//------------------------------//
// Voyager's Arc: Vivi Sepultura 
// Story: Of Laurels & Lace 
// by WritingSpirit 
//------------------------------//

	"The Plutocrat."

"Impressive, Mr. Freewings," Tally Telrouix said with a hearty chuckle, rolling the dice in his hooves.
"You're playing this game fairly well for a first-timer."

"It is but a simple strategy game. Something that requires a little bit of thought."
Charter Freewings glanced as the unicorn before him drew a card, sliding it amidst the deck held in his hooves.
"I'm well aware you have bountiful experience of the game itself."

"No faults there," Tally replied.

The luxurious, voluptuous atmosphere of the casino overwhelmed the pegasus, feeling like a royal king lavishing the high life in his throne. The martini beside him rippled from the loud clatter of gambling chips, along with the shuffling of the cards by the dealers beside the table.
Charter glanced at one of the cards in his hoof, before placing it down, uttering its name:
"The Aristocrat."

"A gamble, I must say," the other stallion said with a chuckle.
"Though I believe it's an unfortunate one, to place upon all your high-risk cards on the table."
He gave a sly grin as he placed his own card forward, making the pegasus sigh.

"The Bureaucrat: a fine choice. To beat the aristocracy with its judgement system."
With a flap of his wings, Charter raised his martini in a praise, earning a wide smile from the pony across him.
"A wonderful turn of the cards. Never would've foreseen it."

"Thank you, my fine friend."

The two ponies laughed heartily, resuming their passing of cards.
"So I've heard your wife was ill," Tally said with a spark of interest.

"Gypsum just had a dilemma to solve, that's all."

"Interesting..." the stallion replied, only making Charter chuckle quietly. 
A lie well played.

"What of you?" the pegasus asked back.
"Aren't you afraid that somepony might bring you down?"

"Bring me down? Heck, no!"
Tally laughed loudly, the wine in the glass in his hoof sloshing around with every sway his body makes.
"This industry is too powerful and complicated, and is held in high regard for many of the ponies in each town. You can't just start up a gambling booth such as the Devil's Luck and own it as a franchise immediately."

"But it seems you favor the Epicurean the most."

"This gambling casino is closest to my home, so of course I favor it."
The unicorn tossed the pair of dice again, continuing:
"It's hard to continue a heritage; a legacy that your ancestors have worked so hard to create. But enough of this talk."

With a shift of his hooves, he placed a card down from the fan of it.
"The Magnate."

"Speaking of magnates," Charter hinted.
"I was wondering how you had flourished the casino industry and become the tycoon you are today."

"The same ways as other businesses. Hard work, perseverance and a lot of bumps on the way."

"And no shady trades?" the pegasus questioned, Tally's face starting to frown.
"No tying up any loose ends or that sort of activity?"

"I assure you, Mr. Freewings. My family had done nothing of that sort."
The unicorn grimaced as he placed down another card, the other stallion raising an eyebrow.
"Take the card of the Equivocator, for example. A card that deems to cause chaos in the game, allowing cards such as the Vagrant to have even higher power over The Corporate, for instance."

"I don't really get the idea."

"There are those willing to cause chaos: to blur the borders of society and bring down the heraldry that all the northern families have held with high regard and pride.
Tally Telrouix sighed in dissatisfaction, the grip on his glass of wine tightening with resentment.
"Ponies blame us for disappearances, yet they could not blame themselves for being blind to the turn of events in the first place."

"A little harsh for them, don't you think?" Charter asked skeptically.
"What if they were right? What if your family is to blame for all these disappearances?"

"Be careful of the words you use, Mr. Freewings," the unicorn scowled.
"Our family wouldn't tolerate any false accusations such as that."

"And what would happen to those who made them?" he asked again out of curiosity. Being part of the Voyager Six he had to know what the family might plan for them, just in case...
"What would become to those objecting your cause?"

Tally just shrugged, before placing a card down.
"The Pariah," he said. "An outcast to the society. The word 'outcast' could be used in many situations. A beggar in a group of ambassadors or a farmer joining in a group of artistes. Or... how shall I put this..."
There was a glint in his eyes, making Charter tremble a little in the inside as he finished his sentence with a deceitful grin.

