//------------------------------// // Restless // Story: Fizzlepop's Future // by milesprower06 //------------------------------// Fizzlepop's eyes shot open, and she found herself in her bed. She sat up as quietly as she could, and listened for anything out of the ordinary as her eyes searched her darkened room as best she could. "Tempest..." A gravelly voice called out. She had known something felt off, felt wrong, and that confirmed it; she wasn't alone. Lighting up the tip of her horn with a mote of light, she looked around the room for her staff, but couldn't find it. Cursing herself for probably forgetting it down in the barracks last night, she got up off of her bed and made a beeline for her door. She pulled it open and jumped out into the east wing hallway. Her head darted left, then right, finding nothing. "Poor little Tempest... All alone..." The voice taunted. Standing ready to strike at a moments notice, Fizzlepop continued to survey the empty hall for any sudden movement. As much as she strained to stay focused, there was something about the voice that seemed familiar... And unsettling. "Come out, intruder!" She called out, her voice echoing over the floors and walls. "Only I have the power to make you whole." She inched down the hall, looking at the shadows and reflections in the crystal walls. After a dozen or so steps, she broke into a gallop towards the main hall, heart pounding against her chest. If she could get down to the barracks... "Too slow!" The voice taunted, and she heard a faint but quickly approaching whistling behind her. She turned at the top of the stairs just in time to see a black glass sphere slam into her chest. The green crystal within exploded out in a cloud of gas. She felt herself go numb, and was unable to move her legs as she saw them begin to crystallize into obsidian, a feeling that snaked up her body as she fell down the stairs. She tried to scream, but the crystallization had reached her chest and neck, and she found herself unable to breathe. Her hardened body flipped end over end one last time before landing hard on the marble floor at the base of the stairs, and she felt her form begin to crack and crumble. "Knock knock, Tempest." She shot up in bed in a sweat, and saw her horn fiercely glowing in the mirror of the adjacent dresser, about to fire off a spell. Taking a deep breath, she let the focused energy safely dissipate from her horn. She jumped slightly at a knocking at her door. "L.C.? Everything okay?" A concerned stallion's voice asked. "Who is it?" She asked, unsure of anything at the moment. "Captain Thunderlane, ma'am." The voice replied, and suddenly her surroundings started to come back to her. She looked at the morning sun out the window, and then to the clock on her bed. 8 AM. She had overslept. Again. Damn it all, that was the third time this week. "Yeah, sorry. Give me a moment." She said, letting out another deep breath. She removed the blanket over her, and stepped onto the floor, going to her attached bathroom and taking a quick drink of water from the sink, and toweling off the sweat on her face, forehead and neck, before going back into her room and answering the door, seeing Thunderlane, who had taken one of the third shift patrols last night. "Sorry about that, Captain. You look like you've had an interesting night. Report." Fizzlepop told the charcoal pegasus, noting the grass stains on his hoof guards. "You're one to talk, L.C.," Thunderlane informally jabbed, noticing how unkempt his commanding officer looked in the doorway. "But I'll take you up on that. I made an arrest at Sweet Apple Acres late last night." Fizzlepop scoffed. "I must still be dreaming... You're being serious?" Fizzlepop added when Thunderlane's expression didn't change. That was new. They helped keep the peace at large gatherings, and occasionally had to help tipsy ponies home after one of Pinkie's more rowdy parties but actually taking a pony into custody? She couldn't recall that ever happening in her two years. Ponyville's crime rate was insanely low. "Caught him with a bag full of apples on the orchard, picking them right off the trees. Fast one, too. Almost didn't catch him." Thunderlane continued. "You told Applejack before coming to me?" "Just got back. She and Mayor Mare are waiting for you at Town Hall. As for him, I've got him downstairs in one of our empty bunk rooms. Rivet's not letting him out of his sight. Ponyville doesn't have anything else remotely close to a jail cell." The pegasus