//------------------------------// // Chapter 4 - Just Another Day (2/2) // Story: Visiting Hours // by Bud Grazer //------------------------------// What is the right size for a bird’s cage? A large one lets it fly around, but what is the point of flight, if it’s to be kept locked up far away from the sky? Is it nothing but torture? Revenge from earth-bound ponies, jealous of a freedom that they can never experience? A small, constricting cage might be a mercy, since there would be no illusion, no false hope of freedom. Red Currant sighed as he angled his wings and turned left, following the corner of the yard’s wall… A large cage was still better, he decided. There was still a modicum of freedom in his flight. Even if it was a poor illusion, he still had a bit of choice in his life: trot on the ground of fly through the air… And it wasn’t like he could go anywhere by walking, either. “Hello! Hey!” Red slowed down a bit, swiveling his head around to find the source of the voice that had pulled him out of his thoughts. A tan pegasus with a mane showing various shades of browns flew near him, looking almost out of place in the air with his earthy colors. He approached Red with a smiled that looked a little strained. “Hey, flyer. How’s it hanging?” “I’m… Fine, thank you.” Red picked up his speed on his usual course, flying over to the next corner for what could have easily been the millionth time. The newcomer followed closely and silently. “You want something?” Red asked after a little while, wondering why the other pony was sticking close to him. “Well… Yeah, I guess I do.” “So spit it out already. I don’t read minds.” “I’ve been led to understand that you were… well, an important pony here.” “Important?” He chuckled and gave the other pony an amused look. “Nah. The warden’s an important pony here. Me? I just been here a long time. I’m practically a part of the furniture.” “What I meant was… I don’t want to get into trouble and you look like the kind of pony that can offer... protection.” “Protection?” This time, Red gave the brown stallion a surprised look. “Oh, I get it. You’re brand new, huh?” “Yeah, it’s my second day here.” The newcomer’s eyes trailed down on Red Currant’s forelegs, making him smirk. “You like the ink?” He flexed his muscles, making the twin windigoes bulge. “I’m Red Currant, but I guess you already knew that. You got a name?” “Sketch Book.” “Welcome to Canterlot Central, Sketch.” Red let his eyes wander over the newcomer and in particular, examined his cutie mark, depicting an open book with some sort of pencil drawing on one page. “Lemme guess,” he said with a little smile. “You here for… forgery?” A few mumbles were his only answer, making Red shrug. “Whatever. Don’t get your tail in a tangle about this. You want protection? That’s the guards’ job, not mine.” “Well, I get that, but they can’t watch us all the time...” “Don’t need to, flyer. Nopony’s really dangerous here.” Red looked around the yard and pointed at a burly earth pony working in the yard’s vegetable garden below them. “See this grounder?” Between his fiery orange mane and the dense muscles bulging under his gray coat, the only missing thing was a lead pipe in his hooves to get the perfect picture of a common thug. “Looks tough, huh?” “Huh, yeah…” “Looks like the kind of mean motherfucker who’s doing time for beating someone up, right?” Red chuckled. “That’s Coal Blaze. He’s a miner who broke some sorta regulations to cut costs and line his own pockets. Never hurt anypony, as far as I know... He’s kinda nice once you get to know him.” “Seriously?” Sketch Book gave Red a puzzled look, making the long-timer chuckle a bit. “Yeah. The thing is, this prison is for the ‘little’ criminals. You think the canterlot snobs would keep killers and rapists in the middle of their city?” Red snorted. “No, they wouldn’t. It’s Canterlot! Everything here has to be perfect, right? So you got this perfect prison where everything runs nice and smooth and nopony ever escapes, you see?” The brown pegasus nodded, letting Red continue with his own brand of a welcome speech. “You don’t have to worry about your butt, flyer. Nopony’s gonna stick anything where it don’t belong… unless you ask for it, but that’s your own business. What my business is, is getting you whatever you want, as long as you can pay for it. There’s a lot of stuff we’re not allowed to have here, but that doesn’t mean we can’t have it, you follow?” “I guess… What kind of stuff are we talking about?” “Whatever you want, flyer... Whatever you want, I can probably get, as long as you can meet my price.” Sketch Book hummed in thought for a moment. “I’ll keep that in mind if I think of something… I don’t suppose you can get the front door key, can you?” Red smirked. “Maybe I could… I wonder if you could afford it, though.” He chuckled a few times. “It’d be much cheaper to just wait until your sentence is up. I bet you’re only here for a few months, you lucky bastard…” He sighed. “You know, that’s why nopony’s ever escaped this prison. Why bother when you just have to wait a month or two?” The two flew in silence for a moment, until the brown pegasus finally asked Red: “what about you?” “Me?” He shrugged. “I’ll be here a while… I think about breaking out sometimes. Maybe I could make it, but what I haven’t figured is how to stay out… Back in the day, I seen some ponies who’d broken out of prison and I learned this: living on the run’s not much better than being here.” “I see…” “Yeah… Just…” Red sighed. “Just gotta take it and not think too hard