There are lots of things that can wake somepony, many of them are unpleasant. Many have been listed previously, but there was one that Copper didn't account for. An explosion is difficult to sleep through, especially when it is a few floors above the balcony that you decided was a suitable place to rest. Instincts were kind to Copper as they flung him inside before he was truly awake. Dust and rubble rained down slowly, but there was enough of it to remove the balcony he had been sleeping on.
He tried to focus, but his head felt as though it was splitting in half and his mouth was full of cotton. Then he ran. Most would run away from an explosion. Not Copper. He came up the stairs in seconds, turned the corner and barreled into the unicorn coming the other way. There was no hesitation there; instinct again. He saw the horn, the remnants of burnt fur, the look on the face of a job done and that was enough of an excuse for him. It took four hoof strikes before he stopped moving, it probably would've taken less but the water took away some of the force. He ran to the room and skidded to a stop at the door. As he thought, it was his room. He could tell because there was the box sitting in the corner and his scuba gear by the door. The bubble was gone and the whole room was full of rubble. The explosion was centered on the bed. He had seen enough explosions to be able to guess at their center, or near center.
He rushed in, running on auto pilot and dived through the hole, immediately moving to the pile of rubble below and began shoving debris from the bed. Flipper. That's what he saw first and it made him dig faster, more frantically. It would have been worse if it had not been a seapony, he knew. But that didn't matter. It took a moment of struggle before he managed to free the seapony, who was choking and coughing for breath. A ceiling's worth of rubble and parts of a bed can make it hard to breath. “How badly are you hurt?” Copper said, quickly moving the seapony from the room.
“Not...too...badly...” was all that he got out of the seapony. That was good enough.
He rushed back into the room and up the hole. The door was gone, not in the hallway. He made a quick mental note of that before rushing back out into the hallway. He saw a few seaponies attempting to help the gold armored unicorn. “Don't help him!” he shouted as he half ran half swam towards them. “He tried to kill me!” They all hurriedly backed away. He rolled the unicorn over onto his back, he coughed and spluttered blood. “Get downstairs, there's a seapony in the hall that needs attention.”
“What happened?” It was Jeta, that was both good and bad.
“Assassination attempt,” Copper said as he pressed his hooves down on the unicorn’s chest, pinning him. It was hard to resist the urge to beat him to death. “Courtesy of Celestia, I think.” News traveled very fast indeed. She had time to send an assassin. Something went click in his mind. “Or someone else...” He had to remind himself he had a lot of enemies.
“What happened?” she said again, pushing him slightly off of the unicorn.
He would regret it later, but for now, he had to lie. Or at least not tell the whole truth. “He burst in the door and blew up my bed. I guess he thought I'd still be in it... But I wasn't in bed and I was out the window before the explosion.” That wasn't quite a lie, but it wasn't the truth.
“Are you alright?” she asked, looking at him now.
“Yes,” he said, giving a curt nod. “But there's a seapony who was in the room below me, don't worry he's out of the rubble, but he's going to need some attention as soon as possible."
Suddenly Dash appeared in the hole. “The hay happened here?” she said looking around. “Everypony alright?”
“Seapony got beat up by debris and this guy,” Copper resisted the urge to kick and instead nudged, “is going to need looking after and then a serious talking to.”
She looked down at him and frowned. “Was he in the room? He looks like it...”
“Ah...no,” Copper said, clearing his throat. “Other than the burns, his appearance is my doing. I couldn't have him causing anymore explosions, so I had to make sure he was out.” There was a pause, in which Dash gave him a look. “He's not dead,” he said hurriedly, “just unconscious.”
“Right...” Dash moved closer to him, looking down at him. Copper looked closely at him as well, for the first time. His cutie mark was of an explosion. He was a faded black color all over, from burned fur most likely. “So what happened?”
He told her, again being careful of how he worded it. “I'm not sure who sent an assassin after me...” Though he had guesses, “But I've made a lot of enemies over my life...” He took a deep breath and glanced over his shoulder. “Right then...” he murmured to himself. “Paranoia in full gear. Now that it's been proven that I can die...everyone and their bloody dogs are gonna try and kill me.” He straightened up a bit and shook himself.
“So things are going to get interesting, huh?” Dash said, standing beside him.
“Interesting?” He paused and then nodded. “Quite. I was a bit caught off guard...” He stopped and had to make sure that his mouth was not full of cotton, as it had been feeling. Dash gave him an odd look. “Sorry. I've got quite the hangover.”
