//------------------------------// // Chapter 5: Learning the ropes // Story: P.O.N.I.E.S: Shadow of Canterlot // by GoldenGust //------------------------------// An old purple door creaked open to reveal a room in stark contrast to the messy and unkempt workshop Silver was in before. Rarity's portion of the shop was neat, almost clean enough to make you forget where you were. The only thing that betrayed the spotlessness was the old, rotten floorboards that had been expertly covered with assorted hoof-made rugs. Silver looked around in bewilderment. Rows and rows of tables, all with organised armour pieces, started with assorted fabrics and metals on a table to the far left and ended with finished clothing on the right; you could see every step of the process. Rarity weaved past the tables to a small, half-workstation, half-living space at the back left of the room. Silver traced her hoof steps through the room, being extra careful not to disturb the balance of the room. Rarity lifted some armour in her magic and slipped behind a relatively well-preserved screen. "This thing has holes in it, no peaking, darling" Rarity joked as a cacophony of rustling clothes came from behind the screen. Silver let a chuckle escape his lips, and a small grin emerged on his face. He found himself looking around the makeshift living quarters. Hmm. Nothing too out of the ordinary—a bed, an end table. Huh, she keeps lots of photos. These look old. This one is of her and Sweetie Belle in some sort of fashion shop; I assume this is her old home. Huh, it doesn't look too different from here, just brighter. There's an orange pony in this one, wearing a cowboy hat, on a beach somewhere. They look happy. And this one is- "Enjoying yourself?" Rarity's voice was calm. "When I said don't peek, that wasn't an invitation to go rummaging through my things," Rarity teased. She wasn't angry; she wore a smile as she made her way next to Silver, now clad in a dark brown, heavy-armored coat. A gas mask hung just under her muzzle, and the hood folded back behind her neck. "I-I'm sorry" Silver stuttered, looking away embarrassed, "I guess I'm still in detective mode" "Don't worry about it, darling. It's not like my past is a secret or anything." Rarity floated the final picture frame that Silver was looking at to herself and stared at it fondly. It depicted six ponies on a green hill set against a backdrop of a clear blue sky. In the middle was Twilight Sparkle. Just below her was a yellow pony with pink hair and a shy but content smile. To the left of her was Rarity, looking much brighter and less tattered than she was now, and to the right was the same orange pony that was in the beach photo. Over Twilight's right shoulder was a pink pony who radiated joy, and to Twilight's left was a blue pony with a confident, almost arrogant smile. Rarity continued to look at the photo, reminiscing on times long gone. "Back when the world was simpler. You didn't have to be worried about if the shadow up ahead was friend or foe." Rarity tore herself away from the photo and placed it back on the end table. "How long have you been a detective?" Rarity asked as she turned to the countertop, pulling open an organized drawer of bullets. "Since I got my cutie mark. I was always inquisitive as a colt." Silver engaged in her small talk happily. "I was wondering about your cutie mark. You can tell a lot about a pony from their flank. But yours puzzled me. Seems simple enough. A magnifying glass, but why is it broken?" Rarity asked, placing her large caliber revolver on the countertop to give it a clean. Silver stopped for a moment, lost in thought. "Darling?" Rarity uttered while looking back at him, still rubbing some gun oil over the cylinders of her weapon. "Lots of ponies have wonderful stories about their cutie marks. Mine is... different," Silver struggles to find his words. He sighs softly. "I think if anypony would understand, it's you. You felt it, didn't you? When shit hits the fan here, that... shattering of the glass and peeling back of the curtain. Happiness and friendship took a backseat too. This, and you can't ever go back." As Silver talked, Rarity nodded in understanding. "I was able to bust some pretty major criminal activity in Vanhoover, and after years of not getting my cutie mark, I finally did. When I saw my father in hoof-cuffs, I saw his criminal empire shatter over a few months. It was my doing. I pieced everything together but I didn't want to believe it. I thought my father was a good pony." Silver trailed off, staring into space. "And after that, it wasn't the same?" Rarity offered her sympathy as she slid her revolver into a holster that covered about half of