//------------------------------// // Chapter 16: Food and Famine // Story: How to be Happy // by Leafdoggy //------------------------------// Midnight ran her tongue across her fangs to clean them as she pushed away an empty plate. She leaned forward on the table and looked hard into Pinkamena’s eyes. “So, you’ve never been to Ponyville before?” The restaurant they’d found themselves in, The Knife’s Edge, seemed on the surface to be an entirely ordinary, if somewhat high-class, place to eat. It was dark inside, sure, but every table had candles lit, and there was at least enough light for the servers to maneuver. The menu, too, looked completely normal, leaving Pinkamena to wonder what a place like this was doing underground.  They’d stepped in for a quick dessert and decided to split a fruitcake. Midnight had devoured hers, cleaning her plate before Pinkamena had taken hardly a bite. This left Pinkamena blushing as she tried to eat with Midnight’s full attention bearing down on her. “Actually, I lived in Ponyville most of my life,” Pinkamena told her, “I just didn’t know about this part of it.” “Sounds like you were pretty sheltered. Do I need to take things easy on you?” Pinkamena huffed quietly and turned her eyes away. “No. I can handle anything.” “I thought so.” Midnight reached across the table and ran a hoof along one of the dark stripes adorning Pinkamena’s legs. “You don’t seem like that kind of pony.” Pinkamena’s blush worsened. “U-Um, Midnight, there’s… There’s something I should clear up.” She raised an eyebrow. “Hm?” “I kind of, um, have a girlfriend,” Pinkamena said, her voice getting weaker with every word. A frown crossed Midnight’s face for just long enough for her to notice it before it was hidden away again. Pinkamena hated herself for not speaking up sooner. “I-I think it’s an open relationship!” She stuttered, trying to salvage the situation. “I mean, I know it definitely is for her, she just hasn’t actually said that I could…” She trailed off into meaningless mumbles. “Doesn’t sound very fair if it’s only open for one of you.” There was a clear layer of unspoken judgment in Midnight’s voice, though not directed at Pinkamena. “I mean, I wouldn’t expect her to say no,” Pinkamena told her. “I just… I need to hear her say yes, you know?” She smirked. “Yeah, I get you. Just ask her before I leave town, yeah? I’m not gonna wait around for you.” Pinkamena nodded. “Yeah, of course.” She smiled slightly at Midnight, then on a whim pushed the rest of her cake over. “Do you want the rest?” Her eyes shot down to the cake. “You sure?” She was holding back, but it was clear the offer had piqued her interest. Pinkamena giggled. “Mm-hm. I eat plenty of sweets already.” As Midnight grabbed the dessert with a wing and took a bite from it, Pinkamena reached up to her head, then frowned when she felt her flat mane. “Uh-oh.” Midnight raised an eyebrow, not speaking since her mouth was full. “I forgot my money.” Pinkamena started looking worried. “I used to keep it in my mane, but now it’s all flat and I forgot to get a bag so I—” Midnight stood up, still holding the cake, and tilted her head. “C’mon.” Pinkamena looked at her blankly. “What?” Midnight pulled her up out of her seat and started to corral her towards the exit. “Just c’mon.” “But what about—” She hushed Pinkamena with a wingtip. Once they were safely outside, she pulled her wing back and laughed. “You worry too much.” “But…” Pinkamena glanced back inside, then looked back at midnight. “We didn’t pay.” “Correct.” She took another bite. “If we don’t pay, then—” Pinkamena’s heart started to race as it finally started to settle in. She lowered her voice to a whisper. “Midnight, are we—” “Mm-hm.” Calmly, Midnight wrapped a wing around Pinkamena’s back and started to lead her down the street. “I figured a sheltered pony like you wouldn’t have done that before.” “I’m not sheltered!” “Uh-huh.” She chuckled. “How’d it feel, though?” “Huh?” “Are you excited?” “I—” Pinkamena again noticed her thumping heart, the pounding in her ears, the dizzying rush of adrenaline. “I don’t know,” she said. “I guess?” Midnight rolled her eyes. “Alright, well, next time don’t get so in your head. Try to, you know, have fun.” “Next time?” “Look, just don’t let it slip that I’m the one who showed you guys down here, alright?” Rainbow Dash looked unusually