Number looked her friend over and smiled. "You look pretty snazzy, the very model of a modern business pony."
Wild grumbled wordlessly in response, but the young mare did indeed look very professional. Wild was now wearing a dark grey jacket over a white shirt, had a red tie, and had her mane cut so it finally stopped falling into her eyes and was now only shoulder length. Wild might need some help getting it on and off to start, but Rachael the seamstress seemed convinced that an earth pony would be able to get to the clothes on and off themselves with practice. The tie was going to be a no-go with that though, there was no way Wild was going to be tying that with just hooves--a clip on tie could be arranged. Unplanned, but rounding out the ensemble, was the matching Pony Straps on her forlegs.
"Rachael, you've got talent," Number said as she looked over at the cream colored unicorn wearing a orange dress with a stylized needle and thimble embroidered it would appear on her flanks beneath the dress.
The mare beamed at the compliment. "And with Wild Growth wearing clothes designed by me I might actually get ponies interested in me making clothes for them. I have so many ideas for pony fashions that I want to try out. I've just needed ponies to take interest. This is going to help me so much."
"I actually might have some orders for you," Number went on. "I'll definitely be interested a few outfits of my own, and at the end of the coming week I'd like you to come by the bank and take some measurements for my employees. I can pay you in advance for the orders so you can afford materials, and we can see about getting an actual shop set up for you in town."
Rachael's eyes went wide. "My own shop? I could have my own shop?"
"Ponies have to go somewhere to place orders with you," Number said with a grin, enjoying Rachael's excitement. This felt good. She once went after money for power for her own sake, but now she was glad to use money for others sake. She'd work to accumulate it still, but mainly so moments like this could keep happening. "You might want to take a pony name to establish a brand name for yourself."
The mare blushed. "I had thought of a name, but I wasn't sure if it was very good. I thought about calling myself Thimble Heart."
"I like it, tells everypony you probably do something with sewing and that you put love into it," Wild said as she looked herself over in the mirror, strutting a little.
Number nodded. "It sounds like a very good name to me too. I say go with Thimble Heart, and I'll help you with starting what will hopefully be a long successful career."
"Thimble Heart it is then," Thimble said, then let of an excited squeal and pranced in place. "This is happening! I can't believe it. I always dreamed that I might do something like this, but I didn't think it could actually happen. Opening up my own line of clothes, having a celebrity wearing them." She paused and held a hoof over her chest and panted. "I need to breathe. I'm going to die of happiness."
"I'm guessing becoming a pony worked out great for you then?" Number asked.
She was always on the lookout for Shimmerist leaning ponies in the business community. It was part of the plan to show becoming a pony helped make a person more successful. The successful ponies didn't actually need to be Shimmerists to be helpful, but having them willing to assist in promoting how much better off they were as ponies was twice as helpful as it would be otherwise.
"Definitely," Thimble said with another happy prance.
Number nodded and mentally put Thimble on her possible Shimmerist list and she'd pass Thimble's name on to Sunset to follow-up with. It wasn't Number's calling to try to actively win others over to a Shimmerist viewpoint. Those she did were but a side effect of her trying to help ponies and humans. She'd let Sunset do the active promoting, or evangelizing as it was in Sunset's case.
"So, how much do I owe for this?" Wild asked as she stopped admiring herself in the mirror.
"Just the cost of materials for this one," Thimble assured her. "I'll make you some more if you like this and we can discuss prices on those when I do them."
Wild nodded. "This does make me look very professional. I'll definitely order some more. A different set for each day of the week, maybe a dress or two for special occasions."
"I think we're done for tonight," Number said. "Thimble, we can discuss what you need to start up your business tomorrow if you come by the bank around one or so. I'll actually pay out of my own pocket for Wild's current outfit and upcoming order."
Wild raised an eyebrow at her. "You don't need to do that. I have plenty of money."
"Consider it a gift for all the hell I'm going to put you through teaching you to be an effective corporate professional," Number said with a smirk.
Wild's demeanor dropped a bit at that. "Alright, I'll accept that. If earlier today was any indication then I'm going to be pulling my mane out before I've got this down."
Thimble finished gathering her things and headed towards the door. "Thank you again. I'll definitely be there tomorrow."
"See you then," Number said as the cream colored unicorn exited out the house.
"She seemed nice," Wild said as she went back to admiring herself. Number wondered if her friend had a streak of vanity in her. There was nothing wrong with a little vanity, as long as it was just a little.
"She does indeed," Number replied. "William was already planning on investing money in her. I think I'll invest as well. She's a low risk high reward type of investment. Not sure if it will pan out or not into high reward, but it's promising enough to take a gamble on her."
"Anything else you needed from me today?" Wild asked as she let off a yawn. "I'm kind of beat. I'd like to turn in early tonight."
