Kindling. So, this is obviously Wrath. I'd have to be an idiot to not be able to figure that out. I was a little nervous talking to him, like I stated before, one wrong word and things could get ugly. He definitely seemed like a violent pony, that was for sure. I saw that his left eye was uncontrollably twitching with fury. I was a little clueless right about now.
"Please listen ta me! You're one a' the ponies that we've been lookin' fer." He raised an eyebrow at me, even though the scowl on his face had only grown.
"What are you talking about?" He growled, his eyes piercing into mine. I felt like I was speaking to a live time bomb.
"Look, this Medallion is supposed to bring us to Ah pony that we needed to find." I explained, while holding up the Medallion, which was flashing so brightly that it almost blinded him. It didn't seem to faze him very much, as it only caused him to squint slightly.
"Go on..."
"Mah friends and Ah are on a mission to find some ponies that represent some kinds of attribute. Ennui here represents sloth, while you represent wrath, Ah think."
"Ha." He stated bemusedly, seeming to calm down a little bit. It was apparent that he was trying to humor me. "I don't represent nothin'. You best keep your lies to yourself if you know what's good for you."
Me? Lie? You have to be kidding me.
"Ah'm not lying!" I shouted back at him, forgetting for a moment who I'm even talking to.
"She's not lying, bro!" Ennui shivered behind me, a little shaken after what had almost just happened, but she was beginning to get passed it fairly quickly. Kindling looked at me, and then at Ennui, and grabbed his chest in pain. All that anger isn't good for an older pony like him. He snatched a nearby capsule full of what I guessed was pills and downed a hoof-full of them. As soon as he swallowed, he let out a sigh of relief.
"I'm sorry, I believe you. I just get worked up sometimes." He mumbled to himself, albeit loud enough for everyone in the room to hear. He set the pills on the table that it was just on a moment ago carefully. I walked over to him and put a hoof on his shoulder.
"It's alright." I told him. I explained to him our situation, and our reason for why we were searching for him, and the impending Changeling invasion. He just stood there, slack jawed. He seemed to not like the news at all.
"Dumbass changelings again, hm...?" He grabbed his pills off the table and took a few more. I later learned that the pills he takes help keep him from having a heart attack. Being old and angry do not mix.
"Heh, yeah...sure I'll help." He muttered, taking a seat on his bed, causing it to loudly squeak again. "So, is she going to be alright?" Kindling asked, looking at Rainbow Dash. I hadn't noticed, but she was steadily breathing, and was no longer shaking. She looked like she was just simply taking a nap. I nodded.
"Yeah, she should." I told him. Ennui wasn't too sure what to do right about now. She was almost afraid of Kindling, after all, he did almost kill her. And she didn't really have anyplace to nap. So she improvised and awkwardly lied down in the middle of the floor. I face-hooved and Kindling groaned a little bit.
"She's sloth all right..."
"Tell me about it."
I figured that we had a little bit of time to waste, since Ennui was sleeping, and Rainbow Dash was still recovering. So Kindling and I spent the next hour just talking to each other. I told him about my life back in Ponyville, and Sweet Apple Acres. Which he seemed genuinely interested in. He also seemed to have a liking for apples just like me, which I was glad to hear about. He also told me a little about him. Such as he lives here because he wants to. He's been having trouble keeping his anger under control and almost hurt his wife back home in Vanhoover when he had found out that she was cheating on him. While he hadn't hurt his wife, he did hurt her other lover however, and had almost killed him. Luckily, the stallion didn't press charges, but it killed him inside having to bear with the fact that he almost killed someone(Even though he had just almost killed Ennui), so he moved up here so he could be angry all by himself.
"Wow...Ah'm mighty sorry to hear that." I said sincerely, and he just shrugged me off.
"Nah, it's fine. I'm just happy that I'm going someplace new. Maybe when this is all over, I can start anew in Ponyville. Make new friends and maybe find another special somepony." He told me, and for some reason making me smile.
"I know ya will."
A few moments later, I heard his stomach growl. I offered to give him some of the food I had leftover(Which honestly wasn't much), and he turned me down. He walked over to the refrigerator and rummaged through it. I saw his face turn red once again, and he pulled out his pills again.
"WHO ATE MY PIE!?"
Ennui tried her best to look like she was sleeping through the ruckus that Kindling was making, but I knew for darn sure that she was awake, and didn't want to say anything. She made fake and quant, dainty snoring noises as Kindling swallowed even more pills from the endless capsule.
