//------------------------------// // Subject 78: One Life Ends Another Begins // Story: Interviews With Equestrians // by Jmaster49 //------------------------------// That Night In Canterlot Dungeon… “So you really brought out the worst in him, did you?” Neighsay asked the pony in the cell across from him. “How...motivational.” That pony was Svengallop. The two had taken to conversation between each other while they were sentenced down there. “Exactly. I recommend torturing somepony else in front of him. That way, he’ll go berserk, and try to explode on you. That’s when you can prove to the public that his mental state is not worthy of the position of an officer. Then he’ll lose his job and be utterly shamed by the public until he has to abandon them all.” “...How interesting…” Unfortunately for them, their discussion would be cut short by a small magical spell that seeped in through the walls of the dungeons. A waft of purple magic essence. As it passed their faces, the music would put them in a state of hypnosis in which their eyes were filled with a rainbow of revolving colors. They could no longer see, move or think for themselves. A unicorn guard entered the room. As it turned out, they were the one who activated the spell to begin with. Everyone in the dungeon cell block was caught in the effects of the spell. Neighsay and Svengallop included. The guard checked their surroundings to make sure they weren’t followed. Then, they opened Svengallop’s cell door, and used their magic to teleport them out. Right on time. She had accomplished the exact favor I asked of her. Vinyl removed the Royal Guard helmet, and shook her head to release the sweat from her mane. “Brrrr! I have no idea how anypony manages to do this. Especially not as a job. But here he is, bud. Whatcha gonna do with him?” I looked at the earth pony whose eyes were alight with hypnotic colors. He was still under the affects of her spell it seemed. “Undo it.” With a flash of her horn, Vinyl allowed Svengallop to return to normal. “What the--?! You!” CRACK! The last thing he would see was my hoof as it reached for his neck and face as I dislocated every bone in his head. This stallion’s life was officially over. “...Take him back to his cell. That way everyone can see just how much of a fool he is and he can have a proper sendoff. I’m thinking cremation. His body doesn’t even deserve to occupy a grave that someone more willing could take. And his soul can wander endlessly until...well, the rest is out of my hooves. Unless some reality breaker decides to steal his soul, that is. But not even Discord would touch that.” Vinyl looked at the stallion’s limp body with a painful wince. “Yeeeouch. But I ain’t got no sympathy for his sorry flank. You’re the boss.” “You hated him too?” I asked. She hoisted the body with her magic. “Damn right. If there’s one thing I hate in this world, it’s managers who manipulate and treat others like shit for their own benefit. That’s why DJ-PON-3 never had a manager. But his bullshit ends today,” she flashed me a smile. “Gonna take him back and head home. You should do the same bud. You look tired as heck.” I couldn’t help but chuckle at the fact that I could see eye bags from underneath those shades of hers. “Hey, you too, alright? Don’t make your musical friend scared for your safety.” “Yeah, yeah. Got it…” she let out a laugh as well just before she disappeared with a flash of teleportation magic. I hoped that Neighsay could see the body when he was left behind in that cell, too. He was surely next. It was finally over. I went back home to Ponyville that night and rested soundly. The next morning was a peaceful one for a change. Things were...calm in Ponyville. I looked outside of my bedroom window towards Cozy Glow’s house. There, I saw Cozy Glow speak with Diamond Tiara right outside on her front lawn. It filled my heart with joy to know that she could speak with somepony her age and enjoy herself. I sighed and got out of bed for a cup of morning tea. Everything was business as usual until I heard a knock at my front door. “Hm? Who could that be?” I trotted over to open it, only to find my sweetheart of a teacher mare on the other side. “Pale!” she cried out and threw her hooves around me in a tight hug. “I heard about what happened. I’m so glad you’re okay…” she even upped the ante with a bunch of kisses peppered against my cheek. A blush tinged my cheeks. I almost had to lift her off of me to get her to stop. It was a very adorable display of affection that I nearly reciprocated. But I wasn’t in the mood for a lot of...hot and heavy movement given my injuries. “Come on, come on. You know I’m far more durable than I look, Cheery.” “Oh, well. Yes, of course. I was just trying