She gave him a smile. “I kinda assumed. You drank quite a lot.”
“It's been a very long time since I've let myself go like that.” He started to walk down the hall, glancing at every door, watching for any signs of them about to be opened. It was odd that he could simply switch it on. He could be completely relaxed when it was off and wired at every joint when it was on. It had been why ponies had stopped sending assassins after him. No results. Some said he could not be killed.
“So what are your plans today?” she said conversationally, he could sense she was on edge as well. Someone had just tried to kill her friend. That's about as personal as somepony can make it.
“Well,” he stopped and Dash looked around when he did. Thoughts were bubbling in his head, fighting for attention. “I think... I'll take Fluttershy to see the seadragon.” That seemed a good plan; get away from large buildings, go somewhere he would be safer. “Care to come along?”
“I had planned to explore Aquis a bit, but with ponies trying to assassinate you, hanging out with you sounds more fun,” she said, practically grinning.
He laughed and nodded. “Oh yes... I think I'll bring Chestnut as well, if she's not got too much of a hangover.”
“Who's Chestnut?” Dash said, arching a brow.
He hesitated and then shrugged. “One of Doctor Whooves’s associates. She's supposed to be watching over me to make sure I don't do anything stupid, but unfortunately she discovered alcohol.”
Dash put a hoof over her mouth, trying to not laugh. “Oh. That doesn't sound good.” The hoof did no good as she began to laugh.
“Oh you don't know the half of it. She's been guzzling down everything she can.” He wondered if you could defeat changelings with alcohol, or if she was a fluke. That would need testing when he had time.
“She sounds a lot of fun. Think we should invite any other pony?” Dash said as she looked back behind them, there were a few seaponies following them.
“Don't mind them. I don't have any seapony enemies.” He hesitated. “That are still alive.”
She arched an eyebrow at him. “Still alive?”
“Well...” He cleared his throat. “My enemies tend to wind up dead.” He put up his hooves defensively before she could speak. “Not by my doing. Most of the time. Usually it's their own fault. I tend to just...make them vulnerable, as it were. And other ponies tend to...finish them off.”
“I see,” she said, nodding slowly. It made a lot of sense. Yes, Copper had killed ponies, but he knew all of them. If not by name, then the look on their face as the light in their eyes died. Not including those aboard the False God.
He shuddered and took a deep breath. “Right then...where is everypony?”
“Down in the breakfast hall, waiting for me,” Dash said, as they started making their way down the stairs. “Are you worried about that unicorn?”
“No,” he said as he shook his head. “The seaponies will take care of him. They are...quite a thing when you harm one. Harming one, is harming them all. He's just lucky he didn't kill one of them.”
“So you're just leaving him to them?” She glanced back, though they were out of sight now.
“Like I said,” he gave a slight, humorless smile, “I just leave them vulnerable.”
~
Food was something that didn't rate very high on Copper's list of things that he wanted. He needed food of course, but he was very hesitant. Assassination was something that could be done in many ways. Who had sent the first one? When would another come up? He stared at the plate of food. Would somepony try poison? “I'm sorry?” He pulled his head up slightly, looking at Twilight, who was sitting across from him.
She frowned at him. “Who do you think would try to kill you?” she said once again.
Copper realized that the other ponies probably found it hard to talk to him sometimes. He got so lost in thought that it was hard to focus on anything else. “Not sure,” he said before he began to eat slowly. He trusted the seaponies. They were the only ones he truly did trust, besides his friends. “I've upset a lot of ponies. And griffons.” What he did not say was that he suspected Celestia for this particular one. He had heard of that unicorn before. Pop Pot. Whoever had sent him wanted him very dead, without a body to come back into. Which means they probably had some knowledge of the means that brought him back.
“Well, you ain't got nothin' ta worry about as long as we're all here,” Applejack said, as she gave him a slight nudge.
He smiled a bit. “Thanks. I really appreciate the help, though it's going to get a lot more dangerous in a hurry...been a long time since I had to really worry about assassins...” He sighed and continued eating. It was fish. A pony ate a lot of fish down here. It was a very plentiful food source. Thankfully it was cooked. Copper had never liked raw fish but he had come to enjoy the taste of cooked fish. Although it was more something to just eat and busy himself. The only other pony who was eating was Dash, who had left her breakfast in order to see what happened.
“Is there anything I can get you, Copper?” Jeta said as she came into the room. She looked very worried.