"The dead among the living..."

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"What does he mean?"

"It seems that anypony that dare defies his rule," Charter began, disclosing the information he had obtained to the rest of the Voyagers.
"Would be subjected to death. Some way or another."

There were a few gasps from the mares of the group, with Pinkie standing up abruptly.
"That no-good ruffian!" she proclaimed, slamming her hooves onto the wooden table.

"Calm down!" Harmony hissed, shooting a glare.
"If they know who we are..."

The Voyager Six were in one of their rendezvous, this time in a restaurant in the outskirts of town.
It was cooling, despite the sweltering heat rising from beyond the shade of their rattan umbrellas. The waiters quickly scurried about the open air, serving each and every customer their orders with incredible speed and accuracy.
Though Pinkie's loud declaration stopped everypony in their tracks, the only sound being the squeaking swing of the sign in the distance, painted white with the words Canopy Oaks etched finely onto it.

"Sore throat!" Primrose exclaimed, the ponies around them all shaking their heads in disapproval.
"Nothing much to see here!"

Pinkie quickly settled back down, letting out a nervous laugh.
"So~wweee."

"So how do you think they would kidnap the ponies, if they do?" Dresden asked.

"Late at night, when nopony's sleeping. Then..."
Charter laid against his chair, pondering for a moment before answering in defeat:
"I don't know."

The six ponies sighed in defeat, absently slacking in their wood recliners.
"Now what?" Harmony asked.

"We need to catch him red-handed, maybe?" Primrose suggested.
"Stay up late at night to watch him in action?"

"You'll never know if anypony of his kin is watching," Charter replied, stirring the cup of tea in his hooves, before gulping down its contents.
"Let's go. We have work to do."

The six ponies rose from their seats, setting off into the forest while thanking the waiters with a nod of their heads.
Dresden tossed a coin to one of the waitresses, making her blush as he gave her a smirk.
"Flatterer," Pinkie said in response with a giggle.

Rattleraw Forest looked more like a little glade with its short trees and tall shrubs, different colored flowers and fruits hanging from the crusted branches above.
"Rattle Pears," Primrose said, reaching for one of the red and yellow striped fruits.
"Known as the Maracas of the North."

"Maracas, huh?"
Gypsum plucked another from the trees, before jiggling it a little, hearing the unmistakable sound of jangling seeds pounding from the inside.
"Cool!"

"There's so much to do here!" Pinkie exclaimed with glee.

"Sure is," Dresden replied with a soft laugh, looking around at the peculiar woodlands around them.
He plucked one of the pears, smashing it against a rock, only to have a thunk in response.
"Hard shells. These are nearly unbreakable."

"The Pariah..." Charter only muttered, making all of them glance at him in confusion.

"Oh snap," Harmony suddenly broke in, turning back to where they came from.
"I forgot my logbook!"

"Don't worry!" Pinkie bounced to her friend, giving her a wide grin though the other mare responded with a roll of her eyes.
"I'll get it for you!"

Before any of them could protest, she raced off, leaving them standing there in the middle of the path.
"Hurry!" Charter shouted. "We have stuff to do!"

"Alright!"

Pinkie hastily bounced through the forest, back down the path they came from, ducking underneath a few, low-hanging branches that threaten to tangle her frizzy mane with each hop she makes.
Canopy Oaks quickly came back into her view, though it looked more empty than usual. She remembered clearly where they sat, down to the way the spoon laid against Charter's teacup and the position of every crumb that they left behind when the six of them snatched for the pastries.
The closer she got there, the more familiar it was. Yet something nudged the pink mare in her head.

Something was wrong. The setting was different.
She could picture it: somepony went through their table.

The logbook wasn't there.

Behind her, the sound of wood grinding against the cobblestone floor almost made her jump.
She quickly turned around, watching the remaining ponies all standing up, gazing towards her direction.
One of them walked up to her, reaching into his pocket.

Pinkie felt a bead of sweat crawl down her skin. That pony... she knew who it was.
Tally Telrouix.