to make sure that you were still...you, you know. Eheheh…” she rubbed the back of her head as she let out a nervous giggle. It made my heart sing to hear her angelic voice once more. “And you did an amazing job from what I heard. I’m super proud of you, you know.” That...made my heart sink a bit. As I said before, being applauded for my work was something I never really enjoyed. I wasn’t some storybook hero. “...Thanks,” I replied with a saddened exhale as I closed the door. “Do you want some tea? I just finished brewing some…” Cheerilee instantly knew there was something wrong with me, and took a seat on my couch. “Come now. Talk to me, Pale,” she patted the seat next to her, “You can tell me anything.” I suppose it couldn’t hurt to explain my issue. But part of me felt that it wouldn’t help very much. Oh well. I sat down next to her, and started to explain myself. “...I...I don’t feel good about what I did. In fact, my job as a whole often brings me down in certain ways. To fight, to kill. It’s...not something that I enjoy. But I do it because it must be done,” I went on as I put my hooves against my cheeks while I slumped over. “...I see. And why do you feel that way, Pale? Why do you feel as if you have to do it?” she asked. “Because…” I was hesitant, but I sat upright to give her a proper answer. “Because I believe that everypony in this world needs an example to follow. Someone who can give them a ray of hope, to show them that they should not be afraid to stand up for whatever they feel is just in the world. As things are, everyone is too afraid, fearful of backlash should they voice their opinions. But I...intend to change that through my actions.” Cheerilee nodded. “Alright. That’s good. But you have to understand that ponies who look up to you will give you those compliments because they genuinely appreciate what you do,” she looked aside. “I don’t think there’s a single creature on this planet who wants there to be constant fighting and the occasional death. But...sadly, sometimes things aren’t as simple as what you make them out to be. There will be times where you come upon those situations that require you to end the life of another. And in ending that life, you’ll save the lives of hundreds of others. Your work is something to be cherished, as a result.” Her words had validity. But I still wasn’t fully convinced. A part of me still resented having to resort to such a level of...primeval tactics. “Cheerilee...my hooves are stained red with blood. All my life, I’ve known nothing but violence. That to kill and walk all over the bodies of others was the only way to survive…” I leaned back on the couch, and looked up at the ceiling. “Can I...do I truly deserve to be celebrated when I acted the same way I did back then?” She shut her eyes. “I’m afraid that’s a question you’re going to have to ask yourself, dear. Are you going to be busy worrying about what others think of your actions? Or are you going to do what you said you intend to do: Provide the example that others should follow?” Leave it to the teacher to provide words of wisdom. She was right. As much as I disliked being put on a pedestal for my actions, I had to accept the fact that it was inevitable in some cases. Just as well, I did kill when necessary. But only as a last resort. I refused to allow myself to be consumed by the idea of taking a life. That is a matter of discipline, and knowing how to control oneself. Okay. I felt a little bit better, to be quite honest. I realized that I shouldn’t get into a slump now, and start moping about. After all, today was something good, something positive happened. Cozy was making another friend and I had my wife--er...marefriend? Lover? Forget all of that. Cheerilee was next to me, and supporting me. Something I never had throughout my entire life until now. It was a refreshing feeling to be quite honest. Oh yeah, that reminded me. “Uh, Cheerilee?” “Hm?” “When it comes to Tree Hugger...do you mind that she seems to be interested in me? I mean, it’s not romantic or anything, but she seems somewhat close to me. Is that a problem?” She giggled. “Ohohoho. Not at all. To be quite honest, Tree Hugger isn’t very interested in marriage or finding a special somepony. But she feels...awkward around others. I figured that, maybe if you were able to...show her a good time, it could help her avoid feeling lonely. Would you be up for that?” she asked with a tilt of her head with a concerned expression. Was Cheerilee really asking me to get involved in a non-romantic trio between herself and Tree Hugger? Given the green mare’s mental state, I was in no position to refuse. After all, I saw her as a good friend, and only had deep feelings for Cheerilee. Having a friend