Twilight stared at the blue stallion with wide eyes. A bolt of fear ripped through her heart. Even when she first saw Silver, even when he broke her leg, she hadn't felt the same level of terror. When he had yelled at her, at least his voice had had some warmth to it, even if it was a furious heat. The tone he proclaimed Blaze dead in was so different. So cold and distant.
Noting her silence, Silver turned to look at the seated mare. Underneath the curiosity in his eyes, Twilight could see the same terrifying detachment.
What could she have expected from a pony who had been exposed to that level of violence for over thirty years? How much respect could he have for life after having it slowly beaten out of him over the course of decades? How many died in the arena? How many breathed their last on that sandy floor, teeth scattered and blood splattered?
"You... killed him?" Twilight asked, just barely forcing herself to make the sentence into a question rather than a statement.
"What!?" Silver asked, shocked. The ice fled from his eyes, replaced by confusion and disgust. "No, I could never- He died of natural causes. Some... kidney thing. Surrounded by his wife and kids."
"Oh." Twilight started breathing again. "...Good."
"Twilight, what we do is... it's not about death, or even violence, it's about skill and... I could never..." Silver said, clearly flustered by the implication. "Death is... a big... thing, and..." He paused, and took a slow breath before continuing.
"Twilight, Blaze was a real bastard, and I'm not going to pretend I shed a single tear over his death. But I would never have killed him. I would never kill anyone. That's something you can't take back." He paused, and Twilight could almost hear the gears in his head turning as he lined up his words. "And when you step out into that ring, your first job isn't to win. It's to make sure nobody - you or your opponent - die. Even your friend Zecora can't fix that."
An awkward silence ensued.
"Okay, well. I'm going to go to bed," Twilight finally said.
"Yeah. Good idea," Silver replied.
"Don't drink too much," Twilight said, and then winced at her own words. "I mean- I didn't-"
"No, no, you're right," Silver said. "I should go to bed too." He pushed aside the mug. "You'll be back in three weeks?"
"Umm..." Twilight considered her answer. She had honestly thought about quitting tonight. "Yes," she found herself saying. "I'll be back."
"Glad to hear it. You have a way for you and Zecora to get home?"
Twilight nodded, heading towards the stairs. "I rented a carriage."
"Expensive," Silver commented, standing up from his stool.
"I guess," Twilight answered with a shrug before disappearing up the staircase.
Silver took a few steps towards the door, paused, and turned back to the bar. The empty mug standing on the bar glowed with magic, and moved to hover underneath the tap again. The handle of the tap itself began to glow, and a stream of dark liquid began to flow into the mug.
Just as the mug was full and the stream had turned into a trickle, Flurry stepped back out of the kitchen. "Everything alright Sil-" He paused, glanced down at the floating mug, and then looked back up at Silver Chimes.
The two stallions locked eyes for a moment.
"SURPRISE!" Silver shouted, and the mug jerked towards Flurry's face, drenching the pegasus in cider. The older unicorn was out the door before the mug clattered to the floor.
Flurry snorted and flipped his wet mane out of his eyes. "Swear to Luna, Silver..." he muttered.
Twilight dropped Zecora outside the forest and decided to walk home herself. It was a sunny day, and although the loss had left her a little sore (not only physically) she knew that a short walk would only help her get used to the ache.
She pushed open the door to the library to find Spike stretched out on a chair with white bandages wrapped around his skull. "What happened to you?" she asked, concerned.
"I fell through a tree," Spike said dismissively. "What happened to you?" he asked, noting the few scratches and bruises Zecora hadn't been able to remove.
"I lost," Twilight answered simply, and flopped down on the couch near Spike.
Spike looked back at her. "Are you alright?"
Twilight considered the question. "Yeah. Yeah, I think so."
Spike smiled at her. "Good, good." The two stared at each other for a moment, and Spike started in surprise. "Oh, hi Twilight! I didn't hear you come in. What happened to you?"