Rainbow Dash is going to have a ball when she wakes up.
***
The rest of the day for everyone was very lax, not that that was a bad thing. Everyone tended to their own business most of the time. I spent most of my time reading, and Spike just did chores around the library. Pinkie thought it'd be a GREAT idea to introduce Aphrodite(Which seemed like a terrible idea to me at the time, but I couldn't stop her) and Warble to the citizens around town.
About an hour later, she and the other two burst through the for happily, a smile on all their faces.
"Make new friends?" I implied, Warble nodded, and Aphrodite simply grinned.
"Eeyep! I've even formed a little "Welcome To Ponyville" party for them! It actually starts in a few minutes!" Pinkie stated, I raised an eyebrow at her.
"Oh, cool. You'd better get going then. I'll catch up in a minute. Just let me finish reading this." I said before looking back at my book. Good for Aphrodite and Warble, making new friends already. Pinkie obviously knew what she was doing.
"But we're already there." Aphrodite stated before putting a party hat on her head. Once again, I raised an eyebrow.
"What do you-" I didn't even finish the sentence before I heard a large rumbling noise coming from outside. I put the pieces together, and I wasn't very happy after figuring it out.
Not a second later, the door FLEW open, and ponies off all different colors from around Ponyville hustled inside of the library. Many of them had brought party decorations that they immediately hung up on the walls and tables. Some had brought refreshments(I'm sure Warble will appreciate that) and one pony even happened to bring a stereo. The quiet ambience of the library was soon filled up with the sound of loud party music, and chattering ponies.
"P-Pinkie!" I shouted over the music. Aphrodite and Warble went to chat amongst the ponies, while Pinkie walked back over to me. I angrily shut my book using my magic.
"Ohh isn't it great Twilight?" She giggled, proud of her work. I sighed.
"Pinkie, you can't just have a party in a library..." I started. She didn't seem to listen to me over the loud music, so she just bounced over to talk to her friend Ditzy. Great, now how am I going to study...
I looked over at Aphrodite and noticed that she was now talking(Well, more like flirting...)with Big Mac. Oh boy, if Applejack was here she would knock her back to Las Pegasus with one buck. I quickly ran over and jumped in between them. Normally I don't intrude on others when they are trying to chat and mingle with others. But I'm doing Big Mac a big favor.
"Hey! Big Mac! I think, um, Warble wanted to talk to you!" I uttered. Aphrodite glared at me crossly as Big Mac went to go tend to his business. She shoved me back a ways with her hoof.
"Ok, you need to stop getting in my way! I don't meddle in your relationships!" Aphrodite sneered, I angrily shoved her back.
"Yeah well you don't have the right to hit on and potentially rape my friends!" I countered. She shoved me again, harder.
"He enjoyed it!" I shoved her back.
"Says you! You scarred the guy!" She shoved me so hard I almost fell on the floor.
"CAT FIIIGHT!" Spike yelled from nearby, cupping his claws over his mouth. Aphrodite laughed and I (Along with every pony else in the room who had heard him) stared at him disgustedly. I must admit, most of the stallions were pretty fond of the idea, but since the number of stallions at this party was greatly outnumbered, no one said a thing. Spike blushed and scuttled away awkwardly.
"That's it! PINKIE TAKE YOUR PARTY SOMEWHERE ELSE!" I shouted. Within seconds, Pinkie Pie was right by my side, with a slight frown on her face.
"You don't like my party?"
"Pinkie, this is a library!" I told her, she stuck out her lip cutely once again.
"But...but there's no where else! And everyone's having such a good time..." She pointed to the middle of the room, where there was a large group of ponies dancing, and right next to it there was another laughing and talking amongst themselves. A few partygoers next to me agreed with her.
I let out a large sigh, and nodded. "Fine. But please don't let this be a long party..."
Pinkie let out a foalish giggle and took out a microphone. "Woo! Let's get this party started!" She shouted, almost destroying my ear drums. She then pulled out a remote that had a single red button on it. She pushed it, and what happened next...I don't even know anymore.
The large chandelier above us was suddenly replaced with a disco ball. The normal lights dimmed and was replaced by flashing strobe lights. The music began to play even louder, as everypony cheered and began to dance to the music..
What have I done?
***
The next morning, I woke up quite late. I expected this to happen, as I usually don't get up at all through the night, and after what happened last night, I was very tired for some reason. I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes and hopped out of bed. I grabbed a few toiletries from my saddlebag and made left the room, searching high and low for a bathroom.