“How's the seapony?” he asked, it was more important right now. His eyes were on Jeta, but he felt a lot of ponies and seaponies looking at him. No one had ever survived Pop Pot and word got around quickly. It was his understanding that Pop Pot had previously taken it as a professional courtesy to not come after Copper, since Copper had not come after him.
“He's fine,” she said as she moved a bit closer. He could tell that she was resisting the urge to hug him. “Pretty beat up, but he'll be fine.”
He smiled a bit and nodded. “Good...and Pop Pot?”
Her expression soured immediately. “He is locked up at the moment with a magical dampener over his horn. Still unconscious last I heard.”
“Good... I'll want to speak with him when I get back,” he said as he turned back to his food and continued eating.
“Back?” She blinked at him, staring in confusion. “Back from where?”
“To see the seadragon,” he said with a smile. “I told Fluttershy that we'd go and see him.”
She frowned at him. “Lord Fralg...” she said slowly, staring at Copper. “Does not like guests. We have a hard enough time dealing with him nowadays.”
He smiled a bit and sat up a bit straighter. “Perfect excuse for me to go and see him.”
“Are you sure?” she said, glancing over at Fluttershy. He knew what she was thinking, but knew she would not say it.
“Dash is coming with us. And I can more than handle myself,” he said as he stood up. There were things he wanted to say to her, but he knew he shouldn't. Things like, 'How did you let Pop Pot get all the way to my room?' But that would be in poor taste and honestly, not her fault at all. That was just himself trying to blame someone else. Why was he doing that? “I can do far more than handle myself, in fact,” he said with a large smile.
She smiled a bit back at him. “Yes...I know...you always get away with everything...”
In an attempt to keep something of himself and make sure that this was not her fault and to show that he didn't blame her at all, he hugged her. “I'm not gonna die again. Count on that.”
She hugged him back in return, a big smile on her face. “Thank you. For everything.”
He gave a slight shrug as he pulled away. “Just doing what I do.”
With that, they left. Himself, Dash and Fluttershy, heading to the west. “It's...kinda creepy...” Dash said after a moment, looking around.
“Hm?” Copper looked at her. “What is?”
She gestured around vaguely. “The singing?”
He blinked, looking around and actually listening. And he heard it. Shoo-bee-doo-shoop-shoop-bee-doo. It was hard not to laugh, but he did grin. “Oh it's just background to me. Spend a few months here and it'll either drive you mad, or you don't even notice it. Some ponies really don't like it, but the seaponies love it.” He took a deep breath, listening to it. It was impossible to make out the words, because only a few sang them. But the beat and the chorus were impossible to ignore now. Shoo-bee-doo-shoop-shoop-bee-doo. “And it's grown on me.”
“I kind of like it...” Fluttershy mumbled, staring up blankly, watching seaponies in the distance.
“It's kinda creepy...not...bad. Just, weird,” she said, looking down alleyways and such. Copper only glanced down alley's and only certain ones. Shoo-bee-doo-shoop-shoop-bee-doo. They would send experts. Experts would know which alleys would hide them properly. You can't just pick any old alley and wait. Windows were another thing that he had to worry about. But those were easier. Under this much water, you needed proper gear, which made you easier to spot. Shoo-bee-doo-shoop-shoop-bee-doo.
“Once we're out of the city we won’t hear it,” he said with a smile.
“I hope so...” Dash said, looking up at a group of seaponies swimming above them in the opposite direction. “Why do they have roads if they don’t use them? We don't have roads in Cloudsdale...”
“Because Aquis used to be a city above water.” They both looked at him, Dash arching her brow at him. Before they asked, he continued. “Long before Celestia's rule. Rumors actually say that this is where she was originally from, before she came to Equestria. No one knows why it sank, but the seaponies took up residence in it and are quite happy to keep the place looking good. Even if they don't use all of it.” He glanced through a doorway, into a large room. “A lot of these buildings are empty...” Seaponies tended to clump together in large groups, so there were many houses empty and then random ones speckled about that were crammed full. His mind wandered to the seapony in the room below his and he wondered why he had been alone.
“-rget that Celestia wasn't always in Equestria...” Dash said, her eyes shining towards the sky. Copper had managed to bring himself out of thought mid sentence. “It's weird to think of Equestria without her...”
“I don't know. I think that it makes a lot of sense. I mean, you know the history and all. It used to just be powerful unicorns that made the sun rise.” His mind needed to stay here, focus on what was going on. He couldn't let his guard down.
Unfortunately, they were quite far out of the city and still nothing had happened. Dash gave a sigh, before saying, “I had hoped that this would be a bit more exciting...” There seemed to be quite a bit of disappointment in her voice.