"Miss?" he said with a bow, his hoof handing her a black book.
She gasped quietly. They had Harmony's logbook!
"I believe your friend had misplaced this?"

"S-She did!" the pink mare exclaimed, letting out a nervous laugh.
"I can't believe you found this! She wouldn't want to leave home without it! It's becoming more of a close friend to her, in fact an even closer friend than I would ever be, so if you would kindly hand it back-"

There was a loud clang, Pinkie collapsing to the floor with her head pounding, pain erupting from her skull.
She reached out, trying to crawl to the side with one hoof, the other clutching tightly onto her temple, before a second blow slammed onto her head again, destroying any means of escaping.

The last thing she saw was blood stained onto her hoof, a third blow leaving her unconscious.

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Pinkie let out a groan, her eyes slowly opening in a blurry haze of light.
Her head still pounded painfully, the distinctive leaking of blood crawling down her neck evident to her.

She glanced around frantically in the darkness, with only a few seams of light seeping in from the cracks in front of her. Her body tried to nudge around, though the ropes and the tight space she was in prevented any sort of movement.
Without hesitation, she let out a cry, muffled by the tight gag around her mouth. Her hind hooves kicked about, hearing the loud knock of wood in response.

"Awake already, miss?"

The deep voice startled her, coming from the outside of the tight compartment she's in.
Suddenly, a pair of eyes flashed into the cracks, making Pinkie kick back in surprise, gasping in fear.

She recognized those eyes: the red flare of anger and morbidity, the cold, sordid expression it wore.
"Tally Telrouix," she thought to herself.

"I'm glad you could come to celebrate the occasion!" the unicorn exclaimed with pride, knocking against the hard surface of wood.
"You seemed to have awaken at the wrong time though."

Pinkie tried to spit the gag out, wanting to shout vulgarities at him. Her mane flattened, covering one side of her face, hiding the tears of fear creeping down her cheek.
"No matter, though." he replied with a chuckle.
"It seems to be your problem right now."

She felt her body lift as the compartment was hoisted upwards, nearly knocking her against the nailed surface while she lied flat on it like a bed, feeling every bump on the journey.
"What is your name, Miss?" Tally asked from the outside.

Pinkie didn't want to answer. In fact, she couldn't even answer, judging from the tight gag around her mouth.
"I almost forgot about that!" the stallion exclaimed with a hearty, yet demented laugh.
"The gag I placed! Sometimes, I wonder why I pester you with all this talking when you couldn't even give a subtle reply."

She strained her hooves, trying to undo her knots without any success.
Out of frustration, she kicked the wooden bottom, feeling herself tilt downwards at an angle at the distinctive sound of hoof against the granite stone of the stairs.

"Would you happen to have the curiosity to know of what will happen to you, Miss?"

That immediately made her ears perk. She gave out a muffled cry in response, only making the unicorn laugh at her devastation.
"The same thing that happens to everypony else."

The loud patter of rain showered against the wood, with some of it leaking through the cracks. Just faintly behind it all was the distinctive fold of an umbrella as they were led into the rain.
Pinkie could see the full moon shining brightly in the nocturnal shower, the somewhat mesmerizing silhouette of a unicorn seemingly laughing at her destitute state.

"I assure you," Tally's voice rose in volume, nearly drowning out by the heavy rainfall.
"You could say the economy is like a gamble in my casino: profoundly a huge gain if successful, destructively a heavy loss if you fail. Not to mention how horribly exciting it can be."

Tally continued as the pink mare felt herself being lowered down... into what?
"Along the way, there are some ponies that try to ruin your reputation. They venture too far into conspiracies, some true, some false, stirred by the community we tycoons reside in. Envious in their own kind, they will go at any lengths to stop our fruitful harvest that we have endured with unwavering patience to gain."

"So we've decided to think one step ahead."

Pinkie paled with horror at the sound of shoveling dirt and mud, scattering across like garnish on top.
"Like many before you, you and your friends are in the midst of ruining the hardship my family has righteously obtained to make the Devil's Luck the franchise it is today. And I won't let that happen. Starting with you."

With one last, powerful breath, she spat her gag out, hanging it down like a neck scarf.
"Please!" she shouted. "Let me go! Let me go and I won't tell anypony! Just let me go!"

