You know what? I had time. And I didn’t want to run the risk of repeating the same mistake as before. So I sent Flash Drive and Guttersnipe to Hollow Shades in my place. Why? Well, it was entirely likely that Mane-iac’s threat was a bluff like before. But in case she was reliant on my keen senses, I ordered my companions to stake the area out to ensure no funny business went on behind my back.
Now why did I want to go to Tartarus at a time like this? A few reasons, actually. I wanted to follow Babs’ warning about what had gone down over there. Beyond that, there was also the fact that Cozy had been imprisoned there for a while, and I wanted to visualize as well as experience the conditions myself from the perspective of a small child. That way, I’d have a better understanding of her perspective through all of this turmoil.
Of course, I also wasn’t foolish enough to leave her home entirely unattended, so I made another request to a close friend of mine. I stepped outside that morning, and came into contact with him.
“I’m here, mate.” Neon Isotope, my ever-reliable batpony friend flew down to greet me. “I’d be more than honored to watch over Ms. Glow’s house for ye. But if I may ask, what is it you’re off to do exactly?”
“I’m heading to Tartarus,” I said rather calmly all things considered, “With backup, of course. Quick Draw and Corkscrew are gonna be there to keep everything in order should we get ganged up on by any wandering beasts.”
He tilted his head with what sounded like a concerned chitter. “Erm...boss, are ya sure that that’s a good idea? You don’t know about the unspeakable horrors that lie in wait down there.”
This may have come as a shock to him, but I was actually more than aware of what the underworld had to offer. “Oh no, trust me. I know full well, my friend.” I looked down at the ground, “Demonic beasts, forbidden magic, artifacts, and devices that can be used in unfathomable ways. Including peering into one’s mind and forcing them to live out their worst nightmares.”
Neon looked down at his prosthetic hoof, and rubbed it with his real one. “...Worst...nightmares, eh? I…”
I raised my head, and gave him a quick hug. “My apologies, bud. I didn’t mean to bring you back down to such a dark place.”
He shook his head, and let go of me. “It’s alright, Pale. I don’t need none of the sympathetics. Tis far in the past now.”
“...But you still feel it, don’t you? The traumas of what you experienced once before?”
There was nothing but silence from him for a moment as he looked away from me.
I went on. “So you know exactly why I need to do this. Not just for myself, but for Cozy as well as everyone else.”
The bluish-green batpony nodded once. “Natch, my friend. I...I won’t stop you. Just be careful, alright?”
“Of course I will. I trust you with this, Neon.”
Before I left, he asked another question. “Wait a second. Just how are you going to get there?”
“With some help, of course,” I said as I trotted off.
And with no time wasted, I got ahold of both Quick and Cork. We all got on the train, and as we were on our way to Canterlot, the mare finally decided to ask.
“...Okay, Pale. Are you sure this is a good idea?” she questioned, “We have no idea what will happen once we get down there. What if Twilight says no?”
“She won’t,” I replied snappily, “There’s no logical reason for her to deny my suspicions at this point. We’re flying by the skins of our flanks at this point--on the cusp of a major breakthrough in our case. Now isn’t the time to argue.”
Corkscrew leaned over the seat he sat in behind us. “But are ya sure that Mane-iac is gonna be there, boss? Like, how do you know she’s bluffing?”
I leaned back in the seat, and glanced up to him. “I never said I expected Mane-iac to be there, did I? More than likely, she simply isn’t going to appear at Hollow Shades at all. Instead, it’s a massive distraction so that something from Tartarus can be brought into the surface world.” I shut my eyes. “It’s simple logic.”
Quick thought it over with a dubious look on her face. “I mean, I guess you have a point. So you want to essentially take whatever power they’re using and turn it against them somehow?”
“Essentially,” I replied as I opened one eye, “If we do that, we can take Mane-iac down and put her back where she belongs. And if we put her back where she belongs, Grogar will lose his best asset at the moment. Then, he’ll be an easy target.”
The mare’s eyes looked a tad more hopeful than they were five seconds beforehoof. But she still didn’t want to put all of her eggs in one basket. “Even if that is true, are you sure he won’t have something else up his sleeve should you defeat her?”
“Oh no, that’s what I’m counting on,” I opened my other eye, “If we can take the power away from Mane-iac, and banish her back to her book, we can take one whatever else he has to throw at us, and then banish him for good. That won’t solve all of our problems instantly, but it’ll surely work towards less suffering for everypony. Sound good, guys?”