He laughed, shaking his head. “Glad to hear you're so concerned about my safety.” He shook his head, chuckling.
“That's not what I meant,” she protested.
But Copper knew where the statement was coming from. She was on edge. She was nervous and she was probably scared or excited. “I know, Dash. But the thing about assassins, the good ones wait for the right opportunity. Unless they have a deadline, then they make situations right.”
There was a few moments of silence, before she spoke again. “You know a lot about assassinations...”
He nodded slightly, looking at her. He knew what was coming and his mind was shuffling in how to correctly answer it. “Of course.”
“Have...” She hesitated, trying to figure out how to word things herself. “Have you ever been an assassin?”
Copper shook his head. “No. I may have killed ponies...but it was usually out of self defense, or an accident... I've never been given a job to kill somepony.” He took a deep breath and sighed. “And I would not have taken them if I had.”
Fluttershy, who had been silent, finally spoke up, “How...how many ponies have you killed?” Her voice was so soft and quiet.
It made Copper’s heart sink. “Twelve. Twelve whose deaths I consider my fault. Who I personally killed...” He sighed again, closing his eyes before continuing, “I hate it.” But it was necessary. “I hate it when anyone has to die for any reason.” Excluding a few. “No pony deserves death.” Some deserve worse. “And no pony has any right to take the life of any other.” Especially me. He frowned and shook his head. His thoughts were jumbling themselves up and words were springing to the front of the line. This had not been the first time it had happened, but it was still annoying.
Fluttershy looked at him and gave him the impression that she knew all the words he had left unsaid. But it also showed something that he had not entirely expected. There was a hint of admiration. Or maybe it was pity. More likely pity. “But you never set out to kill anypony.” That was not a question, but it gave the feeling that it needed to be confirmed.
“Never,” he said, giving a slight nod. “Threaten, harm, harass, pester and all around badger many, but never kill.” He gave a slight smile, but Fluttershy just seemed puzzled.
Dash saw the humor in it and smiled in return. “Well glad we got that out there... I was starting to worry with the way you avoided the assassination so easily... I thought that only an assassin could be that good. I mean, there wasn't a scratch on you. And the room was pretty much gone.”
He nodded slowly and stared ahead. The mountain was getting closer and billowed black smoke. “That would be true. But it would also be true of someone who has hunted down assassins. And avoided them for most of his life.” He could make out details. Like the massive hole in the front.
Dash and Fluttershy followed his gaze to the large hole. “Do you think he'll take kindly to us coming?” Fluttershy said, looking nervously at Copper.
“I'm...not sure...but either way, I think that I should probably do the talking...” He smiled a bit and turned to Dash. “And remember, he's a friend. At least at the moment. Safest place around is probably right here. Though we won’t be able to go in...”
She frowned a bit. “Why not? Is he not going to let us?”
He chuckled softly, shaking his head. “Oh I'm sure he would. But you'd get cooked before you made it in too far. It is an active volcano. And he likes it hot.” It was very, very hot already.
“What's his name?” Fluttershy said.
Copper smiled and gestured for them to stop. “JonSong!” he called out. The capital S was somehow obvious in the pronunciation, though it was difficult to say why. The cave itself was still a ways away, but Copper didn't want to get any closer. Getting boiled was not on his list of things to do. “JonSong! I was wondering if we might have a word?”
In the distance, there was a grumbling and a rumbling. The rumbling was a bit more intimidating than the grumbling. “That is a very familiar voice...” The tone suggested sleepiness, as though the owner was just waking up. Slowly, a large, very large, scaled head poked out from a nearby hole that was quite well hidden. “But surely you could not have returned from the dead.” JonSong's scales shimmered amazingly, ranging from blues and greens in tint and shine from the gems embedded in his scales. But it was the two large blue eyes that drew one's attention.
“Oh but I have JonSong. And I felt it only prudent to come and give you the good news myself.” He gave the dragon a large smile, as Fluttershy cowered behind a rock and even Dash looked sheepish under that gaze. “After all, you are my friend.”
The dragon arched his brow, before speaking slowly. “Friend? Mmmm I suppose so. But as I understood it...you never liked having friends...” More of the dragon was pulling itself out of the hole, which was widening as he did.
“Death changes a pony,” Copper replied with a bigger smile. “But all that is a long and honestly rather dull story in my opinion, though others would say differently... What has been the goings on with a dragon such as yourself?”
A large, very large, and clawed, hand came up and scratched across the dragons chest in a lazy fashion. “Nothing.”
