The visit with the Director was just as Applejack and Doctor Whooves said it would be. It was essentially a debriefing of events told from my point of view more or less. They'd already gotten the gist of the situation from the Lieutenant and the Doctor in particular evidently wanted my thoughts on the Cannibal as a fellow scientist.
"Honestly, I'm not sure what to make of the Cannibal," I'd tried to explain to both of them, "I only made brief contact with it, but it was a... very strange experience to say the least."
The Director gave Doctor Whooves a knowing glance from behind her desk at that, one he returned with a sigh before giving me a wry smile.
"Well, you're hardly the first to describe an encounter with the Cannibal as such," the Doctor chuckled, "its behavior isn't exactly unique per se—there are many Avidaeos that consume each other for various reasons, usually over territorial disputes or to gain strength and evolve in some way."
"All that said—and as I'm sure you've heard before," the Director added, "this particular Avidaeos is an anomaly even amongst the outliers in that seems to harbor no desire to devour anything other than other Avidaeos... almost as if it has some kind of vendetta against them."
"Well... maybe it does."
My suggestion was met with a look of bemusement from the Director, but Doctor Whooves merely gave a thoughtful hum at the notion before addressing me.
"It isn't... an impossibility, I suppose," he conceded, "many Avidaeos have shown such behavior in the past, but judging by your tone, I expect that you feel there's more to the Cannibal than meets the eye. Am I wrong, Miss Sparkle?"
"You're not wrong," I replied with growing confidence, "I don't really know exactly how to explain it, but when I looked into its eyes, I felt this... sense of conviction from it—some kind of... determination or purpose," I shook my head helplessly, "I don't know, maybe it was just my imagination but it just... didn't seem like a wild beast. I felt like I could've had a conversation with it if the circumstances were different... i-is that weird? It's weird, isn't it?"
A brief, but awkward silence hung in the air as Doctor Whooves and Director Mare took in my words. The Director leaned forward and steepled her hands over the desk, seemingly lost in thought. The Doctor tapped at the clipboard in his hands looking just as pensive. The moment passed quickly enough and it was Director Mare who finally broke the silence as she addressed the Doctor.
"How certain are you that this Avidaeus wasn't born from corrupted Hive Cells or an out of control Bias Factor, Time Turner?"
"I'm... fairly sure the creature was born an Avidaeus," Doctor Whooves replied, sounding unsure despite his words, "none of our squads have been able to bring back a sample of the Cannibal's cells for me and the rest of my team to study so I can't be one hundred percent certain, but..."
He trailed off, apparently distracted by a sudden thought.
"But what?" Director Mare pressed, "Doctor Turner, if you have doubts, I'd like to hear them, as would Miss Sparkle I'd imagine."
"Well..." the stallion looked from the Director's expectant look to my bemused expression and sighed, "...under normal circumstances, a creature who's undergone Hive Cell corruption or a Bias Factor meltdown will, without fail, either die outright or become an Avidaeus.
"When the latter happens, the creature in question becomes almost unrecognizable from who or what they used to be," his expression turned grim, "Hive Cell corruption isn't exactly a pretty sight to behold and the result more often than not leaves the victim in a rather hideous looking state."
"True," Director Mare conceded, "normally, in the worst case, the victim becomes a twisted, eldritch mass of Avidaeus flesh and whatever creature it was before," she grimaced in disgust at the thought, "a far cry from the Cannibal's appearance to be sure."
I gave a small grimace of my own.
"I've... read some of the declassified reports of the phenomenon," I said, thinking back on how my curiosity had backfired then, "but I've never actually seen it for myself."
It was those reports that caused me to shy away from any part of that kind of research in the first place. I wanted to do what I could to help make our world a little safer, but my rather weak constitution when it came to that kind of body horror wouldn't allow me to delve any deeper into the subject.
And besides, there's already plenty of ponies researching Hive Cell corruption and how the Bias Factor works. No need for me to get involved any more than necessary... although I wonder just how necessary it'll become in the near future...
The thought made me shudder.
"Pray that you never have to, Miss Sparkle," Doctor Whooves continued gravely. He paused a moment to let the comment sink in before clearing his throat, "...more to the point, and given what we know, I'm convinced the Cannibal isn't the result of Hive Cell corruption—an aberrant certainly, but not one caused by such tragic circumstances."
"Then what seems to be the issue?" the Director asked, "if you're so sure, then why wear such a conflicted expression?"
"Twilight's report is simply driving home just how little we know about the Cannibal is all," Doctor Whooves replied with another weary sigh. He shook his head, a rare look of frustration briefly crossing his face, "I'm certain there's something I'm missing—some proverbial piece of the puzzle that has yet to make itself known... but what could it be?"