with...advantages in Tree Hugger wouldn’t be a problem for me. “Sure,” I replied with a smile, “she can help me relax when you’re busy, heh.” The purple mare playfully pushed me down onto the couch. “Oh stop it you. You know I’m the only one who makes your heart cry out with glee!” I chuckled. “Eheheh. Do I sense a bit of a rivalry between you and Tree Hugger?” “Competition is healthy, isn’t it?” she retorted with a smirk as she put her hooves on my abdomen, “with her at my side, I’ll be working twice as hard to make sure you smile every night before you sleep!” That was an adorable, yet scary sentiment. Just how far was she willing to go to prove just how much she loved me? Cheerilee was certainly a tough one to deal with. “I suppose I will hold you that challenge, hun.” “Ohohoho, you…” she was about to lean forward to huddle up to me, but then I heard a knock at my door. “Hm?” “Well who could that be?” I wondered aloud. I got off the couch, and opened the door to see who it was. “Hello?” To my surprise, it was the former princess Luna of all ponies. “Ah. Good. Thou are here. I’d like to request your...services, Sir Pale. There’s...something going on that I would like investigated.” That was a shock. But I guess it made sense since my crew and I all more or less handled situations that required a bit of secrecy to maintain. You couldn’t exactly get anywhere by blasting friendship lasers all over the place if you wanted to be covert. Regardless, I was ready and able. “What’s the situation?” “Well, as you know: Nightmare Night is approaching. Yet there seems to be reports of odd spooky encounters among the populace that have occurred during the day as well. Which is very odd if you ask me. To be exact, everyone seems to be reporting a weird foggy substance that appears before something strange happens. It might just be me losing my mind over a Nightmare Night prank. But I would appreciate it if you helped me with this.” I nodded. If there was any chance that this situation related to the ones that I was already investigating with Moondancer, then I would seize the opportunity at a moment’s notice. “Absolutely. I’ll start bright and early tomorrow on that deal.” “Thank you,” Luna put her hooves together, “I apologize for putting this onto you after you already solved one incident, though…” she frowned. There was no harm. It was my job, after all. “Don’t worry about it. Nightmare Night is one of my favorite holidays. If something is going on, I’ll be the first to let you know.” The blue alicorn let out a sigh of relief. “Thank you. If you have anything to report, simply meet up with me at my home in Silver Shoals, yes? Good day to you, dear Pale.” I waved as she walked away. “Good day, Luna!” I closed the door, and turned around to face Cheerilee, who had now stepped into the kitchen. “Cheer--hm?” Pots and pans started to clink around. I pranced over to the kitchen to see what that mare was doing, “Cheery?” “Oh. I heard your conversation with Luna,” her head rose from the lower cabinet with a pan clenched between her teeth by the handle, “and if you’re starting a new case, then I’m going to make you the best breakfast you’ve ever eaten. And dinner later as well, if you’ll let me.” I blushed. Being...taken care of in such a way was so alien to me that I had no idea how to react. I was a decent cook myself, so I never considered the idea of letting someone else cook for me. Even if it was something small like that calzone Limestone made for me awhile back. Whatever the case, I wouldn’t be rude and deny her desire to take care of me. “Oh...well, I suppose it’s fine with me. Have at it, Cheery,” I said with a smile. She clapped her hooves. “Yes! Now you go and sit down while I work my kitchen magic that my mother taught me.” Mother...yeah that was a nice thought to have. I sat down at the dining room table, and looked outside of the window. Cozy Glow now spoke with, and walked alongside both Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon outside. Where were they going? What were they doing? Who knows? So long as the kid had friends. “...she’s doing so well.” “Isn’t she?” Cheerilee spoke up from the kitchen, “I’ve already been confiding in her well while you were out at the hospital. It’s like she sees me as her mom or something. And you’re like the intrepid father that goes out and saves the world for us both!” My ear flicked, and I stumbled over my words. “Uh-wh--for real? That’s...quite the state of mind she has.” I looked over at the newspaper on the table, and picked it up. Criminal Boss Found Dead In Cell For Unknown Reasons! (Thank Goodness…) I didn’t know what was funnier. The fact that they didn’t know what caused his death, or the fact that the publication agreed with it.