her cutie mark. "I enjoyed my work. I still do; it was just... The world was a little darker," Silver admitted. "But I can't imagine how you must feel. The fashion world is certainly more drab outside of the zone now." Silver joked to lighten the mood. Rarity smiled and flicked her hair. "Well, of course, darling!" Rarity smiled smugly. "I always bring an exorbitant amount of sophistication and style, even in a drab location like this." Even with the sarcasm, there was a hint of pride in her voice. She continued to collect some assorted items like binoculars and food, but what stood out was a small pouch seemingly filled with random bolts and spent shell casings. "What are those for?" Silver inquired, tilting his head slightly. "Anomalies. Concentrations of magical energy cover the zone. It pools together and forms otherworldly hazards. The best way you can deal with them is to avoid them, and step one is figuring out where they are." Rarity opens and throws the small bag to Silver, who catches it in his magic. "You hear something odd or smell something weird? Throw a bolt at it. If nothing happens, you can continue. If something does happen, well, you know where not to go now." She collects another bag of bolts and stores it in her saddlebag. "I'm sure Sweetie won't mind me borrowing her set for today." Rarity smiled and moved her way past Silver, "I need to collect some medical supplies from the hospital, but first!" Rarity trotted her way over to the right of the room, looking through her finished projects before landing her eyes on Silver's armoured coat. It took him a second to recognize it; it had been refurbished and modified. Rarity made her way back with a skip in her trot and floated the coat over to Silver; he took it from her, admiring it. "It didn't look this good, new!" Silver admitted with a beaming smile. "Of course it does! It is my job to make things look magnifique~" Rarity chuckled and bowed. "Now go get changed! I want to see if I got the fit right. It was difficult to get your measurements without making your injuries worse," Rarity admitted as Silver slipped behind the screen. The armour fit snugly. It felt more robust and protective but didn't interfere with his movement like it used to. Silver strutted out from behind the screen with confidence in his step, which made Rarity roll her eyes and smile. "You look ravishing, darling," Rarity looked over her work. "Does it fit okay?" "It's perfect. It's an odd sensation. The coat is heavier but simultaneously easier to move in." Silver looked over himself before Rarity floated over a gas mask. "Some tweaks to weight distribution make the balance better. This should finish your ensemble. Not pretty but necessary." Rarity helped the gas mask over Silver's head; it hung down under his chin like hers did. "Come on, I need to get a few more things then we can set off." Rarity led Silver out of her workshop back onto the main floor of the shop where Bit and Sweetie Belle were waiting. "Heading out soon, hmm?" Bit smiled as he looked at Silver. "Well, I'll be damned! You look like you belong." Bit's words made Silver smile shyly. Bit slid a pouch of his namesake across the counter to Silver. "A bit of capital to get you started, don't say I don't do anything for ya." "I'll be handling medical while you are away, sis," Sweetie leaned against the counter with a worried smile. "Remember to call and please stay safe." Sweetie trotted her way over to Rarity for a hug. They held their embrace for a while. Rarity pulled away and pressed her forehead to Sweetie's. "I can handle myself, Sweetie darling. I won't get hurt again," Rarity promised with conviction as she pulled away gently from the embrace. She gestured for Silver to follow her. Silver followed Rarity to the main door of the shop. Rarity looked back and smiled before opening the door and heading out. Silver felt more confident as he walked alongside Rarity back to the hospital. Rarity looked over to Silver. "Bit is right, you know. You look oddly at home." "Well, as is said back in your workshop, it's almost comforting knowing someone else feels the same way I feel about the world. Is that selfish? It sounds selfish." Silver rubbed the back of his neck to calm his nerves. Rarity nodded in understanding. "Sweetie seemed worried about you. You two family?" Silver asked. Rarity nodded. "My little sister. The last time I went out, I got pretty badly hurt, so she's on edge," Rarity openly explained. "Trust me, if I come back hurt, you will have bigger problems than the end of the world as we know it. Speaking of disaster scenarios, I hope you find what you are looking for in there." Rarity gave a determined smile to the