//------------------------------// // Merces Letifer // Story: Between Needles and Knives // by Dancewithknives //------------------------------// April 2nd, Earlier… A low growl emanated from the radiator as air seeped from the hot and rusted pipes of the heater underneath the window and into the room. The window above the room’s heater was closed, its heavy red curtains were shut tightly and blocking the starlight from entry into the space. The bed was unmade, and just like the sheets that were ruffled and peeled back, the wallpaper was likewise unkempt. The pots of phony plastic plants were gathering dust in the corner, but may as well have been invisible while positioned in the dark corners of the room. The only source of light in this room, a warm orange glow from a small candle, was at the table beside the bed, next to the room’s only occupant. Sitting in a chair beside the candle was a red earth pony. The last of his cigarettes was in his mouth, and all of its predecessors lay dead in the ashtray. The earth pony sitting in the chair sat almost motionless as he smoked his cigarette and read a small book, its title, “Sapphire Shores: Around the World tour.” The spine of the cheap twelve page paperback book had stress marks and was stretched, like it had been read an excessive amount of times. As the last little tobacco stick turned to cremated ash, the red pony stood up and set his little book on the nightstand beside the tip that had been left behind for the Hotel’s maid. The pony walked over to his luggage and opened one of the zipped compartments, grabbing a gallon jug of a sparkling blue elixir and a lanyard before heading into the bathroom. The stallion stepped past the scurrying cockroaches and broken tiles on the floor and turned on the shower. After the water was falling through the head, the stallion walked to the counter and stopped at the mirror. He placed his sparkling blue jug and the lanyard onto the surface. He closed his eye and took in a deep breath. “Who am I today?” He opened his eyes and focused on his reflection. “Establishment Shot: born in Trottingham. Blue coated Earth Pony. Age 26. High school dropout, obtained a G.E.D. after second attempt. Currently employed as a camera-pony. Family: estranged, Colleagues: nonexistent.” The red earth pony grabbed his sparkling jug of the blue magic concoction and entered the cold shower. Thirty minutes later, the earth pony exited the shower clean, refreshed, and ready to go to work. But unlike when he entered, his coat was no longer red, but blue instead. The earth pony who was no longer red pulled his lanyard over his head. He walked over to his duffle bags and threw the poncho that labeled him as a part of the video crew over his shoulder and grabbed all of his equipment. The psyche profile on “Establishment Shot” would say that he did not have any hobbies, but when the authorities would eventually raid this very hotel room, they would learn that did not necessarily mean he didn’t have an obsession. The room’s occupant opened his blinds before he left and locked the door behind him. When the sun would rise, its light would liberate the walls of the dirty hotel room of darkness. Underneath the thick black layer of mystery, it would be revealed that all of the walls were coved in posters of one certain musician, Sapphire Shores. Later… “Oh my gosh, I can’t believe I’m standing in a limo!” Shouted a particular mare who happened to have her head sticking out of the sunroof. “Move over Pinkie, it’s my turn!” said Rainbow Dash as she pulled her friend out from the opening, stuck her head out and cried, “WOOOHOOO!” “Girls, please. Be careful with your dresses!” Rarity said as she watched the two wrestle over the skyward opening of the stretched carriage. Even though she would always restrain herself from engaging in such childish behavior, Rarity was sharing the same electrifying and exciting energy as her two friends were showing and, if she did not have any manners, she too would be crying out at the top of her lungs as she let the wind blow through her hair. But, instead of bragging over the silly accomplishment of standing in a fancy carriage, she would rather be saying something along the lines of “Oh my gosh, I can’t believe I’m riding in a royal limo on the way to a Sapphire Shores concert with V.I.P. seating!” “Rarity, let them have some fun! There’s no foul in letting a little bit of energy out.” Rarity turned to the only other occupant in the vehicle. While the purpose of a limousine was to show the success of the owner by the excess of their carriage, this was not the case for this particular one. Princess Celestia sat in her armored luxury carriage and actually looked comfortable in a product that could be used by ponies that were half her size. The four mares were the only occupants in the vehicle being pulled by a dozen gold clad ponies. The other Princess as well as Twilight, Applejack, and Fluttershy were riding in the equally fancy stretched carriage before them. “I