There was a tense moment of silence that fell in the wake of his rhetorical question, but thankfully Director Mare didn't let it last long.
"All we can do is hope that time, and the addition of Twilight to the research team, will tell," she turned to give me a soft, encouraging smile, "you're tenure with Wendigo may be lacking, but I've heard you're an exceptionally hard worker with a good track record. I'm sure we can expect great things from you in the future."
"Oh, w-well," I began, somewhat caught off-guard by the recognition, "I'm... I'll do my best to meet expectations."
"That's all we can really ask for at the present," Director Mare replied with a satisfied nod, "but I believe we've taken up enough of your time for now. If I'm not mistaken, you had a meeting to get to with the rest of the 1st Unit?"
"Right," I replied, frowning as a realization suddenly hit me, "the Captain wanted me to meet the team, but now that I'm thinking about it, she never actually told me where everypony would be gathering."
"The rec room would likely be my guess," the Director suggested, "that's where most Hunters go when they're off duty—either that or the training room."
"Alright, well I'll check there then," I replied, already turning to head for the door, "if there's nothing else..."
"Oh! One more thing, Miss Sparkle," Doctor Whooves quickly added as he checked his clipboard, "I meant to mention it earlier but you'll be meeting with my team tomorrow afternoon. The schedule's been changed a bit in light of, er... recent events, so your actual training starts the day after. Make sure you get a good night's sleep tomorrow."
For a brief instant, I had a difficult time deciding whether to be excited or anxious at the news. Deciding to be optimistic for once, I ultimately settled on the former emotion. I'd finally be able to meet the rest of the researchers like I'd wanted to do since coming to Ponyville, and the training...
Well, at the very least I'd be learning how to properly defend myself against the Avidaeos, right? And now that I've seen them up close and in use, I am curious about what kind of Daeus Arms would work best for me. I may have just seen them as giant hunks of metal before, but they and the walls really are all that stands between us and complete annihilation.
"Will do, Doctor," I replied with a bit more enthusiasm, "is there anything else?"
"That'll be it for now. We'll send you an email with more details sometime soonish so make sure to check your terminal when you get a chance," the Doctor flashed another one of his jolly smiles, "I'm sure the other researchers will no doubt be overjoyed to have another brilliant mind on the team."
I wasn't really sure how to respond so I just gave an awkward chuckle and one last goodbye before stepping out of the Director's office and back into the hall. As I made my way to the rec room my thoughts turned to a few different topics—namely the upcoming visit with the ponies I'd be working with, both in the 1st Unit and as a scientist. There was also the matter of my sleep schedule being thrown way off.
It was close to eight in the evening by the time I got out of the Director's office and I didn't feel the slightest bit tired. Even as caught up in my own concerns as I was, I still somehow managed to find my way to the rec room without any help. Honestly, I hardly even noticed the ponies around me or the fact that there were fewer of them given the time of day.
I was musing on whether or not I could force myself to sleep once I got back to my room when I heard somepony call my name. I snapped out of my thoughts and looked up to see that I'd entered the rec room proper. I hadn't seen this place since the party and without all the decorations and dozens of ponies milling about, the room felt somehow both far too big and incredibly cozy at the same time.
And speaking of ponies...
"Oh! Heya, Twilight! Hey girls, Twilight's finally here!"
The first to notice my entrance, much to my surprise, was none other than the pink party planning earth pony herself, Pinkie Pie. The bubbly mare waved at me from behind the counter of the bar at the center of the room. Now that I took a bit of time to look, I could see that the bar itself wasn't just a bar, but rather a sort of small makeshift kitchen as well—complete with cooking utensils, a small stove, a grill, and a few other things crammed into one small space.
Sitting at one of the stools in front of the bar and casually nursing a wine glass of some kind of dark amber-colored drink was Rarity. The mare was having what seemed to be an animated but very one-sided conversation with Fluttershy who'd taken up a seat next to her. The shy pegasus seemed content enough to simply listen to what the seamstress had to say, only giving an occasional small smile and nod or one-word acknowledgment.
Looking around the room I spotted Applejack and Rainbow Dash over by a pool table. My eyes landed on the two just in time to see the latter mare smack the cue ball a little too hard, sending several of both the striped and solid balls into various holes. I knew enough about pool to know that the move was a major blunder on Rainbow's part, to say nothing of the ensuing groan of frustration and a mocking chuckle from the Captain.
All eyes turned to me at the sound of Pinkie's boisterous announcement, causing me to wince and give a weak sort of wave in return. I knew the Retaliation Team had lost a good number of its members fairly recently so I expected the turnout to be small. That said—and even though I didn't know exactly how many ponies were on the team—I suddenly got the feeling I was the last to arrive.
