//------------------------------// // Chapter 11 : The Cake Was A Lie // Story: Abhorsen : Friendship is Free-Magic // by MerlosTheMad //------------------------------// Three unimaginably short days flew by for Rarity. The time was pleasant overall, if quite out of the ordinary for her. She had been afraid that the time would drag on knowing what she did about a way home. Even more than that, that Pinkie Pie was safe due to arrive as well; hopefully together they would be able to meet up with Applejack and Rainbow Dash in order to find their remaining missing friends. Luna had relayed that their pink friend was leaving for Wyverly college the same day Abhorsen would arrive. Rarity had only been in the human's strange world for a total of five days, but already it seemed to her she would be heading back to Equestria. For now, Rarity lay on her side, leisurely staring out of her temporary bedroom's window and up at the starry night sky beyond. Her alabaster coat shone slightly in the evening glow. High above, the celestial lights shimmered dimly, pale imitations of what she was far more familiar with back at her home where she belonged. Her eyes twinkled in reply to the pitiful things, nearly outshining them for their part. With a pinch of magic, the window unlatched, then pushed itself open, bathed in the blue light of Rarity's spell and opening the small room to the warm, summer night air. A wispy sigh escaped Rarity's lips while the breeze stirred her loose mane. The hair lacked any of the normally natural bounciness that it had left Equestria with. She let her head fall to its side on her pillow, the blissful weather giving her night a measure of repose. Overhead, sparse clouds drifted across the waning moon, shadows playing across the landscape and mirroring the somber emotions filling her. Minutes later, or perhaps longer, the sounds of a light tapping at Rarity's door filled the small room and pulled her attention away from the scenery. Her head snapped up to stare through the darkness towards the source. "Hello?" Rarity called out, and rose after a familiar voice hissed through the crack at the bottom of her door. "Raaarity, pst, it's me Sabriel. Open up." The girl was whispering, no doubt trying to stay undetected, as she was surely sneaking about. Rarity rolled over and flipped off the bed, her hooves thunking on the wood floor. Her hoof grasped the handle and the overly tall oak door creaked open before her. "Sabriel? What are you doing here?" A grinning little human filly with hair darker than the night slipped inside immediately. "Good evening, Rarity!" Sabriel hugged the pony fiercely around her neck, kicking the door shut behind herself with a bang. "Well, I thought I'd sneak out, come say hello, that sort of thing. After all, you'll be leaving tomorrow." Sabriel eyed the door behind herself while taking a seat. "Yikes, I hope no one heard that..." she muttered. Rarity chuckled and smiled at Sabriel, lighting a candle to bring some more light into the room. "Yes, I suppose I will be one way or another... I have enjoyed the company of you and your friends though and all the hospitality." She watched the filly eye her magic at work, fascinated, before an answer came. "Your magic is so fascinating... I wish I had time to try and learn it myself! Uggh, anyway, I was wondering, what happens if you cant get home tomorrow? I mean, I don't want to, uhm, sound negative or the like out of the blue like this..." Her hands nonchalantly pulled on the lengths of straight hair at her side while her eyes cast a worried glance at Rarity. "I guess between my dad saying he'll look into it, or this... other thing you told me about, your odds are looking alright." Rarity tried to keep up with the girl; it was late, and the energy she showed despite the time reminded her of the friend she was hoping to be reunited with tomorrow. I wonder if Pinkie will ever act her age... "Still if, uhm, Pinkie Pie was it?" Sabriel said the name as a question to Rarity, unsure if it was quite right. When the pony nodded, she continued. "If Pinkie Pie's friend is lying, you'll have to leave no matter what. Mrs. Umbrade is about to lose her mind with you staying here. I think the fact my dad pays my tuition in raw silver is the only reason she's bit her tongue as long as she has." Rarity hummed slightly from the mention of the school's stuffy headmistress and tilted her head questioningly in response to the rest. "Are you saying I shouldn't get my hopes up, Sabriel?" Her face sobered when Sabriel flinched, giving away what was on her mind. "I have thought about it, Darling. Should I have to follow your father no matter the case that's perfectly fine. After speaking to Ms. Greenwood on the subject extensively..." She exhaled, recalling the rather depressing conversations that had filled her last two days. "I learned that magic is a very uncommon thing here, more so its study. Why, if it weren't for Pinkie and her friend, then Mr. Abhorsen may be our only hope..." The other thing Sabriel had said returned to Rarity. "Did you say lie? Whatever do you mean by that, dear?" Sabriel's cheerful demeanor seemed to leak away slowly, and she looked down to stare at the floor. Her reply sounded hesitant. "Well, it's just, charter mages are really rare around here, or anywhere, Rarity. The odds of your friend just finding somebody to help you actually get home? It doesn't make sense at all, really." She