reported. "You good for a bit longer?" She asked him. "Yes ma'am. Where do you need me?" "Switch places with Rivet. If he tries anything, I'm betting you're the one who'll have the easiest time catching him. Send Rivet with a message to Mayor Mare's office, telling her I'll be there within the hour. I need to shower so I can think clearly." "Aye, ma'am." Thunderlane saluted, before turning and heading down the hall. With that, Fizzlepop shut her bedroom door and went back to the bathroom, turning on the shower head. Quickly getting it to the best temperature, she stepped into the stream of water and let the last bits of hazyness from sleep wash away. It had been just over a week since Princess Twilight had left for Canterlot, and things back here had not gone smoothly, at least not for her. Her restless nights had only gotten worse over the last nine days. From merely tossing and turning, to only getting a couple of hours of sleep at a time, and now unsettling dreams and nightmares were setting in, and everything was beginning to take their toll as the nights dragged on. She was very fortunate that she had drilled her small squad into a well-oiled machine that could occasionally function without her, because right now, she felt rusty and broken down. Thunderlane wasn't that thick-headed, he had to have known something was off about her. After a few minutes in the shower, she felt marginally more awake, but she still wasn't going anywhere without coffee. She quickly dried off, went back into her room, tugged on her black body sleeve, followed by the plates of armor, the helmet last of all. Before leaving the room, she removed the blankets, sheets, and pillowcases from her bed and placed them in a small pile next to the nightstand; she'd have to make time for a load of laundry today, because last night had made her bedding damp and smell quite unpleasant. With that, she stepped out into the hall with a yawn, heading down to the kitchen to start a pot of coffee. Admittedly, things had started to change well before Twilight's departure, too. After being made the School of Friendship's guidance counselor, Starlight had scaled back her role in the guard considerably. When she was offered the position of Headmare, she had officially resigned her commission as squad Battlemage, trying to let Fizzlepop down as gently as possible. She didn't have to do anything of the sort however, as the two of them were close friends, and she had assured Fizzlepop that she would jump in an instant to help in any emergency that required her expertise. She hadn't been the only one. As her tenure as a Wonderbolt increased, Rainbow Dash had also resigned from the Ponyville E.U.P., and it made Fizzlepop wonder if Thunderlane wasn't too far behind. But so far, he hadn't mentioned any intention to depart yet. Rivet was one of her longest serving members, and enjoyed the duty, as well as the supplement to his construction paycheck. Grubber was still making the best food in the region, as well as helping run the cafeteria in the School of Friendship. When it came to Twilight's closest friends, most of them had gotten on with their lives too. With Rainbow moving up the ranks of the Wonderbolts, she spent less and less time in town. Pinkie Pie helped out in Sugarcube Corner, but she was beginning to travel Equestria with fellow party planner Cheese Sandwich. On the days she was in town, Rarity was teaching Yona and Sandbar the basics of running Carousel Boutique, and when she wasn't she was at one of her other stores, either in Canterlot, Manehattan, or Las Pegasus. Applejack and Fluttershy were the only Elements of Harmony that were still local pretty much full-time, and Fizzlepop couldn't see either of them going anywhere anytime soon. Applejack had her family farm, and Fluttershy was entirely committed to her expanded animal sanctuary. But for Fizzlepop, 'castle madness' had most certainly set in. She couldn't stand the emptiness. There was still a friendship feast every Saturday afternoon, and the E.U.P. still mostly gathered for chow, but apart from that, the day-to-day activity in the castle had most certainly died for the time being. When she retired for the night, she felt like the only pony in a mansion built for fifty, which was the case more often than not so far. Grubber was frequently her only company in here, but he had long been given his own room, right next to hers. With a hot cup of coffee levitated in her magical grasp, she returned to the main hall, and