"Erm... sorry to keep you all waiting," I said, giving everypony present an apologetic smile, "I'm not too late, am I?"
"Not at all, darling," Rarity replied, matching my awkward grin with a reassuring smile, "Fluttershy and I only just arrived ourselves a few short minutes before you did," she gestured to a stool next to her, "come and join us, won't you? We've plenty of food, drink, and pleasant company... mostly."
From over by the pool table with her pool cue resting on one shoulder, Rainbow Dash cast an unamused frown Rarity's way, not missing the jab evidently aimed at her. Rarity, for her part, ignored the look and continued to address me instead.
"I'm sure Pinkie will be more than happy to accommodate you while we give proper introductions," she finished, "just let her know if there's anything you prefer."
"Yeah! We don't have as many ingredients to work with as I'd like, but..." Pinkie added with a small childish pout. She shrugged and her bright smile returned a moment later, "...eh, I'm sure I can still whip up something good with what we've got, so c'mon! Pull up a stool and lay it on me! What are ya in the mood for?"
I glanced over to Fluttershy and Rarity, only now noticing that the former had what looked like a small plate of mostly eaten sweet rolls. Next to that was an even smaller plate of baby carrots that were currently being devoured by a familiar and ravenous white rabbit. In all the excitement of today's and yesterday's events, I'd completely forgotten about Angel.
The little rabbit looked content enough to sit on the counter and gorge itself on its meal, and since Fluttershy wasn't saying anything about it, I guessed everypony else was okay with it as well. Rarity, by contrast, had nothing save for the drink in her hand.
"Oh, don't worry about me, dear," she replied to my unanswered question, "I'd already prepared myself a little something earlier before I came here."
"Oh, okay then," I answered, taking up her offer to seat myself on the stool left of where she sat. I eyed the drink in her hand curiously, "is, um... did you..." I paused and turned to the bouncy mare behind the counter, "did the Ponyville Branch actually manage to get ahold of some wine?"
Both Pinkie and Rarity gave me matching looks of disbelief before turning to look at each other. A moment later they were both laughing like I'd told the best joke they'd heard all night. Through my confusion and embarrassment, I happened to notice that Pinkie's laugh in particular was strangely familiar.
Disturbingly familiar if I'm remembering right...
"Oh heavens no!" Rarity giggled, trying to get herself under control, "I only wish I were so lucky... but no, darling," she raised her glass and swished the contents around meaningfully, "the wine glass is mine, but what's inside is nothing but cheap rationed alcohol I'm afraid."
My face twisted further in bemusement.
"But... then why put it in a—"
"She does it to make herself feel better about having to drink trashy beer," came Rainbow's raspy voice. I turned just in time to see the mare in question drop herself down onto the seat next to mine. She looked past me, leaning forward on the counter and flashing Rarity a sardonic grin, "thinks it makes her look classy."
"I've said it before and I'll say it again, Rainbow Dash," Rarity replied with a dainty sip of her beer and a haughty flip of her mane, "there is nothing wrong with holding oneself to a higher standard when it comes to one's appearance.
"If you want others to see you as a mare brimming with confidence and elegance, then you must look the part, even if you don't feel it or if circumstance won't allow it—fake it till you make it, as it were."
"Hah, I don't gotta fake nothing," Rainbow scoffed, "I don't need to drink cheap beer out of a wine glass to know how awesome I am."
"Oh?" Rarity replied, holding a hand to her chest in mock surprise, "and here I thought all those motivational pep talks you give yourself in the mirror every morning was your way of overcoming your own perceived inadequacies. Perhaps I was wrong?"
That threw the pegasus for a loop apparently, because her response was nothing but a sputtered mess.
"What?! I don't... h-how did you—"
"I have quite a few friends as it happens," Rarity replied with another casual sip of her beer, "and one of those friends just so happens to have the pleasure of sleeping in the room next to yours," she cast Rainbow a cheeky side glance, "to hear her tell of it, your little speeches can get quite... heated."
Face glowing red with embarrassment and anger, Rainbow opened her mouth to retort, but a hand on Rarity's shoulder caught both mare's attention. We all turned to see Fluttershy eyeing Rarity with a frown that was small, but full of reproach.
"I understand that Rainbow Dash was in the wrong for provoking you, Rarity," she began, her quiet voice brimming with all the energy of a disapproving mother, "but do you really think mocking her in retaliation is holding yourself up to a higher standard?"