looked up, a regretful look on her face. "Maybe we should talk to my dad about it when he gets here? Or Ms. Greenwood, at least?" Rarity blinked and folded her hooves, leaning back some from Sabriel. "But, why would anypony lie to Pinkie about getting her home? That seems rather peculiar..." Sabriel thought she could think of a reason or two if she tried, but didn't want to worry her friend. Instead, she answered, "I... don't know, Rarity, but it seems way more likely that somebody is lying to her. To me it does, at least. Maybe they want to... well, I dunno, I guess. They're probably just a crooked person if that's what they're doing." Rarity blanched and shook her head before looking incredulously at Sabriel. "Are you saying Pinkie could be in the company of rogues!? Or, one rogue!? Or a villain even?" A hoof flew up to Rarity's mouth, while Sabriel simultaneously tried to hurriedly calm and quiet her friend. "Nonono! Well, maybe, I'm sure she's fine, Rarity! You've heard from her every night through the Princess, Ms. Luna, right? Maybe the guy Pinkie Pie's with is just too nice for his own good. I dunno, or maybe he's a mage from an ancient family that has secrets unknown to anyone except the Clayr, who knows?" Sabriel heaved a sigh and took her hands off the pony's shoulders. "I just came here to say goodbye, Rarity, not scare you." She smiled weakly across at the unicorn while plonking down on the bed's side. Rarity frowned a little, but hopped up onto the bed as well and switched to a smile. "Well, alright, fair enough. I hope you're right... But I'm far from frightened, Dear, only worried. In anycase, I'm sure you'll have time to say goodbye tomorrow. For now, shouldn't you be in bed? If I'm not mistaken you're still a filly, or little girl as it were, and not too much older than my sister. I have to make sure every night that she gets to bed on time. Sleep is very important, and from what I hear you do this a lot and it's frowned upon..." She trailed off and began eying her door nervously, thinking already of what would need to be said in the event of discovery. "Aaaw," Sabriel let out the complaint in a breathtakingly accurate rendition of Sweetie Belle. "I'm not tired at all though. Can't we talk some more?... I probably won't ever see you again, and I still want to see if I can learn how to perform your type of magic, or hear more of your stories or..." She fell back on the bed and exhaled tiredly. "Sorry Rarity, I don't want to be a pest. It's just exciting, you know? I would love to go with you. I bet you're going to have one great adventure." Rarity nursed one of her forelegs with the other while smiling at Sabriel, listening to the girl's dreams and desires. Believe me, adventure is the last thing that I want. She turned her head briefly to glance out at the moon, glowing brightly through the window like a subtle reminder of home. "I just want to go home." Sabriel picked her head up and looked at Rarity; the unicorn was staring out of the window in what seemed like a haze. Her eyes blinked and met her own abruptly. "Sorry Darling, I didn't mean to say that aloud." Rarity sighed. "It's okay," Sabriel replied, sitting up. "I'm so concerned with how boring it is here I didn't think about how rough this is for you. I really hope you get home soon, Rarity." She paused, eyes shifting, then leaned forward. "I do wish I could go with you though, Equestria sounds really fun, and exciting." Her tongue stuck out at the unicorn at the end, doing her best to cheer her up. "Oh, it is," Rarity grinned back and reassured her. "It most certainly is that." "And then?" Pinkie Pie asked happily, her muzzle squeezing through the bars of the interesting, but cozy carriage. Fanny had even been nice enough to put a big blanket like tarp over the top to give her privacy and keep the sun off for her. "And then, Pinkie, like I told you already, we'll meet up with my friend. I can't go so far as Wyverly College from my home, as much as I'd love to..." Fanny exhaled really deeply from the outside seat of the carriage. Pinkie supposed it was probably because he was still tired and didn't sleep enough the night before. "So he'll take you the rest of the way." "Ooooh, I know that," Pinkie said ecstatically, barely able to contain her excitement. "I just lovelovelove hearing you say it! You have no idea how hard it is being cooped up like that all day for several days! Or maybe... you do? I guess I shouldn't assume things about somepony. After all, you know what they say about ponies that assume! It makes an—" Fenwick groaned and tightened his grip on the reigns of his horses, trying his best to ignore the pestering noise coming from behind his head. It had been bad enough when the strange creature he'd found had tried introducing herself and singing to his mares. Worse, she had gotten the idea they were being rude when they didn't answer her; explaining that horses were just like that had taken an hour. Luckily, Fenwick could see the township of Bain already coming up on the road. The village that was almost a city wasn't far from Wyverly College. His farm had not been far from the last, large cluster of buildings laying just before the northern wall. All the same, the hour long ride had certainly seemed to last forever with the cargo he currently had. "And then and then and then!" Pinkie Pie chanted, finding the repetition of the phrase delightful. Fenwick cringed and