about all this crap. Never think too much or you go crazy in here.” He gave Sketch Book a sad look. “Seen it happen, some guys just can’t help it… Thinking all the time, about freedom, about prison, about how messed up their lives are… When they get short sentences, they’re fine but those who’re in for a while…” He turned his eyes straight forward and took a deep breath. “Some night they decide to make themselves a rope with their bedsheets and the guards find them hanging in their cell the next morning...” The soft swishing of the two pegasi’s wings was the only thing to disturb the chilly silence for a moment. “So, yeah…,” Red said quietly. “If I got one piece of advice to give, that’s it: stay focused on what you’re doing and don’t think too much. Like when you’re flying here: don’t look up.” “Up? Why not?” “‘cause if you look up, you see the sky. And if you start thinking about the sky, you remember how much flying ‘round this fucking cage is pointless.” As he spoke, Red felt a familiar weariness gripping his muscles and slowing his wings down. “Ah damn it! Now I’m thinking about it.” A voice he knew all too well started whispering at the back of his mind. A dull, droning voice, asking him painfully simple questions. “Why do you bother?” it said. “There’s nothing to do. Do nothing...” Red tried to ignore it, tried to focus on nothing but flying. Breathe in, flap twice, breathe out, flap twice… He tried to drown the voice out by listening to the other prisoner’s chatter. “They got nothing to say,” the voice told with its hollow tone. “Why would you care about them?” Red couldn’t think of an answer to that… Flying. Flying was the only thing he could think of. Should think of. He picked up the pace. Breathe in, flap thrice, breathe out, flap thrice… “Forget it. you’re not going anywhere.” Red had to admit that was true... He shook his head and accelerated again, leaving Sketch Book behind him. “That’s the spirit!” the voice taunted him with a flat cheer. “When you’re going nowhere, go nowhere fast.” Red grit his teeth, but felt his wings become harder and harder to move. He wanted to go faster, but only slowed down. “This isn’t life. You know it.” His wings almost ground to a halt, only keeping him hovering in place. Even that was too much to ask and the struggling pegasus inevitably fluttered closer to the ground. “Life’s outside. Inside, there’s nothing.” Maybe that stupid voice would have been easier to ignore if it hadn’t been his own... Red turned his head up and looked at the sky above him. The infinite expanse of blue, seen through the bars of his very finite cage. He barely noticed when his hooves touched the ground... With his eyes locked upwards, he sighed and muttered the only thing that sounded appropriate. “Shit.” Applejack was sitting on the grass, on top of one of the many small, rounded hills standing between Ponyville and Sweet Apple Acres. The young mare was sitting with her rump firmly planted on the ground and her face pointing directly at the sun, mirroring the bright light with her bright smile. Adding her golden mane and the many freckles along her muzzle, it looked like she was actually absorbing the sun’s rays, soaking in the energy it so generously gave... The young mare kept her eyes closed to admire the wonderful view sprawled around her, not needing to look to feel the beauty of this late spring day. While she basked in the warmth of the sunny afternoon, her fur tickled from the grass gently swaying in a comfortable breeze. Her ears twitched and turned at the happy sounds of foals running in the distance, barely covering the soft whoosh of the wind. Her nose picked up the scent of many wild flowers that, unlike their fragrant cousins grown by hoof, were subtle, earthy and eminently natural. When the soft caress of the breeze blew in the right direction, she could even smell the familiar scent of the last few blossoms remaining in her family’s orchards. Applejack breathed in, filling her lungs with that delightful air and almost wishing she did not have to exhale it. When she finally did after holding it for as long as possible, it came out almost as a disappointed sigh. “Alright, Applejack,” she chided herself. “Can’t spend the day impersonating a sunflower. Lotsa work to be done.” Facing away from the sun, she stood up and sweeped her tail to brush off the few blades of grass that had stuck to her rear end. Making sure the saddlebags on her back were secured, she trotted with a springy gait towards Ponyville. Her mind wandered back to her farm while she walked, organizing a list of the chores that still needed doing. The thought of working on her family’s beloved apple trees brought warmth to her heart, now that the fruits were about to start growing proper. Winter and spring were the quiet season at Sweet Apple Acres. Maintaining the farm’s buildings, cutting down the trees sadly too old or weak to be of use… It felt mostly like waiting, until summer, when the apple trees finally started bearing new fruits. She still cared about princess Celestia, but the reason Applejack always expected the Summer Sun Celebration with excitement was because it marked the beginning of her favorite season: summer. Summer meant apple bucking season, then zap apples season, then cider season. Hours upon hours of work for months on end… The young mare could barely restrain her glee at the prospect of so much back-breaking work to come, humming a little whimsical tune as she walked. Before she realized it, Applejack found herself standing in front of Sugarcube Corner, its delicious architecture coaxing a rumble out of her stomach and reminding her that lunch was already long gone. Shaking her head, the farm-pony climbed the crusts and opened the biscuit to come in. Her entrance into the madness of sweetness was announced by a bell’s tingle and almost immediately followed by a pink blur of motion that eventually settled into Ponyville’s very own Pinkie Pie. “Oh hey, it’s Applejack,” the pony in perpetual motion said with her usual, chipper voice.  “Hi Applejack!” “Hi there, Pinkie. How are ya doin’ today?” “Wonderrific!” Pinkie bounced in place, making her cotton candy mane bob and jump on her head. “I’m planning Scootaloo’s cuteceañara and I think it’s gonna be a hoot! Or a blast? A bloost!” Applejack took a moment to look at the growing amount of party props in the bakery: banners, streamers, confetti and balloons, organized in neat stacks, ready to be spread around before the party started on the following day. “Eeyup! Lookin’ good, Pinkie. You really are some kinda wizard when it comes to party planning.” The pink pony smiled and dashed to an oven that just dinged, pulling a tray of cookies out. “Thanks, AJ. But I can’t take all the credit, Fluttershy’s been a great help.” Applejack’s eyes widened as she swept her gaze across the room, spotting the yellow pegasus standing in a corner and trying to make some sort of balloon animal. “Hello, Fluttershy! Ah didn’t see you there.” “Good afternoon, Applejack.” Before the meek pony had time to say anything else, Pinkie had wrapped her arms around her in a lovely but bone-crushing hug. “She was there all along!” the party pony said with a chuckle. “She came into Sugarcube Corner and just volunteered to help!” “Actually,” Fluttershy said with a voice made even airier than usual in the vise-tight grip of pink hooves, almost ethereal, “I came here for–” “You are such a wonderful friend, Fluttershy... It makes me want to plan a ‘Fluttershy is the greatest friend ever’ party!” “Oh… It’s… my pleasure, Pinkie.” “Well, ain’t this nice?” Applejack said with a smile. “And Ah brought what you asked for, Pinkie.” Instantly, the pony constrictor unraveled itself from its prey -who looked quite pleased to finally be allowed to breathe- and bounced towards the apple farmer. Applejack dug into her saddlebags, pulling out three glass jars filled with jelly that seemed to be layered with every color of the rainbow. “This is the last zap-apple jam we got ‘til next harvest. Make sure ya put those to good use!” “Oh, I will,” Pinkie said while scooping the glass jars in her arms and walking on her hind legs towards her worktable. “Scootaloo will have as many Rainbow-themed pastries as she can eat.” Applejack chuckled. “Good thing you asked for that jam yesterday. That weird jelly-lovin’ pony came by this mornin’. Asked for all mah stock!” “A weird jelly-lovin’ pony?” Pinkie repeated. “Who’s that?” “You know… That stallion who really, really loves jelly?” “No, I don’t know! And I know everypony in Ponyville!” Her eyes grew wide and she fell on her knees, looking up at the sky (or maybe a spot on the ceiling) and asking “How can that be?” Applejack simply shrugged. “I guess he lives outside of Ponyville. I don’t see him that often in town, actually. What about you Fluttershy?” “Oh… I’ve seen him a few times, but I don’t really know anything about him… Except for that... jelly thing.” Fluttershy shivered a little and most certainly not because of the cold. “Yeah.” Applejack shared her shudders as a few disconcerting images flashed in her memory. “Wait, what are you girls talking about?” Pinkie’s head swiveled on her neck, oscillating between her two friends’ mildly disturbed faces. “Come on! What is it?” Applejack cleared her throat. “Let’s say that this stallion likes jelly a little too much and leave it at that…” “What? I don’t get it.” The pink pony tapped a hoof on her chin in thought. “How can somepony love jelly too much? Do you know what she means, Fluttershy?” “Oh– Oh my…” The shy pegasus blushed so hard that her coat turned orange. Whatever words came out of her mouth next were too mumbled and quiet to be understood, even through the oversized ear trumpet that Pinkie had just pulled out of her mane in an effort to hear them. “Did you get that, Applejack?” Pinkie turned towards her blonde friend, almost whacking her in the head with the big hearing device. “Forget about this, Pinkie. Ah shouldn’t even have mentioned that guy in the first place.” “Forget this? How can I forget that there is a pony nearby whom I have never thrown a party for?” She grabbed Applejack by the shoulders and leaned against her, muzzle to muzzle, boring her blue eyes in the poor farmer’s own green ones. “Not. One. Party. Not one birthday bash! Not one soirée, reception, banquet, blowout or shindig!” Pinkie suddenly released her friend, letting her slump down to the ground. Pinkie herself straightened up on her hind legs, hooves resting on her hips and eyes twinkling. Somehow, wind made her mane billow behind her. “This situation will not stand, my friends. I shall find this pony and throw him a celebration that will forever save him from the dreadful shadow of unpartiness. On my honor as Ponyville’s premier party planner, I, Pinkie Pie, promise to protect that pony’s potential party from possible problems such as poor preparations, party-poopers or pesky pirates and their pet parrots.” “Pirates?” Applejack and Fluttershy exchanged a confused glance. “You never know!” Pinkie said, still holding her heroic pose. “In Ponyville?” The