//------------------------------// // Two: Promptly Accosted // Story: In the Company of a Black Dog // by est-hal //------------------------------// Two: Promptly Accosted The six ponies continued to stare at the madly laughing chaotic being before them, equal parts perplexed and infuriated at his uproarious and unceasing cachinnation at them. They were somewhat surprised to see that there was another draconequus like Discord in existence, that their old arch-nemesis was not the only one of his kind as they had once thought. At the same time, they were also somewhat unimpressed to see that their presumed new arch-nemesis was just another draconequus like Discord, a rather predictable and unimaginative choice, they felt, on part of the supposedly spontaneous spirit of chaos who claimed to “love shaking things up.” ---- In the infinite vastness of infinity, a cry of sheer frustration echoed loudly throughout. ---- Like his predecessor, the new draconequus possessed a chimera-like form, lanky in build and of a composite anatomical makeup that was part pony, part dragon, and an amalgamation of other disparate animal parts. A deer antler, a goat leg, a bat wing, and a snake tail, most everything of him was the same as Discord, with the notable exception of his eyes, which were a calmer and more subtle hue of deep blue, a stark contrast to the beady and sickly colored red and yellow irises that characterized the original mad god’s devious and sinister gaze. Also unlike Discord was the clothes he wore, mostly that he wore any at all, forgoing the usual practice of going about in the buff as the majority of Equestria’s denizens did. A sharp ensemble of a black overcoat, the upper half of a black suit and tie combination, and an exceedingly outlandish and remarkable hat, an ornate-looking cap with a forward visor and eminent peak, sitting atop his head in a manner strikingly similar to the way Applejack wore her own signature Stetson, though it may have been for reason of obstruction by his unsightly, mismatched horns. His clothing was particularly noteworthy, embellished with a variety of golden and silver chevrons, stripes, linings, and other decorative patterning stitched into their fabric, the illustriously colored shapes and trimmings speaking of a prominent figure. Also adorning his raiment were a number of unusual emblems and insignias, none of recognizable design to the mares, their esoteric nature rendering them impenetrable to discernment. The most prominent of the peculiar motifs was the embroidered patch sewn onto the left shoulder of his coat, a crested shield coat-of-arms portraying the visage of a fearsome-looking hound, its coat pitch black and eyes a blazing red, holding in its mouth an unfamiliar L-shaped object. Accompanying the armorial badge were the words “504th Joint Operations Group” printed in a serif font on a flowing ribbon situated just above the shield. It was a strange and cryptic symbol, its aesthetic ominous, yet also elegant, a heraldry for a greater, unknown force than its bearer. The cumulative effect of the draconequus’ exotic garments was a shady and subversive air about him, one that suggested intrigue, subterfuge, and behind-the-scenes action, an interloper… All of which was belied by his unbridled and raucous laughter at the six pastel-colored equines for no adequately evident reason. Indeed, the ponies were becoming increasingly miffed with the oddly dressed serpentine character. Applejack and Rainbow Dash were the most visibly displeased, their teeth bared as they glowered at him in growing fury. Twilight and Rarity were more restrained in their anger, electing instead to simply glare disapprovingly at the rude being who rather inappropriately found something very humorous about the actually very serious matter at hoof, just as Discord would have… The distasteful similarity did not escape either unicorn, further maligning their already baleful assumption of him. Fluttershy was especially hurt by his seeming callousness, having desperately held on to the hope that their “New Discord” would at least have been of a marginally more amiable and polite disposition than the other trickster deity he was meant to replace, if not less evil and monstrous, also an important criteria. Alas, his apparent ridicule of them did not indicate such was the case… Pinkie Pie, however, recognized the laughter sounded at present as something else entirely than what her friends understandably did. Being the Bearer of the Element of Laughter as well as dedicating most of her existence to spreading good cheer and general happiness wherever she went, the other remaining aspect of her having been committed to being a consummate connoisseur of cupcakes, she was quite familiar with the many forms of the expressive act and the nuances that distinguished them. From giggles and guffaws to chuckles and chortles and everything in between, she knew and loved all of them and breathed each one as a part of her daily life. Something as far out of that scope as an evil, villainous laugh would have been obvious to even the most naïve and gullible of ponies, but her especially, having been subjected to Discord’s own particularly mean-spirited brand when he first escaped his millennia