tried his best to soldier it out until he could get on with things. "And then and then and then—" He turned around and mocked back at her. When the pony looked up at him expectantly, eyebrow raised, he said the first thing to come to his mind. "Uh, cake." The gasp that was inhaled behind him was more of a gale of wind than anything a living creature could produce, or so Fenwick would have thought. He already regretted saying anything more at all. "Cake! I love cake, oh my gosh do your friends have cake!?" Pinkie began clattering the boards behind him, and he immediately regretted ever mentioning the word. "If I promise that you'll get some cake will you sit still and be quiet?" The horses tossed their heads for one reason or another, and Fenwick leaned forward to try and soothe them with some calming words. "Sure thing, Fanny! Deal, and no take backs!" Pinkie ceased her excited hoof tapping, realizing that maybe the rickety cart wasn't quite sturdy enough to handle her at her most hyper. While the thought of cake was a very welcomed one, she had more pressing things to talk about and think over. "Hey, Fanny?" She poked her snout out towards the human through the bars again. "What is it?" Fenwick's voice was gruff and brief, perhaps more than he had meant it to sound. He did want to encourage some peace and quiet though. His head craned around to peek at Pinkie from the corner of his eye. Pinkie's ears laid back against her head. "Well geez, no need to be a Mr. Grumpy-Gills. Was it something I said?" She sat back on the floor after a particularly harsh bump rocked the wagon. "You could say that..." Fenwick intoned back at her, then faced forward again. "Hmmmm..." Pinkie held her hoof up to her mouth, a moment later her eyes popped open to their fullest, a wide grin coming along with them. "Oh, I get it, I did say that!" She began giggling, picking up on her friend's joke. "So you aren't actually mad at me? Because sometimes I do go too far, but I've gotten pretty good at knowing how far to go with my friends. I tended to go overboard with Cranky-doodle, too. Only I've only just met you! So I'm not so good yet. I was actually getting waywayway better back in Ponyville recently now that I think about it." She peeked out of the wagon beneath the tarp, lifting it with one hoof. There were buildings outside now. "You see, there are way more ponies in Ponyville than there used to be, and our quaint old town has been getting a lot more neighbors. In fact, I guess I was sort of in the first wave! Twilight too, but my other bestest best friends all lived there forever or moved there before me." "Mmhmm," Fanny responded back. Pinkie stepped back towards the front of her compartment. "Sorry, I'm rambling, I just want to say I haven't gotten to know you very well yet, Fanny. Just tell me if I get to be too much, everypony does, and you don't have to be so polite and stay quiet about it. I'm kind of just wingin' it after all, even though I'm not a pegasus." She let out a calm, measured laugh and smiled. "Hehe, get it?" Fenwick looked back briefly, pulling the cart to a stop at an intersection. "Pegasuses are the winged ponies from Equestria, right?" A new model of automobile pulled out in front of him across the road, emitting a bang and lots of black smoke from its exhaust. He looked forward again and began to look both ways before moving, until Pinkie made him jump. "Pegasi," Pinkie corrected, "and that's right— Great galloping gumdrops, WHAT IS THAT!?" Pinkie watched with fascination as a biiig loud carriage-thing rolled past, and then another, way bigger one from behind it. Her eyes stayed glued to the metal contraption that reminded her of a lot of the clunky, complicated magic vehicles that were used around Equestria. Except these were completely different, besides the somewhat familiar spoked wheels. "Gah!" Fenwick turned around again in a panic from Pinkie's shout, only to be greeted by two bugged out pony eyes sticking through the bars of the cage he'd made. "Great charter..." He turned around again, holding a hand over his heart, then leaned forward to say soothing words to his horses. Both started snorting and pawing the ground after the sudden jump from peaceful countryside, to yells and noisy traffic. Pinkie gulped and began to hold a hoof out through the bars towards her friend. "Are you okay Fann—" "Pinkie, quiet your noise-maker already. Do you know what happens if horses bolt in a crowded city?" Fenwick grunted, knowing full well that she most probably would not. "People get hurt, that's what, so don't go distracting me now." He looked up and down the road again, then calmly clicked the reigns once more, pushing his flustered animals onwards. The sooner he got to his destination he decided, the better. "But I didn't bring my noise-maker..." Pinkie replied quietly. The sound of a large truck rolling by partially drowned out Fenwick's shout, "Your mouth Pinkie, your mouth! Shut it!" Pinkie swallowed and chewed her lip a moment, staring around herself ashamedly. "O-Oh, okay." Her eyes climbed up again, staring at the back of Fanny's rough brown coat and fuzzy cap. I definitely don't want to hurt anypony... She drooped again to look at the floor. Then laid down on the floor, while still staring at the same board that made up the floor. Pinkie Pie heaved a sigh and laid her head down too, ears turning this way and that at the sounds around her. It was sort of