pink mare slumped her shoulders just a little. “Well, okay… That last one was for the alliteration. Mostly.” Fluttershy chuckled quietly. “Purely poetic, perhaps?” Pinkie giggle-snorted in her usual, bubbly voice and lowered herself back on all fours. Reaching a hoof in the tangled mess of her mane, she pulled out a small notepad and a pencil. “So… What else can you tell me about this mysterious pony?” “You ain’t gonna drop this, are ya?” “Nope!” Appejack sighed and rolled her eyes. “Ah don’t even know that much. That stallion’s only come to Sweet Apple Acres a couple o’ times. Seems like the only thing he wanna buy is jam… Guess you could ask around the store-owners in Ponyville.” “Jam,” Pinkie mumbled through the pencil she was using to take down her notes. “A sweet-toothed-pony, then… Anything else you can tell me?” Applejack looked away and cleared her throat. “Nah… That’s it. Nothin’ else.” Pinkie Pie narrowed her eyes and leaned forward, progressively invading the farm-pony’s personal space. “I know you’re hiding something from me, Applejack.” The blond mare felt a bead of sweat rolling on her temple. “D– Did your Pinkie sense tell you that?” “No… My common sense did.” She kept leaning forward, forcing Applejack to take a step back. “Spill it, Applejack!” “Listen, Ah ain’t comfortable talkin’ about this guy… Nopony should like jelly the way he does.” “Do you mean that he eats so much that all of his teeth are gonna fall from the sugar?” “No, that’s not–” “Or are you worried about his blood sugar level? Eating only sweet food can be dangerous for one’s health…” Applejack stared at the pink pony, raising an eyebrow as she tried to remember the last time she had seen her eat anything that could be classified as a vegetable. “My doctor used to shout at me all the time about this, but I found out that you can eat a lot of sugar as long as you exercise even more.”  Pinkie nodded to herself. “This is why I maintain a strict regimen with at least twenty backflips, fifty cartwheels and two dozen jumps every day. Plus, as many twirls, swirls, curls and furls as possible.” “Uh… Ah guess that’s why you’re always bouncing all the time.” “Oh no, bounces are for fun.” She jumped in place a few times, giggling as she went. Applejack couldn’t help but let out a chuckle at her friend’s antics. “Well, Ah’m glad you’re taking your health seriously and all, but Ah still have some chores to do on the farm…” She adjusted her hat and the now empty saddlebags on her back. “Ah guess Ah’ll see y’all later.” “Awww. But I wasn’t done interrogating you! And I wanted Fluttershy to play the bad cop.” The aforementioned pegasus let out a startled “meep” at the suggestion. “Well, sorry to disappoint, Pinkie, but that’s just how it is.... It’s not like I really have anything to tell anyways.” Before she could be wrapped up in more of her pink friend’s nonsense, Applejack headed for the door and gave the two other ponies a quick farewell, then exited the bakery. Pinkie Pie leaned back against the shop’s counter and donned an old fedora. “As I watched that mare walk out of the bakery,” she said in a low and husky voice, “I knew she wasn’t telling me everything. It didn’t take a seventh sense to see that the cowpony act was just that: an act; Applejack had a poker face bad enough to make her lose at checkers… But as obvious as it was that she knew something, I couldn’t pressure her. Not with the two friends following her every steps: Kicks McGee and Bucky McGillicutty. With these two around, I had to step carefully if I didn’t want to swallow my teeth. Especially since I wouldn’t have anything to chew them with and swallowing without chewing is terrible for digestion.” Fluttershy blinked a few times, wondering for a second if she should start narrating her own actions too… She shook her head and spoke timidly instead. “I don’t think Applejack would–” “This left me at a dead end. The only witness I had wouldn’t talk and when it came to clues, I was dry. As dry as my family’s rock farm after a scorching summer…” “Umm… You could just ask around town.” “I gave Fluttershy a little smirk,” Pinkie said, giving Fluttershy a little smirk. “This was why I kept her near me. Everypony thought she was nothing but a brainless beauty, but I knew there was a sharp mind hidden hiding behind that face that was hiding behind that mane. Plus, she did have a pretty face, and that never hurts...” Fluttershy, indeed hiding behind her long pink locks, blushed a little. “Thanks, I guess?” “Now was as good a times as any to roam the streets of Ponyville. I had a stallion to find. And when I’d find him? Well, I had a party cannon that was just begging to be pointed at something. I made my way into the dusk-lit streets of Ponyville…” “Uh… Does that mean we’re done here?” Pinkie’s head snapped up, her hat falling on her back. “Oh, right.” She gave Fluttershy a grin. “Thanks again, Fluttershy, I’ll take care of the rest tomorrow. Do you wanna come investigate with me?” Fluttershy rubbed one of her front hooves against the other. “Actually, there was something I needed… I mean, if you have the time, between preparing your party and… finding somepony else to throw a party for.” “I’ve always got time for my friends, Fluttershy.” The yellow pegasus smiled a little at this. “Actually, Angel Bunny’s birthday is coming up and I was wondering if you had any carrot cakes in stock.” “Nope! No carrot cakes. Well, except for mister Carrot Cake…” “Oh? Oh… I see, well–” “Looks like I’ll have to make one.” Fluttershy’s eyes widened. “What? Oh