imprisonment. Malicious and gleeful merriment at others’ expense would have struck her ears with such shock of recognition as to cause her to actually feel physically ill. She could always tell when someone wasn’t being nice… The laughter from the draconequus in front of her was none of these. While his sharp tone and cackling sound might easily be mistaken for that of an insidious evildoer like Discord, Pinkie noticed a few faint differences her friends did not, subtleties that spoke of something other than malevolence. He appeared perturbed and addled when they first happened upon him, disoriented, as if just coming out of a shocked state. He was hunched over and clutched his head tightly as he laughed, as if in significant pain. He looked fatigued and languid, ready to collapse into a graceless heap on the ground at any second. But the most giving tell, the one that absolutely denied any measure of classic villainy as the impetus of his laughter, was his eyes. They twitched violently and were brimmed with tears, all the while carrying a distant, forlorn look in them, almost despairing. The laughter was one she experienced once before and never wanted to experience again, when she thought her friends were abandoning her… Though she did not know what affliction could have driven him to such anguish, the appearance of herself and her fellow Element Bearers, for whatever reason, seemed to have pushed him over the edge. That he was presumably imbued with Discord’s potent reality-warping powers only complicated the situation further. That last point came to pass, much to everypony’s later dismay, when Rainbow Dash, having become fed up with being so openly mocked, finally spoke up. “Hey! Just what the hay is so funny, huh!?” she demanded the draconequus as she took to her wings, darting up to his height and hovering just a few inches from his snout before fixing him with an angry glare. Her quickness in closing the distance between them appeared to have taken him by surprise as he immediately stopped laughing, breath seemingly caught in throat as he recoiled from her sudden proximity to his face and fell flat on his rear. He regarded her dumbly, gawking at the speedy pegasus with mouth agape. Several moments passed as the two continued to stare at each other, nary a sound from either of them or anypony else. He was the first to break the silence when he broke into an excessive sniggering, his initial astonishment turning back into a bountiful mirth that he tried and failed to keep from being obvious. He began laughing once more, falling onto his back while giggling uncontrollably, apparently finding something about Rainbow absolutely hilarious. The object of his amusement was less than amused herself, though, a growl emitting from her throat as her front hooves furled into something akin to fists. But before she could let her umbrage known to him in the form of unrestrained violence directed at his goat-like face, a cloud of pink cotton candy silently materialized out of thin air behind her. Remaining undetected, it released a bolt of lightning and struck her right in her flank, producing an actually very characteristic high-pitched squeal of surprise from usually tomboyish, “tough-as-nails” pony. The others gasped at the apparent act of aggression by the draconequus, becoming indignant. “Hey! What’s the big idea!?” Pinkie shouted at him, not appreciating the underhanded attack on her friend and fellow prankster. “What do you think you’re doing?” Twilight added, already beginning to dislike him. “Ahahaha… Wha?” he wheezed out, the unexpected sight of the floating pink mass of sweetened fluff that was Discord’s signature rather ironically bringing him back to reality. Shaking away her quite literal shock, Rainbow became incensed. “Oh! A wise guy, huh!?” she spat while angrily shaking a hoof at him, livid. “What?” he repeated, still not comprehending the group of irate ponies and their grievance with him. “Whuddya’ think, ya’ smart aleck?” Applejack said, pointing a hoof at the cloud. Looking to where she was indicating, he noticed the glob of cotton candy hanging in the air, watching as it began to drip a mysterious brown liquid. Staring at it for a moment, he soon realized that he was being held responsible for the inexplicable airborne body, a symbolic light bulb of cognizance appearing over his head, lit somehow without an evident power source, hovering a few seconds before falling onto his hat, distracting him briefly. Raising his right paw up, he pointed to it, then himself as if to say, “Who? Me?” Twilight let out frustrated growl, bringing a hoof to her forehead and started rubbing it gently, feeling a migraine come on at what was either his incredible dimwittedness or feigned stupidity. It was hard for her to tell… As he vacantly stared at the equines he had inadvertently vexed, the cotton candy cloud suddenly resituated itself right above him and released a torrent of chocolate milk rain onto him and his formerly pristine clothes. “Argh! What the-! Fu-! ccrrrkkk…” he half-shouted the stifled obscenity. Rolling out from under it, he jumped to his feet and put some distance between himself and the indiscriminately malevolent flying pink blob. Rainbow Dash and the others couldn’t help but snicker at the unanticipated turnabout on their foe, especially since, they assumed, it was by his own handiwork, though Rarity cringed slightly for his clothes, sympathetic to the kinds of stains chocolate milk was capable of. “Hehe. What’s the matter? Not a fan of your own work?” Rainbow prodded him, casting a smug expression in his direction as he sputtered and cursed. Not acknowledging her, he spat at the ground and turned an absolutely murderous look at the cloud, his countenance twisting into a menacing snarl, his exposed fangs greatly accentuating its threat. As if sensing his immense displeasure, it began moving slowly away from him and started shrinking in size, eventually fizzling into complete nothingness with a distinct ‘pop!.’ Calming down after literally spiting the subject of his ire out of existence, he released a guttural sigh and held out his arms, letting the excess chocolate milk drip from his coat as he eyed his now ruined clothes with disdain. Grumbling a few indiscernible and likely “colorful” words, he took off his hat and overcoat and shook them dry as best he could. Satisfied with his efforts after a short time, he gave his molested articles a quick inspection and put them back on. He returned his attention to the giggling mares, who were still enjoying themselves at his self-inflicted misfortune. Heaving another sigh, he remained silent and waited for their levity at his expense to end, unamused at their continued tittering. Giving a final chuckle, the Elements of Harmony focused back on their goal of detaining the unknown draconequus before he could cause any more harm, unintentional or otherwise. “Alright, enough funny business! Are you gonna’ come quietly? Or are we gonna’ have to do this the hard way!?” Rainbow demanded of him, punctuating her ultimatum by grabbing the collar of his shirt and yanking his face towards hers while raising her other hoof in a threatening manner, rearing it back as if to strike. “What now?” he asked, raising a thick, gray eyebrow at her. Applejack stepped forward, glaring at him. “Don’t y’all play dumb with us! We know yur’ here ta’ take Discord’s place and spread chaos n’ mayhem all over Equestria!” she spoke accusingly. “I- wha…?” Rarity interrupted him. “Oh, would you just PLEASE drop the act. We’re on to you, fiend!” He became aggrieved at the derisive label. “Excuse me!?” Rainbow cut him off. “Cork it! You’re not fooling anypony, pal!” “That’s right!” Twilight concurred with her friends, looking quite stern. “What are you-“ “Don’t even start, feller’!” Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie, meanwhile, were standing off to the side, watching the argument between their friends and the strange, apparently clueless draconequus continue in that vein with not even a semblance of a sensible outcome to it in sight. Unlike their fellow Element Bearers, who had already made up their minds about Discord’s successor, the two were still considering him, debating with themselves whether to give him the benefit of the doubt or condemn him straight away as the others had. Fluttershy found herself leaning towards the former, her innate kindness and compassion for others inclining her to want to “give peace a chance,” as it were, as well as wanting to enact her original plan of befriending Discord in order to reform him as Princess Celestia had originally instructed them, though now it would be with his replacement. Pinkie Pie, however, was more conflicted in her feelings about how she should personally approach their purported enemy. She was still very suspicious of anything that involved Discord, her solitary experience with the self-proclaimed Spirit of Chaos and Disharmony leaving a bad taste in her mouth about him that no amount of yummy, delicious chocolate milk rain fallen from the heavens above could wash out, even if accompanied by a dollop of whipped cream. The downward spiral of anger and despair she went through at his claws was something that still haunted her, the memory of it cropping up in her mind from time to time despite her best effort to forget it and move on. The lack of whipped cream had been a major sticking point for her. But she was also a firm believer in redemption, that everyone deserved a second chance, IF they were truly sorry. And her perpetually friendly disposition demanded that she at least try and make nice with the draconequus newcomer. After all, they just might become the best of friends! And making new friends was always a prospect that tickled her pink. She brought a hoof up to her mouth and giggled a bit, seeing what they did there. Pinkie’s train of thought on the matter was derailed when the altercation between the squabbling ponies and one draconequus beside her culminated in a loud, drawn-out groan of consternation. Turning her attention back to them, she saw the draconequus in question with his face buried in his claws, his exposed nostrils flaring as he very audibly exhaled. Her friends had ceased their badgering of him, confused at the sudden display. A quiet sigh escaping his lips, he looked up at them, his expression a mixture of boredom and annoyance. His icy blue eyes, once manic and distressed, were now dull and calm, resigned. He regarded each