"I'm afraid you would have to rescue yourself, though I must admit I'm impressed that you managed to get the gag off."
The shoveling of dirt stopped, followed by the clunk of rubber onto the surface of wood.
"Many ponies couldn't even open their eyes after I plopped them into their coffin."

Pinkie twisted her hooves around, trying in vain to free herself from the tight strangle of the ropes around her hooves. She grunted fiercely and forcefully, kicking against the bottom of the coffin.
"Send my regards to my ancestors in heaven," Tally said with a morbid chuckle.
"Adieu, mon amie."

The hose erupted with water, quickly seeping through the cracks as Pinkie pounded and thrashed furiously in her tight chamber, the ropes holding her tight. Some of it flowed across her face, making her cough and gag with a little trickling into her throat.
The water mixed with the sawdust and dirt below her, the muddy mixture starting to fill up the wooden coffin. The pink mare held one last breath, before her entire being was submerged into the rising, sloppy mixture.

Her flat mane flowed like waves, though she couldn't bother to admire as she hastily tried to push up the lid, exerting all her force and straining some of her tendons in the process.
A small cluster of bubbles flow out of her mouth, only painfully reminding her how much time she has left.

*BANG*

Despite being muffled, the faint sound of the gunshot could be heard, as well as shouts and cries. The coffin rumbled suddenly, with something pushing it down slowly like quicksand into the depths of the soil, only making her efforts on breaking free more frantic.
Pinkie tried to push again, yet her hooves collapsed, floating freely in the tight space of water. Her vision blurred, her energy used up as she closed her eyes, indulging into the slow, melancholic sensation of death taking her into his wings without any further struggle.

She felt water rush down her throat, the last of the air bubbles floating up with the coffin still sinking into the mud.
Without any strength left, she fell into the darkness, still wrangled by the ropes around her.

The coffin lid suddenly blasted open, the water quickly gushing out as the unconscious Pinkie was brought back into the world once more, raised upwards right in the hooves of...
"Pinkie!" Primrose cried amidst the gunshots and shouts overhead, trying to shake her out.
"Pinkie! Wake up!"

"She's not responding!" Dresden exclaimed, returning the hail of bullets fired from the estate.

"Get her to safety!" Charter barked.
"The police and I can hold them off!"

The two ponies lifted her up onto their backs, placing her down only when they reached the cottages in town.
"Pinkie!" Primrose tried again, trying to brush off the spots of mud and dirt on her face. Her flat, dark pink mane was drenched in the rain as well, tangled in a disheveled mess across her cheeks.
"Pinkie, don't give up on us now!"

The loud sirens wailed as tires skidded to a halt, prompting Dresden to gallop off towards the vehicle.
The caramel mare just hugged Pinkie tighter with a loud sniffle, letting go only when the witch doctor returned with a stretcher. She whispered into her ear, before watching helplessly as the ambulance quickly skidded off.

"Please be safe..."

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"Pinkie..."

Gypsum's voice echoed with devastation at the pink mare before her, who was all tangled up in tubes and wires. She had watched her friend nearly drown in a coffin, not being able to sleep for one whole night.
The five Voyagers were all shaken up by her sudden disappearance and near-death experience, their relief only immersed in their despair.
"Pinkie...? Come on..."

"It's my fault," Harmony said, throwing her hooves up with a small sob.
"If... If I h-haven't left my logbook there in the first place..."

"Calm down, Harmony. It wasn't anypony's fault."
Charter bit his lip as the mare cried in his shoulder. He turned to the others, his words steeling with determination yet quivering with doubt.
"She must not know about this."

"Know about what?" Primrose asked.

"What Tally had done to her. Before all of this."
The pegasus flapped his wings nervously, glancing at Pinkie.
"I've checked through the Telrouix's journals, alright? It seems that he had something to do with Pinkie's past."

"What do you mean?" Dresden quipped with concern.
"When the Princess found her on the street like that?"

"Tally Telrouix was working for a pony. A pony that demanded a staggering price."
Charter held his breath, before continuing:
"I've done a little research on her past. It seems her father was under this same, unknown pony as well."