It took me a moment, but I had finally found one just down the hall, and I must say it was very shiny and clean...
Anyways, I finished up brushing my teeth and my mane. At that point, I was clueless. I had no idea where everyone else was. Needless to say, I wandered around the mansion for a good half hour, passing the room I stayed in at least twice. I was actually starting to get a little scared. What if I was the only one left in the mansion?!
"Fluttershy?" I heard a voice call out behind me. I jumped so high that I swore that I almost hit the ceiling. Covette could not stop laughing.
"Oh, hi Covette..." I mumbled, looking down at the ground. I expected her to say something rude to me, as usual. But to my surprise she didn't say anything. She just stared at me. This was so awkward... "Do you know where Rarity is?"
Covette pointed down the hallway behind her. "Down there with Cashmere. You know, I'm starting to think that Cashmere took the Medallion..." She said as she randomly took out an apple, and began to munch on it. I did a double take at what she had said.
"What!? How can you say that?" I asked her. Covette rolled her eyes again, looking at me as if I was stupid.
"Guy's a greedy bastard. If it's not his, he'll want it. He probably thought the Medallion was nice and shiny, so he took it in the night. Simple as that." She deduced. It made a lot of sense, and I had to give her credit. But that was impossible.
"There's no way Cashmere took it." I told her calmly, and Covette looked a little annoyed at the fact that I was trying to debunk her flawless theory. "Cashmere already tried to take it earlier when we first met him." I explained, thinking back when he had his eyes set on the amulet.
"And..? What else is new?"
"He burnt his hoof as soon as he made contact with it. I think it has something to do with the fact that the attributes can't touch the Medallion themselves. He couldn't have taken it. If he did, then he'd have burns on him. And he's not a unicorn." I explained to her. Covette stared at me angrily, taking another rough bite of her apple.
"Look, that guy is no good. I'm warning you. Something about him seems off." Covette warned. I just simply stared at her in disbelief.
Something was off alright, but it's not with Cashmere. It's with Covette. She never really liked any of us, but she dislikes Cashmere more than anyone. She claims it's because he's selfish, and that he never does anything honorable with his money and riches, but it honestly seemed like that was a lie to me.
"Covette...why do you hate Cashmere so much?" I asked, but as expected, I got the same answer.
"Because he's a greedy pig who never does anything worthwhile. He could help ponies that live on the street, but no, he doesn't." She hollered back, a single tear rolling down her cheek. I knew it was something more, and I must have brought up some bad feelings.
"Covette, tell the truth. I'm not going to judge you." I told her. I didn't really expect it to be that easy, anyways, but she sighed.
"No."
"Please? I won't tell anyone!" I reminded her, her eyes squinted at me irritatedly. She took a deep breathe, and then exhaled.
"You know what? FINE! Just because I'm tired of keeping secrets." I took a seat on the ground and began to listen to her speak.
Turns out, Covette's been living on the street for a LONG time. Ever since she was a filly. She slept in a cardboard box every night in the cold. Usually on one of the less populated street corners of Manehatten. She was never able to take showers, and she had to go through the garbage just to get food. Eventually, she had to tone her cross country running when she resorted to thievery.
When Covette was going through a very rough time in her life, food was short, and terrible weather were constant, Cashmere would occasionally pass her cardboard box on the street on his way to school. Covette would always pop her head out of the box and ask him the same question every single day, only getting weaker and weaker.
"Please...can you lend me some food? I'm really hungry..." She begged. Not caring about her dignity anymore. After going two days without food completely, she didn't care. Every day, Cashmere gave her the same answer, without turning to acknowledge the mare like the "snobby rich kid he was".
"Sorry, can't." And with that, he would walk away, down the street, leaving Covette to starve.
Every day, this would happen. And every day, Covette would get more and more hungry. Until eventually, he stopped passing her box entirely when she found out he changed schools to go to a much more expensive and private school.
"And ever since then, I've hated his guts. HAPPY?!" She screamed in my face. I was too dumbstruck to say anything. And when she didn't get a proper response, she huffed and began to walk down the hallway. "Keep that to yourself. I want him to remember me on his own."
I nodded, and with that, she turned around and walked back down the hall. I just sat there, completely stunned. I never knew, and I'm quite glad that now I did now. I now know where that constant hatred for other's has come from. I now know why she is considered the attribute of "Envy".
It all made sense.