to entertain herself, but mostly to distract herself. The surroundings were very loud and noisy, but it didn't sound as though it were from a crowd, mostly just more of those machines. They came and went, too, so overall it was still only about as loud as Ponyville market on a busy day. The different sounds got her outrageously curious though. Curious and overly idle from just being a passenger, Pinkie reached a hoof through the cart's bars and pulled up the sun blanket. She came almost face to face with a little human, holding hands with a big human. Aaw, it's a mommy and her daughter. The human filly looked over and locked eyes with Pinkie, in slow motion they widened to their fullest while the wagon strode by. Pinkie grinned and widened her own slowly the match the filly's, for fun, then waved goodbye as she began moving too far away. The little girl frantically began tugging on the mother's dress for one reason or another. Pinkie tilted her head in thought, Maybe she remembered she's really hungry? Shrugging, she began scanning around the town again. One thing that stood out to her were how plain and boring a lot of the houses and buildings were. Her attention intently examined what looked to be a bakery. That's really weird, how do they expect to get business if all they have to advertise is a dinkie old sign? That's just bad marketing right there. She leaned on a hoof and examined the next building. And this one, how do they expect to sell their... The building the pony studied was a mystery to her, whatever filled the windows looks a bit like long, skinny red balloons. Well, how do they expect to sell whatever those crazy looking things are without any decorations? Pinkie furrowed her brow trying to decide what to think of humans, as they seemed pretty confusing to her. The frame of reference she used for the shops was of course other stores in Equestria. While not all of them went as 'all out' as she had with Sugarcube corner, some bright colors usually set a store apart from the ordinary homes, at least in her opinion. Oh! Pinkie spotted more humans on a side walk, the same time they spotted her. She waved and grinned the same as she did for any passerby or stranger that took interest in her. "Hello!" Her normal, friendly voice called to them. The humans gawked back at the pink mare merrily waving at them. A couple hands raised at a snails pace and waved back. Huh, that's weird, they act as though they're surprised to see me. Pinkie strained one eye through the bars, getting one last look at the strangers while it seemed Fanny's cart went to the opposite end of whatever town this was. I wasn't even trying to surprise, I must be getting good! The grin she wore lasted until a tingling memory came to her. Sitting back to free up her front hooves she immediately slapped both of them to her forehead with a clunk. It sounded a bit like banging two empty coconuts together. Pinkie, you big dummy! She addressed to herself. Fanny told you that there were dangerous peeple- pieple... How do I spell that? A ding sounded off in her head. Oh right, that makes sense. People. Anyway, I really should be more discreet... The cart rumbled to a sudden stop, with a final bounce given to the wagon. At the same time, Pinkie thought she might have felt a Pinkie sense going off. Was that a rump wiggle for... nah, couldn't have been. It was just the cart. Up front the horses nickered and whinnied as three sounds of footsteps crunched on gravel towards the back of the cart. Pinkie pouted up an offended lip at the sound. Hmph, that's so rude. Didn't their moms tell them not to do that in polite company? Or maybe it's polite in horse culture? She heard the sound of Fenwick talking to somepony, as well as a couple of new super friendly sounding voices. Eeee! I bet that's them! Wait... it's not somepony is it, I bet they say 'somehuman' or the like. Concluding that the new term was as good as any, her hooves danced in an impatient pattern on the wooden boards, not just from anticipation, but also all the inactivity she'd endured the last few days. One thing was certain to her: that when she did finally get to move around again, she felt a little sorry for whoever got to keep her company. I better give them a warning and apologize ahead of time, I wouldn't want to sour a possible friendship after all. "Pinkie, we're here." Fenwick called suddenly through the cloth to her. "Just listen to this." "Listen to what, Fanny?" Pinkie spun her head towards Fanny's voice, knelt down and cheerfully regarded the bars of the wagon that were in his direction. Finally, time to get the buck out. Of. Here! She giggled, knowing no one but herself heard the curse. Being penned up could make a pony act strange. "Hear that?" Fenwick asked, to somepony. The sound of two other voices which were probably human—Pinkie supposed—drifted through the blanket. "Pinkie, you like surprises, right? That's what you told me?" Pinkie hesitated at lifting up the blanket, a wide grin forming. "I sure do! And I sure did!" Pinkie sat back, her tongue stuck out of her mouth. "Get ready." The sun blanket that Fenwick had put over her for comfort flew off the safety cage, and sunlight rushed in. Pinkie hopped up on her hind legs excitedly, sure she had understood what Fenwick had hinted at. If there was one thing that Pinkie Pie understood terrifically well, especially after being friends with her five bestest best friends, it