night Light sighed.
“Look, before you go off and offend everypony here, we’ve got bigger things to worry about,” Clearwater said.
“The pookas,” Velvet said.
“I was talking about my expense report,” Clearwater corrected. “Members can eat free and then I bring the receipts back to Canterlot and it’s like I’m getting paid to eat! It might not sound like much but it adds up when you travel a lot.”
“You’re joking.”
“A little, but we can’t do anything yet. We’ve got a combat magic expert coming to meet us before we go out to the museum. Unless you really want to try taking them on without support?”
Velvet sighed. “We’ll wait”
“At least you’re not reading at the table,” Clearwater said.
“I’m just looking at a map of the city,” Night Light said. “I’ve never been here before. It seemed like a good idea to pick up a book at the port and… I kind of always bring home books as souvenirs.”
“Put it away. We’re not here to do the touristy thing and I think I hear our food coming.”
Plates were placed in front of each of them, and Velvet recoiled the moment she got a look at what was in the bowl.
“You can’t be serious,” she whispered.
The shallow sky-blue bowl contained something that very nearly resembled food and then veered sharply into realms Velvet didn’t want her palette to go. Pasta formed the base of the dish, black and slick and tossed with a purple sauce flecked with white specks. Star-shaped slices of fruit decorated one side of the plate as a garnish.
“It’s a local specialty,” Clearwater said. “You’ll like it.”
Night Light flipped through the slim book he was still reading. “According to this, the pasta is colored with squid ink, and the spicy sauce is made with purple tomatillo, red wine, and star anise.”
Velvet frowned and waited for Clearwater to start before she gingerly picked a noodle off the plate with her magic and ate it as if afraid it was going to poison her.
“That’s not bad,” she said, surprised. “It looks like the kind of mess I make in the kitchen when I try to cook, but it actually tastes good!”
“I think the appearance is half the experience,” Night Light said. “Otherwise it’s not that different from any other pasta dish.”
“So the pony we’re meeting, what are they like?” Velvet asked. She started eating with gusto after deciding it wasn't poisoned or disgusting.
“I haven’t met them face-to-face but…” Clearwater hesitated, taking a sip of the dark berry wine she’d ordered to buy herself time. “Look, all I know for sure is that everypony who’s had to work with her hasn’t enjoyed it. She’s not pleasant or nice, but she can get the job done and if we need something blasted to Tartarus there’s nopony better.”
“I really don’t like the sound of that…” Velvet muttered. “Is she another member of your little cult?”
“It’s just a club, and no, not really. If it makes you feel better, Princess Celestia trusts her and has her here instead of Canterlot training a VIP. The details are kinda hush-hush.”
“So secret you can’t even tell us?” Velvet asked.
“It’s a need-to-know thing. Even I shouldn’t really know. It’s the kind of secret that puts lives at risk. The important thing is, she’s dropping everything to come here, so we’re gonna wait.” Clearwater paused and swirled her now-empty glass. “And I’m gonna get more wine. You kids stay here.”
She got up and left to bother the bartender, leaving Night Light and Velvet to their plates of black pasta.
“A combat magic expert,” Velvet muttered. “I wonder what she’ll be like?”
“If she’s an expert, she’s probably an older mare,” Night Light said. “Maybe even one of the teachers at the School for Gifted Unicorns.”
“Nah, they’d never let somepony like that near foals. She probably walks around in armor all the time, with a big dark cloak.”
“Why would she need a cloak?”
Velvet rolled her eyes. “Everypony knows that mares with tragic backstories have black cloaks so they can hide the scars.”
“I’m pretty sure that doesn’t happen in real life.”
“And if she fights monsters she’s probably got like, an eyepatch and a hook hoof!” Velvet continued. “And then she sweeps ponies off their hooves…”
“Now you’re turning it into some kind of weird romantic thing,” Night Light said.
“Hey, you never know!” Velvet huffed. She started on her food again. “Aw. It went cold already?”
“This place is really drafty. Old buildings usually are, but this is crazy!” Night Light shivered. “I should have brought a sweater…”
Velvet nodded, shivering. “Maybe Clearwater will get us something from the bar to help us warm up if we ask nicely.”
“The weird thing is that Veneighs is supposed to have a moderate climate all year long,” Night Light said. “See? It says the last time the temperature here went below freezing was during a raid by Pegasopilus.”
He turned the book so Velvet could see the tiny woodcut reproduction of pegasus raiders attacking Veneighs under cover of a winter storm.
Outside, hail started pelting the narrow windows.
“I think that book is going to need an update,” Velvet said.
“Hey, you two!” Clearwater yelled from the bar. “I got a bad feeling. Get yourselves ready to get going in a hurry.”
The front door burst open, hail and cold wind swirling inside, the banners and drapes around the room rippling.
A pegasus in golden armor stumbled inside, falling just as he got through the door.
Velvet rushed over, kneeling down next to him.
“He’s got frostbite,” she said. “This is really bad. Um… I think for frostbite we need room-temperature water and blankets.”
“I can get the water,” Night Light said, after slamming the door shut to hold back the cold.
“Wait!” The pegasus gasped. “You have to listen!”
“Stand down, soldier,” Clearwater whispered. “You can tell us after we’ve got you warmed up.”
“No time,” the pegasus said, shivering. “I was at the museum. S-she ordered us to go take a look. We didn’t- we didn’t even get through the front door!”
“You’re okay now,” Velvet assured him. She couldn’t look him in the eye or he’d see the lie. How was she supposed to tell a pony that the glimpse she’d taken into his future ended very abruptly no matter what they said or did?
“It’s not okay. I barely got away. I shouldn’t have- I shouldn’t have left!” He shivered. “They must have let me go so they could follow me!”
Clearwater motioned for Night Light to go to the window.
“Keep your eyes open,” she whispered.
“There are three of them,” the pegasus said. “You need to get word to the Princess! She’s the only one who can possibly stop them!” He clutched Velvet’s hoof with an incredibly tight grip until she nodded in silent agreement.
The pegasus took one last breath and slumped, going totally limp.
“He’s gone,” Clearwater whispered. “We need to move. If he’s right about being followed they could already be on their way here.”
“Ma’am, I think we have a problem.”
Velvet put the pegasus down gently and stood up to look.
Outside, the canals were freezing solid.
“They’re here,” Velvet whispered.