For a brief instant, nopony spoke. The three of us just stared at the normally diffident mare with varying levels of surprise. I hadn't known Fluttershy all that long myself, but having seen how strong she could be when the situation called for it, I wasn't all that taken aback. Rarity seemed to recover quickly enough, but strangely enough, given their apparent history—or maybe because of it—it was Rainbow Dash that seemed the most shocked out of the three of us.
Before she could say anything about her friend's behavior, Fluttershy quickly pulled her hand from Rarity's shoulder and turned away. Her face was as red as Rainbow's had been a moment ago and when she next spoke, the chastising tone in her voice was nowhere to be found.
"I-I'm sorry," she squeaked, "I said too much, didn't I?"
Rarity blinked and shook her head before giving the mortified pegasus an apologetic smile.
"No, not in the slightest, dear. On the contrary, you're absolutely right," she assured. She sighed and turned to face Rainbow Dash, "perhaps I did go a bit too far with my words, and for that, I apologize. I simply meant to point out that we all have ways of coping with the more... unpleasant trials that life throws our way and one shouldn't be mocked for such a thing... but I suppose I made a hypocrite of myself in the process."
It took a second for Rainbow to answer, but she eventually moved her focus from Fluttershy to Rarity, registering her words and scoffing in response.
"I'll say, and it wasn't like I was the one that started it anyway," Rainbow retorted grumpily, though she was quick to relent once she noticed Fluttershy eyeing her with the same look she'd given Rarity, "er, b-but I guess it's cool. And I mean the whole wine glass thing is... well, it's not something I'd do, but... to each their own? I guess?"
"I think you may have missed the point just a tad," Rarity replied, wholly unimpressed by Rainbow's response, "but still, I believe it best to put this bit of nastiness behind us for the time being," with that, she rounded on me and presumably Fluttershy, a pleasant smile suddenly gracing her face, "after all, I imagine our guests and future teammates didn't come just to hear us bicker."
Honestly, I didn't really mind it all that much. I'd heard much worse from when Twinkleshine and Minuette fought, and it wasn't like I never got into heated debates with Moon Dancer either. I wanted to say as much to Rarity, but it was around that time that a certain aroma permeating the air started to catch my attention. It was a familiar smell, one that would almost instantly get my mouth watering.
"Order up!"
I looked over to the counter just as a very familiar dish was placed in front of me. Pinkie, who'd been oddly quiet up until that point, had somehow—without my notice or any prompt or request from me—fully cooked and prepared one of my favorite meals. A massive hayburger complete with ketchup, a side of fries, and a cold glass of what I suspected was sweet tea. All of it together was a staple of my personal diet back home and a meal I've loved since I was a filly.
A meal I haven't had the chance to eat in... I can't even remember how long.
I looked up at Pinkie, unsure how or where to even begin asking the multitude of questions I had. My bewilderment must've shown on my face because the pink mare gave me a wink and a mysterious smile.
"I asked you what you wanted, but I didn't get an answer, sooo~ I guessed!" she replied to my unasked question, "I had a hunch you were a fast-food kinda gal, so I went with my gut. Well? Was I right? I was right, wasn't I?"
"Well... yes, you were, and that's what amazes me," I replied, still in awe, but now somewhat suspicious, "this was one of my favorite things to eat back home. Pinkie, how did you—"
"I already told you, silly!" Pinkie laughed, "it was a hunch. I just have a sense for these things, y'know?"
"Uh-huh," I raised an eyebrow, growing warier by the moment, "and how did you prepare something like this so fast without me or anypony else noticing?"
"Oh, that?" she scoffed dismissively, "I'm more a patissier than a patty flipper, but I've always been pretty good in the kitchen no matter what I make," she paused a moment, then shrugged, "or so I've been told anyway."
"Okay," I pressed, growing somewhat annoyed at the mare's evasive answers, "but that doesn't explain—"
"Best not to look too deep into it, sugarcube. Believe me, ah've tried, an' there ain't nothin' down that path but madness."
We all turned to see Applejack making her way over to the bar from where she'd still been lingering over by the pool table. The amused smile on her face told me she'd probably been listening to us all the whole time and chose not to interfere for whatever reason.
"Finally decided to join the rest of us, did you, Captain?" Rarity asked with a hint of good humor.
"Figured it was about time, yeah," Applejack replied before taking a seat next to Rainbow and addressing the exuberant barmaid, "I'll have what Rarity's havin' if ya don't mind, Pinkie."
"In the really big flagon?" Pinkie asked with a knowing smile.
"In the really big flagon." Applejack replied, smiling in kind.
"One big ol' flagon of ale, coming right up!" Pinkie cried.