was what others would hint at subtly. "SURPRISE!" she yelled as loud as she could, fore hooves stretched above herself, at least until they hit the wagon's ceiling. "Great charter!" There were two humans standing before her, and both were a great deal younger looking than old Fanny. "What in the name of— Bloody 'ell... What is that!?" They both hollered out some odd words, and weren't taking the surprise as Pinkie had expected them to. "That definitely isn't some simple Old Kingdom trinket alright, you weren't pulling our chains at all you old loon." Pinkie tilted her head, trying to calm them down. "Aw, sorry, did I scare you boys? Er, you are boys right? I haven't seen a human mare yet and Fanny didn't seem to know a whole lot about them either." She scratched a forehoof behind her head and grinned sheepishly at the two new faces, hoping to salvage the apparent failed greeting. One of the humans continued to stare like he'd walked into one of Discord's crazy chaotic creations, while the other turned to look at Fanny and started snickering. "The term for us is 'men' actually, and yes we are." The snickering human managed to get out. "Oooh," Pinkie oohed, nodding and smiling. Fanny seemed to get a little nervous for a reason Pinkie couldn't figure out, nor could she decipher what was so funny, but if they were happy then it was alright. "Wow." One of the two humans took off his cap and ran a hand through his hair, still gawking wide eyed at Pinkie Pie. "You weren't lying, I thought for sure you were a madman, Fenwick." Pinkie moved her head from side to side in an effort to make the staring human stop... staring. Yeesh, rude much? She reached a hoof out through the bars to try plan B, deciding he must not meet many mares either. "Hi, I'm Pinkie Pie and it's great to meet you!" When nopony took her hoof, the trademarked Pinkie Pie grin which she wore, faded some. "Pinkie," Fenwick started cheerfully, "These men are pretty down in the dumps and would love some cheering up, actually. Could you show them the thing you did to try and cheer me up?" The old human stroked his short beard with a hand, smiling at her warmly. "Oooh! I gotchyah!" Pinkie began tapping her right hoof on the floor to get a beat going. Heee, this one so works right now, because I'm in this cage! Oh, well not cage, 'traveling secret wagon.' Ahem, anyway. She began bouncing, singing to the tune of one of her favorite songs. "Youuu reach your right hoof in, you reach your right hoof out, you reach your right hoof in and you shake it all about. You do the Pony Pokey meeting lots of folks with clout. That's what I'm talking about—!" Her head banged into the ceiling before reaching the next line. "Yeowch, owowow." She reached a hoof up and rubbed what she was sure would become a bruise. Trying to salvage her performance she flourished her forelegs and gave the audience a weak smile. "Tah-daah?" The dumbstruck looking human backed up a step, and put on a very peculiar face. "Fenwick, put the tarp back on, this thing's freaking me out." Pinkie's ears drooped a little, her smile wavering. "I—" "Ahhah, now, don't be stand-offish just because she's different, you'll be traveling with her after all." Fenwick flashed a smile at Pinkie, "One moment, I think you've overwhelmed them." The grey haired man wrapped the other up by the arm and pulled him away, whispering as they went. "Oh, okay." Pinkie blinked, "Uhm, sorry about that, I should have remembered that one isn't very popular!" She was getting confused over the oddness of how everything felt to her. It was a first, as far as meeting somepony new had ever gone for her at least. Freak... and freaking, those are super mean words. She could feel her mane drooping... and was getting a bad feeling about things. A hand enveloped Pinkie's forehoof through the bars, taking her by surprise. The snickering human from before—not the meany-pants with the bad mouth—gave a wry, quick look to both his friend and Fanny behind himself, but they were busy talking. He grinned at her and chortled, saying, "Pleasure to meet you, Miss." Pinkie tried to work a smile back onto her face with difficulty, something that was rare for her. "Ooh, I'm not Miss, that's what Rarity calls herself when she's feeling hoity toity, or like Hoity Toity. If she were feeling Hoity Toity that would be aaawkwaaard, heh." The little joke didn't really cheer her up or break the ice like she'd wanted it to. The human put on an incredulous look, then laughed at the joke anyway. "Wow." He whispered, then he turned and walked off to join the other two, still smiling enough to rival one of her own on a good day. Pinkie Pie did smile then, puzzling out the bizarre behavior like much of the rest. Huh, he must be nice, unlike his friend. There's no way he could have gotten that joke unless he knows Hoity Toity. He must have seen that I needed cheering up. Aw, that's nice of him, I guess I can forgive his friend to, I forgot just how strange it must be to see things that seem impossible. She tried imagining what might happen if she were in their shoes. Hm, nah, a human in Equestria just seems way to crazy to imagine, even for me. I doubt that would ever happen anyway. It was a silly idea for her to have, she decided. "Alright, that settles it then." Pinkie stood up from inside the wagon in time to see the sun blanket go back over its top. "Fanny!? Faaanny? Uhm, hello?" Pinkie Pie tried to peek through