//------------------------------// // Chapter 13 // Story: Fine Print // by Starscribe //------------------------------// Tracy didn’t go back to the house. He was certain he passed it after another few minutes of wandering, or at least the only other house he could find with a big screen TV downstairs. Few enough of the locals even had electric lights visible outside, let alone anything so modern. He nearly went right back inside to lock himself in and get some rest. But then the light of the sun caught something in the distance, the thing he guessed Lily meant when she spoke of a castle. It towered over any of the other structures, even with considerable distance between itself and the thatch-roofed houses. He stumbled towards it, ignoring the other ponies on the street around him. Even his nudity faded to the back of his mind as he stared at a building that defied easy understanding. Since coming to San Jose, Tracy had seen plenty of skyscrapers. They were cool in some ways, but nothing like this. For a few seconds, his eyes refused to accept what they were seeing. A skyscraper built entirely of glass, with no visible beams to support the weight. Like driving through Vegas and passing the Luxor, except he could see most of the way through the inside. There was a stairwell in there, and a few faintly pony-shaped objects moving up and down. No supports, though. Bloody hell. Tracy reached a sign outside the entrance a few moments later. “Castle of Princess Twilight Sparkle,” it proclaimed. “And Public Library. Open to all.” I might never step out onto this side again. If I didn’t check this place out, I’d regret it for the rest of my life. If only Rose had taken him here, maybe he wouldn’t feel so betrayed. There was a small crowd of ponies moving in and out, in the usual insane array of colors and patterns he was used to. Most were shorter than he was, though a couple of the wingless ones were built solidly enough that even he had to look up.  A single pair of figures stood guard outside, and here the expression appeared literal. They wore golden armor in a pseudo-medieval style, though they didn’t seem to have any weapons or other practical tools. So, you’re an even sillier version of the Queen’s Guard? He fell into line at the back of the little crowd, watching as he made his way inside. At least until he realized all that he was seeing from the back, and he decided to watch his hooves instead. “Welcome to the castle,” said one of the guards, as he approached the doorway. “Please be respectful during your visit, the princess may be in attendance.” “What princess?” he asked, a fraction of a second before tiredly realizing that he probably shouldn’t be showing off how ignorant he was in front of everyone. The guard’s eyes widened inside his silly helmet, though he sounded more exasperated than afraid. “Princess… Twilight? You know, since… this is Ponyville and all? Tourists…” He hurried through the open doorway, before he could lose his nerve and flee right in front of them. This place has been a few blocks down the road for weeks and I never even saw it. More wonders waited inside—a spectacular mosaic under his hooves, depicting a horse with wings and a horn, floating in a position of deific repose. Crystal steps rose up a narrow trunk in this impossibly tree-shaped building. He was powerless to go anywhere but up, letting the crowd draw him along. Each step twisted the bitterness in his gut. He’d seen the silhouette of this building in the distance, it was right there. Yet his roommate hadn’t even mentioned it. All she wanted to do was trick him into… something. I can’t run away from her. She’s still going to be waiting at home when I get back. He let that fade, catching up with the back of the group. He could blend into the crowd for a bit, take in the details of this castle belonging to a princess of an alien world. He followed them through a throne-room with six stone chairs, and a huge table covered with a cloth that seemed to glow from underneath. He overheard confusing mutterings from the ones he followed, saying strange things about the ‘Elements of Harmony’ and all the things the ‘Cutie Map’ had led them to do for Equestria. At long last they came to the single reason he’d even bothered with the building: the library. Most of the tourists continued without more than a glance inside, but Tracy dodged past them, into a vaulted space with balconies along the walls and little reading nooks lit by glowing purple rocks. “Can I help you with something?” a voice asked. He almost missed them, until he saw the one speaking was half his height. A… lizard? Probably not just that, most lizards didn’t have wings. Dragon then? But are you badass, or adorable? His teeth sure looked sharp, so maybe the former. “I’m just… Wait, maybe you can. Do you have any books here about Discord?” “Magical history or current events?” the dragon asked, not skipping a beat. “Twilight keeps a collection of both. Always seemed silly to me—Discord’s around all the time. But I guess they’re for other ponies who visit.” “Current events?” he said uncertainly. “I mean, historical might help too. I’m really just…” He glanced around the library, searching for other patrons. There were maybe half a dozen