Twilight gave him a look of worried confusion. "Would you like to go see Zecora?" she asked.
"Yes, very much so, thank you," Spike answered, began to step out of his chair, and fell flat on his face.
"I just don't understand what kind of accident could end with you halfway through a full grown apple tree," Twilight said, exasperated, as they passed the last tree of the Everfree.
Spike shrugged, the earthen pots draped over his shoulder clunking against each other. "Pinkie was involved," he volunteered. "And Rainbow Dash."
Twilight nodded slowly. "Alright, that makes more sense."
"And a trampoline."
"Of course there was a trampoline," Twilight said, shaking her head. "Don't worry Spike, I'll talk to them."
"I already did," Spike answered quickly. "I don't think they'll do it again. Just... don't mention it to them."
Twilight raised an eyebrow. "Spike, are you hiding something from me?"
The baby dragon considered the question. "Yes," he said finally.
"Spike!" Twilight cried. "You shouldn't hide things from..." she trailed off.
Spike turned to face her. "Shouldn't hide things from your friends?" he asked. "Is that what you were going to say, Dusk?"
Twilight glanced around in a panic, but nopony was close enough to hear what Spike had called her. "That's different. We're like family!"
"Oh, so what did Shining Armor say when you told him?" Spike asked.
"I... fine. Whatever," Twilight grunted, and stormed off in front of her housemate.
Spike just chuckled softly to himself and followed her at a slower pace.
"A tournament!?" Twilight shouted.
"Yes, is there something wrong with your hearing?" Silver asked. "Because that's a real concern in this business."
Twilight ignored the snarky remark. "I'm just coming off my first loss, and you thought now was a good time to enter me in a tournament!?"
Silver lifted his cider from the table and took a sip. "Do you really think I would do this if I didn't think it was a good idea?"
Twilight opened her mouth to reply, but the older stallion cut her off. "Don't answer that."
"Yes," said Flurry from behind the bar. "Seems very much like something you'd do."
"Quiet you," Silver ordered. "Zecora, can you handle this? Could be quite a few fights in a row. Anything you'll need?"
Zecora thought for a moment. "A cooking pot of larger size, as well as more of my supplies."
"Make me a list, I'll see what I can do," Silver said, sliding a napkin and pencil over to the zebra.
"I still haven't said I'll do it!" Twilight protested.
"Well, it's too late to sign you up for anything else, so it's this or nothing," Silver pointed out calmly.
"I- argh!" Twilight answered. "Fine."
"Great. It's the day after tomorrow, so you'll have to sleep here three nights."
Twilight just rolled her eyes.
Zecora, who had spent the last few moments scribbling on the napkin, slid it back to Silver. "That is all I can predict, who knows what wounds they will inflict?"
Silver scanned the list, his smile fading with each item. "Oh..." he said. "These sorts of herbs..." He glanced over at Zecora, but continued speaking before she could start. "I can get them. Don't worry." He drained his drink. "But I should go now."
"I'll come with you," Twilight suggested, standing up from the table.
"No!" Silver answered quickly. "No. No, I should go alone." He started towards the door. "I'll see you tomorrow Twilight. We'll spend the day training." He vanished through the door.
Twilight and Zecora both turned to Flurry. The pegasus just shrugged.
"Okay, okay, this is the place," the unicorn beside Silver said nervously. He glanced around the dark alley, making an obvious effort to stay out of sight of the metal door set in the wall. "You can't tell them I brought you here though."
"Yeah, yeah," Silver said, his own voice slightly nervous as well. "Get out of here."
The unicorn nodded gratefully and scampered off down the alley, leaving Silver Chimes standing alone. The older stallion took a deep breath to calm himself, and knocked on the door with one hoof.
A few moments later, a hatch in the door clicked and swung open, revealing a striped face. "Who are you?" the zebra asked suspiciously.
"A customer," Silver answered.
