//------------------------------// // Chapter 13: Shopping // Story: Heir To Darkness // by Leafdoggy //------------------------------// The cockatrice slept soundly on Fluttershy’s back as she looked around the market. It was nearly midday now, but it was still almost empty. She was the only one who wasn’t running a stall, and those who did have wares to sell were hardly paying attention to the world around them. It was a slow, lazy day, which felt entirely at odds with how Fluttershy would have imagined a black market to be. She decided to just make her way around to each of the open stalls, seeing as there were so few, and made her way to the nearest one. A strange creature was behind the counter filled with cloaks and hats. At first they had just looked like a pony, but it quickly became clear that wasn’t the case. Their body had no fur, no flesh. Rather, they seemed to have been woven together from thick, thorny vines and sturdy branches. The tangle of plants resembled a pony, yes, but in shape alone. Their features were all imagined, their shape arbitrary, and where they should have had eyes they had only empty pits that the vines had chosen not to occupy. They were rooted to the ground where they stood, and Fluttershy almost would have assumed them to be a sculpture if not for the slow, creaking movement of their head as they watched her approach. Fluttershy put on the best smile she could, although it was a little shaky. “Um, hello,” she said cautiously. She paused for a moment before going on. “Can you talk?” “I can.” Their mouth hadn’t moved. No part of them had, in fact. Their voice seemed like a part of the wind itself, a slight whistle in the breeze that just barely resembled speech. It was a wispy voice, where each sound carried on even as the next began, and the words seemed to linger in the air long after they had finished talking. “Oh!” Fluttershy’s eyes widened. “Wow, okay. Well, um, I’m Fluttershy. The Heiress, I guess?” “So I have heard,” the creature replied. “Those in town have taken to calling me Bramble, though if your desire is to emulate Lady Dracula, you may wish to forego names, as she does. It makes no difference to me.” Fluttershy tilted her head and listened carefully until the words had all vanished, long after Bramble had finished speaking. “Oh, well, I think Bramble sounds like a cute name,” she said with a smile. “So, um, what do you sell?” “I sell nothing,” Bramble said, “as I want for nothing. The clothing is a hobby, and free to take. This shop exists so that creatures can request that I pass along more sensitive information to others.” “Pass along?” “My roots run far,” Bramble told her. “Not many wish to enter the castle grounds, and fewer still deign to brave the world outside our walls. A messenger is needed.” “Oh, okay,” Fluttershy said. “That’s very nice of you. What kind of sensitive information could there be that needs to be so secret that someone has to come out here, though?” “That is not for you to know, Heiress.” “Oh.” Fluttershy stared blankly for a moment. “Alright… Um, well, while I’m here do you think you could deliver a message to Sable Spirit for me?” “Easily.” “Okay, tell her that, um…” Fluttershy bit her lip, trying hard to make a decision. When she finally spoke again, she did so quickly, so that she couldn’t take back the words. “Tell her I’d like Pinkie brought to the castle, please.” There was a pause. Bramble said nothing, simply staring at Fluttershy, and for a moment they almost looked like whatever life was animating them had left their body. Then they spoke back up. “Done. She said Pinkie should arrive by nightfall.” Fluttershy let out a sigh of relief. “Thank you!” She smiled brightly. It felt like an immense weight had been lifted from her shoulders. Bramble responded with a long, slow nod. “Well, it was very nice to meet you, Bramble,” Fluttershy said. “Will you just be here if I need you?” “My roots run far,” Bramble repeated. “I will be nearby.” “Alright,” Fluttershy said. “Well, um… Goodbye.” Bramble watched in silence as Fluttershy slowly, awkwardly turned and walked away. The next stall that wasn’t empty was run by someone who, as far as Fluttershy could tell, was just a normal pegasus mare. She had bright pink fur and a short red mane, and was lounging in a lawn chair reading a newspaper as Fluttershy walked up. Her counter was filled to bursting with gemstones of every kind, all loosely piles under a glass cover. “Hey,” she said idly, “what can I do for—Woah!” As soon as she caught sight of Fluttershy, she leapt out of the chair and held up the newspaper like a shield. “What are you bringin that thing around here for? Are you tryin to kill me?” Fluttershy was confused for a moment, until she remembered the bird nuzzled into her back. “Oh, he won’t hurt you,” she said softly. “He’s such a