no, I wouldn’t want to give you more work.” Pinkie Pie simply burst into laughter, making her friend fall into a confused silence. “Don’t be silly, silly!” She grabbed Fluttershy in another hug. “You saved me so much time today, I can bake you at least two point eight cakes before there’s any extra work between us.” “R– Really?” “Really!” Fluttershy finally relaxed and hugged her sweet friend back. Red Currant was slouching on a chair in what the prisoners called the “lounge”, for lack of a better term. The room was painfully ordinary-looking, with a neutral beige coat of paint on the walls and furnished with a couch, some chairs and bookshelves with some reading material for those inmates who liked to read in their “free” time... All of the furniture was in good repair, but not new; not cheap but not luxurious… If it wasn’t the result of chance and officially controlled budgets, that kind of unremarkability was a real accomplishment in itself. And yet, despite how boring it looked, this room was one of the most important in the whole facility. Every day being the exact same as the day before and the day after, entertainment was literally vital to the inmates and the few hours they were given to do whatever they wanted were incredibly precious. Some were playing cards, reading or chatting amongst themselves. Red was lazily watching the two ponies playing pool on a table which had seen so much use that the green cloth on its surface was now paper-thin. One of the players stood out in the prison’s pony population, mostly due to the fact that he was not a pony at all. The clear gray donkey had a rather massive build, although it was hard to say how much of it was fat or muscle through his thick coat of fur, and his mane had apparently not been touched by a hairdresser in a long while, simply tied in a ponytail to keep it away from his eyes. Said eyes were framed by a pair of square glasses and the rest of his face was mostly buried under a thick, reddish-brown beard. The large jack had his own way of holding his pool cue: his hooves were propped next to each other on the edge of the table, the tip of the cue lodged in the notch between them, while the other end was resting on his shoulder. This left the donkey to move the shaft back and forth with the underside of his chin... “Awkward” was only beginning to describe his posture. The fact that he could somehow send the ball where he intended to was so incomprehensible that everypony had silently agreed to never question it. His opponent was a typical Canterlot unicorn, trying to look fancy even without his high-class clothes. The prison’s rules imposed that every inmate remain naked, which had to be one of the worst possible punishments for the generally fashion-conscious Canterlotians. It usually brought a smile to Red’s lips to see the nobles and privileged ponies being brought down and, for once, treated the same way as the bastard foal grown street-gang thug that he was. That day, however, the red pegasus did not feel like smiling. He did not feel like anything at all, only keeping his rump on his chair and watching the jack line his next shot. He didn’t even turn his head as another stallion came and sat next to him. “Aww… Somepony looks down.” The pony’s voice was deep and smooth, with a half-serious, half-cheery tone. “What’s troubling you, buddy?” “We’re not buddies, Tucker.” “Ho ho! This is even worse than I thought… Come on, Red, I’m just being friendly.” Red Currant finally turned his eyes towards Plume Tucker, one of the few long-time residents of Canterlot Central. His rich chocolate-colored coat shone with its usual lustre and his sandy blonde mane was swept back, with the ideal waviness, as always. His eyes were almost unbelievably blue and had a cunning glint that was only matched by the brightness of his perfectly white smile. “I know the kind of ‘friend’ you’re looking for,” Red said while glancing at the stallion’s cutie mark. The few musical notes on his flank would have simply indicated some kind of talent for music, if the notes’ bodies hadn’t been pink and shaped like hearts. “I’m not interested.” “Oh, really?” Plume swished his tail. “Everypony needs friends. All kinds of friends.” Red snorted and took his eyes back to the pool game. “Jail time is just a challenge for you, huh? You trying to see how many ponies will ride your crop?” The blond unicorn huffed before answering. “Now that’s just not fair. I’m not playing any game here, I’m just trying to make the best out of an unpleasant situation… There’s very little to enjoy in this place. Actually, I can’t think of anything besides pleasant company.” “Yeah, yeah... You’re a fucking romantic.” “That might be pushing it… Everypony has needs, I’ll be the first to admit it, but that’s not all there is to it,” he said with a sigh. “We all get lonely in here. It’s nice to have somepony you can share a moment with. To love and be loved…” “Oh, come on!” Red gave the stallion an annoyed glare. “Listen, hornhead, I don’t care what you do in your free time. I’m not interested, okay? So go bother somepony else.” Plume Tucker pouted a little and gave Red a pleading look. “But nopony else has a rump as nice as yours.” The pegasus groaned and rolled his eyes. “Yeah, that’s what my wife always tells me.” This made one of the unicorn’s eyebrows raise. “Funny, I didn’t take you for a family stallion… Not that it really matters, does it? You might as well be single here.” “No, I’m not.” “When was the last time you had any ‘quality time’, Red?” “That’s no business of yours,” he answered with a glare. “Must have been a while, then… Only when she visits, right? And then you get things wrapped up in thirty seconds, I’ll bet.” Plume shook his head with a disapproving “tsk-tsk”. “You might as well not do anything…” “You never shut up, do you?” The blond unicorn scooted a little closer to Red. “You can’t tell me you’re satisfied with that much. One pathetic screw, once or twice a month…” Plume wrapped an arm around the pegasus’s shoulder. “How about doing things right, for once? Give me a couple hours and I’ll show you what I can do.” He moved his muzzle closer, whispering into Red’s ear. “I saw you checking my cutie mark. Wouldn’t you like a demonstration of my talents? Give me a chance, and I’ll make you sing.