"Who is it?" asked another voice from the other side of the door, in Zebra.
"He says he's a customer," the first zebra said, not taking his eyes off Silver. "He looks like trouble though."
"A customer who speaks Zebra," Silver clarified.
The stallion at the door tensed in surprise.
"Here," Silver continued, slipping the napkin through the hatch. "I need everything on that list, except the cauldron. I'll pay what you ask."
The zebra read the list. "It'd be about six hundred bits total," he warned.
"I've got the money," Silver shot back. "Do we have a deal?"
"...Just a moment." The hatch slammed shut.
Silver stood in the alley for around 45 seconds, and the hatch opened again. The napkin was pushed back out. "No sale," the zebra said, before closing the hatch again,
Silver sighed and stepped towards the door. He rested his horn against the edge of the door, and concentrated. On the other side of the door, the pins in the hinge began to glow red with magic. They struggled against their bonds for a moment, and then all three slid free.
Silver pushed against the door with one hoof, and stepped on to the steel plate as it crashed to the ground. Three stunned zebra and a pegasus stood on the other side, surrounded by crates, barrels, and parcels of plants.
"Sorry, but I really need this stuff," Silver said, producing a clinking bag of money.
"Nah, see, almost everypony has a pattern," Silver said as he pushed through the front door of the Lopsided Pegasus. "They always dodge left, or right, or they alternate. You'll never get rid of it though, so the key is to make your pattern complicated enough that..." he trailed off as he spotted a white pegasus standing near the bar. Flurry stood a few feet behind him, glaring angrily at the back of his head. "Good day of training, Dusk. Go get cleaned up."
Twilight glanced around the room for a moment. Half-full mugs sat scattered on the tables, evidence of a busy night, but no other ponies were to be seen. She trotted across the room, passed the unknown black-maned pegasus, and walked up the stairs.
"Alright, he's here," Flurry growled. "Now you can go talk to him outside. I don't want you in my bar."
"Well that's interesting, because I want to be in your bar," the other pegasus answered breezily. "I wonder who wins?" He glanced over at Flurry, who rustled the feathers of his remaining wing before averting his eyes. The pegasus smirked. "Two ciders, and make it quick," he ordered, one wing extending to drop some coins on the counter.
"What do you want Pinion?" Silver asked.
Pinion held up one hoof, and waited for the ciders to be done. He grabbed them both, and sauntered over to a nearby table. One landed in front of him, and he slid the other to the opposite side of the table. "Take a seat, Silver Chimes."
Silver glanced over at Flurry, whose lips drew back momentarily to reveal grinding teeth. The pegasus noticed Silver looking at him, met his gaze, and then nodded at the chair.
Silver nodded back and walked over to sit across from Pinion. "What do you want?" he repeated.
Pinion said nothing but gestured towards the mug across the table.
Silver rolled his eyes and took a sip. "What!?"
"Well, first of all, any idea how to proof my doors against that little trick you pulled down at my warehouse last night?"
"Glue the pins in," Silver answered instantly. "I payed for what I took."
"Yes, yes you did," Pinion answered darkly. "Trust me, if you hadn't, we would be having a very different conversation." He shrugged his wings, and Silver spotted the glint of steel under his left wing.
"So what do you want from me? You can't have it back, I've already used it. And if you were going to kill me, you wouldn't have come alone."
"He has two big guys outside," Flurry said.
Pinion glanced over at the bartender. "Did I give you permission to talk? No, I didn't. Quiet, bitch."
Flurry's wing tensed at the casual insult.
"And if I wanted to hurt you, they'd be inside," Pinion continued. "Call them insurance."
"I realize you're having fun, but I have things to do, so if you could get to the point..."
"The point," the pegasus said, and then took a sip of his cider. "The point, is that somepony already owns the drug trade in this town, and if you want to get in on it, you have to talk to him."
Silver let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. "Is that it? You think I'm making drugs?"
