//------------------------------// // Episode 2 - Prologue (Rework) // Story: Professor Whooves Adventures // by Op7 //------------------------------// 1003 ALB The sunlight found in Equestria was a bit different than everywhere else. There was a certain magic to it, as it was less oppressive in many ways than it was elsewhere. And today, was certainly no exception. It fell bright upon the city of Manehattan. Celestias sunlight reflected on the long glass surfaces of its tall buildings. Some piercing the sky, in scope and scale. A faint crack appearing, reflected in the glass of one such building, in the sky. A strange fog, a clear mist, wafting from it. Sifting, and spreading across the buildings, and the ponies going about their days. The crack sealing itself shortly after. The mist however, seemed to result in the city falling out of sync with itself, dozens of the same city appearing. Flickering alongside one another, in vastly different arrangements. Stretching, and twisting into themselves. This effect was noticed by a pair of brown eyes that had been drawing a needle upon fabrics in a shop somewhere. Sitting in place that was cluttered with activity, and chatter. No sooner had it begun, than it ended, the room and interior having vanished, the weaver displaced. A breath being let out, beneath the sunny sky. Shaking off the peculiar moment, the needle was again held by a stable hoof, and watchful eyes. Stitch by stich, pulling together the loose bits of fabric. Drawing them shut at the ends, concluding with an observation of a dark blue patch fabric. Presently placed over the center of a light blue plaid scarf. It was then brought up, tied onto the neck of a pink earth pony, with a messy purple mane. The needle being set to the side on the street, inside a small box there. A low tired yawn escaping her. The mare's expression was blank, her dull brown eyes empty and tired. Taking a moment, she pat either side of her face, and blinked a few times. Briefly pushing at the sides of her lips, and cheeks. After a moment, observing herself in a small mirror stationed just to the side of her. Finding a slightly off smile on her face. Adjusting it slightly, it came to look a bit more natural. The mare reaching out to pick up her mirror, only for a movement to knock it onto the ground. Kicked into the center of the side-walk. She stared blankly, and observed as bit by bit, ponies passed. Trampling over it, shattering the mirror with no real regard to its presence, or the breaking pieces. Merely passing her by, as if she didn't exist. The mare maintained her empty smile, sitting on an old rug. A bunch of clothes placed on the space beside her. Various jackets, scarves, a hat. One or two individuals observing it, but nobody stopping to buy anything. Nobody bothering to ask, as she watched her mirror be knocked around, and crushed to glass dust. A Pegasus approached, a mare with a crimson coat, and black mane. Her eyes golden in color. Wearing a jacket, as dark as her mane. The pink mare, with the purple mane glancing up. "You look to be having a rough day." The Pegaus noted. "Hey, out of curiosity, are you Suri Polomare?" "Yes I am." Suri replied. "Have we met before?" "Oh, I just saw you at a show once." The pegasus smiled softly. "I just wanted to say, you're a real piece of trash. But I'm sure you know that, right?" She snickered softly. "I mean, seriously, how many ponies did you trample on your way to the top? How many did you steal from?" She continued. "How many lives did you ruin for your own success?" She got no immediate response. "Seriously, don't you have anything to say for yourself?" Suri let out a breath, still wearing the smile. "I have no idea what you might mean. Or accept the implication I 'destroyed lives' at all." She let out a practiced laugh, using her poshest accest. "If you mean the contest. That was-" "Wow, ya know you should just stop. Your lies as as fake as your accent." The pegasus replied, glaring. "You're not fooling anypony, ya know? It's why nopony will stop be your 'shop.' Because we all know you're an undeserving parasite." She noted. "Enjoy your punishment." With that barrage of 'commentary' the Pegasus wandered off. Suri watching her go, the practiced smile she wore, seeming to wave. Yet, there she remained, sitting beside an empty building, watching the people pass her by. Like she was invisible. Time ticking, the sun drifting, steadily moving to sunset. The number of passersby decreasing gradually. The first ebbs of night starting to encroach upon the world below. Suri had yet remained upright, her smile having faded by this point. Her resolve to continue for the day crumbled, as rest and temporary relief from consciousness beckoned her. Empty eyes, unblinking beneath her loose and messy mane, as she set about gathering her things. "Can't believe that." Someone muttered, barely audible to her. "I literally, just got this." The hoof steps stopped nearby. "Excuse me, miss?" Suri was still putting her things up. When she picked up the box of her tailoring supplies, she heard a little huff at her side. Ear twitching, pulling her attention to the sight of someone waiting there. "Huh, oh, what?" Suri blinked. "Yeah?" Before her, was a light blue mare, with a white and blue mane and tail. She was wearing a long white jacket made of an unknown material that was soft looking, but a bit glossy around the seems. It seemed to have a tear along the sleeve that strongly resembled claw marks. The stranger offering a small smile, and a wave. "Hello. I'm sorry to wake you up, I just had a question about the uhm..things here." The Professor motioned. "I suppose you happen to make this things, or that they're perhaps for sale?" "Well no s-." Suri replied, shaking herself away. "Actually, heh, they are. Hello, are you... looking for something to add to your ensemble?" She asked in her posh tone. "Perhaps a new scarf, or jacket, I have a couple." "Wonderful, and actually, I was curious if you did repairs." The Professor explained, while removing the jacket, stumbling some. "I had erm, hang on-" She sat down properly, and pulled a mechanical looking cylinder from the jackets pocket. "Well I was hoping to get this stitched up. See I was-" She held the device in her teeth and properly removed the jacket. "trhn ta git ta the capital. Wrong svish, n then I'm n sphasch. Run inta a sphasch bear too." She removed the sonic from her mouth, the jacket folded up some. "Didn't imagine I'd meet something like