“Oh don’t look at me like that,” Alphabittle grumbled at his young mc, “It’s not like I reneged on the bet... She got her crystal... I don’t need you, or your crazy stuffed doll colt-friend calling me a cheater!”
“Wait, you heard him say that?” Gloomy pranced nervously in place.
The giant mass of grey fur broke into peals of sudden laughter, “Some earth pony filly is running around trying to bring back the M-word… and that is actually only the second weirdest thing to happen in my place of business today!”
“So,,, you did hear him?” Shock and confusion balanced in the grey mare’s monotone voice.
“I need you two to hold down the fort here,” the massive unicorn took a serious tone before breaking into a knowing smirk, “Charlie is in charge. If things go sideways, lock the door and shelter in place. Otherwise run the games free. Sodas and snacks are half price. The town just had a pretty huge shock. It’s literally our job to keep their spirits up.”
“Where are you going Mr. Alphabittle?” Sonnet aked worriedly.
“Charlies got the right of it, something is going down,” the massive unicorn lowered his head like a ram, pawing the earth, “And when things go down, you gotta be ready…”
The ragdoll laid casually sprawled out on the arcade floor, it’s head cocked to the side in curiosity.
“Since the filly walked in my arcade with that crystal.” Aplabittle smiled at the doll, “But for what it’s worth, I’ve known you were more than a rag doll for a while now… You two watch the fort. Whatever’s about to happen, I’ll be damned if unicorns aren’t a part of it!”
-=-=-=-=-
I had felt something click. It felt like an incomplete puzzle on the back of my brain-fluff. It reminded me of... something. Something from my old life that I should never have forgotten, but it had been so long ago. Watching that mare’s dance off with the bossman had been an itch of a lost memory. That first click was a fire.
Even as I marveled that another pony could hear me now, that burning sensation that I was missing something vital would not retreat. It oddly felt like seeing a familiar scene in a movie you couldn’t remember having watched. Somehow that analogy bothered me even more. Something important was going to happen soon… very soon. I didn’t know how I knew that, I only knew it somehow connected to my old life, so very long ago. How does someone know something, yet forget how they know it?
=-=-=-=-=
“Welcome to Crystal Tea Room,” Gloomy droned over the relaxing beat of her drums, “We have skeeball, trackball, pinball, and pachinko machines wall to wall. All game are free to play, but just for today. And this just in, it’s more of a win, free games for the foals, half price hard cider for the parents… wait… Are you sure Charlie? That’s not what Mr. Alphabittle said… okay, he did say you were in charge. The doll can’t be wrong, this offer can’t last too long.”
“I demand to know why none of the games are dispensing prize tickets!” A young silver furred mare demanded.
“Two reasons,” Gloomy responded in a bored tone with a roll of her eyes. ”First, you don’t get prizes for free games. Second, I’m already running the tea room, working the counter, and laying down sick beat poetry. I don’t have time to get your stupid prizes.”
“You're not in charge here!” Silver Locket snapped, “I want to speak to Alphabittle! Right now!”
“Mr. Alphabittle isn’t in, he’s gone to investigate the earth ponies and pegasi who infiltrated Bridlewood.” Gloomy Sonnet heaved a long-suffering sigh. “Would you like to speak with my assigned manager?”
“YES!” the young mare screamed. “I WANT TO SPEAK WITH WHOEVER’S IN CHARGE!”
The grey employee placed her dirt colored rag doll on the counter, and said evenly, “Well alright, but I don’t think his advice on how you should play the claw machine would be very helpful… or comfortable. Charlie’s still mad about the pin in the head when we were fillies…”
-=-=-=-=-
I felt something click together. I felt it the first time shortly after that mare left the tea room with those two crystals. After that, Alphabittle could hear me when I talked smack at him… which made it so much more fun, but I digress.
My perspective shifted, and my adversary was suddenly larger… and I could no longer see myself in Gloomy’s peripheral vision. For the first time in years, I was seeing with my own button eyes and hearing with my own velveteen ears.
“Oh for the love of…” the mare fumed, and Gloomy was nice enough to cock my head curiously to the side, “Your doll doesn’t talk! This is just pathetic. You’re actually going to make us all play along with this foalish fantasy that you doll is, what? Your manager, now? You're worse than that weirdo Izzy! There is no magic! Oh stop beep booping! You all should have it out of your system by now! Dolls don’t talk, stories don’t have happy endings, and nopony really believes in magic!”
“You say that like it’s the truth.” They couldn’t hear me, the ponies in the tea room, but that silver monster could now. Since the first click I could talk to Alphabittle. I had bet I could let anypony hear me. This was only a test. “I’m gonna make you believe.”
=-=-=-=-=
Silver Locket dance in place, eyes wide, pupils dilated to pinpricks, turn in circles down a spasming dance while making beep-boop noises. The other ponies looked on in confusion, with the exception of Gloomy Sonnet who glared at her rag doll in disapproval, “That was just mean, Charlie.”
Ms. Locket suddenly froze in place, eyes locked unblinking on her velveteen tormentor. Two words erupted from her throat in a near mindless, terrified scream, “JINX DOLL!”