“Just the way you like it,” Copper said and took another deep breath. The air in the bubble smelled a bit of brimstone.
For the first time since appearing, the dragon actually smiled slightly. “Very much so,” he said and seemed to give up on getting his lower half out from the hole and settled down.
“I'm glad to hear it,” he said. And he was. He truly was glad that JonSong actually seemed happy to see him. He knew that many would not. “But I do not have business for you today.”
Again the dragons brow arches. “Really? That is quite unlike you,” then he smirked before continuing. “Than this is for pleasure?” There was a way that the dragon said that that made everyone quite uncomfortable, Copper included.
Copper shook off the feeling with a soft chuckle, and shook his head, “Oh I suppose you could put it that way. Mostly curiosity. In point of fact, this ponies cur- Where's Fluttershy?” He had gone to gesture at her, but she was gone.
The dragon looked around and then leaned over. “You mean this little thing?”
Fluttershy squealed in surprised and dashed back from behind her rock and rocketed behind Copper and Dash. “Sorry. She's very shy around new...well, new anything really,” Copper said, looking back at Fluttershy. “Come on... You wanted to see him...”
“Changed my mind,” she squeaked.
Copper chuckled again and looked at JonSong before speaking again. “Sorry.”
JonSong waved a hand vaguely. “Oh it's not a problem. I'm surprised she made it this far. Most do not make it even out of the city when they hear of me and want a visit. Some sort of rumor that I boil tourists alive, or some other such nonsense.”
He couldn't help but smirk. “Oh and I'm sure you would have no idea how that rumor got started, hm?”
He laughed. He actually laughed. It was a rumbling laugh that made the water feel actually a bit warmer. “Oh Copper. You know as well as I do, that I started it. Who better to come up with rumors, than the one that they were about?” Copper nodded knowingly.
“Wait... You make up rumors about you?” Dash said, as she looked from JonSong, to Copper and then back.
“Of course,” JonSong said, tapping the side of his nose with a claw in a conspiratorial manner. Copper wondered where he had learned that gesture, but JonSong was far older than Copper. “I like my privacy and constant visitors get on my nerves.”
“And no one wants to get on a dragon’s nerves,” Copper agreed, though he was hard pressed to stifle a chuckle.
“Quite,” he said with a smirk.
That seemed to be it. Copper made sure that Fluttershy did not want to say anything to him and she just shook her head frantically, mumbling about this or that. Well, there was no way he was going to force her. “Thank you for your time JonSong. I'll send you a message later and you can give me more information on what's going on around here.”
The dragons brow arched, before he said, “You planning on using me as some sort of informant?”
Copper smiled at him. “Oh of course not. That would be disrespectful. I just would be very appreciative if you would be so kind as to tell me things that you find out and give me information.” His smile widened as JonSong smiled as well. He had not been sure that he was his friend before, but it seemed that he really was.
“Oh I see. Just give information, eh?” His eyes seemed to glint. “Should be easy enough. People do tend to babble in front of me...but what sort of things do you want I should listen for?”
He thought on this and then gave a shrug. “Honestly I don't know. But I'm sure that you'll know it when you hear it.”
JonSong looked thoughtful for a few seconds and then nodded. “Yes. I'm sure I will. Especially when it concerns you.”
After some goodbyes and JonSong giving a half hearted attempt at a conversation with Fluttershy, which made no progress, they had left. That was odd, she had seemed so excited until actually seeing him. He had mentioned that he was huge, hadn't he? He was sure of it. Perhaps it was his eyes. Those eyes had stunned many into silence or gibbering. But it was good to know he had JonSong on his side.
~
The walk back was quite calm and peaceful. It was also quiet, except the Shoo-bee-doo-shoop-shoop-bee-doo. That seemed to make everything simply feel better. It was surprising how much simple words could make him feel better, even if they were fairly nonsense and he couldn't make out any of the other words. But that didn't matter. The seaponies had many, many songs, but they all had the same chorus. Shoo-bee-doo-shoop-shoop-bee-doo.
“What are you going to do to him?” Dash asked, staring at Copper as though she were almost daring him to say something over the line.
“I'm not going to do anything to him,” he said slowly. They had been talking about Pop Pot, who Copper was going to go and see. “Well...I'm going to talk at him, if that's anything.”
Dash stared at him and then nodded. Apparently satisfied with that kind of answer. “But...” Her brow wrinkled slightly and she looked away. “Why? I mean, he tried to kill you.”