In a feat that further defied all reason, the mare dropped down behind the counter only to pop back up an instant later dressed as an old fashioned serving wench—the kind you would've seen serving patrons in an old rustic tavern. I watched her fill what really was a 'big ol' flagon' from a tap with several more questions spinning around my mind.
"Like ah said," Applejack continued as she finally turned to face me directly, "it's best to just let her do her thing. Ain't no use in understanding any o' what she does or how she does it."
I certainly beg to differ...
But despite the thought, I chose to take the Captain's advice and move on for now, for the sake of my sanity if nothing else. Now wasn't the time to sate that kind of curiosity, but that didn't mean I was giving up on trying to figure the mare out—far from it. I'd have my answers eventually, especially if that mare was part of the team. Instead, I moved my thoughts from Pinkie to the flagon she was filling and the mare that would presumably be drinking from it.
"Are you sure it's okay to be drinking so much in your position?" I asked somewhat worriedly, "that... seems like it's going to be a lot of booze..."
"Ah, it's fine," Applejack assured with a dismissive wave of her hand, "ah can hold mah liquor better'n anypony in this town, ah guarantee it."
"She's not lying either," Rainbow added with an exasperated huff, "This one time at a party down in the slums way back, I once saw her drink twenty-seven other ponies under the table. No joke, she showed up the next morning looking as fresh as a Celestia damned daisy."
And judging by that bitter expression I imagine you were one of the casualties in that drinking contest.
"Wow," I muttered aloud, "that's, uh... pretty impressive, but the alcohol is rationed just like everything else, right? How can you all afford so much of it?"
Really, what impressed me more was the fact that they'd somehow gotten enough alcohol for that kind of rampant consumption.
"True, normally there ain't too much ta go around, but... let's jus' say ah know a mare an' leave it at that fer now," the Captain said with the same kind of mysterious smile Pinkie wore earlier, "bein' a Captain has its benefits. This is one of 'em."
With that said, Applejack picked up the flagon Pinkie had just dropped down in front of her. She took a large swig, sighed in contentment, and returned her attention to me and Fluttershy.
"I know the both of ya have probably met just about everypony here at one point or another, but ah'll introduce ya just the same..."
She nodded in Pinkie's direction.
"This here's Pinkamena Diane Pie, though everypony in town just calls her Pinkie Pie or just Pinkie for short," she began, "an' it don't matter if she's in the kitchen with a spatula or on the battlefield with a boost hammer, that girl can work some miracles, lemme tell ya."
Pinkie just giggled innocently at the praise, but I was still a bit wary. I don't know what it was about the mare, but something about her just... felt weird. Even apart from the absurd feats I'd seen her accomplish, it seemed like I wasn't quite getting the full story when I looked at or spoke to her. She put me on edge in a way I couldn't exactly comprehend.
Well, I'm sure I'll find out what the deal is sooner or later, though now that I'm thinking about it, I'm so sure I want to anymore...
"And then ya got Rainbow Dash, here," Applejack continued, heedless of my suspicions about her bubbly teammate, "ah don't think there's a pegasus alive who can outpace or outmaneuver those voracious varmints like Rainbow."
The mare in question gave a cocky lopsided grin and opened her mouth to no doubt expand on her own greatness, but Applejack pushed ahead before she could get a word out.
"Yeah, she's mouthy an' she has a bit of a puffed-up ego," she said. Rainbow's smug grin gradually fell into an unamused scowl as Applejack continued to tick off points on each finger, "she's hot-headed an' reckless an' careless an' Celestia knows she's got a long way ta go before she's even half the Daeus Hunter she thinks she is..."
"Thanks for the glowing praise, Cap," Rainbow deadpanned, "means a lot."
The Captain shrugged and downed more booze before speaking again, still addressing me rather than Rainbow Dash.
"...but the talent is definitely there," she finished, "an' for all her faults, her commitment and dedication to the team an' mission are the strongest ah've seen outta any other Daeus Hunter yet. At the end o' the day, Rainbow Dash is somepony we can all count to have our back when the manure hits the fan."
Applejack's words prompted a vigorous nod from Pinkie and even an honest, if slightly reluctant, agreement from Rarity. Combined with Fluttershy's own nod and smile of understanding, it all seemed enough to satisfy Rainbow whose grin returned, albeit with a bit more humility than last time.
"Hey, being awesome in this kinda job is a requirement, y'know? And part of being awesome is looking out for your buddies," she said, surprising me with a far more subdued tone. Her smile shifted into something more somber as she spoke, "because if you don't... well, things can get bad real quick."
Everypony went quiet at that statement and for the second time that night, I experienced a horribly uneasy silence. But unlike my meeting with the Doctor and Director, this silence seemed to hold much more weight. I could feel unspoken words pressing down on me and all the warmth and comfort from a moment ago had evaporated, leaving a cold and melancholy sort of air.