“ “You’re as cocky as it gets...” Plume snickered and slowly slid his hoof down Red’s side. “In more ways than one.” The pegasus groaned once more and pushed the touchy-feely stallion away. “I’ve got some talents, too, you know. Now get lost or I’ll get physical in my own way.” “Fine, fine. I’ll leave you alone…” Plume Tucker stood up, but only walked a couple of steps before turning around and giving Red a cold look. “You should really enjoy what you can while you can, you know… Do you think your wife spends every night alone?” Without waiting for an answer, he trotted away, leaving Red Currant on his own to grind his bright teeth and mull his dark thoughts. Following the universe’s brilliant demonstration on how a terrible day could always get worse, Red remained still, but only because he couldn’t decide how to best deal with it. The one thing that felt natural to him was to fly away, take to the sky and never look back. How tempting it was to just pack up and leave, forget about everything, pretend none of this ever happened… No crimes, no prison, no family. No ties at all, nothing. Nothing but a fresh start… This was only a fantasy, of course, the heavy bars above the prison blocking any hope of leaving by the air. A more practical solution to Red’s current problem was to pound his head against a wall until the thoughts were scrambled enough, along with his brain cells. The other option was to wait until he could be alone in his cell and achieve the same effect with the bottle of alcohol he still had. The only question left was whether or not he could wait until then… “Hey, Red!” Since moping in peace was apparently another unavailable option, Red Currant.gave a look at the new stallion now approaching him. A blue unicorn with an even bluer mane and purple eyes came and took a seat where Plume had been only a few minutes earlier. Red eyed him up quickly, unable to remember seeing him before. Too annoyed to deal with pleasantries, the pegasus opted for bluntness. “Who are you and what do you want?” “I’m Ash,” the unicorn answered calmly. “Like the tree. We never really met, but I know who you are… As for what I want, I’ve got some business to discuss with you.” Red remained silent for a second and quickly decided to hear what the blue stallion had to say, glad to have any kind of distraction from his own mind’s wanderings. “What do you need?” “Soap.” He stared at Ash, blinking dumbly for a few seconds. “You realize they give that to us,” he finally said. “You know… To wash ourselves?” The unicorn chuckled. “Obviously. The soap is just the beginning, what I need you to do with it is a bit more tricky…” Red raised an eyebrow. “Well? I don’t like guessing games…” “In due time, friend. Let me tell this story from the start…” Ash smirked and cleared his throat before speaking in a theatrical voice. “Once upon a time, there was an honest accountant living in a city full of rich ponies. Ponies so rich that they needed all of their time to spend their wealth, leaving no time to actually count it. Logically, the rich ponies hired the accountant to do that for them. “He did his job dutifully for many years, but every time he asked for a raise, the rich ponies said they didn’t have enough money for him… Of course, he knew that it was a lie, since he had seen the numbers with his own eyes. He knew that they spent more on their pets than on their employees...” Ash narrowed his eyes. “So, one day, the accountant decided that this wasn’t fair and that he should fix the problem. He began to correct the numbers in a way that pleased him more. It was easy, since the rich ponies never checked their accounts, as long as they had enough money to do whatever they wanted. It lasted for a good while and the accountant managed to put a lot of money aside for himself…” He sighed dramatically before continuing. “Unfortunately, a tax inspector showed up one day and stuck his muzzle where it didn’t belong. Eventually, he figured everything out and the accountant was punished. He had to give the money back before he was dragged into this very prison. “And now… The accountant wants to get out.” “Out?” Red’s eyes widened and he gave a quick look around before asking quietly: “are you talking about escaping?” “I certainly am! The story is not finished yet, you see…” Ash leaned closer and lowered his voice. “Now this part has to remain a secret… The inspector was skilled and did his job very well, but the accountant was even better than that. Some of the money was never found.” The unicorn grinned and dropped the theatrics, speaking more quickly and decidedly. “It’s all a matter of numbers… There’s a bank account that only I know the number of, with another number that tells how much money is on it... And it’s a very big number. My problem comes from the next