of the ponies with intense scrutiny, squinting as he studied their individual appearances and salient traits. Seemingly satisfied, he tilted his head back and took a deep breath. Releasing it, he looked back at them with face set, decided. “You know what? Fine. Whatever. Whatever you say.” he said noncommittally, holding both his claws up in apparent surrender. Pinkie and the other Elements were caught off guard by the unexpected action, their eyes widening slightly as they gaped at him. “So what now?” he continued, shrugging. He received no answer, the heroines continuing to stare at him. Rainbow Dash was the first to snap out of the stupor he had put them in. “What do you mean, ‘What now?’” she asked incredulously, suspecting him even more for his unusual course of action. She didn’t expect him to actually come quietly. He turned towards her, especially irritated. “I mean, what happens now? I haven’t the slightest idea what’s going on or what the hell you lot are talking about. You don’t believe me. I really don’t, I’ve only just woken up. You all think I’m full of it. We’re just talking past each other and this is going nowhere. AND this damned chocolate milk all over me is starting to smell sour. I’m too tired for this, so I give. What do we do now? It’s too late in the goddamned day.” he rattled off, his dissatisfaction with the whole affair evident in his rant. “Umm… It’s actually ten o’clock in the morning.” Fluttershy corrected him in a quiet voice, somewhat aggravated by his coarse language. He shot her a funny look. “Oh, why, thank you for that, love! Really! Had to open your mouth for that!?” he berated her while narrowing a critical eye at the timid yellow pegasus, who withered from his sheer spitefulness, whimpering. “Hey! You leave her alone!” Pinkie yelled, becoming defensive of her fragile friend. Applejack jumped to Fluttershy’s defense as well. “Now listen hear! Y’all back off the poor gurl’, yu’ hear!” He did not reply, instead giving an inward sigh, sucking in air through his teeth and ending with a click of his tongue as he raised his claws again with palms forward in defense, yielding to them. Applejack only let out a low, angry growl in response, the normally even-tempered cowpony having reached the limits of her patience with the ill-mannered and increasingly odious draconequus. Rarity spoke up, interrupting them before their confrontation could become violent. “So, now then. If I understand correctly what you were saying earlier, you… surrender?” she asked in a skeptical tone. He glanced about, as if searching for anyone else she could possibly be referring to. Finding no one, turned back towards her. “If that’s what we’re calling it. Yeah, okay, I guess I do.” “And you’ll come with us to see the Princess?” Twilight inquired further, wary. The lavender unicorn gained his full, undivided attention upon her uttering of the world “Princess,” a strong measure of disbelief perceptible in his wide-eyed expression at her. He slowly brought his clawed avian forelimb up to his head and carefully placed it over his face, his blue irises peeking back at Twilight through his talons. “Princess?” he said after a brief silence, his earlier blitheness returning as his mouth broke into a huge grin. “Yeesss…” Twilight replied slowly, failing to see what he found so funny about the notion of royalty. “And she’s a horse like you, right?” he asked, his expression beginning to crack. “Horse!?” she exclaimed, taken aback. “We’re ponies! Not horses!” His handle on himself was on the verge of breaking completely. “… Pony?” “Yes! Pony! We’re ponies! What in Equestria is so funny!?” she snapped, her patience having finally run out at his erratic behavior and inane questions. She started to wonder if the draconequus in front of her was just Discord pulling an incredibly inept con. It seemed like something he would do… “Pony… princess…” “Y-you…” Twilight sputtered, her face contorting in anger as her entire being threatened to both literally and metaphorically become aflame in her veritable rage. “Oh, god…” he managed to get out before breaking down into uncontrolled laughter for the third time that day, much to the enragement of the Elements, who were beginning to consider various ways to forcibly silence him, if only temporarily. Applejack eyed her lasso, thinking to tie his mouth shut. Rainbow Dash aggressively clapped her hooves, considering just breaking his jaw to shut him up once and for all. Rarity glanced at some nearby stones of considerable heft, wondering if pelting him between the eyes with them would finally persuade the rude serpent-like chimera to mind his manners. Twilight thought back to the myriads of magic spells she had learned over the years, hoping for one that would quiet the loudmouthed draconequus, preferably with a severe case of strep throat disease. Pinkie Pie began unconsciously feeling around for her Party Cannon, wanting to literally blow the unfriendliness out of him with a blast of confetti, streamers, and enough concussive force to rupture his eardrums and all his blood vessels… Or at least leave him very surprised. Fluttershy felt her left eye twitch, feeling her infamous “Stare” begin to overtake her usual instincts. Their infuriated inclinations