serious as she rode the rickety elevator with Fluttershy and Pinkie. “Everypony already thinks I’m too reckless, if they start thinking I brought you two down here for a party or something I’ll never hear the end of it.” “I really don’t understand the secrecy,” Fluttershy said. Beside them, the wall opened up and the town came into view. “I mean, we live next to Dracula.” “Yeah, and I bet Dracula doesn’t invite you to super-dangerous magic duels.” “Nah, Fluttershy put those on hold,” Pinkie told her. “She wants Starlight to write up some safety regulations, so until she gets back they’re—Oh.” Pinkie chuckled. “Yeah, okay, I get your point.” “I’m not the weak little pony I used to be,” Fluttershy said. “Even if I wouldn’t ever come down here, I’m more than capable of handling being told that it exists.” “I get that,” Rainbow Dash told her, “and yeah, we probably should have told you sooner. It’s just hard, cuz like… Not everypony knows you like we do! None of us wanted to look like we were putting you in danger.” Fluttershy sighed. “I understand the sentiment, but please, don’t hide things like this from us. It’s…” Fluttershy shook her head. “Please, just don’t, okay?” “Yeah, okay,” Rainbow Dash said. “I’m sorry.” There was a beat of silence. Pinkie and Fluttershy took the chance to look out over the town, to take it all in and realize the magnitude of what they were stepping into. “How are we supposed to find her?” Pinkie asked. Rainbow Dash shrugged. “Uhh, who would you go to if you wanted somepony to take you to a secret dangerous party town?” “Vinyl Scratch.” “The casino, then,” Rainbow Dash said. She pointed out at a ridiculously shaped building that was covered in flashing lights. It was like a huge, triangular wedge, each subsequent floor getting smaller and smaller, with a roof made entirely of glass. “She’s big into blackjack.” “Ooh, I love blackjack!” Pinkie grinned and dug around in her mane for a sack of bits. She leaned over towards the others conspiratorially and whispered, “nopony thinks I’m smart enough to count cards.” “Pinkie!” Fluttershy frowned disapprovingly. “That’s cheating.” “That’s why I don’t play anymore,” Pinkie said as she hid the money away again. “I started to feel bad.’ Rainbow Dash cleared her throat. “Look, if you two don’t need anything else, I kinda wanna bail before we hit the ground. Like I said, my image and all.” “Go ahead, Rainbow Dash,” Fluttershy said. “Thank you for coming to me with this.” “Bye, Dashie!” Pinkie added cheerily. “No problem,” Rainbow Dash said. Then she stepped out into the abyss and spread out her wings to glide away. The elevator hit the ground with a hollow clunk. It shook, nearly threw its passengers out onto the cold rocks. Fluttershy hopped out first and held out a wing to help Pinkie out, although the gesture was entirely unnecessary as the drop could hardly even be called a step. Still, Pinkie took it. Cranks and gears ground together and started to drag the metal box away from them. They looked away from it, down the busy, unfamiliar street. Watched all the ponies stumbling through the shadows, intoxicated, bruised, suspicious. This was nothing like the Ponyville they knew. This was nothing like their new hometown. This was a place entirely its own. “So…” Fluttershy broke the silence uneasily. “The casino, then?” “I guess.” They were watched as they walked. New faces examined new faces, wondering who these ponies unknown to the depths were. The ponies the couple did know regarded them with shocked, unbelieving gazes. The feeling of being watched was constant, and oppressive. They didn’t dare talk, lest they draw more attention their way. They huddled together, hid away at the edge of the street as they made their way straight to the glass wedge. It was a short walk, but it was far too long. The noise that welcomed them as they walked in through the cloudy glass doors was a relief more than anything. Ponies talking, machines chiming, any number of distractions existed here to keep eyes off of them. Ponies outside had nothing better to look at; in here, you had a reason for sitting wherever you sat. The inside of the building was incredibly posh. None of the stone that made up the bulk of the building was visible, covered neatly by slats of boards that made the spacious building feel almost cozy. Even just the front room