that, but there it was. All big and bear-y, in space." Suri barely paid attention. She was quite used to rambling peoples, knowing well to simply let them. Drowning it out, while waiting for her opportunity to progress things. All while taking the opportunity to wake herself up more, gathering what would be needed to stitch the jacket. "A space bear. Wow, that sure sounds interesting." Suri responded, noticing the pause. "Regarding the jacket. I'm more than able to commit any repairs you seek. Though this is fairly damaged. Okay?" She laughed her practiced laugh. "So it may cost just a little bit extra." "That's perfectly fine. Admittedly, I'd have done it myself, but my ship is being temperamental." The Professor replied. "So, how much are we talking exactly?" She took a pouch that jingled from the pocket. "This planet uses bits as a currency, correct?" Suri drew a breath, and replied. "Yes. We here on this...planet...do." "Ah, wonderful, then I can cover it. Sometimes I get a bit mixed up, which can be incredibly awkward." The Professor snickered. "Especially when you were just attempting to visit the library, and instead stumbled into space bears, and got married to, and divorced from a living nightmare. Who, admittedly, is a big softie, and an incredible snuggler...maybe I'll call them back actually...nice to have the company." She paused. "What was I doing? Oh right, well that jacket there is 15. I suppose the cost of repair would be about the same, yes?" Suri stared at the strange, mad-mare before her. She presumed this individual was crazy, and had perhaps escaped an asylum somewhere. Then again, if she had bits, it wasn't her problem. "Yes." Suri kept her smile, sighing. "I th- "If I give you 20, can I watch you fix it?" The Professor asked. "Just, observe directly?" Suri glanced to the side. "Ah, if this is out of doubt, due to those rumors-" Her smile wavering, as the accent faded briefly. "they're not all true. I can at least stitch a stupid jacket." The blue mare raised a brow, as Suri cleared her throat, and re-adopted her accent. "I-I mean, of course. Certainly." "What rumors would those be?" The Professor asked, taking a seat while passing her jacket over. "Sorry, like I said, my ship is being temperamental, and I'm sort of stuck in town doing maintenance. Only arrived today. What's going on?" "Oh, you're a traveler. And, definitely...not from around here." Suri reminded herself. "I am not no, not in the slightest." The Professor smiled some. "Did the accent give it away?" She added. "Cuz, between you and me, it's nice talking in a way you're comfortable. Like, when you were using your real accent, which, for the record, sounded much better." Suri flinched, and replied. "If you're going to be rude, I won't stitch your jacket." She stated, glaring. "I still have some dignity, you know?" "Rude, I'm not being rude. I don't think I'm being rude?" The Professor said quickly, considering. "I mean it sincerely, genuinely. Your fake accent, that one you put on with the...higher tone and all that. it's rubbish compared to the real thing." She reasoned, adding. "Real one's marvelous, could listen to it for hours." "I..." Suri hesitated. "I may have offended you. Right. I can sometimes be quite poor at conversational and social queues." The Professor admitted, thinking. "So, to re-shift a bit, would you be alright with me watching you sew?" "You were...serious?" Suri let the accept slip. "I mean, alright. For 20 bits, sure...but I mean, honestly-" She shrugged, and readopted her posher accept. "it is quite a privilege to watch a weaver work. Most wouldn't offer such a thing. Okay?" She let out the practiced laugh. "So maybe 25 bits is a bit more fair, considering." "Sounds like a deal." The Professor replied with a friendly smile. Suri was dumbfounded the stranger simply agreed to this. It was easily the simplest con she'd had in months. Well, it was the only one she'd had in months, given most nopony would talk to her. All she had to do was some stitching, and repair, easy. She gathered her needle, and thread, noticing that The Professor was simply sitting there patiently. Observing the wound in the jacket, she found it wasn't honestly that bad. For 25 bits, she could stitch it a dozen times over, on something far more serious. In addition, it was an easily mended tear, in that it was a clean slice. Like it had been magically cut by the 'space bear.' She didn't bother to ask, it wasn't wise with oddities like that. Stitch by stich it drew nearer to completion. Sealing up the claw mark with quick movements. Snipping the thread after securing it properly. The act of this, seeming to leave the blue mare absolutely transfixed in a fashion that was, frankly peculiar to Suri. "How did...it doesn't seem possible." The Professor muttered near the end. "How in world do these blasted things work?" She glanced over her own hoof, and then shook her head. "Thank you honestly, for well, everything." She laughed a little bit. "That was amazing." "Uhm, yeah, cool?" Suri raised a brow, and found 25 bits set before her. "I'm glad you...enjoyed, and you're welcome." "I would love to pick your brain on how to replicate, even a portion of that ability." The Professor told her, before pausing. "Hmm?" There was a sound that filled the air, like a whoorshing, whoorbling sort of thing. It was echoing from somewhere nearby, and seemed to inspire irritation, and confusion in the client. The reason, quite unknown. "Something wrong?" Suri asked. "Nothing. Right. It was lovely meeting you." The Professor said, taking back the jacket. "I'm afraid I have to get going." "Fine?" Suri half-asked, as the other mare threw on the jacket, and put the weird wand in the pocket. "Not like I do conversations anyways." The Professor promptly hurried off. Making a point to move across the street, and away. Suri briefly noticing that someone else had rounded the corner to her left. A stallion wearing a long scarf, seeming quite pleased to be wandering about. Possibly someone the stranger knew, not that she cared personally. The pink pony pulled the bits over, and smiled to herself more genuinely. It had been awhile since she really had any money to speak of, and longer since one of her little cons proved efficient. She almost felt bad about it, but then again, the crazy mare did it to herself. The stallion simply wandered past her, as Suri laid down. She felt very at peace that night. Dreaming of the food, and shower she intended to get the following day.