number, which is how many years I have to stay in here. It’s a big one, too…” Red gave him an appraising look, trying to figure if the unicorn was trying to scam him in some way, or if he had a deeper reason for telling that story. “I’m not much of a number pony… What exactly are you planning?” “It’s pretty simple, once you know all of the details. The thing is, sooner or later, somepony is going to find that bank account and where the money comes from. Then, that money will only buy me an extended stay here. You can understand why I’m in a bit of a rush to leave?” “I guess I can… And how’s soap gonna help with that?” Ash chuckled again. “I’ve been told that you can acquire anything in this prison. What I need is a key… The one that opens the kitchens’ deliveries area.” “The kitchens?” “Well, the front door is always watched, so that wouldn’t work… Anyways, you don’t have to worry about the details, that’s my problem. I only need the key... But if you steal it, the guards will notice and change the locks immediately.” Red nodded, waiting for the rest of the unicorn’s plan with an amused smile. “This is where the soap comes in: I need you to get an impression of the key, then put it back where you found it. Later, I’ll also need some tools so I can make myself a copy.” The pegasus thought in silence for a short while. “Sounds like you have a pretty big plan there.” “I’ve had a lot of time to think recently…” “Don’t we all?” Red answered with a weary sigh. “Anyways, I guess I can get this for you. This will take some time and it’ll cost you, but I think I can do it.” “I’m not worried about the cost, only the time.” Red stared at the crooked accountant for a moment. “You’re really serious about this, huh? You might just make things worse if you can actually escape… What happens if they catch you with all that dough?” “I’m not planning on getting caught.” “No one does, hornhead…” “Of course, but finding a pony in a country as big as Equestria takes a bit of time and I won’t be staying long enough for that: as soon as I’m out, I’m planning on grabbing the cash and getting the hay away from here.” A confident grin spread on his lips. “Don’t worry about me. Just get that key and soon enough, I’ll be enjoying the sun in Saddlebagdad. I’ll send you a card when I’m there. What the heck, some bits, too! I’ll have enough to spare, after all...” Red actually chuckled at that. “Well, that’s nice of you. I wouldn’t bet a single cent on your plan, but if you’re paying for a key in a piece of soap, then that’s what you’ll get.” Ash smiled warmly. “Good enough!” The two ponies were about to discuss further details when a horn echoed through the prison to announce the end of the day. Time for all the prisoners to be put to bed… As he followed the crowd and headed back to his cell, Red let his mind wander as usual. Dreams of tall and exotic Arabian mares came and went… Things were never as simple as Ash had made them sound, but it was still better to have a dream, as stupid as it was. All that was left for Red was to find himself a nice one… Over the horizon, west of Ponyville, the sun finally disappeared and went on its nightly trip. In the small, rural town, many ponies were already sleeping or very close to it, hurrying to get the respite of a short night before another day of work in the fields. Others, those who did not work the earth, stayed awake for a while, but with most of the town’s population asleep, they found themselves with little to do. Stargazers walked to their favorite hill to lie down in the grass and look at the sky… Young lovers snuck out of their homes to lie down in the grass and look at each other… A lonely mare trotted into the small garden behind her house to look at the small tree growing there… The tree was small only because of its young age, reaching around the mare’s shoulders in height. She examined the foliage in the bleak light of the rising Moon, checking it for any kind of defect or disease and smiled a little when she couldn’t find any. Each leaf was a very deep green and shined when the light reflected on them. Its leaves were what the mare liked most about this tree: thick, tough and with spines sharp enough to pierce a pony’s skin, they were evergreen leaves, never falling and enduring the coldest winters as well as the most scalding summers. The mare smiled with a mixture of admiration and pride. The tree was already tough on its own, but it grew even stronger thanks to her help, after all. She took a deep breath, leaned a hoof against the slender trunk and closed her eyes. “Mom?” Matchstick’s eyes popped open as she recognized Scootaloo’s voice. Immediately, her daughter entered her field of vision, coming to a stop a few steps away. “What are you doing?” she asked, raising an eyebrow. “Checking if my tree needs anything…” She closed her eyes again and concentrated for a moment. Although she could no longer see her, she could imagine Scootaloo growing impatient and looking more bored with every second. Still, the filly stayed silent even as a whole minute passed, until finally Matchstick opened her eyes and took her hoof away. “Needs more water.” “How can you tell?” Scootaloo asked, tilting her head as she stared at the tree. “It looks fine…” Matchstick chuckled as she went to fetch a watering can. “Of course, but just because it looks fine doesn’t mean it is.” When the mare came back with the can, she found the orange filly pressing one hoof against the trunk, her face scrunched up in concentration and her tongue sticking out of her mouth a