the bottom and the uncovered spots of the wagon at her friends before they got covered. I actually kind of wish they could leave that thing off, she thought, even if it might be risky. "I think our pony wants to say goodbye to you, mate." Pinkie heard the staring human say. You know, I still haven't gotten their names. The pony tilted her head and frowned while in thought. The blanket raised up, revealing Fenwick's face and his big smile. "Yes?" he asked. Pinkie smiled back. "Uhm, what's going on?" She waggled her eyebrows, trying to make light of them all seeming to be featherbrained at the moment, not to mention barely acknowledging her. "Well, as I said, Pinkie, the school is very, very far away. I can't take you all the way there, so you'll be with them for the rest of the way." Fenwick smirked smartly and tipped his hat. "I wish I could go with you, I really do, but I need to get back home. There are people and my animals that depend on me after all." "Well I know thaaat. I meant; why didn't you introduce me to them? Or... or... well, I'm sure there are more ors, and not the kind you push a rowboat with!" Pinkie Pie waved her arms while speaking, then sighed and whispered, "They kinda creep me out, Mr. Fenwick... I don't know if I want to go with them. Are you sure I couldn't make it there on my own, with a map? I have crayons with me and—" Fenwick chuckled and glanced behind himself, at what, Pinkie couldn't see because of the blanket. "Just trust them, Pinkie. I promise that you don't have another choice right now." Pinkie studied the other being's face for a moment, calmly assessing things. When the man reached through the bar and pet her head again she hummed and rolled her eyes. Silly humans, she thought acceptingly. "Okie-dokie, Fanny, I'll do it your way." A gasp escaped her while the blanket was being lowered. "Hey, hey wait! Waitwaitwait!" "What?" Fenwick poked his head back in, a confused expression on his face, at least Pinkie though it looked a little lost. "What do you mean 'what?' Really buster? I'm not going to see you again, maybe ever! You've helped me so much and... and really, Mr. Fenwick, even Cranky wouldn't just leave without saying goodbye." Pinkie smiled at one corner of her mouth and reached out through the bars. "How about a hug ol' grumpy pants?" She spotted the snickering human that still needed to be introduced, and he was laughing harder than ever for some reason. "Alright alright, but don't break my back this time." Fenwick hesitantly got close enough to hug the pink pony through the bars. A voice that bordered on annoyed interrupted the farewell. "Aw, that's adorable. Would you hurry up you old rust pot of a codger? We have to get back into town before the market crowds disperse. You know that damn well, eh?" Fenwick grunted and pulled back from Pinkie's embrace, he stood there holding up the blanket a moment longer, just watching. Pinkie tilted her head, still grinning. When her friend said nothing, she coughed and broke the silence. "I won't ever forget you, Fanny. Thanks so much." She closed her eyes and spread her smile wide, making sure the old human had something happy to think about while heading back home. "...Y-Yes, and thank you, Pinkie. I have to go now." The blanket fell back down. "Sooo," Pinkie poked her head through the bars at her new friends. "What are your names? I can't just call you thing one and thing two, although that sounds like it might be fun..." She looked up and caught the eye of the human that had stared at her like she were a parasprite, but seemed kinda like a sourpuss. When he didn't look away, she crossed her eyes and stuck her hoof in her mouth, pulling it out to make a loud popping noise. The human jumped in his seat. "Don't do that!" "Well you weren't answering me!" Pinkie argued back, frowning up at him. The human that always seemed to be laughing did just that, ribbing the one next to him in the side with an elbow. "I have a question..." Pinkie raised her hoof through the bars to get their attention. "How come Fanny let you guys keep his horses? He made such a big fuss about them I'm amazed he'd—" "Shut up." The sound of the town began to increase around them once again. Pinkie froze mid sentence, then continued, thinking she'd misheard. "—uhm, let you borrow them, because it seemed like—" The watching human turned around and leered at her close up, pushing her hoof back into the wagon. "I'm not going to repeat myself." He said with deathly seriousness, before straightening up and talking again to the other man. The humans continued to argue between themselves about something over her. "Listen, horse-thing—" The other human interrupted him back. "Her name's Pinkie," he began snickering again, something that was almost drowned out by the roar of the crowd around them, which was louder than it had been earlier. "Don't start with me," he shot back, then re-began to address Pinkie. "Horse, when we stop, we're going to do some announcing, and then you're going to help us to entertain some people. Do you think you can manage that?" "Huh? I don't think I understand?" Pinkie furrowed her brow and sat back. The two humans started arguing again, of which she could only pick out bits and pieces of what was being said. Just what the hay is going on!? Pinkie scowled at their backs. This is starting to get super creepy, and not the fun kind of creepy that comes with spooky stories at a sleep