exited the large front doors out into the Ponyville morning. Berryshine was out in front of the castle entrance, and Blossomforth was currently on watch in front of the School of Friendship. The school was absolutely her favorite place to patrol and mingle this week; it was by far the most lively, even now, in the weeks before a new school year started. There was always something happening, whether it was summer classes, or a field trip, or simply redecorating or renovations for the new class came in. Whenever she found herself alone in the castle, the knot she felt in her stomach was the most prominent. Out here in the bustle of Ponyville's morning, it was somewhat lessened, but still there regardless. Like her disintegrating sleep pattern, it had only worsened over the past week, and she was beginning to wonder if she should schedule a doctor appointment to see if anything was wrong. For now, it could wait. Having reached downtown, she entered town hall with a salute from Bulk Biceps, who was on watch for the day. She didn't have to ask to see Mayor Mare, for she was already out in the common area talking with Applejack. "Good morning, Mayor Mare, Applejack. Sorry I'm late." Fizzlepop greeted, sipping at her coffee. "Mornin' L.C. I'm sure grateful that Thunderlane was there when he was. I usually have to ward off timberwolves or gophers or rabbits, but fellow ponies? I have to admit, that's somethin' of a rarity." Fizzlepop didn't mind the abbreviation since her promotion; she figured ponies might as well save the syllables to speed conversations along. "His name is Damiadon Thunder." Mayor Mare began, opening a file folder. "Born in Las Pegasus, 20 years old... Bit of a rough history of drifting, from what the telegram we were wired this morning tells us. Nothing too serious, just a string of misdemeanors and a rejected Wonderbolts application." "Miss Mayor, I have to confess, I believe this is the first time I've ever had to take a pony into custody. I'm not really sure on the procedure here." Fizzlepop admitted. "Well, according to Applejack, and based on what Thunderlane recovered, this amounts to not even 25 bits of stolen produce. That's petty theft in every law book I've read." Mayor Mare answered. "Applejack? This happened on your property. I'm open to suggestions. Ponyville doesn't exactly have places to keep him locked up, and I'm not sure if Speartip would laugh at me if I sent him up to Canterlot for incarceration over less than 25 bits." Fizzlepop told the farmer. "Yeah, you're right about that. This isn't worth that much trouble, but maybe all this fella needs is some honest work to set him straight. It's your call, but if you want to bring him back to the Acres, we'll put him to work. We're in the middle of harvesting season, we could always use the extra help." "If you think that's the best solution, I'll go take a look at this guy and bring him to you when I can." Fizzlepop told her. "Sounds fair. I'll be there all day, bring him by anytime." "Thank you very much, you two. Now if you'll excuse me, I've got meetings to get to. I trust you can handle it from here." Mayor Mare thanked them, before retreating back to her office, leaving Applejack and Fizzlepop to see themselves out. "Say, are you alright, L.C.? You're looking a little rough around the edges." Applejack commented as they exited town hall back into the morning sun. Part of Fizzlepop wanted to be annoyed at the remark, but decided to let it go. Element of Honesty and all. "A bit of a rough night. Listen, are you sure bringing this punk back to your farm is a good idea? What's stopping him from taking off once I leave?" The unicorn asked. "Oh, I think I've got somethin'. Rainbow's got a week off from the 'Bolts, and she's staying with me. I reckon she'll catch him even faster than Thunderlane did." Applejack answered. Satisfied, the two mares went their separate ways for the time being, Applejack back towards the farm, and Fizzlepop back to the castle to check on its first prisoner in the history of ever. 