Pinion raised an eyebrow. "You're not?"
"No!" The unicorn thought for a moment. "Well, maybe, technically. But medicinal ones, and I'm not selling them."
"For who?"
"For-" Silver paused as he spotted Twilight and Zecora emerge from the bottom of the stairs. He tried to subtly shoo them back upstairs, but Pinion followed his gaze and turned around.
"Is this your zebra?" he asked Silver.
"She's not my zebra, she's a zebra," Silver shot back. "But yes, she's the one brewing."
"Hey, stripes. What's this guy got you making?"
Zecora recoiled slightly at the strange name, but answered anyway. "Brews and tonics for all that ails, the types of which are mere details."
"No ruzhwaa?" he asked.
"Ruzhwaa is a brew most foul and awful, and I was told it was not lawful," Zecora answered, nearly spitting the name.
"No, it's n-" Silver began pointedly, but was interrupted by Pinion.
"Hold on, is she fucking rhyming?"
"I do not know of what you speak, my speech patterns are not unique," Zecora answered.
Pinion stood up from the table quickly, knocking his chair over as he did so. "Are you mocking me?" he snarled.
"I'm afraid that you are out of luck, you are confused you little f-"
"Zecora!" Silver yelled.
"...friend," Zecora finished.
Pinion nodded slowly. "That's better." He turned back to Silver. "And who's the filly?"
"Dusk Shine," Twilight answered.
"I wasn't talking to you, was I sweetheart?" Pinion said to her.
"Just a pony I'm training for the tournament. Nopony special," Silver said quietly.
Pinion nodded, and turned back to the purple mare. He walked slowly towards her until he was less than a body length away and examined her for a moment. "You look familiar. Have we met?"
"I... I don't think so," Twilight answered nervously.
"Hm. Ever been in the papers?"
"No," Silver said quickly.
"I wasn't talking to you, was I sweetheart?" Pinion said sarcastically, never taking his eyes off Twilight. "So how about it Dusk. Ever been in the papers?"
"...Not yet."
The room fell silent for a moment, before it was broken by Pinion's guffaw.
"Ha! Not yet. I like it. You've got moxie, kid. That's what my dad used to say." He turned and headed for the exit. "See ya around, Silver, Flurry. Mares."
As he stepped out the door, the entire bar collectively breathed a sigh of relief.
"Who the hay was that?" Twilight asked after a few moments of silence.
"Hell," Silver corrected reflexively.
"I'm going to go lie down," Flurry said, his voice shaking. "Silver, lock up when you leave, will you?" He dropped a key on the counter and disappeared out the back.
"That was Pinion," Silver answered, taking a deep drag from his mug. "Head of the pegasus mafia. The Fillydelphian branch, anyway."
"I- what!?" Twilight cried. "Shouldn't we call the guards or something?"
"Why? They can't pin anything on him." He chuckled weakly. "Heh. Pin it on Pinion."
"What's ruzhwaa?"
"A street drug, and not a nice one," Silver answered, turning to Zecora. "It's a modification of a Zebra brew they used to use for spirit quests and whatever, right?"
Zecora just nodded slightly. Distraction and discomfort were written on her face.
"Why would he think Zecora was making it?"
Silver and Zecora shared a guilty look.
"What?" Twilight asked. "What aren't you telling me?"
"The things I cook to heal you have much in common with that brew."
"The list Zecora gave me contained quite a few... controlled substances."
Twilight's mouth fell open. "Silver, please tell me I'm not an accessory to something."
"No no no," Silver answered, shaking his head. "It's not illegal to own the raw plants, just to grow them. Or sell them. Or brew them into ruzhwaa, obviously."
"So we're in the clear?" Twilight said, clearly relieved.
"I don't know if I'd say that, but you're unlikely to be convicted if you have a half-decent lawyer." He slapped Twilight on the back with one large hoof. "Now off to bed. Sleep well!"