Number frowned over at some blueprints she had set aside. "I did want to go over the designs for your mansion, but they can wait. It will be much like the residential houses were building now, only much grander in scale and with what types of rooms are where shifted about. It can wait till tomorrow though. Explaining the blueprints in full will take a little time."
Wild glanced over at the blueprints with interest, but after yawning again nodded her agreement.
"I probably want to turn in early tonight too," Number continued. "I started off today being held for equinslaughter, and then did two days of work in a few hours in addition to teaching you. It's been an exhausting day for me as well."
"Number," Wild said uncertainly. "What exactly happened that night? You never told me."
Number bit her lip as she remembered that night and shivered. "I'm not exactly sure to tell you the truth. A lot of things happened in a blur and it was hard to focus on anything, like my mind was clouded. I'm telling the truth that I didn't mean for him to die. I don't even know how he did. I gave him a pretty hard blow, but it shouldn't have killed him. It was all so confused and I was so scared. I've never been so scared."
She started crying as she tried to remember. It was really hard to pull the details out. She'd been in perfect control of the situation. She'd had him trapped in her magic and she was going to take him back to face justice the right way. Then suddenly she wasn't in control of the situation anymore. He was free and everything was wrong and he was saying...something...she couldn't remember what. She just knew she was terrified. She'd lashed out with her magic to defend herself and sent him hurtling back against a tree, knocking him senseless. After a few minutes of crying she'd gone to check on him, but he was dead. After that she'd panicked again and destroyed the body.
She didn't know what happened. None of it made sense. She just remembered how scared she was.
She did a jump as hooves wrapped around her and almost lashed out with her magic before she realized it was Wild giving her a hug. She then laid into her friend and cried on her shoulder as Wild patted her on the back.
"I don't know...I was so scared," Number sobbed as the earth pony comforted her.
She felt Wild stiffen a little. "Tonya said she'd brainwashed you into doing it. Do you think that's why you can't remember right?"
Number sat and considered it. She really didn't know. Whatever had happened seemed to have been so real, bit some fabrication to block out her murdering a pony in cold blood. Maybe that's what happened, she just didn't know. She just wished she didn't feel so terrified even trying to think about it.
"I don't know," she repeated. "I wish I knew, but I just don't."
"How about we get you to bed?" Wild said as she broke from the hug. "I'm sorry for upsetting you. I didn't realize how much whatever happened affected you. I probably should have. You can get some sleep and we don't need to think about it anymore."
Number looked over at the couch, still feeling the fear from trying to remember. "Do you mind if I just lay down on the couch and you just sit with me until I fall asleep? I don't want to be alone in the dark right now."
Wild smiled. "Sure, I can let myself out after you drift off. Go lay down, I'll be right here."
She nodded and then made her way over to the couch and laid down. While she did that Wild took up position in the sitting chair across from her and just sat and watched. Number tried to put her mind at ease but she was still trembling. How was this effecting her so much still when she tried to recall the details? She could just say it was self defense without getting scared. She could even remember the aftermath of it without getting scared, but if she tried to play it all back in her head fear just overtook her.
It took a long time to start to settle down. She kept glancing back to make sure Wild was still there, and the earth pony just sat watching her patiently. Number tried distracting herself by thinking about work and financials she needed to go over, even thinking about where to find Wild a good clip on tie, anything mundane to distract herself.
Eventually she closed her eyes and lost track of what she was thinking about.
She sat watching and listening in silence as Tonya questioned Swift Strike. He was definitely a bastard, but he didn't deserve to die. She hadn't wanted to do this, but she wanted to know what went on in that pony's head.
Ponies were supposed to be better than humans. This was supposed to be their chance to make something better than what they were before. If she hadn't become a pony she'd probably still be the same greedy bitch that was willing to step on anyone and cross any line just for the sake of money and power. Becoming a pony she had realized how shameful and ultimately pointless that life had been. She'd heard many others give their own testimony of how they were ashamed of things they had done as humans. That is why she embraced the Shimmerist cause, so all humanity could finally turn away from the hurtful things that they did. It was a chance to repent and be redeemed, to make something better.
Yet here was this stallion that stood in defiance of what ponies were supposed to be. She understood there were going to be aberrations that becoming a pony wouldn't fix everyone. She still had her struggles after all, but becoming a pony would help enough humans to make everything worthwhile. Understanding why it didn't help him become better was important to know though. That's why she was here, to get answers.
Tonya turned and flew away and Number struck with her magic quickly. She had an incredible grip with her magic and she knew he wouldn't be able to escape her. She'd take him back and consider what she'd heard.
Fear and terror.
Him standing over her.
Her lashing out.
Sobbing.
His dead body.
Terror.
She was standing and watching as Tonya spoke with Swift Strike. His answers weren't giving her much insight into why things hadn't gone right with him becoming a pony. She'd have to think about this and ask more ponies about their experiences.