'Rainbow staying on a farm for some time off? Now I've heard everything.' Fizzlepop had returned to the castle just in time to see Derpy dropping off the day's mail with Berryshine. "Morning, Derpy. Morning, Lt. Berryshine. I'll take that off your hooves." Fizzlepop greeted, taking the single piece of mail that Derpy had dropped off for them. She quickly ran the envelope along the tip of her staff, and pulled out the parchment within with her magic. "What do we have, ma'am?" Berryshine asked as Fizzlepop began to read through the contents. "Looks like an application. Haven't gotten one of those in awhile, a new recruit might finally mix thi... Oh you have got to be kidding me..." Fizzlepop's tone went from interested to flabbergasted in a single sentence. "Ma'am? What's wrong with a new recruit?" Berryshine asked. "Absolutely nothing, if it wasn't the featherbrained thief we've currently got downstairs... As you were, Lieutenant." Fizzlepop said, feeling a headache coming on as she ascended the stairs and shoved the front doors open. There was that knot in her stomach again... Grubber came out into the main hall from the kitchen after finishing up the dishes from this morning's chow. "Hey, Fizzlepop. Did you leave without breakfast this morning? I could whip you up something if you like." The hedgehog offered. "No thanks, Grubber. I'm not feeling hungry, and I've got a situation downstairs that I need to attend to. Sorry, maybe next time." The unicorn replied with a half-hearted smile and not even pausing in her gait as she headed for the basement. Descending the cobblestone steps to the basement, she passed the training room and armory, and saw Thunderlane standing at the entrance to the second bunk room. "Is he in there?" She asked him. "Yes, ma'am. Napping, I believe." Thunderlane replied. "Thank you, Captain. You are dismissed." With a salute, Thunderlane trotted away from his post as Fizzlepop rounded the corner to the doorway, and saw the dark grey pegasus snoring on his back on the bottom bunk in the corner. Walking up to the bunk didn't rouse him in the slightest, so taking one last look at the application he had filled out before his apple swiping spree, Fizzlepop held her aetherial staff behind her shoulder, and brought it forward with force, whacking the closest pole of the steel bunk bed with a resounding clang. Needless to say, Damiadon Thunder was up. He was so up that he smacked his head on the bottom of the top bunk. "Oof! Owwwww!" He groaned as he rolled off to the side, and slumped to the stone floor of the bunk room, holding his head in pain. Fizzlepop noticed that he had a striking resemblance to Thunderlane, except this pegasus' mane and tail was darker, longer, and not to mention mangier and more unkempt than any member of her squad. "Damiadon Thunder?" She asked. "Uggh... Yeah, that's me. Dami for short. Talk about a wake up call..." He said, sitting up and rubbing the top of his head. "You can start by answering two questions. One, why did you steal produce from a very good friend of mine, and two, why did you think I would take a punk petty thief into my squad?" She demanded, her commanding voice reverberating off of the walls, which only seemed to exacerbate her growing headache, but she wasn't about to change her demeanor with this guy. Continuing to rub the pain on his head away, Dami looked up at her with maroon eyes as he leaned up into a sitting position. "I needed to eat, and I needed a job?" Fizzlepop scoffed. "Well, I've got a job for you, and needless to say, it has absolutely nothing to do with the E.U.P. Guard of Ponyville. Get up and follow me." She commanded, turning around and walking out of the bunk room, turning and waiting for him to follow. "But ma'am, I can fly and fight. I'd be a great addition to your team." He protested as he got to his hooves, and came out into the hallway with her. "Just because you can fight and fly, that doesn't make you E.U.P. material any more than it makes you Wonderbolt material." Fizzlepop brushed him off. "I just figured if the Storm King's commander could get involved in the E.U.P., my chances gotta be good." Fizzlepop leered at him for just a moment before lighting up her horn and shoving him against the cobblestone wall, lightly pressing the tips of her staff to his neck. "Alright, listen up you sky dropping, I've had a rough morning, and you have reached the end of my patience. I'm not sure what you think you know about me, but trespassing and stealing isn't exactly an express application for my squad. Ponyville prides itself with its low crime rate, so I get a little cranky when some punk thief from out of town mucks that up. So you can come with me, do exactly as I say, or I can hogtie you and toss you in the baggage car of the next train up to Canterlot, where they certainly have the facilities to no longer make you one of my many headaches today. Do I make myself clear?" Fizzlepop asked, her snout millimeters from Damiadon's. The