over. This is more like... the kind of creepy that a big bad meany might give off. That doesn't make sense though, unless... Following her growing suspicion, Pinkie lifted a corner of her blanket again and stared out into the crowd she was once more surrounded by, her Pinkie brain telling her that something wasn't right. Then, the final straw was had. The cart rumbled to a stop, and Pinkie's rump wiggled of its own accord in the ensuing stillness. The pony gasped and held both of her hooves to her mouth, knowing full well what that meant. "But... Fanny said—" Oh no, that means they're evil, or bad, or at least up to no good. Just like that time somepony stole AJ's Applepies! I don't think these guys are pastry thieves though... She began pacing in the wagon, looking around frantically. Well, I guess technically they are Pie thieves, heh. No, stop distracting yourself, Pinkie, this is serious-bizness now! "Ladies and Gentlemen," Pinkie Pie picked up her head from thinking to listen intently to the sound of the laughing human talking through a megaphone. She gulped and tried to focus on the words. "What you are about to see will shock and amaze you, and will never be seen anywhere else south of the wall. What I have here for anyone willing to pay is a mythical, mystical, magical and above all majestic, talking horse. Yes, you heard right, the bids start at—" Pinkie sat down with an audible thump, her legs all felt drained of their energy, and her mane drooped at her side in the most limp, lifeless state it had ever been in. "They... all lied to me. I wa so in denial about the possibility and so happy Rarity was okay that... I ignored all the signs." Pinkie put her hooves to her head. I... but why? To sell? You can't sell ponies, that's... huh, I know there's a word for that, besides mean-stinky-rotting-no-good-and-evil, that is. Chryssie-pants used it once... slaves. The blanket was ripped off of Fenwick's wagon then, and the light from several bright, circular lamps blinded Pinkie. She pulled a hoof up to her face and squinted around herself at the crowd. Wherever she was, it was indoors, maybe something like a big barn, or a warehouse. There were humans, a lot of them, and in the tight space their presence was stifling. They all gasped, reeling back and talking loudly amongst each other, trying to look in at her, one attempting to get closer to the cart only to be smacked away. The watching human that acted like a sourpuss yelled at him over the crowd. "You bid first buddy, then you can touch, maybe!" Pinkie tried to back up out of the wagon and smacked into one corner. What is going on!? None of this makes sense, and I definitely don't think this is normal, even for baddies... She made a dash over to one of the other walls, the one where she had originally come in from. It was locked. Pinkie rattled the door. "Let me out! Mister, uhm, it's okay I don't need your help. I think I will just go and see if I can find the school myse—" A loud crack cut her off, and she fell back from standing against the bars in shock. There was a stinging sensation on one of her legs. She looked down and saw blood running from a thick welt on her Pinkie leg. "I think, I told you to shut up; perhaps now you'll listen." The watching human turned around again, and the laughing human began calling out to the crowd once more. "There you have it folks, something this rare and beautiful could fetch a price worthy of a king's ransom in any of the southern countries, where wondrous things and fairy tales such as the horse that can speak are nothing but creatures of your imagination. Now, do I hear an opening bid?" Pinkie Pie felt something strange, something she didn't feel very often. It was something that only ever really happened when her friends were in trouble, but she felt it now. It was anger. "We were promised it would sing!" A random voice yelled out, and immediately the crowd started laughing. "Fine," The laughing human said, before hopping down from the platform and walking towards Pinkie, a cruel grin on his face. "Well, you heard them, sing for us, Pinkie, if you would be so kind." Pinkie just glared at him. She could actually even feel how ugly she was making her face look from how angrily she glared at him. "Uh oh, I think you made it angry, Gregory." Somepony else jeered the human from behind him. The crowd exploded into laughter again. It was the cruelest, most horrible laughter Pinkie thought she had ever heard in her life. She didn't like it at all. The watching human laughed along halfheartedly, then turned with widened, serious eyes to the other. He muttered a few words, then readdressed the crowd. Meanwhile, the human that had always seemed happy to be around her then hopped lower, leering into the cage suddenly with a cold, emotionless look on his face. Pinkie felt her glare falter, and she took a step back from him. "Listen to me closely, you stupid, ignorant little freakish animal." He hissed the words, turning his head while a creepy smile curved the corners of his lips. "If you don't start listening to us right now, I am going to cause you a great deal of pain. I will stab you, I will beat you..." He paused, and his face calmed, in a strange, frightening way. "Do you understand everything I'm saying to you? If you don't do what you're told right now, you don't get sold. You don't get sold, you're going to regret it, so make this good." A long blade flashed out of