“Yes well...” He paused, for some reason he wasn't even the tiniest bit upset over it. Perhaps it was because he had done such an awful job at it. He hadn't even checked to make sure he was in the room at the time. But that wouldn't feel right to say, so instead he said, “Well, he was hired to do it. I can't blame a pony for just trying to do his job.” Even if I wanted to. “I should be angry with the person who hired him.” Never blame the one doing the job. “Otherwise it wouldn't be fair.” And I would have a lot to answer to. He shook his head, again those secondary thoughts. It would get to the point that he wouldn't be able to tell what he actually said and what he just thought at this rate.
“I...guess that makes sense...” she said, though she sounded doubtful.
“Well...why don't you two go off and see what Twilight and everypony is doing? I'd like the conversation to be private," he said with a smile at the both of them.
Dash gave him a look and he gave her a wider smile. “Alright...if you're sure...”
His smile widened a bit more. “Of course I'm sure. It's something I have to do. But I'm not gonna hurt him, that you can be sure of.” He turned his smile to Fluttershy, who returned it meekly. “He just needs a stern talking to.” He couldn't help but chuckle.
“Right,” Dash said and nodded to Fluttershy. “Come on, Fluttershy. Let's go see what everypony's doing.”
With that, they left Copper. Then he was alone with his thoughts. Lots of thoughts. It was surprisingly good to see JonSong. Something about something that big being so kind and friendly made one feel better. But now, he had to go and speak with Pop Pot. But what would he say was the question. There seemed to be a lot of seaponies milling about as he half walked, half swam towards the end of the main hall. He knew that would be a way down into the dungeons. It seemed like every castle, no matter how old, or how new, had dungeons of some kind. Though a lot of them were converted into other things, or changed in some way or another to be a bit more cozy.
But these were proper dungeons. Dark. Very dark. They would probably be dank as well, if they were not filled with water. Though it seemed as though they really tried to give it a dank feeling. Which they succeeded. Seaponies were odd like that, trying to make the place feel like it should. Although ahead there was a lot of light and he could see the backs of seaponies. He heard some snippet of a conversation. “-ust throw him out. See how fast he can swim.”
“That would be cruel...” Some seapony said in response, “I say we just execute him.”
“I think not.” They all looked back at him. There was immediate shuffling and they all got out of his way. All except Jeta, who was standing in front of the door, blocking entrance. The door behind her was closed.
“Copper...” she said slowly and the relief in her voice was unmistakable.
“Alright. Everypony out,” he said, looking around. Nopony moved. “Did I stutter? Get out.” There was an immediate rush as every seapony did their best to flee, which was mildly hindered by the fact that they had to get around Copper in order to do so.
Eventually it had all cleared and only Jeta was left. “Thank you...” she said, breathing heavily. “They...they wanted to kill him.”
“Yes, I gathered that.” He moved towards her.
She tensed up, her flippers baring his entrance as well. “You're not-”
“No,” he said simply and placed a hoof on her shoulder. “I'm not going to kill him. Or hurt him. I just want to talk to him.”
“But he tried to kill you,” she protested staring at him.
He waved his hoof vaguely. “So have a lot of ponies. But I don't hold that against them personally, unless they do it out of personal reasons. I'm annoyed that somepony got hurt because of me... By the way, how is he?”
“Fine. Bit bruised, but he's up and about now,” she said as she began relaxing.
He wondered if she would actually try to stop him if he had said otherwise. Probably. That's the kind of pony she was. She would not let someone else be hurt if she could stop it. “Good...I'll want to speak with him after Pop Pot.” He hesitated, looking behind her at the door. “Do...you know why he was alone in that room?”
Her face scrunched up slightly in thought. “No...” she said after a pause. “I had not thought about it until now...but that is quite odd now that I think about it...”
“Yes...” he said, still staring at the door. “Has he," he emphasized the word he to convey the new target, "Said anything? Asked for anything?”
She shook her head as she moved to the side. “No...he's just been sitting there quietly.”
He nodded slowly and then looked at her. “I need to speak with him alone,” he said and then held up a hoof as she was about to protest. “Please. I need to speak with him alone and he is the only one that is to hear what I have to say.”
There was a few seconds of hesitation, but then she finally nodded. “Alright...I trust you know what you're doing...”
With that, she left. He watched her go and made sure she was a good distance, before opening the door. And there was Pop Pot. Sitting on the floor at the back of the room, staring at the ground. He looked up as Copper entered and grinned as he spoke. “Sae ye'v come tae see me? Ah honestly didnae expect it.”