Tonya flew away and Number grabbed Swift Strike with her magic. It was time to just take him back.
Fear and terror.
Him standing over her.
Her lashing out.
Sobbing.
His dead body.
Terror.
She stood watching Tonya interrogate the night pony that had raped Phobia. His lack of repentance disgusted her, but didn't seem enough to kill him. She'd take him back and have the authorities deal with him. It was the right thing to do.
Tonya flew away and Number acted with her magic.
Fear and terror.
Him standing over her.
Her lashing out.
Sobbing.
His dead body.
Terror.
Tonya spoke with Swift Strike. Number sat at the ready. Tonya flew away and Number moved quickly with her magic.
Fear and terror.
Him standing over her.
Her lashing out.
Sobbing.
His dead body.
Terror.
She sat waiting for Tonya to finish speaking with Swift Strike. His answers hadn't given her any insights.
Then the world paused.
Tonya sat with her mouth open and unmoving. Swift Strike stood defiantly glaring up at Tonya with a snarl on his face. No wind moved through the forest, and not a blade of grass twitched as Number looked around in confusion.
"You, filly, have a mental block up on your memory. Self imposed I think," came a voice from behind her.
She spun around and then jumped backwards as she saw a skeleton, and freestanding, walking, talking skeleton if a pony starting at her with faintly glowing eyes and skeletal wings twitching. On the skeleton there was necklaces and earrings that hung in midair where the flesh of it's ears should be.
Number tried to escape but found herself held in place as the skeleton watched her.
"This is dream, filly, and I won't hurt you. I want to talk. You have information that I desire, and I think you desire that information too," the skeleton said.
Number licked her lips. It came back to her now, all the times repeating over and over the same nightmarish memory, but never actually seeing what happened. This thing in front of her didn't inspire the same level of fear that the dream had so far. She could calm herself if she focused.
"Who are you?" Number asked.
The skeleton released her from whatever was holding her in place. "I am the Warden of Death. I seek justice for what happened back in this memory. I need to gather evidence so mistakes aren't made."
"You want to know what happened from my memory," Number said. "I don't know. If you were watching you'd know that."
The Warden of Death waved a wing and a table laden with food appeared. Then the skeletal figure turned back to her. "Sit and eat, this food shall ease your mind of the fear. Perhaps after a good meal you will no longer quake in terror of this memory. There is mind magic at work in you, making you fear this memory, and it needs to be dispelled. Not for the sake of me finding out what secrets are hidden, but for your own sake. Come, eat."
"I don't see where this will..."
"Filly," the skeleton said crossly. "I did not make a request. I gave an instruction. Come eat or I shall put you in a baby chair and feed you with a spoon while you make a mess in your diaper. I hold the power in dreams, and we can do this the easy way or the hard way. I intend to see your mind healed, and I intend to have evidence that another's life or death depends on. Now, come eat."
She looked at the table then walked over to it and took a seat next to it. On the table were many different types of pastries and fruit, along with different types of drinks. She picked up a pastry at random and started to nibble at it.
The skeleton took a seat across from her and a large wooden bowl appeared before the skeleton. In the bowl a single piece of shriveled fruit blinked in and out of existence as the skeleton watched. It picked up the appearing and disappearing fruit in her hooves and caressed it.
"Poor little one," the skeleton said mournfully to the fruit. "Your body is broken and you aren't yet five years old. Tragedy takes no pity in who it strikes. I can feel it through your mind that your body will fail any moment now. You're so scared. Come...come all the way into sleep. Let me give you one final happy dream so you may pass beyond in peace."
Number watched in fascination as the skeleton hugged the piece of fruit close to itself. The fruit ceased disappearing and just sat in the skeleton's hug. Then the fruit started to glow, and tears came down from the Warden of Death's eye sockets. With one final bright glow the fruit disappeared entirely, leaving the skeleton weeping silently.
"Death comes to us all, filly," the skeleton said as it looked back up at her. "You have seen death up close. I need to know what happened that night and so do you. A trial for another is coming soon, and it may bring another death. I want you to give your memory as testimony."
"I can't remember. I told y..."
The skeleton held up a wing to silence her. "I can pull the memory out for all to see. The actual memory, not this fragment you have. I must have your permission to do so, and have you present at the trial. Will you give me that permission?"
Number chewed on her lip nervously. "You're sure? You can let me see what happened? I don't know if I want to know what happened."
"It will eat at you if you don't find out. You won't be free of these nightmares until you confront the truth."
Number stiffened up and trembled again. The prospect of night after night of having to deal with reliving that broken memory was terrifying in itself. On top of that she would never know otherwise if how she'd ended up killing Swift Strike or why.
"If you can actually do it, then I'll be your witness."