agree, Princess, but I do not want their roughhousing to result in one of us not looking our tip-top best, especially on this day. Oh, and I must say, yours looks divine.” The Princess’ smile widened as she shook her head, causing the tip of her mane to flow through the side of the carriage. “Please, this little old thing is nothing in comparison to your own labors.” Rarity covered her mouth and gasped, “Don’t be absurd!” Even though a hollow compliment would be customary in the presence of a member of a higher social class, Rarity’s astonishment was genuine. Even though she was sitting in the limo and not giving the garment the proper space for its presence, it still looked stunning. The sun brooch adorning her sash glistened as if by magic. The sash across her shoulders was made of Breznian Silk, which would almost be transparent if not for the sequins creating a glimmering effect as some light fought through the tinted windows. But the highlight of the attire was definitely the dress itself. The fabric, an unbelievably high content of cloud cotton, seemed to flow around her like waves, nearly the same color as her fur. It almost made it seem as if the fabric was an extension of her wings. The wispy texture waved around her until it reached the bottommost stitches, where the cloth seemingly disappeared and became the light that the earth gave off during a sunset. “This is in a league of its own. I could never hope to make something fitting your perfection.” “There’s no need to be modest, Rarity. I would bet that your talent could best any of the contenders of my bureau if you ever took the opportunity to visit.” Rarity heard what the Princess had said and stopped herself. Was she just invited to see the Princess’ wardrobe? She hesitated before she answered. She didn’t want to come off as imposing… but, who dares wins… “I would be delighted to take you up on that, your majesty!” but, immediately covered her mouth. Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie had been too preoccupied to notice how red Rarity’s face had become. But, to her fortune, the Princess could only chuckle. “Rarity, It’s the least I can do for you. I’ll find time to- oh?” The Princess’ horn came alive in a glow. “Ahem, excuse me, Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash?” The two stopped wrestling over the sunroof. “I need to take this, would you please hold still for me?” The two kept their places as if they were spontaneously turned into statues. The Three watched the Princess as her horn lit up once again, this time glowing to the fullest of its ability, and brightening up the inside of their compartment. The Princess, like she was listening to an invisible cricket whispering into her ear, smiled and nodded her head. The passenger compartment of the limo was all but silent other than the ambient and muffled sound of the crowds outside and the clicks of the chauffers’ hooves. Finally, Princess Celestia said, “Good job. Take the rest of the day off.” The glow of her horn faded, and she shifted her attention back to Pinkie and Rainbow Dash. “You may continue.” Meanwhile… Like on the Friday after The Sacred Dinner Celebration -a Friday which many called the first day of Hearth’s Warming Eve shopping- hundreds of ponies massed around the entrance of the Imperial Theater for the final destination of Sapphire Shore’s Around the World tour. Instead of trying to push past the doors though, the ponies instead fought each other to see who happened to have their carriage limo pull up to the red carpet. For, if there was one thing that took precedent over buying holiday toys, it was celebrity gossip. News reporters, camera ponies, paparazzi and whoever wanted to be in the presence of the rich and famous had lined up among both sides of the blood red river of the red carpet. So much attention was put towards the ponies who were being escorted out of their transportation that nopony was paying any attention to the patrons of the event who would rather enter and find their seats. There was one such pony who entered into the theatre almost unnoticed. By the way she was dressed, she looked like she was expecting a date. Her dark green mane was tied back and hung over the black shoulder of her three piece ensemble while her red eyes glistened like the hunter’s moon. While, even though her suit look impeccable and one would guess that such a garment would never be worn except for the most important of occasions, there was one accessory that declared that she was already taken. A boutonniere was pinned firmly upon her lapel. Its flowers were milky white and stood as crisp as ice on her chest. The blossom of the flower was open, and its stamen gave off a smell that could only be described as a dollop of fresh whipped cream. The flower was an uncommon tropical breed, not native to Equestria, and should have been the only one of its kind at the formal event. The mare calmly walked over to one of the ushers and waited. This usher, and the small army of similarly dressed employees like