little. Matchstick giggled at the sight. “So, you feel anything, Scoots?” Scootaloo held her pose for a few more seconds before she sat down and shrugged. “Feels like wood,” she declared. The mare laughed a little. “Well, being an earth pony helps with this.” She walked up to her daughter and ruffled her mane with a hoof. “Even then, it takes years to connect with a tree. This one was here when we moved in and I’m just starting to get familiar with it.” “Has it even grown since then? It still looks so tiny.” “It’s a holly,” Matchstick said with a shrug. “It’ll take decades before it’s a real tree.” “Are we ever gonna get any fruits?” “Well, this one’s a male, so… no. Even if it did, they would be poisonous anyway.” The filly gave the tiny tree a nonplussed look. “Will it make some nice flowers at least?” Matchstick chuckled once and bent one of the branches, showing Scootaloo a cluster of tiny, pale flowers. “That’s it?” The little pony gave her mother a flat look. “Why are you bothering with that tree again?” “Well... Huh…” Matchstick sat on her rump and silently stared at Scootaloo for a minute. Finally, she sighed and began speaking. “Earth ponies come from the Earth… Not physically, I mean their spirits… or souls, or something like that… And when a pony dies, that spirit goes back to the Earth. It doesn’t belong to anypony, it’s just… borrowed for a while, you understand?” “I’m not sure…” “Well, I’m not sure either, but anyways, an earth pony has to keep his link to the Earth. If he loses it, then his spirit can’t go back when his body dies… They say that lost spirits can only wander the Earth, until they forget what they used to be and turn into mindless monsters, like timberwolves or dust devils…” “Really?” “I don’t know it it’s true. Those are old beliefs. Very old… From before the princesses and Equestria.” Matchstick shrugged. “Most earth ponies don’t follow them anymore, but you don’t see monsters running around everywhere, either… I don’t know what to think, that kind of stuff is for smarter ponies than me to figure out… But my mom and dad have always been very strict about that. “There’s a lot of stuff they taught me that I don’t agree with, but this…” She waved a hoof to show the sapling. ”They made me take care of a tree for as long as I can remember. I guess it would feel wrong to stop now… I kinda like it, too.” Scootaloo hummed in thought. “How come you never told me about this before?” “First, you’re not an earth pony,” Matchstick said, giving the filly’s wings a gentle poke. “I don’t know what pegasi are supposed to do. And second, I didn’t want to tell you what to think… I guess you’re old enough to decide for yourself now. Plus, your dad thinks this is just a load of craaa– bapples.” The filly giggled and gave her mother a sly look. “Nice recovery, mom.” Matchstick narrowed her eyes. “Shouldn’t you be in bed at this hour?” Scootaloo’s eyes widened and she instinctively jumped into a defensive posture. “It’s still early!” “No it’s not.” The mare turned her eyes skywards, watching the Moon standing high above them. “I have to go to work and you have to go to bed.” Her gaze became gentler as it drifted back to Scootaloo. “Your cuteceañara’s tomorrow, isn’t it? You should get some rest tonight if you want to party hard.” “Right.” Scootaloo smiled a little. “It’s gonna be… great.” The strained smile couldn’t have fooled a blind pony, let alone the little pegasus’s mother. “What’s wrong, Scoots?” “Nothing… It’s just…” She sighed. “You’ll miss the party because you have to work again…” “You’d like me to be there?” Scootaloo simply nodded and Matchstick smirked. “Well, I wanted to make it a surprise, but what the hay… I managed to have the day off tomorrow.” “A day off?” “A whole day and night,” the mare said with a smile. “I’ll be there for the entire party this time.” “Really?” The filly smiled wider than ever and seemed so excited that she was almost vibrating. “Really.” “Yes! Yesyesyesyesyesyesyes!” A split second later, Matchstick had a little ball of orange fur hanging from her neck and jabbering at a hundred words per second, a large portion of these being a variation of “awesome”, “cool” or “radical”. “Can I breathe now?” Matchstick asked with what little air was left in her lungs. When Scootaloo finally let go and she had a few seconds to catch her breath, the mare gently put a hoof around her daughter’s shoulders and nuzzled her. “I’m glad you’re happy, Scoots.” “This is great, mom!” “Heh. You get a birthday every year, but you get your cutie mark only once. It should be something memorable, you know?” The filly hummed in approval, nuzzling her mother even harder. “Alright, flyer, I really have to go now… Wash your hooves, brush your teeth, go to bed… You know the drill.” Scootaloo nodded, still with a goofy grin plastered on her face. “Good girl! I’ll see you tomorrow morning, okay?” “Okay! Good night, mom!” “Good night.” After a final wave of her hoof, Matchstick trotted out of the tiny garden and into the streets, heading for the hospital. The night was cool and calm, the silence of the sleeping Ponyville only disturbed by the sound of her hooves clopping against the ground. As she tried to figure out how her little foal had managed to grow up that fast, Matchstick gave a look over her shoulder, watching the gray flank that was still blank not so long ago. The picture in her fur looked as good as it had ever did, the golden brass hooves almost shining in the moonlight. The mare’s eyes took on a sad look as she sighed and trotted away into the cool night.