sweet little birdie, he couldn’t hurt a fly.” The mare slowly poked her head out from behind the newspaper, and when she saw that it was asleep she cautiously, quietly lowered it and sat back down. “Uh-huh…” “Um…” Fluttershy wanted to wait until she had the mare’s attention again, but she was focused completely on the bird. “Well, I’m Fluttershy, The Heiress. I—” The mare blinked and snapped her eyes back to Fluttershy. “Heiress? As in, like… Dracula’s Heiress?” Fluttershy nodded. “I know I may not seem like much, but—” “What?” The mare interrupted. “You’re carrying around a killer bird like it’s a cool beetle you found. What about that is supposed to make you seem like ‘not much?’” “Well, he’s really just a coincidence,” Fluttershy said. “Without him I’m really just a weak, awkward new vampire.” “Well, geez, you should hold onto him, then. Having that thing on your back will keep just about everyone off your case.” “But then how will I get better?” “That seems kinda redundant.” Fluttershy gave her a puzzled look, so she continued. “If you’re making yourself weak to learn how to not be weak, I think maybe you missed the point.” “Oh, hmm…” Fluttershy looked down in thought. “I guess that makes sense.” “Of course it does, I’m a genius,” the mare said. “Mm…” Fluttershy paused awkwardly, then decided to change the subject. “So, what are the gems for, uh…” She pursed her lips. “You never told me your name.” “Oh, yeah. I’m Fluttershy.” “Huh?” Fluttershy stepped back in shock. “Nah, I’m just kidding.” The mare laughed loudly. “The name’s Brisk Breeze. Folks call me Brisk.” “Oh.” Fluttershy chuckled quietly. “Well, it’s nice to meet you, Brisk. So, the gems?” “Oh, they’re mostly just gems,” Brisk said. “I’ve got a couple magic ones tossed in there, but I’ll only sell ‘em if you can tell which ones they are.” Fluttershy looked down into the case and studied the gems. As far as she could tell, there was nothing off about any of them. They were all just normal, cut stones. “I don’t see anything,” Fluttershy said. Brisk nodded. “See, it’s the kinda thing you’ve gotta study. It’s all about the color. Here.” She pulled out a couple gems and put them on the counter. One was a vibrant green, and the other was a clear blue. “So, this green one’s a regular emerald,” she said, “and the other one’s an enchanted emerald.” Fluttershy looked shocked. “But it looks nothing like an emerald!” “Wrong,” Brisk said, “it looks exactly like an emerald. It’s just the wrong color. Everything else, the way it reflects light, the way it’s cut, the size, the hardness, it’s all emerald. It’s easy to tell if it’s in a box of emeralds, sure, but that’s why I jumble them up.” “Huh.” Fluttershy was astonished. “What does it do?” “Nothing,” Brisk said. “They’re just good material to make magic stuff out of. They’re so full up on magic that they can’t hold any more, so it just pushes magic right through. A regular gem soaks up some of the magic and makes it weaker.” “Wow,” Fluttershy said. “I had no idea there was so much to it.” “It’s an art,” Brisk said. “I sure can’t do it. I just sell ‘em.” She laughed. “Here, why don’t you keep the emerald. A welcoming present.” Fluttershy smiled and picked up the magic stone. “Thank you,” she said brightly. Then she looked around and, slowly, started to get embarrassed. “I, um, don’t have anything to carry it in,” she said. Brisk laughed. “Bramble’s got bags. Just make sure you bring money next time so you can actually buy stuff.” “Oh, I will,” Fluttershy said. “Whenever I end up back here. I don’t really need gemstones.” “Come see us on the full moon,” Brisk said. “Everyone’s open then.” “That’s, uh…” Brisk laughed. “Hey, it’s tradition. Full moons are big nights around here. Cliche, sure, but that’s just how it is.” “Yeah, that makes sense,” Fluttershy said. She gave Brisk one last warm smile and a polite nod. “Well, it was very nice meeting you.” “Same to you, Heiress.” The rest of the market was much of the same. Fluttershy introduced herself to the few creatures in attendance, and they told her what they had to offer. She was constantly surprised by how tame everything seemed to be. Sure, a lot of it was dangerous, but the shopkeepers all seemed to know what they were handling, and they gave the impression that they trusted everyone in the town with whatever they were selling. They managed to make it all seem perfectly safe. Even more surprising than that, though, was just how light and friendly the atmosphere was. It really was just like the farmers’ markets she’d gone to with Applejack, where the ponies all knew each other, helped each other out, talked and generally just had a good time. She was finally starting to see Trotsylvania as a community rather than a place, and she couldn’t help but smile as, so far, it seemed every bit as warm and loving as Ponyville.