Quick and Cork glanced at each other for a moment. They were uncertain. I could feel it. But I could also feel the way they put their faith in me as their friend. And I would do my best to honor that trust.
Now, the reason why we needed to go to Canterlot first, is because we needed the permission of the reigning princess to gain access to the underworld. Plus, she was one of few who knew how to actually access it. So we had to follow her in order to pass into it.
What did I hope to find there? Destruction. And that’s if I was lucky with the hunch I had.
We got off the train, and the three of us pranced through the capital city. Some ponies shied away from us as we passed, which I sort of expected at this point. However, when we were about to travel through restaurant row towards the castle, we were actually approached.
“Oh, Mr. Vestige!” a feminine voice with a familiar foreign accent called out to me.
My ear flicked, and I turned my head in the direction of the voice. It was Saffron Masala? What was she doing here? “Ms. Masala? Hello there. But aren’t you working today?”
“Oh no, I’m on my lunch break,” the orange unicorn clarified as she walked up to me, “I just wanted to say thank you.”
I took a look at Quick and Cork who were just as confused as I was. Then I turned my head back to Saffron. “Erm...what for, exactly?”
“For bringing your daughter to our restaurant! She gave me an idea, and thanks to that, our profits have skyrocketed thanks to our new father/daughter promotion!” She excitedly put her hooves on my shoulders, “You and Cozy are welcome back at any time!”
While I was flattered by the gesture, I couldn’t help but wonder. “Oh? Wait a minute. Just what sort of idea did she offer you?”
“Well…”
About two months ago, when Cozy and Pale went to the Tasty Treat…
Pops had gone to the bathroom, so this was my chance. I had to play my cards now so this investment could grow in the future. Plus, I also wanted to pay my respects to the amazing chefs.
“Did you enjoy everything?” Ms. Masala asked as she came up to the table.
With my stupidly keen sense of observation on autopilot, I kinda made a goof. “Yeah. The food was great! Though I’ve noticed you don’t tend to get many families as customers. Which is a shame since it’d probably accrue more business.” What a stupid thing I said. Talking about somepony’s business right to their face! My cheeks turned bright red as I stopped to correct myself. “Oh no! I meant...er, sorry…”
Luckily for me, Ms. Masala wasn’t at all offended by my observation. “Oh no, I respect a pony that can say what is on their mind. And yes, you’re right. While we have many repeat customers, we rarely get large groups. I suppose it could be Canterlot’s culture getting in the way of families dining together.”
Woah, what? That didn’t sound logical to me at all. “Culture?” I asked, eyebrow raised, “What sort of culture?”
“That dining should be done in small groups to avoid being...riffraff. Whatever that means.” She rolled her eyes and placed her hoof against her forehead, “If only there was a way to get them to understand that family is one of the important elements of enjoying a meal…”
Normally this wouldn’t be a good thing, but I actually had an idea. “Well, why don’t you start off small?”
“Hm?” she glanced at me, “What do you mean by that, Ms. Glow?”
I put two of my hooves together with just a bit of empty space between to represent a miniscule amount. “Start small, and work your way up to avoid being lambasted by the upper echelons of Canterlotian society. What I recommend is starting a promotion. Say...father/daughter?”
She rubbed her hoof against her chin as she thought about it. “Father/daughter...promotion?”
“Yeah, I mean. You run this place with your dad, so why not? It’d fit the entire theme of this place,” I pointed my hooves upward, “Plus it’s a smart move because there aren’t as many stallions compared to mares. So it’ll result in more business but you won’t be crowded to where you can’t function.”
“Hm...I’ll have to ask my father about it,” she replied with a nod, “But I appreciate the idea, Ms. Glow. Let me know if you need anything else.”
“Absolutely,” I thanked her as she walked off, “Thanks for listening!”
“...and that’s what happened! It’s so adorable seeing all the fathers come in with their daughters just as you did on that day!” Saffron offered me a compliment, followed by a tight hug. “Please come by later to sample a new dish we’re working on!”
I could barely breathe. I often forgot how much we ponies loved to invade each other’s personal space. After a moment, she let me go, and I was able to speak. “Ahem...yes, well. I’m on a job right now. But I will certainly stop by before I head home.’
“Ah! Of course!” she bowed her head, and took a few nervous steps backwards, “I apologize for interrupting! Please don’t let me get in the way!”
I smiled and waved. “You’re fine, Saffron. Thank you.”
Once that exchange concluded, my companions and I were on our way again. I had to admit, a distraction before an important job was annoying. But at least I knew Cozy continued to make things better for others in this world.
All I could do was hope that her efforts would be acknowledged.