"So you're saying that the Telrouix might have an allegiance with this mystery pony?"
Primrose turned back to Pinkie, before muttering:
"She has to know."

"I beg your pardon?"

"She has to know!" the caramel mare shot back at Charter, slamming her hooves onto the side table.
"It was this pony that caused all the death. This pony took her family away! Can you imagine that?"

The pegasus just gave a cold stare.
"She has no right to know of anything."

"She deserves the right to know!"
Primrose clenched her hooves, her shoulders tensing up as she glared at her companion.
"Everypony must know that-!"

"She HAS no need to know of it!"
Charter's booming voice cut her off immediately, only making her freeze onto the spot.
"You know what she would do to us! We all do!"

"That doesn't mean we have to sweep everything under the rug!"
Tears fell from the caramel mare's eyes, her voice raised as she shouted:
"She's a pony that suffered through a dark tragedy, Charter! Something all of us would've crumbled upon. We've seen her talking about it, raving about it like some madpony. Never had I seen such a happy pony stung this painfully deep before!"

The whole room was silenced, the only sounds being Primrose panting and the beeps of the monitor.
"I was devastated to see my sister go. But it was natural. All of it was natural, not intentional as what happened to-"

"I had friends that were killed as well, Prim," Charter responded grimly.
"One of them was killed by this same pony. This. Very. Same. Pony."

Again, silence filled the air, as the pegasus continued:
"I had to subdue his wife from whipping and lashing her insanity at their only daughter. She was my oldest friend, and the dearest one I had ever had. Now she's chained up and locked in an asylum, never having a chance of seeing her daughter again."

The remaining of them were all stunned, unable to speak.
"I vow to stop this pony at every cost possible. In fact, I wouldn't mind just spitting out the truth to Pinkie." Charter said grimly, pointing at their unconscious, pink friend.
"But I won't risk destroying her already fragile heart and reminding her again of her painful past."

He turned to Primrose, who was hanging her head low with guilt.
With one last, quick breath, he muttered a question to the caramel mare, before stepping out of the room:

"Would you?"

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Present Day





"Well, ah'll believe ya. But just this once."

"In the meantime, get Apple Bloom some milk! Silly filly's crying all day!"

"Stay here!"

"What happened?!"

"Why?!"

Applejack awoke with a gasp, gripping fearfully onto the sheets draped over her.

She frantically glanced around, letting out a relieved sigh. She was still in the Princess's bedroom, safe and sound, away from the torment of the nightmare in her sleep.
Kanov'hin slept soundly before him, the majestic creature curled up in his deep slumber. An aura of peace seemed to glow around him, flaring him in the brilliance of the night.

She tried to shut her eyes, but the ravaging nightmare of her past quickly flooded back into her.
The wagon... the flames... the screams... they were too vivid.

With a tremble of her hooves, the orange mare reached for the mug of water at her nightstand, giving the cold contents a small sip, before lying back onto the bed.
Applejack tossed and turned, trying to focus on the better things: Apple Bloom, Big Mac's recent relationship with Fluttershy...

She forced her eyes shut, yet the nightmare pounced upon her once more, only making her eyes flutter open.
Cold sweat started to drip from her neck, her teeth grinding against each other with fear.

The orange mare rose from the bed, silently striding towards the dragon.
She bit her lip. A part of her was shouting that this was a bad idea. Every pony knows that it's insane to wake up a sleeping dragon, especially one such as Kanov'hin.

"Kane?" she whispered loudly.

The dragon's eyes tensed in his sleep, before relaxing.
"Kane?" Applejack tried again.

There was a grumble, before the dragon opened his eyes. He seemed to glare at first, only to soften at the sight of the orange mare before her.
"It's only you," he said gently. "What is it?"

"Kane... Ah had this nightmare... and... um..."
Applejack felt like smacking herself. How could she lose the words she wanted to say at the wrong time?
"Ah... was j-just wondering... if you don't mind..."

"You wanted a little companionship of some sort?" the dragon finished her sentence, earning a silent nod from the pony, who stepped forward without any question.
"Well... if you insist."