I could see that something wasn't right in Applejack's particularly long pull from her flagon or how Pinkie's smile no longer seemed to reach her eyes or even how Rarity's beautiful features seemed to age several years in that single moment. I realized then that there was some kind of context that I was missing, and thinking back, I might've even had an idea of what it was.
Feeling shocked and more than a bit troubled by the sudden shift in the previously jovial atmosphere, I turned to Fluttershy. The other mare had clearly noticed the change just as I did, and if her worried frown and furtively wandering eyes were was anything to go by, she wasn't any happier about it than I was.
A long sigh from Rarity snapped everypony out of their apparent funk and all eyes turned to see the gently set her unfinished glass down on the counter and spoke.
"Well, I suppose it's my turn now, isn't it?"
The mare rounded on Fluttershy and me with a lighter tone and a slightly more chipper smile. It was clear to everypony present that she was trying to dispel the out of place gloom hanging over our heads, but I appreciated the effort.
"We've already met at this point but my name is Rarity Belle," she continued, placing a hand on her chest, "seamstress, fashionista, and the 1st Unit's one and only marksmare. I'm not sure I've actually said this formally yet, but it's a pleasure to meet the two of you."
"Likewise," I replied cordially, happily latching onto Rarity's attempt at moving back to the original subject, "you said you were a marksmare? Does that mean you use a sniper gun like Captain Bon Bon?"
"It does," Rarity confirmed with a nod, "to be honest, I find many of these... industrial monstrosities rather garish and as you might imagine, I'm not too partial to getting my hands dirty in a close range scrap either—"
"Oh, but she will if she has to," Applejack cut in with a half-smirk, "don't let the prim an' proper demeanor fool ya, Twi. That mare can tussle with the best of 'em."
"Oh yeah!" Pinkie chimed in with an amused giggle, "I've seen her beat back an avidaeus with nothing but an empty rifle and righteous indignation! Twice!"
"I once saw her shove the entire barrel of her gun into the eye of a Lacerbola!" Rainbow laughed, "the overgrown lizard never saw it coming! I've got a lot of amazing stunts under my belt, but I gotta admit, that was the single coolest thing I've ever seen her do."
Rarity frowned and took up her glass again, likely to mask the embarrassment she felt at having been outed as a surprisingly violent combatant. I had a sneaking suspicion that she didn't mind it all that much though. In fact, I had a sneaking suspicion she expected that exact outcome. If that was the case, then she'd accomplished what she set out to do. Just like that, the atmosphere had gone back to the way it was before.
If that's the case, then that means she was willing to lose a bit of face with two mares she barely even knew, all to put things back on track... I can respect that. I wonder if I could've done the same in her position?
After another sip, she cleared her throat and continued on in an effort to regain some of her lost dignity.
"Yes, well, a mare has to learn to defend herself when the going gets tough," she explained, "and these are rare instances I assure you. My skills shine when I'm far from the thick of things and that's where you'll find me more often than not."
"Really, Rares could give even Bon Bon a run for her bits," Pinkie observed as she refilled Applejack's flagon, "and Bon Bon is one of the best sharpshooters in Equestria."
"I'm not so sure I'm as good as that," Rarity replied with a modest chuckle, "but I do what I can to keep those brutish beasts at bay."
"Are you kidding?" Rainbow exclaimed. She turned to look Rarity full in the face, her expression almost comically serious, "look, Rarity, we may not see eye to eye on a lot of things but if there's one thing I can admit to myself about you, it's that you're a damn good shot. Seriously, Bon Bon's got nothing on you."
Rarity blinked in surprise, her words catching in her throat at the sudden heartfelt praise from a mare she clearly hadn't expected any praise from.
"Wow, I'm pretty sure that's the nicest thing you've ever said about Rarity, Rainbow," Pinkie commented. She rested one arm on the counter, all smiles and eyes half-lidded as she observed the two mares, "I think you might've broken her."
Looking over I noticed Pinkie had changed back into her navy blue Daeus Hunter uniform at some point, presumably when I wasn't paying attention. I pondered over this for a moment, but Rainbow's reply pulled me back into the conversation at hand.
"Eh, I just call it like I see it, and I've seen Rarity pull off some insane shots," the pegasus replied with a shrug. She then slid her gaze past Rarity and smirked in my direction, "of course, having said that, she might be getting some tough competition in the near future."
Now it was my turn to blink in surprise.
"Wait, me?" I asked in disbelief, "you can't mean me, right?"
