//------------------------------// // Give And Give And Give And Give... // Story: Departure // by daOtterGuy //------------------------------// Before Capper could even respond, Rarity pushed past him and quickly trotted to the nearby parlour room. Shrugging, he closed the front door and followed after her. The parlour was certainly comfier than his office. It had more of his personal touch: vibrant colours, nap-worthy furniture, and a glass case spanning one wall that prominently displayed his coin collection. The only room in this whole mansion that Capper could call his. Rarity trotted about the room restlessly, an angry frown affixed to her face as she mumbled to herself. She hardly looked her age, with all the standard signs tucked away quietly away by what remained of her youth, but it showed in other ways. Her openness was gone, replaced by a hurried gait that had no time for others. The ambitious sparkle in her eyes had faded to something colder. A younger Rarity may have preferred to start with pleasantries; the Rarity before Capper just wanted to get this over with.   As she paced, Capper decided that he needed a drink if he was to get through the conversation they were to have. He pulled open a drawer and grabbed a bottle from inside along with a tall glass.  “Are you seriously drinking right now?” Capper glanced at Rarity who stared at him in a mixture of bafflement and indignant rage. “Yes,” he answered. “Even after everything that happened yesterday?” “It’s because of yesterday that I’m having a drink now.” He popped the cork of the bottle with his claw. “Need something to take the edge off my hangover.” Rolling her eyes, Rarity returned to her pacing as Capper poured a glass for himself. He took a few lazy sips as he sat down on a nearby lounge chair, watching Rarity go back and forth like a strange pony version of tennis.  She stopped in place and whipped her head towards Capper. “You caused—” “A scene?” He grinned coyly. “Yes, I did. Several, in fact.” “That was—” Rarity tried again.  “Quite fun, actually.” Rarity stomped her front hooves. “Let me—” “No,” Capper interrupted. “I already know what you’re going to say and I don’t feel like listening to it.” She huffed for a moment before her features softened, a momentary return to her kinder self. “I’m worried about you.” “And I’m worried about Klugetown,” Capper replied. “I don’t see you caring too much about that.” Her glare returning, Rarity said, “Capper, you’re being rather rude and it’s very unbecoming! Frankly, I would have expected, as a friend, that you would have toned down the attitude.” He smirked. “Funny word, that. I’ll be interested to see how long that holds.” “Excuse me?!” Rarity scoffed, placing a hoof to her chest. “You know of my coin collection?” He gestured towards the display case. Throwing up her hooves in exasperation, Rarity replied, “Yes. I gave you a fifth of that collection myself. How is this relevant?” “It’s a subtle thing, but I’ll get to it.” He stood up and took another swig from his glass. “How many new coins do you think were released within the last year?” Rarity sighed. “Capper—” “Just guess, Rarity. I promise there’s a point to this.” “A few dozen?” Rarity waved her hoof, exasperated. “Just the griffons alone usually have several new ones through the year since they can never decide on a mint to stick with.” “Three,” Capper declared as he put up the same number of fingers.  “Three?” Rarity repeated, her brow furrowed. “That can’t be right.” “It is. Now, where do you think they were minted?” “Probably…” Rarity trailed off as she thought. “Honestly, I can’t even begin to guess who. Griffonstone? Minos?” “The Crystal Empire, the Dragonlands, and Klugetown. The prior two due to requiring a consistent currency to trade with Equestria, the latter for… different reasons.”  “I suppose that makes sense…” Rarity trailed off, her face visibly uncomfortable with the statement.  “What does the Klugetown mint look like, Rarity?” Capper asked. “A cat imprinted on one side with a desert bluff on the other. Copper base, right?” Capper nodded. “I suppose they updated the metal to something sturdier?” “Not quite.” Capper walked a short way along the coin display case and pointed towards one of the coins on display. “Where is this coin from?” Looking towards the pointed-out coin, Rarity snorted. It was gold with the stern visage of Princess Twilight. “Capper, I can recognize my own country’s currency.” “It’s not,” Capper stated.  “Not what?” Rarity asked, perplexed. “Equestrian,” Capper answered. “It's the official mint of Klugetown.” “No, it isn’t!” Rarity said in frustration. “It’s a gold bit! I am quite tired of these games, Capper, but, you know what? I’ll play just this once.” She dug into her saddlebags with her magic, pulling out a single gold bit. “Now, see! This is…”  She trailed off as she stared at the coin in her magic. She brought it up next to the one in the case. They were different. Both had Princess Twilight’s face on them, but where the one in Rarity’s magic was open and friendly, the one in the case was closed off and stern. She turned to look at Capper who stared back at her impassively.  “I…” Rarity started. She shook her head and continued, “Sorry, darling. I’m a bit lost.” “How often does the Princess visit Klugetown, Rarity?” Capper asked. “Not since the initial visit,” Rarity answered. “What about her aides? Her friends? Her ministers?” Capper stepped forward, looming over Rarity. “You?” “Not since… we settled the affairs of the town,” Rarity reluctantly answered.  “See, that’s the problem.” Capper pressed his paws together, steepling them under his chin. “When you take over—” “Ally,” Rarity corrected. “Take over,” Capper insisted, “then leave, things tend to fall through the cracks that would have otherwise been caught by an active governing body. Do you know what Klugetown’s main export is?”  “Ore, marble, and the like?” Rarity ventured. “Klugetown has a rather substantial number of mines and quarries.” He bent at the hip, leaning down towards Rarity, a wide grin plastered on his face. Rarity took a step back. “Slaves, Rarity,” Capper said. “Our main export is slaves.” A look of utter disgust crossed Rarity’s face. “You must be lying! We put a stop to that!” She shrieked. “Klugetown shouldn’t be able to continue those revolting practices since Twilight came and—” “As when all things become illegal, but money can still be made off of it, it went underground,” Capper explained. “Instead of doing so publicly, the transactions are completed in safe houses and back alleys safely out of reach of the Princess’s prying eyes.” Several expressions crossed Rarity’s face, most a variation on righteous fury. “Fine! Then who is responsible?” Rarity commanded. “I shall notify the Princess immediately to have them thrown into the darkest cell imaginable.” “Me.” There was a heavy silence as Rarity stared at him in confusion. Unfazed, Capper took another sip of wine. “That’s not funny, Capper,” Rarity chuckled uncomfortably. “It’s me,” Capper restated. “It can’t be you,” Rarity said more firmly.  “But it is.” “This joke is getting rather stale, darling,” Rarity said, a dangerous edge to her voice.  “It’s not a—” Rarity stomped her hoof, snorting aggressively. “I have heard quite enough! You will tell me who really runs this supposed slave operation so they may be apprehended. After which, we shall discuss your recent behaviour.” “The only thing that can fix my behaviour is an assuagement of my guilt,” Capper said.  “You—” Rarity stopped, her brow furrowing in question. “Do you mean to say that you’re acting out due to feeling bad about your actions?” “It’s eating me alive, Rarity,” Capper replied, forcing his tone to remain even. “All the drinking and the property damage were because I couldn’t face the consequences of what I’ve done.” She stared silently at Capper for a moment. “What is your goal here?” “To be charged for my—” “No!” Rarity cut in. “This ridiculous over-the-top farce is not fooling me one bit! I talked to Fancy on the way here. He had some rather interesting words to say about the debacle from this morning.” “Yes, I do owe him an apology. I was so stricken by deep-rooted guilt at the time that I said some things I shouldn’t have.” “Rather correct things, from what I hear.” She took a deep breath. “Listen, Capper. I know melodrama, I live it and this just feels like a scene from my favourite romance novels.” She gazed directly into Capper’s face with her intense blue eyes, conveying an uncomfortable severity. “I need to report this.” “I’m aware,” Capper replied as he poured himself another glass.  “If I tell the Prin— Twilight that you are responsible for this, you will face all of the consequences for this endeavor. Especially as she cannot ignore something like this,” Rarity explained.  Capper took another gulp of wine. “I just… please, Capper,” Rarity begged. “Help me understand what you’re trying to do here.” He could explain himself. He could drop his schemes and weasel himself out of this situation easily enough. Rarity was so willing to believe he was good that a single sentence could absolve him of this whole thing. He could have the slave ring disbanded easily enough with the Princess’s assistance and then carry on, completely undeterred. But he would only ever be a figurehead. A worthless vagabond who served as a physical reminder of the crown’s influence. A witness to the death of his home as it was torn out and replaced by something bereft of all of what made it unique. Already, the wounds were becoming noticeable, spreading like a bloody plague.  There was no choice to make. “It’s a long trip to the capital,” Capper said as he placed his glass and bottle on a nearby shelf. “Shouldn’t you be heading out if you want to return home before the evening?” Rarity looked at him with a mixture of heartbreak, pity, and sorrow. It soon hardened into an even glare, the momentary empathy buried under professionalism honed over years in the service industry.  “Fine. Be like that. Goodbye, Capper.” She trotted past him, pausing within the doorframe of the parlour. She looked back at him over her withers, a final look of vulnerability. “I don’t know what you hope to gain from this, but with everything you’re about to lose, I genuinely hope it’s worth it.” Then Rarity left and Capper was alone.  Waiting for the end.