stallion. "You know, I have a feeling what we are looking for is in that bakery," Silver offered his hypothesis. "Normally concentrations of Psy energy like that mean artifacts. So even if we find what we need, I would recommend giving it a look." Rarity nodded to herself. "Of course, we are going to need some lead-lined containers. We can pick them up at the rock farm." "Artifacts?" Silver questioned, his ears perking up. Rarity smiled and chuckled at his reaction. "Seeing bits already, huh? I can make a PONY out of you yet." Rarity teased before continuing. "Artifacts are objects formed when anomalies cluster together. Scientists pay a lot for them. Vital research. Artifacts mean bits. Bits mean supplies. Supplies lead to more artifacts. It's a lucrative cycle. If you can get your hooves on them, that is. Some P.O.N.I.E.S claim they even give you abilities." Rarity explained theatrically. Silver was listening intently. "Noted," Silver nodded as they arrived at the hospital. Rarity pushed open the schoolhouse door into the makeshift infirmary. The creaks of the floorboards filled the quiet hospital, filling the air with an eerie tension. The tension was broken by the nonchalant rummaging of Rarity through medical supplies. "Let's see... Bandages, First aid kits, Anti-rads, steroids just in case, Morphine, and some psy-block." As Rarity talked, she used her magic to pick up an amount of each item and split them evenly between the two pony companions. "That seems to be everything. I wouldn't want to take all of the supplies from Sweetie. Although..." Rarity sighed dejectedly as she looked over the field of empty hospital beds. Silver followed her eyes and understood. He stood there with Rarity in silence before she spoke up. "It's a blessing and a curse, I suppose. I was just happy to have somepony to work on. Ponies around here just tend to die before I see them." Rarity took a pair of forceps in her magic, twirling them around absentmindedly. "You saved me. That's got to mean something, right?" Silver's words overflowed with gratitude, causing Rarity to give back a smile. "I was just in the right place at the right time, darling," Rarity put the forceps in her saddlebag along with some other surgical tools. "I hope I won't need to use these, but an unprepared pony is a dead one." She had regained some light to her voice as she flicked her head, beckoning Silver to follow. "I'm not done playing teacher yet. How about we see if that horn of yours can handle any simple combat and utility spells." Rarity led Silver out of the rear exit of the school into a dilapidated playground. "You can comfortably levitate things, that's good. Now, try to cast a light spell." Silver nodded and focused. By now, some of the power had returned to his horn, causing his conjured light to be brighter than he had expected. Rarity let out a sigh of relief. "It doesn't hurt either, although the cracks make me feel nervous." Rarity nodded and took a mental note as she turned to face an old, worn, and rotten tree. "Research isn't my forte, but from what I know, police unicorns were taught some basic combat spells. You were taught how to do a simple magic bolt, right?" Silver searched the grand archives of his brains. "It's been a while. With everything going on, not many ponies have been committing crimes," Silver admitted as he got his memories together. He shook his head and slowed his breathing. He focused his magic into the tip of his horn; this time it stung like a rotten tooth. He was able to launch a crystal white bolt into the old tree, burning a small hole into it. Rarity had noticed the wince and puff of the stallion. "Don't push yourself, darling. Try to limit your combat magic use. Utility is usually less taxing. It's not like we are going to be teleporting to Canterlot anytime soon. Speaking of teleportation. Due to the damage to your horn, I doubt you will be able to. If you couldn't before, great! you aren't missing anything." Rarity did one final check on her gear as she spoke. "I've always enjoyed long walks anyway," Silver stated, making his way closer to Rarity. "Anything else? Or are we just procrastinating at this point?" Rarity playfully scoffed. "I have never procrastinated..." Rarity's eyes shifted from side to side. "...intentionally." Both Rarity and Silver chuckled together for a moment before Rarity spun on her hooves and started in a direction. "Ok. Let's get this over with. We have a long walk to Ponyville. The path the PDAs are going to take us is relatively safe, but do stay aware." Silver trotted briskly to walk next to his new traveling companion. It felt odd. A place so full of fog and darkness was starting to feel like home.