pegasus nodded, trying not to get his neck pricked by the four prongs of the unicorn's staff. Seemingly satisfied her stare had burned a couple holes into his irises, she dropped him to the floor, and planted the bottom of her staff on the ground with a clang, making him wince. When he looked up at her, she merely pointed a hoof down the hall to the exit. "Move." She commanded. As Damiadon got to his hooves and began walking a few paces in front of her, she was glad the threat got to him. Truth be told, if Speartip took her seriously enough to jail a pony for 20 bits worth of petty theft, it probably wouldn't be for more than a week, then he'd be out and probably looking for his next mark. She was hoping Applejack was right; a little community service and honest work might be able to set him straight. "Up the stairs and to the left." She barked at him, and they left the basement and came out into the main hall. They exited the castle once more out into the mid-morning daylight, and descended the stairs. "So where are we going?" He asked her. "Right back to where you stole from. Down that path. And if you're thinking about taking off into the sky, just know that the only thing between you and freedom is a few dozen rather explosive fireworks if you even as so much as spread your wings. Move." Fizzlepop commanded, so focused on the pegasus in front of her that she didn't notice Berryshine's widening eyes at her tone. She had rarely heard her commanding officer be this cross with anypony, let alone in public. Damiadon didn't ask any further questions on the march out of town, though he tried to remark about the lovely vistas that the countryside provided. Fizzlepop ignored his attempts at small talk. Ten minutes later, they arrived at the front gates of Sweet Apple Acres, where Applejack was performing some fence maintenance. "Hello again, L.C. And you must be our unexpected visitor from last night." Applejack greeted Fizzlepop, and less cordially, Damiadon. "Here he is, Damiadon Thunder, your newest farmhoof. You said he got away with about 25 bits of produce?" Fizzlepop asked the farmer. "Sounds about right." Applejack answered, nodding. "Then how about you try and get 100 bits worth of labor out of him, as a start." Fizzlepop replied. While Applejack wasn't quite expecting a request like that, she didn't let it show in front of their guest. "I'll see what I can do. Now Damiadon, if you work hard, you'll get three hot meals a day, and a warm place to lay your head at night. Sound like a fair deal for community service?" She asked the pegasus. "Well, I've had worse offers." He replied, only to hear a sparking sound coming from the horn of the armored unicorn behind him as she bit her lip frustratingly. "Uh, I mean, thank you for the opportunity to pay you back for what I took from your land?" He immediately added nervously, as a cyan pegasus with a rainbow mane and tail came down from the clouds and landed next to Applejack. "You're welcome. Now, Rainbow here will show you where you'll be staying, and also where you'll be working today. Follow her, and don't try anything funny. You don't want to get on her bad side." Applejack warned. "Lucky I don't pound you into the dirt right now..." Rainbow spat, her tail flicking in annoyance, having heard about what happened last night. "Now Rainbow, I only want you to pound him into the dirt if he starts slacking off." The farmer replied, getting a satisfying gulp out of him in return. With that, the two pegasi walked off towards the barn, and AJ turned her attention to the moody Fizzlepop. "Were you serious about that, L.C.? I'm all for making him work off what he took, but four times that?" Applejack asked. "Yeah. He actually applied to join my squad before he pulled this little stunt. If he thinks he has what it takes to do that, then a week's worth of harvest should be a walk in the park for him. I'll check in later on, see how he's doing." "I see. Well, you understand that once I get 25 bits worth of work out of him, I'll have to start paying him." Applejack said. "Don't pay him a bit. Just come to me at the end and tell me how much I owe him, I'll take it out of the squad's petty fund... But you know, don't tell him that. As long as he doesn't cause anymore trouble in town, make him your newest scarecrow if you think it'll help set him straight. Like I said, I'll check back in a few days." With that, Fizzlepop turned and headed back towards town. She needed to get something for this headache...