River decided to start with Pretty Penny first.
The decision was mostly one of convenience. While her servants had been able to return with plenty of gossip to supplement the supplies she’d sent them to retrieve upon arriving in Las Pegasus, the schedules of the ponies she’d decided to approach weren’t among the information they’d brought back. And going to their homes or places of business was absolutely out of the question; long years of politicking in her hometown had taught River that approaching someone else directly made it clear that you wanted something from them, which immediately put you at a disadvantage. Far better if she should simply “happen” to run into one of them while out on some unrelated bit of business.
Fortunately, she knew exactly where Pretty Penny was going to be tonight, thanks to today’s newspaper. While the cheating scandal in Gladmane’s casino had been the headline, there had been an article several pages in about the grand opening of a new hotel: the Galloway Bay Resort. Pretty Penny was apparently going to be there to officially open the hotel, which would also kick off a grand celebration; apparently the place had an artificial outdoor beach that its guests could enjoy, hence the “Bay” in the name. Even River had to admit (though only to herself) that making a beach on top of clouds was an impressive accomplishment, one worthy of a large party…just the sort of thing that a passerby could notice and be drawn in toward.
Of course, that still required a great deal of groundwork. First, she’d needed to prepare her ensemble for the meeting, one that was appropriate for where she’d be going while not making it look like she’d dressed specifically for the venue in question. That had been unexpectedly tricky, since a meeting at an elegant hotel required a totally different combination of clothes, accessories, and perfume than a beachside encounter. But River was quite pleased with how well she’d pulled everything together.
The first requirement had been dressing in light colors; being caught at the shore in something dark would make her look like a complete rube. Moreover, her outfit had to be from an airy material, since heavier fabrics were absolutely wrong for the beachside atmosphere. Fortunately it was still summer, which meant that a sundress – a lovely magenta one which complemented her hair – was entirely appropriate for eveningwear while out on the town, particularly since it was quite a bit warmer in Las Pegasus than it was in Vanhoover. Her jewelry would need to be kept to a minimum, since too much would create visual clutter that diminished her look. After some consideration, she went with a sterling silver necklace, since it was tastefully understated while being a perfect match for the white-gold studded earrings she’d picked out. A slight spray of hibiscus perfume completed her outfit, leaving her in an attire that would fit right in at any beach while still looking as though she was simply preparing for a night out in a warm city. It was perfect.
After that, she’d climbed into the carriage that her servants had rented, and prepared to set out. Like her outfit and her yacht, this particular mode of transportation had been given careful thought, though in this case River knew she had a bit more leeway. While her yacht and her clothes would be closely scrutinized for what they conveyed about her presence and social standing, her transportation around Las Pegasus would be given less attention. While walking (or flying, for pegasi) would have been hideously bourgeois, there was no particular stigma attached to simply renting a local vehicle, since doing so conveyed an insouciant nonchalance about how you went from one place to another. Of course, appearances still had to be kept up, but that was easy enough where a carriage was concerned; she’d simply paid a premium so that the tasteful dark blue model with tinted windows – pulled by no less than four strapping young pegasus stallions; fewer than that would have drawn comparisons to the common taxis that ordinary ponies used – would be set aside for her exclusive use for the next week, with an option to extend that period of time should her business keep her here longer.
By the time she’d entered her carriage and instructed the ponies pulling it to set off – deliberately having them take a circuitous course to her destination so that she could arrive fashionably late – it had already been nighttime. That was no coincidence, since Las Pegasus didn’t really come alive until after dark, hence why Pretty Penny’s celebration wouldn’t even start for another half-hour. But River was in no hurry; quite the opposite, she felt more confident than she had in some time, and amused herself by alternating between fantasizing about Lex’s reward of renewed youth and glancing out the carriage’s front window at the tight backsides of the stallions chauffeuring her.
And then she was there.
Fighting down the urge to grin wolfishly, River waited for one of the ponies pulling her carriage to open the door before stepping out, tossing her mane over her shoulder with practiced ease.
It was time to go to work.
“Well well well…I thought opening a beach resort in the clouds meant that there wouldn’t be any washed-up flotsam from Vanhoover here.”
Feigning surprise as the voice she’d been listening for finally made itself known, River turned around. “So the old saying’s true after all,” she drawled, letting her expression shift into a smirk. “Las Pegasus is a town where bad pennies really do keep turning up.”
Pretty Penny – a unicorn with a sepia coat, copper-colored mane and tail, and cutie mark of a pony sleeping in a bed – raised an eyebrow at the remark, giving her a penetrating look. Wordlessly, River matched her expression, staring right back at her, silently counting down. Three…two…one…
As if on cue, Penny broke into laughter, and River did the same. Stepping forward, the two of them planted kisses on each other’s cheeks. “River, sweetheart, it’s wonderful to see you again! And you look absolutely divine!” Penny gushed, making a show of looking over River’s outfit. “I had thought that after that rough patch you hit before, it would be ages before we’d have a chance to catch up!” She adopted a coy look then. “Did you come all the way back here because you heard about my latest undertaking and simply had to see it for yourself?”
River smiled, making a playful swat in Penny’s direction. “Actually, I’m here on business, but I have to say that this is quite the spectacle you’ve made here! I had no idea that a saltwater swimming pool with sand at the edges would be such a huge attraction!” Mentally snickering as she saw Penny’s smile diminish a fraction of an inch at the reductive comment, River turned toward the stallion she’d been talking to when the other mare had approached them. “Would you excuse me for a moment? Penny and I have a lot to catch up on.”