a leather case at his hip, the point leveled itself at Pinkie. "Trust me, you don't want to end up stuck here with us." "HEY!" Pinkie flinched and bit back a yelp as the sharp object jabbed her side, the human reaching through the bars at her with it. "That's it, buddy, you just brought a dinky knife to a Pinkie Pie FIGHT!" Pinkie Pie gritted her teeth and stretched her neck up, shooting her seething look down at him. She wanted to teach the bully a lesson, or get up in the meany-pants' face to tell him in true Pinkie-style why he deserved a spanking from his mother at least. She didn't get the opportunity though. He tried to stab at her again, aiming right for her barrel. Behind him, the whip from the other human cracked loudly, and a hundred others sounds came from the crowd. Time slowed down it seemed, but that didn't matter to her. Pinkie caught the knife in her teeth and ripped it away from him, "Ah hon't 'INK 'ho 'ushter 'rown!" Then spit it into the wooden floor behind herself. Already turned around, her legs then flexed and she bucked the cage as hard as she could, moving with the momentum that the situation had suddenly exploded into. Everything after that was more chaotic than anything Discord could come up with. There were loud bangs that sounded like explosions, and yelling or screaming from everyhuman else in the room. Pinkie didn't stop to see if the watching man was alright, she hadn't hit him that hard with the cage wall after all, and she was reasonably sure most stallions were made of tough stuff. Geez, actually, does that carry over to human stallions? Maybe I'll have to find out about that. Her hooves clattered against the wooden floor as she ducked, dodged and dived around humans of all shapes and sizes. Not now Pinkie, wonder about how humans measure up to stallions later! Normally such acrobatic acts from her would be reserved for dancing, but at the moment it was just to avoid all of those hands that humans had grabbing at her. One caught her mane. "Ah hah—! YEEOW" Pinkie didn't want to get poked again, so she nipped at the fellow. "Hi, sorry we can't be friends!" Pinkie bent and twisted and pirouetted aside from more of the strange creatures while speaking to the one she'd chomped on. "Try to be nicer to strangers and say your hail Celestias every night! Gottagobyenow!" With a final leap, Pinkie sprung up into the air away from the crowd of humans she had just danced through. Her jump took her up several strides, almost four meters above them, and like a soaring dragon she flew towards a wide paned window. It shattered, raining glass down around her as she burst out of the first exit she had seen in the otherwise dim building. Pinkie landed with a thud, and let out an adrenaline filled breath, slightly winded from the excitement. "Phew, I gotta pick my vacation spots way better." She looked every which way for where to go. Wherever she was, it didn't look like the center of town, or anywhere she could really navigate from. I guess I'm on my own now and I never did get my cake... that cake was a lie, just like everything else that meany-butt Fanny said. She paused, laughing at making the connection between the word 'butt' and 'fanny'. Oooh, I get it now. For once, Pinkie didn't really mind that at the moment she was lost, just happy to be free. Her hooves clopped loudly on the stone streets as she ran, and she ran until they began thudding on dirt instead, keen on finding somehuman nice enough to just give her directions. I would rather stick to staying by myself for now... A bit of her unhappiness returned, her mane was definitely still as unhappy as she was, but she didn't think there was another option to be had. I gotta get to Rarity as quick as I can, who knows what dastardly despicable evil things her humans are up to right this instant! The thought hit Pinkie like a landslide as she came to a sudden realization. Her friend was in dire trouble. Terciel Abhorsen hummed to himself as he rode in the side seat of the military truck. The wind from the north was stifled today, so vehicles worked. The Colonel stationed at the wall's gate had offered to give him a ride, seeing as his requests and stories were a bit, odd... Nonetheless they were on good terms, so the insistence that a few soldiers go with him weren't argued, so long as he still called the shots. Abhorsen glanced over at the quickly passing by countryside, eagerly thinking over the opportunity he'd gained to see his daughter. He didn't have much time gifted to him to see his few relatives, as the world was in too much turmoil, and had been for a long time. Nevertheless, he was one of the only men alive able to do anything to help it. Men were easily corrupted by the lure of power, or immortality, or any number of far simpler things. A blur of pink crossed Terciel's vision while he heaved a sigh, and the act caught in his throat, causing him to cough and splutter. When he'd recovered, he choked out disbelievingly at what his eyes tracked galloping across the nearby field out of the city Bain. "What in the name of everything— Another one!?" The soldier beside him looked over, and then the shouts from the others in the bed of the truck joined in, most of them laughing as they looked at the bright pink animal running towards them. Well, this is certainly going to be an interesting day. Terciel eased himself in his seat, then looked at the driver. "Stop here, I'll handle this."