"Of course I mean you, Miss Prodigal New-Type," Rainbow laughed, "I heard you were personally asked to join by the President herself. If that isn't an endorsement, I don't know what is."
"I was conscripted," I corrected with a frown, "there's a huge difference. I'm not here because I want to be, I'm here because I have to be."
Granted, both the President and the Chief Commander do seem to have a lot of faith in me... for some reason. Celestia even had her sister escort me all the way here. And then there was that key she gave me...
I'd stored the key in my bag and put the mystery of why I was given it and what it meant out of my mind for the most part, but I never once forgot about it. Really, the more I thought about it, the more I realized that Rainbow Dash might not have been too far off the mark after all, not that I admitted as much to Rainbow.
"Alright, so you were conscripted," Rainbow Dash continued with another dismissive shrug, "I still say you've got some kinda skill hidden away somewhere, I can just smell it," she tapped the end of her muzzle and smiled proudly, "I got a nose for these kinds of things, y'know?"
"Of course you do," I deadpanned, "just don't be disappointed if I don't meet your expectations."
"Oh, I'm sure you'll do just fine, darling, both you and Fluttershy," Rarity chimed in, apparently having gotten over Rainbow's praise. She gave a curious frown, "incidentally, have either of you thought about what Daeus Arms you'll be bringing onto the battlefield?"
"Ooh, you should choose the boost hammer!" Pinkie suggested with what I felt was a bit too much enthusiasm, "it hits really, really hard and it has this rocket boost thingy that lets you do all kinds of crazy things! It's such a fun weapon!"
"Ah don't think Twilight has the, uh... vivacity to wield somethin' like that, Pinkie," Applejack with an amused half-smile, "an' besides, ah don't think anypony can use a boost hammer the way you can. Ah don't think anypony's crazy enough to pull it off."
"Hey, you never know," Pinkie countered, leaning over the counter to give me an encouraging nudge, "she might have a knack for it, right, Twilight?"
"I'm... going to have to agree with the Captain on this one, Pinkie," I replied with a shake of my head, "honestly, I still haven't really decided on what I'll use yet. My training starts in two days so I'll probably have the opportunity to get a feel for what works best for me."
"Well whatever you choose, for the love of Celestia, stay away from the arcane stave," Rainbow Dash warned, "those things are way more trouble than they're worth."
"So I've heard," I replied with a grimace, "I actually worked in Daeus Arms R&D for a bit back when I was still stationed at HQ and had the opportunity to read up on some of the Arms. My brother also told me a little about some of them as well. From what I've read, the arcane stave, in particular, seems to be a little... undercooked in terms of functionality."
"Right? I mean, the concept is good on paper, but you have better options in the blast gun and shotgun, which both offer a lot more stability," Rainbow emphatically explained, "yeah, staves can put out way more power overall, but the payout in damage isn't worth the toll it takes on both the Hunter and the weapon itself."
Any comments I might've had shriveled up and died in my throat as I listened to Rainbow ramble and rant about the arcane stave. It was almost like I was back home listening to my brother go on and on about his own excitement and frustrations when it came to the different types of Daeus Arms. I couldn't help a small smile crossing my face as the enthusiastic pegasus continued to list her grievances with the relatively newly developed weapon.
"When you factor in the insane amount of time it takes for the artificial magic circuits to replenish their store of mana and how open it leaves you in an actual battle, the arcane stave is just not a viable weapon right now and never will be," she finished with a disappointed huff, "not without some serious tweaking anyway."
Satisfied that she'd made her point, Rainbow Dash looked around to see that she'd garnered the undivided attention of everypony at the bar. She frowned in bemusement at the various impressed and amused expressions before her eyes widened and cheeks reddened in realization.
"Uh... s-so, yeah, you should probably pass on the arcane stave for now," she began with a small cough and a light, embarrassed chuckle. Desperate to change the subject, or rather the target of all that awkward attention, she turned instead to Fluttershy, "w-what about you, Flutters? I know fighting isn't exactly your thing, and you don't have to answer if you don't want to, but—"
"No, it's okay, Rainbow," Fluttershy interrupted with a small and admittedly adorable chuckle of her own at Rainbow Dash's expense, "I have given it a bit of thought," her smile faded slightly, "actually, I've given it a lot of thought. I'm... still not one hundred percent sure, but after talking to Derpy about it, I think I might have an idea."
"Really?" Rainbow replied, once again taken aback by Fluttershy's response, "wow... so what did you have in mind then?"
"Yes, I admit I'm rather curious as well," Rarity added, "I find myself unable to gauge what you'd choose by just looking at you. I can't imagine you taking up the front lines, in fact I shudder to even think about such a notion. Maybe something more... long range?"