She huddled above the dragon's claws, muttering out a soft 'thank you' before resting her head onto his back.
Kanov'hin just gave her a serene smile, before returning back to his slumber.

The night dragged on, almost too smoothly, until Applejack's eyes flipped open again, only fifteen minutes from her previous awakening.
"Gah..." she cursed under her breath.
"Snap out of it, Applejack. It was only a darn nightmare."

"You seem to be having trouble."

Kanov'hin's voice startled her, nearly making her kick her hooves in response.
"Heh... yeah..." she replied, giving him a sheepish grin.

"Mind telling me what is going on in your head?"
The dragon held his breath, Applejack now fumbling her lips around, before he tried again:
"I promise a dragon's oath I won't tell any other living soul. Not even if the Princess forces me to."

"Ya sure about that?" she asked skeptically.

"Promise."

Applejack held her breath, before saying:
"Al-Alright..."

She then began her story: how she broke the rake, the one that her father was searching for, how she told a few lies and hid the snapped tool in the barn, how the wagon rolled off the hill and crashed into their household...
"And my father just ran in..." the orange mare said with a sniffle. "Apple Bloom was rescued. My grandmother as well... but he... my mother... th-they..."

She broke down, crying softly in Kanov'hin's claws, the dragon only able to watch helplessly.
"If..." she managed to gasp. "If I hadn't lied..."

"You wouldn't have known it would happen."
Kanov'hin's statement surprised her, even more so by the calm and assuring demeanor of his usually brash and deep voice.
"They would've been proud to see their daughter now," he said with a laugh. "Being able to tame a dragon."

Applejack chuckled along, leaning against his smooth scales.
Her heart tingled with warmth at his joke, though there was still despair dwindling in her gut, aching painfully with need of another happy smile.
If only Pinkie were here...

"Kane?" she called to the dragon, beckoning him to turn.
"Do you... think they'll be happy... with everything that's happening?"

The dragon stopped short, before his tongue slithered and hissed with uncertainty.
"I really haven't have the slightest idea, but they would always be happy for you."

Applejack smiled, a small tear flowing down her eye.
What happened next was unexpected to the both of them.

In a flash, she slammed her lips against the dragon, making him widen his eyes in surprise. She just savored his scaly lips, her tongue entrenched within his sharp fangs as it penetrated into his mouth.
His eyes were half-lidded, then slowly closed with pleasure. Out of instinct, his claw reached to the mare's back, bringing her closer into his embracing wings.

The two kissed, the moon shining brightly behind them. Applejack moaned with pleasure and a little pain from the fangs grazing her lips. She squeaked even louder, feeling the tingle of sharp claws running down her neck.
The dragon growled with a graceful sensuality, his snake-like tongue entwined with the mare's in a lusty twirl. It wasn't before they broke their kiss with saliva dangling down their chins that the mare realized what she had done.

"No... No, no, no..."
Applejack tossed her hooves, shaking her head with a groan.
"This never happened... please Celestia, tell me this never happened."

"Applejack?" Kanov'hin called out in concern.
"Are you alright?"

"Alright? Alright?!"
She felt infuriated by this. What was she thinking? Kissing a stubborn moron like him!
"Ah'm not alright, Kane! Ah just... just... kissed you!"

"But we-"

"But we- nothing!" she snapped, stomping back to the bed.
"Now go to sleep before Ah kick you in your shins again!"

"Fine!" he snarled, shifting his wings away.
"I thought we had something! I thought, from the look in your eyes, that you were interested. Because I wouldn't even mind snapping my own neck to at least spend some time with you!"

Applejack just draped the blanket over her, clenching her eyes shut as Kanov'hin continued scowling:
"I was thankful that you made me realize what I've done! I was upset that Death played his cards in such a brutal and tormenting manner that he chose your parents next!"

"I... I love you, alright Applejack?"

The orange mare let out a quiet gasp, though the dragon's next words stopped her from responding:
"I... I thought you loved me too... guess I was wrong."

With another growl, Kanov'hin turned away, leaving her in a state of confusion and shock.
She bit her lip, trying not to think about the storm of emotions in her head. Was she feeling the same way?

"Am Ah fallin' in love... with a dragon?"