they stood in, which existed purely to have a reception desk and give ponies a comfortable place to sit for a few minutes, was decked out enough to give Rarity a run for her money. Velvet lounges lined the walls, a fire crackled in the clean brick fireplace that took up a large amount of one wall. The walls were lined with artworks, either commissioned or purchased, which were all paired with little plaques denoting the artists’ names. Even the baseboards had designs painstakingly carved into them. They walked up to the desk, and the statuesque pony behind it. The stallion was tall, noble, and entirely professional. He smiled warmly as they approached. “Welcome,” he said, “to The Fold.” He dragged his words out just long enough to make it seem intentional. “How may I assist you?” Fluttershy smiled politely. “We were looking for the blackjack tables. Where would we find them?” He looked the pair over slowly, as if assessing their worth, before nodding and pointing to an elevator. “Tables are on floor three. I wish you both luck.” Pinkie giggled. “Thanks!” She skipped her way over to the elevator, and Fluttershy trotted along at her own pace. The hotel’s elevator was far more comfortable than the one they rode down earlier. The floor was carpeted, the walls were thick and protective, and a mirror on the back wall made it look far more spacious than it was. The ride was a welcome moment of respite, and they wound up staying silent for the entire trip. There was a ding, and the elevator doors slid open. The third floor was small, only able to hold a dozen or so tables hosting various games, and not a single table was empty. They stepped cautiously into this new world and ventured into the fray. It wasn’t hard to find the telltale blue mane and white fur they were looking for. She was grumpier, and louder, than anypony else in the room. They walked up just as she threw some bits down onto the table. “Dear,” they heard Octavia saying, “perhaps you should take a break? You’re on quite the losing streak.” “I can afford it,” Vinyl Scratch replied, “and I ain’t gonna—” She stopped short and took her glasses off in shock. “What in Equestria…” “Hi, Vinyl!” Pinkie greeted her like any other day. “Hey, Octavia!” “Hello, Pinkie,” Octavia replied, “and you too, Fluttershy.” Fluttershy nodded politely and smiled. “Yeah…” Vinyl Scratch shook her head and put her glasses back in their rightful place. “Who the heck brought you down here?” “D—” Pinkie started, then cut herself off. “Uhhh, we… Found it. On our own.” Fluttershy sighed. “Vinyl Scratch, I hate to be impatient, but… Well, I’m worried about Pinkamena. I don’t suppose you’ve seen her?” “Yeah, she tagged along with us. Ain’t here, though.” “She made a friend,” Octavia explained, “and they went off to see the sights together.” “And you just let her?” Fluttershy asked. “I ain’t her mom.” “But… But she’s vulnerable,” Fluttershy said. “What if she gets hurt? What if this other pony hurts her?” Vinyl Scratch looked sideways at Fluttershy. “What should I have done? Lectured her about talking to strangers? She’s an adult, Shy.” “This place is dangerous, though,” Fluttershy protested. “If you brought her down here, you should have taken care of her, should have—” She was interrupted by a tap on the shoulder and turned to see Pinkie, ears drooping and mouth etched into a frown. “Fluttershy, don’t you trust us?” “What?” Fluttershy sank, her momentum lost. “Of course I trust you, Pinkie. Why would you think otherwise?” “She’s a grown-up. You can’t…” Pinkie sighed and shook her head. “Vinyl, was she okay? Did she seem happy?” “Sure looked happy to me,” Vinyl Scratch told her. “A bit out of her depth, maybe, but she was havin fun with it.” Pinkie looked back to Fluttershy. “Isn’t that enough?” “I just don’t want her to get hurt,” Fluttershy said. “Nopony wants anypony to get hurt,” Pinkie said. “I’m not gonna treat her like a little kid cuz of it.” “That’s not fair,” Fluttershy said. “You know you got self-destructive when you were upset.” “I know I was getting better. I know I haven’t done something to seriously hurt myself in years.” “Come on, Pinkie, you must—” Pinkie didn’t listen, and instead started walking towards the elevator. “I’m going home.” “But Pinkie—” “I’ll get Dashie to walk me home,” Pinkie said without looking back, “so you don’t have to worry.”