Not giving him a chance to answer – River had been talking to the fellow for almost fifteen minutes, waiting for Penny to notice her, and had been on the verge of falling asleep from boredom; the stallion, whose name she’d already forgotten, had been a film producer who apparently thought that deliberately filming actors at the wrong speed would somehow make his movies more dramatic, as if that “slow motion” nonsense he’d been talking about would be the next big thing; it had been like listening to one of Mounte’s harebrained schemes all over again – River turned and moved so she was alongside Penny. “I’m glad I ran into you, I felt terrible about having to leave so abruptly before. I was just so worried about what had happened to Vanhoover that I couldn’t bear to stay away any longer.”
“Yes, I’d heard your little town had some sort of awful weather trouble,” cooed Penny sympathetically, as though Vanhoover’s flooding hadn’t already become common knowledge. “What was it, something about the weather ponies scheduling too much rain at once?”
“It was a little more serious than that,” replied River, immediately affecting a somber visage. “A lot of ponies lost everything. Some haven’t been found yet.” That was a massive understatement, River knew, but it was a necessary one. Unlike Vanhoover and several other cities, Las Pegasus hadn’t been touched by the Elemental Bleeds, allowing life here to go on as usual. And even if that hadn’t been true, the full scope of what had happened in Vanhoover was something that had to be seen to be believed. River knew because she had seen it and had still struggled to come to grips with it, to say nothing of the pony who had laid claim to the place…
Her eyes widening a little, Penny cocked her head. “I had no idea! But I’m sure Vanhoover’s in good hooves. After all, it has you, as well as those dedicated ponies from, oh what were they called…the McNicker and Hoofington families?”
“McNeighs and Hoofingfords,” corrected River. Outwardly her tone was gentle, but inwardly she was cheering. She’d deliberately dropped the tidbit about being here on business to whet Penny’s appetite, and the other mare hadn’t missed it, which was why she was asking about Vanhoover’s other two families of renown now. “I’m afraid nopony’s heard from them for some time now. I’ve been trying my best to keep everything together but…I’m afraid that Mounte…my sweet, darling Mounte…” She turned away from Penny then, giving a shuddering breath as she murmured an apology, grabbing a nearby napkin to dab at her eyes.
“You poor dear!” Penny gushed, gently guiding her over to a less-crowded section of the beach and helping her into a folding chair. “I had no idea you’d been through such a harrowing ordeal! And to be out and about so soon after such a thing…”
“I have to,” sniffled River, making what she decided was a truly impressive show of trying to retain her composure. “I have to be strong now, not just for the ponies back home, but for my little boy. It’s just…it’s just so hard sometimes…” Spying a waiter carrying a tray of drinks, she gestured at him, taking a sip of the proffered glass a moment later. I should find out who did the catering for this event, she decided as she pretended to hold back a sob. This is chilled to perfection. “I’m sorry,” she sighed as she put the glass down. “You’re throwing a party to celebrate this achievement of yours and here I am going all to pieces on you.”
“Oh no, not at all!” answered Penny, a fraction of a second too quickly for her to conceal her interest. River could almost hear the gears turning in the other mare’s head: if Vanhoover’s power structure was gone, with the McNeighs and Hoofingfords being unaccounted for and she herself on the edge of a breakdown, then there would have to be a lot of real estate whose owners were no longer around. Real estate that could be turned into hotels. “I’m glad you confided in me, truly.”
I bet you are, laughed River inwardly. Now for the finishing touch. “You’re sweet for saying so, but I should go.”
“Are you sure?” asked Penny as River climbed to her hooves. “I’ve already given my speech and cut the ribbon, so if you wanted to stay here and talk it wouldn’t be any problem.”
“Oh, that’s sweet of you,” smiled River. “But honestly, I don’t know if I could say anymore right now. It’s all so overwhelming.” Blinking her eyes as though trying to fight back tears, she made her way back toward the entrance, Penny matching her step for step. “I think a show is just what I need right now, to take my mind off things.”
Penny blinked as well, then. But for entirely different reasons. “A show?”
“At the Palace of Prance,” nodded River. “Plus, it’ll give me a chance to apologize to Razzle Dazzle. I didn’t say goodbye to her when I left either.”
“Of…of course.” Penny wasn’t able to fully hide her dismay at the thought that somepony else – particularly somepony she was feuding with – might possibly find out about the unexpected opportunity that had just presented itself, but she rallied quickly. “Well, we absolutely must get together again before you head back home! I simply can’t bear the thought of you shouldering all of this on your own! You just enjoy your show and don’t spare another thought for what you’ve been through, and I’ll make plans for us to have dinner tomorrow night! In fact, where are you staying while you’re here?”
“Oh, I hadn’t made any arrangements,” confessed River. “I was just going to camp out on my spare yacht-”
“No, you’re not,” interrupted Penny. “You’re staying right here, at the Galloway Bay Resort. I won’t have you roughing it like that on top of everything else you’ve been through.”
“But-”
“Ah ah ah! I insist!” stated Penny firmly. “I’ll make the arrangements right now, and send word to your staff that you’re staying in the luxury penthouse. Gratis, of course. You go enjoy the Palace, and when you’re done come right back here and let my concierge handle the rest.”
“Thank you, Penny.” This time River’s smile was genuine, even as the words that came out of her mouth next were all lies.
“I'm glad I have a friend like you.”