//------------------------------// // Subject 129: Winter Festivities 3 // Story: Interviews With Equestrians // by Jmaster49 //------------------------------// I went into the hotel lobby, and sat with the pony that had called me out by name. I knew exactly who it was, so I didn’t waste any time with pleasantries. “Bon-Bon. You know I’m off-duty,” I snidely sniped at her as I sat down at the waiting room table near the cafe that was part of the lobby. “What do you want?” She took her hat off, and relaxed a bit. “Guess there’s no need for this. And no. I’m not here to present a case to you.” I folded my hooves. Seemed like I had no choice but to bite. “Alrighty then. What gives? What are you here for?” “I’m simply here to offer you some information,” she explained as she leaned forward, “But ultimately, it’s up to you on how you receive, and what you do with this information. Are you prepared to hear it?” At this point, part of me wanted to step away from it entirely. But I knew I couldn’t turn a blind eye to everything. So I took that self-imposed risk of finding out the truth. “Alright. What’s going on?” “Okay then. We actually have some good news for once: Elytra has been captured and completely subdued. As of this moment, she’s been held in a dungeon that siphons her magic away in a slow fashion so that she can’t do anything to escape.” Huh. That was good news. Though it felt a bit anticlimactic from my perspective since I had almost next to no input on the situation. Still, it was nice to know that progress had been made so the safety of everypony was ensured. “What about her hive? And the ponies she captured to use as food?” I asked. The candymare replied with a swift answer. “All rescued and cleansed of the magic that they had endured. I only came to tell you about it since I knew you’d be fretting over it and wanted to relax. Well now you can.” Again, it felt nice to know that everyone else had managed to solve the case. But it’d be lie if I said I felt nothing. I felt the tiniest bit of emptiness towards the scenario since I contributed nothing. But in the end, it didn’t matter. So long as everypony involved was safe and no longer threatened by any crazy bug. But that led to another question… “So what are they gonna do with her? Turn her to stone? Banish her to another dimension?” “Considering all the slave trafficking she had been performing on adult ponies and foals alike, they’re considering a permanent stay in the dungeon. Someone like that can’t be allowed to see the light of day ever again.” Given that she was apparently just as strong--if not stronger than Chrysalis, that was the most logical decision that they could make for the moment I suppose. Now I could rest easy and know that my stay in Sire’s Hollow would be a stress-free one. “I see. Thanks, Bon. Is there anything else you wanted to tell me?” She tilted her head left, then right to check to make sure that no one was around to listen in. Then she spoke in a low whisper. “As far as Neighsay’s death is concerned, we are still unsure of what caused it. But don’t worry. We’ll figure things out soon. And...we looked into Screwy’s file. While we have little evidence, we think the situations are related.” I put a hoof to my chin as I thought about it some more. If I had to venture a guess, it would have to have something to do with the fact that both cases involved a situation where a highly guarded, secure area was invaded and no traces of evidence were left behind. Curious because Redheart claimed that nopony had been down to that morgue in months while the dungeon in Canterlot was always heavily watched to make sure no one got in or out without proper authorization. It killed me the more I thought about it, but there wasn’t much I could do for the moment. At the very least, I knew that things were being handled by...huh. I honestly didn’t know who all had been involved. “Understood. I hope you all can accomplish what you can,” I replied, “But if you don’t mind me asking--who all was involved in bringing the bug down?” Bon Bon flashed me a bit of the inside of her coat to show me a document. From where I sat, I could just make out the fine print. “Thorax, a few of his kin, and a few individuals that you may know.” She shut her coat back up. “But that’s all I’m allowed to say on the matter. You just need to stay out of trouble as we conduct investigation into this. Alright?” That was my intention. I didn’t exactly need to be reminded as if I was some child who couldn’t remember where the dishes went. But I suppose I had no choice but to take it in stride. After all, Cozy and her livelihood were most important. “Understood. You won’t hear a thing from me.” “Thanks.” She got up, and walked towards the exit to the hotel. “Be seeing you...Vestige.” The next time I blinked, she had seemingly disappeared until I watched her blend in with the crowd outside. I had a lot to think about regarding my future and