Fluttershy went to respond when she saw and realized that we were all waiting for an answer, the rest of us just as curious as Rainbow and Rarity. She closed her mouth and hesitated as if to decide whether or not it would be a good idea to answer. Ultimately, and with a lot less confidence, the mare hid her face behind her mane and gave a subtle nod but didn't say anymore.
"Well don't just leave us in suspense," Pinkie exclaimed with impatient anticipation, "what kinda firepower are we talking here? Sniper? Shotgun? Blast gun? Rayg—oh wait, Derpy's not done with that one yet..."
"C'mon now, everypony," Applejack called out to the rest of us, "ah think we're all makin' the poor girl nervous, puttin' her on the spot like that. If she don't wanna talk, we don't gotta force it outta her."
"...t gun."
We all turned out attention from Applejack back to Fluttershy.
"What was that, dear?" Rarity asked, "you'll have to speak up, I didn't quite catch that."
"...ast gun."
"One more time, sugarcube," Applejack asked encouragingly, "almost caught that but—"
"I'mgonnatryusingtheblastgun!" came Fluttershy's rushed and panicky response, "Derpy explained how it works and how it's the most effective weapon to use when healing your teammates."
We were all rendered speechless for a second, but this time Rainbow was the one to recover first, her brow furrowed in thought.
"That makes sense actually... yeah," she said after a second. I wasn't sure if it was my imagination or not, but the mare seemed almost relieved as she spoke, "if you wanted to take up a pure healing role on the team the blast gun would probably be your best bet," she gave Fluttershy a quizzical look, "did Derpy tell you about bullet crafting?"
"She... told us a little about it during our tour of the Daeus Arms maintenance sector," Fluttershy replied uncertainly, "I don't know too much about it, but when we were talking, she did say that I'd need to learn more about it if I was going to be a dedicated team medic."
"Yeah, the blast gun has the most potential when it comes to healing over a wide area," Rainbow explained, "but if you really wanna be an effective healer and get the most out of the blast gun, then you need to get creative with how you craft your healing bullets."
"I can help you on that front, darling," Rarity offered, "I've had a fair bit of practice when it comes to crafting bullets myself and I'd be more than happy to show you how it's done."
"O-Oh, no I don't want to be a burden," Fluttershy replied, slightly flustered at the proposition, "I'm sure you already have so much to do, a-and I wouldn't want to—"
"Nonsense," Rarity huffed, "I'd be terribly remiss if I didn't take the time to make sure you were properly prepared for what's to come."
"...Okay," Fluttershy nearly whispered, though I could just barely make out a tiny grateful smile hidden behind her mane, "thank you, Rarity."
"Think nothing of it," Rarity replied before glancing over in my direction, "and Twilight, dear, I suggest you partake of your meal before it gets too cold. It wouldn't do to have Pinkie's cooking skills to go to waste."
"Wha—oh! Right!" I replied, looking back down at the untouched hayburger and fries just waiting to be devoured. The rumbling in my stomach at the sight and smell made me realize just how long it had been since I had an actual proper meal, "sorry, Pinkie, I guess I got caught up in the, ah... discussions."
"Don't even worry about it," Pinkie said, waving the apology away, "happens to me all the time. Go on, dig in! You don't get home cookin' like this every day... mostly 'cause I can't afford it," she shrugged, "would if I could but eh, what are ya gonna do? That's just the alternate universe we live in."
"The what?" I asked, completely nonplussed.
"Told ya, sugarcube, there ain't no use in unravelin' that mare," Applejack called out from behind her flagon, "just put it outta yer mind an' eat yer burger."
No, I don't think I can just put it out of my mind that easily. I'm pretty sure she just casually alluded to something that needs to be questioned... or maybe she really is just crazy and I'm overthinking it.
I picked up my hayburger and frowned at it for a moment. It was a dead ringer for just about every other hayburger I'd eaten over the years. Even more unsettling was the fact that she'd even left off the onions and cheese, just how I liked it. It was at that point, at that very moment, that I decided that Applejack was probably right.
There's definitely something weird about that mare... but for right now at least, I think I'm okay with not knowing what horrible secrets she might be hiding in that brain of hers...
With that thought and a small uneasy shudder, I put it out of my mind just as Applejack suggested and bit into my burger. The taste completely washed away my doubts and worries I had, not only about Pinkie but even the worries I had about prior events and the near future. For the next few minutes, joy and nostalgia flooded every pore of my body.
Not even the laughter from Rainbow or the disgust from Rarity regarding my horribly sloppy eating habits could ruin my mood and the rest of that night turned out to be one of the best I'd had since coming to Ponyville.