other figures in here, less than a single tour group. He lowered his voice anyway. “I, uh… know someone he tricked into a contract. I’m trying to help them get out of it.” “With books?” The dragon winced. “Tell your friend good luck, but don’t try. Their only hope is to try and be his friend too, or… really just keep their head down and wait for him to lose interest.” Dragons seemed able to recognize pony facial expressions, because he reached up, patting Tracy’s shoulder sympathetically. “Don’t worry too much, uh… whoever you are.” “Tracy” he answered reflexively. “Maybe I didn’t want to think about it too much, but… yeah. It’s me.” “Spike,” the dragon continued. “Don’t worry, Tracy. Discord might seem scary, but he’s not the same creature you’ll read about in our old books. He’s reformed. The princesses wouldn’t let him do anything too damaging towards Equestria. Whatever he tricked you into doing, it probably won’t be as bad as you’re thinking.”   Tracy nodded weakly—not so much because he believed Spike, but because it seemed like the thing to do. The more aliens he met, the harder it was going to be to hide. “Do you still want those books? They probably won’t help much, but… you could always make an appointment with the princess. Unless you’re… not from Ponyville. If you’re visiting, you should talk to whatever princess oversees your city.” “I live down the road,” he said, pointing with one wing in the direction he guessed led towards his house. “But that sounds complicated. I’m sure she doesn’t want to be bothered. If it’s anything like seeing the president, it’s probably getting my hopes up over nothing.” “No way!” Spike stood up straighter, puffing out his chest. “I might just be helping around the library, but while Twilight’s in town I’m her number one assistant! I manage her whole calendar, actually! Getting you in would be easy!” He bent down, removing something from the satchel he’d been wearing. A… scroll? “Just tell me when you want me to pencil you in. Looks like the princess has an opening… next Tuesday. You said your name was… Tracy?” Tracy spread his wings reflexively, backing away. “Hold on a second. I’m not… I’m not asking for an appointment. I’ll need to think about this a little more before deciding on anything like that. I just wanted to do a little reading, that’s all.” “Oh.” Spike put the pen down, looking disappointed. “If you’re sure. Not everypony gets help from Twilight’s personal assistant. You might want to reconsider while you have the chance.” He was tempted. Speaking to a local authority might be a way to escape this prison months earlier than he’d hoped. But there might be something in the contract he’d missed about arbitrations… he should really look at that before bringing anything in, or else invite some even worse punishment just for pissing the demon off. “I’ll wait,” he said flatly. “I don’t know when I’ll be back in town, anyway. I’m sure the princess is really busy; I wouldn’t want to bother her.” “Sure, but… didn’t you just say you lived here?” He was already backing away. Tracy’s ears flattened, and his wings folded back at his sides. “I do, but I only leave my house on the other side, not in town. It’s… complicated, I wouldn’t want to bother anyone about it. But thanks for listening!” Tracy didn’t wait around to make even more of a fool of himself but turned and strode off as quickly as he dared without running. He reached the stairs back down without more guards rushing to arrest him, and soon enough Tracy was back out on the street. Outside, the sun suggested it was about noon, though his brain still told him it was the middle of the night. He swayed on his hooves, fighting back tiredness enough to keep himself from collapsing. He really should get back—he probably wouldn’t be coming back out here again. The door wasn’t locked when he reached it—maybe he should’ve been worried about his console and gaming setup being stolen. But if Rose was any guide, none of the locals would even recognize his gaming console for what it was, let alone try to steal it. He walked to Roseluck’s binder, then flipped it open. He was immediately assaulted with more red ink. The title proclaimed this to be the accounting for “Flower Sisters’” along with licensing and permit information for a stand. I already knew they worked together. From what he saw on the next few pages, it looked like Rose was trying to put together the numbers for her company, probably to pay off the increasingly expensive loans running up an entire side of the page. You’re worse off than I am, Rose. At least I only had no money. You’ve got debts big enough to drown in. The front door slammed closed. Rose stood in the doorway, her eyes wide and swollen. She stared at Tracy and the accounting. Maybe she would start screaming again, the way she’d done when he first walked in? “Go on then,” she said, voice bitter. “This is where you gloat about your victory, isn’t it? Equestria’s defenders don’t think you’re a threat, and you finally find out about my flower stand. I could even preview a few for you. How about ‘you’ll be destitute when Equestria is finally mine.’ Or… maybe something about how we won’t even have flowers to eat once you’re ruling the kingdom. Go on, I’m waiting.”