him, was dressed in his standard white dress shirt and red vest over it. He was a unicorn, and placed before him on a pedestal was a guest registry. For the amount of time it took her to approach him, he had just given the tickets to the current attendees in line and levitated his hat off his head, wiped his forehead with his hoof, and returned to work. The olive mare stepped forward and smiled. “Good evening,” said the usher. “As to you,” she replied. “Reserva-” he stopped and sniffed, "My, what is that magnificent perfume you're wearing?" “Why thank you, it is my boutonniere. It is called the Tantibus Acerbium, I had it imported just for tonight.” “Hmm, I can see why. Do you have a ticket or a reservation, please?” “The reservation for my date and myself should be made out in my name, C. Tears.” “Alright,” the usher muttered as he began to flip through the pages “One moment…” Chocolate Rain… Cocoa Puff… Cobalt Flash… Hisssssss The usher pulled his head up and looked around. It sounded as if a large reptile had just hissed air out of its nose at him, like it was preparing to attack. He shook his head to kick the strange thoughts out. A Reptile hissing, what did he think, a crocodile was going to eat him? The nearest pony to him was Ms. Tears and all she was doing was smiling and watching him with her…blood red eyes… and her strangely green and scaly complexion… The usher gulped. Sweat began to form on the tips of his hooves. “Is there something wrong?” she asked, hinting at the tips of her pointed teeth hiding behind her lips. The usher shook his head, “No no… I just haven’t found your reservation yet.” He looked down and continued reading the registry. He flipped the page and started at the guest listed at the very top of the paper. Coconut Groove… Craved Delicacies… Crooked X… At the very tip of his vision, just on the very edge of his eyesight as he read the names on the paper, he could see the mouth of the guest. Her smile widened, and her mouth opened. But, as the opening extended to her lips, the maw continued, extending further back like the gorge of an alligator. He shot his eyes back up, his legs kinked and ready to jump away in the event that the opening tried to lunge at him. But, it wasn’t there, Ms. Tears was still patiently waiting for his to find her name. “Is there something wrong?” “Yes,” he said, wiping his forehead again, “I can’t seem to find your name.” “oh…” The attendant rubbed his eyes. He must have been working too hard and for too long. As soon as he could, he needed to find a replacement to take over so he could get some water and lie down. Hopefully, his hallucinations would go away. “Well, why don’t you look under my full name,” she suggested. The usher nodded,“ and what would that be?” “Crocodile Tears.” Moist pockets of sweat began to form in the armpits of the usher’s shirt. His tail hung limp between his legs. The usher closed his eyes and mentally slapped himself. Get over it! Its not real! You’re just too tired to think straight. Just find the name and give her the tickets so she’ll go away and you can take a break. She’s not a gigantic reptile, she’s just a mare. Even if she was, she’s not gonna eat you in a crowded theatre. Just get over it. He took a breath and opened his eyes. Crocodile Tears was still standing in front of him, but she had her head cocked sideways as her red eyes studied him. “Are you not feeling well?” The usher smiled, “I must just be a little tired, I’ll find your name, though. Don’t worry.” “Okay,” she smiled again, “just take your time.” And then she blinked. It wasn’t some sort of message, or a lusty flutter of the eyelids. It was just a somewhat normal blink, almost like it was quick and reflexive. But, the problem was how she did it. Most eyelids close from top and bottom. Her eyes first closed from side to side, and then from top to bottom. NOPE! The usher slammed the book closed and placed his trembling hoof on it. With a “Found it! Here’s your tickets!” he levitated two random tickets to the show out from the pedestal and allowed the green unicorn to take them. Crocodile Tears slipped the two tickets into the interior vest pockets of her clothing and stepped around the stand. “See, that wasn’t so hard.” She said, leaning over and giving him a kiss on the cheek. The Usher’s eyes became large and rolled about lazily as his head wobbled and he stumbled around. Luckily, the manager of the tickets saw him and ran over, caught him, and waved another employee to take his spot. Ms. Crocodile Tears, with two tickets in her possession, walked into the foyer of the theater as random bystanders watched the fainted usher being carried away. With magic, she removed her boutonniere from her suit and held it with magic. As she walked through the doors, she placed the pure white flower into a nearby trashcan. The Tantibus Acerbium, or better known as “The White Nightmare”, was a beautiful plant, but with many things in the world, the fact that it was extremely beautiful did not make it any less dangerous.