how things would play out with these two very volatile cases. Not to mention Hearth’s Warming. The perfect opportunity for conflict to strike when you least expected. Even as I relaxed, I needed to be on my guard. That was the life I lived now. So, I went back outside. And now, everypony had gathered up in the town square to watch...something? Their heads were all turned up to the sky so I wondered what could possibly...unless. Ooooh. I met with Cheerilee outside, and we all watched as a beautiful display of fireworks went off. It was a simple spectacle at first that became more elaborate over time. From basic shapes like snowflakes and sleigh bells to more complex ones like full-body ponies and even dragons! It was quite the sight to behold as every new, colorful explosive would result in another crazy shape. After all the things that had been done so far--what with Coloratura’s performance and Ember’s surprise appearance, I could only help but wonder just how she made it all possible. “Neat huh?” I heard Cozy speak to me as she approached from the crowd, “I’m super thankful that Scootaloo found those homemade weather-altering fireworks she made.” “Weather-altering?” I asked with a bit of confusion. Just how could fireworks alter the weather? Was that even safe? I had several questions. But before I could even ask one, the young mare had cut me off. “Don’t worry,” she replied with a knowing smile, “They’re completely safe. They work by altering the remnants of cloud particles in the air to form shapes that the eye can see. It’s all pretty amazing.” It had to be. The next time I looked up, I saw an explosion that resulted in a technicolor shape of some pretty detailed tree ornaments. “Wow. And you managed to get ahold of Scootaloo as well? That’s amazing.” She blushed and scraped a hoof at the snowy ground. “Well, when you learn from the mistakes and successes of yourself and others, you start to come around to being a better, more approachable pony.” She sighed as she stared at the ground. “I just hope that my efforts won’t be in vain.” I put a hoof to her chin to comfort her. “Hey now, relax. Isn’t that what we’re here for? I promise that--as your caretaker, I’ll do all that I can to ensure you have the life you want.” “The life that…” she paused, and slowly looked up at me, “I want?” “Of course!” I let her go. “You don’t need to force yourself to try and appear different to everypony else. Just be yourself and things will fall into place naturally. No matter what problems we face.” She had a hopeful, determined look in her eyes. “You’re right. So long as we continue down a path together, there’s nothing we can’t accomplish. And if possible...I’d like to be able to make things.” What a novel idea. Craftsmanship was such a neat, diverse field to enter, so I was naturally curious as to what she meant by that. “Oh really? What would you like to make?” “Well...you seek to change the world, don’tya Pale?” Now that was a brisk turn in the conversation. But I obliged with an answer. “Of course. I want to prove to the world that magic of all kinds can be used to solve problems. Not just the power of alicorns and the elements of harmony. I want to make Equestria--nay, the world a place where everyone and everything is free to make their own decisions. And just as well--everyone is free to react to, and fight back against the decisions that are deemed irresponsible and unreliable. Twilight and her friends won’t be around forever and they can’t micromanage every conflict possible. So to make this world a better place, I’m going to set an example.” Cozy pressed me for another answer. “Define example. What are you going to do?” “Well, I saved you, didn’t I? And I’m going to work on proving to the world that the logic of one average joe like myself is enough to inspire others to find their own train of logic to make their own choices instead of being synonymous sheep that cower in fear at the first sign of a threat. I want...a revolution of sorts.” Her eyes grew wide. “...That’s a tall order, Pale. But I think you’ll get there. Similarly, I want to inspire others with my art for crafting, and making things. Silver Spoon has given me a job at her glass blowing factory and I want to start working on pieces that will inspire others like me to seek out another chance in life before they resort to a self-destructive state of mind like I had when I was little…” I walked up and hugged her. Hooves clutched tightly around her neck to keep her safe. “...A valiant idea to have, Cozy. I’ll support you every step of the way.” From below me, I heard her grunt a bit from how much force I applied, but she let out a relaxed sigh after a moment. “...Thank you, dad.” Behind us, I could hear Cheerilee sob tears of joy… “You both are so adorable,” she said. CLICK! A flash went off. That’s when we saw a newspony had taken our picture and ran off. I wonder what sort of article would be printed this time...