were interrupted, however, and ultimately denied when the object of their collective fury prematurely ceased his ill-spirited merriment for reason of oxygen deprivation, a violent coughing fit abruptly replacing his guffaw at them. Regaining his breath after nearly displacing his diaphragm, he turned towards them, a tired and lopsided grin plastered on his mouth as his confronters silently fumed at him. “Alright, okay,” he began, gaining their attention. “An audience with your… Princess, is it? Right, tell you what. Throw in a lovely little tea party and let me braid your hair and we’ve got a deal, yeah?” he spoke in such a tone of voice that disclaimed any seriousness. His pitch to the ponies provoked a plethora of reactions. Twilight simply stared at him, quirking a brow at the bizarre, yet relatively mundane condition set forth by their surprisingly unresisting captive-to-be. “… You’re kidding. You’re kidding, right?” Applejack shared her bookish friend’s sentiment. “… Seriously?” Fluttershy looked thoughtful, giving a soft hum as she tapped a hoof against her chin, wondering whether to serve tea or coffee. Rarity recoiled in horror. “N-n-now, just hold on one minute! You keep your horrid claws off my precious mane, you scoundrel!” she shouted at him, unconsciously raising a hoof to shield her pristinely kept coiffure. Rainbow Dash was utterly repulsed, the girlish, flamboyant nature of his request turning her off completely. “That’s just…” Pinkie Pie suddenly appeared from behind him and perched herself on his shoulder, a wide smile adorning her muzzle. “Super-duper-fantastic-fabulous-fantabulous!” she exclaimed while craning her neck to look at him, the facetious nature of his demand for a tea party and mane-braiding session having gone entirely over her head. “Really? I mean, REALLY-really!? That’s just GREAT! We can have balloons and cake and streamers and confetti! It’ll be sooo much fun! Oh, wow! I thought you were going to be a real mean-meany pants like Old Discord! Well, you kinda’ are… Well, actually, you’re just a little grumpy! Just a grumpy, grouchy grumpy-grump-pants! But that’s okay! Nothing a good ol’ pulse-pounding, pep-filled Pinkie Pie-style Party can’t fix! I’ll have you smiling in-“ She was stopped midsentence when the draconequus pinched her lips shut with his claws. “Sarcasm eludes you, doesn’t it, dear?” he asked her rhetorically, giving her a flat look. “Not for long! I’m Ponyville’s Hide and Seek Champion, dontcha’ know! I’ll track ‘em down in ten seconds flat! Who are they, anyway? Friend of yours?” she replied as Rainbow Dash looked funnily at her. He stared at her, seemingly dumbfounded for a moment before shaking away his astonishment at her. “It really does, you poor, ADD-addled performance artist…” he whispered under his breath, pity evident in his voice. “Huh? Whatcha’ say?” “Nothing, love! Nothing at all!” he answered quickly as he gave her a smile to sate her. “Now then! While… whateveritisyoujustsaid sounds just positively delightful! I’m afraid I’m having a bit of a wardrobe crisis here, the chocolate milk all over me, if you hadn’t noticed.” he said, indicating his still soaked clothes with a sweeping gesture. “Oh yeah! I remember that!” she giggled a bit at the memory. “That was pretty funny! Looked fun, too! Glad I’m not the only one here who appreciates a good chocolate milk shower! Could you make it rain on me next? Oh! And don’t forget the whipped cream this time!” His smile dropped slightly. “That wasn’t on purpose.” She laughed in response. “HAhahaha! Oh, you’re so funny, New Discord!” He became confused at the name. “New Discord?” “Yeppers! You’re here to replace Old Discord as Equestria’s Spirit of Chaos and Disharmony and spread chaos and disharmony all over Equestria! You know, turn houses upside down, make it night, then day, then night, then day, flying pigs, ballerina buffalos, and… Oh! And don’t forget the chocolate milk rain! And whipped cream!” she blurted out without a single pause for breath, disturbingly cheerful as she described the dreadful affair that was Discord’s previous rampage through Ponyville. “That all sounds… awful. And ridiculous. And impossible. Why would I do that? HOW could I do that?” “With Discord’s magic, silly!” “… Magic?” “Uh huh! But I’m sure he told you all about that!” “Of course he did…” he drawled out, to which Pinkie rapidly nodded her head. “In any case,” he started again, diverting away from the current topic, “Let’s continue that particular conversation another time. I don’t suppose you know of anywhere with a dry cleaning service? Before these stains settle in.” he asked, plucking her off his shoulder and gently placing her back on the ground. “Oh! I know a place! Rarity’s got a boutique! I’m sure she’d be able to help you out!” Pinkie answered, pointing a hoof at the fashionista unicorn, who violently shook her head in denial. He looked at Rarity, who gulped out of nervous reflex under his interested gaze, fearing for the future of her shop. “Good to know…” “AHEM!” Applejack loudly cleared her throat, hoping to gain their attention. “If y’all are quite done horsin’ around…” Rainbow flew in between them, making them flinch. “Are you coming with us or not? And claws off the mane, bud!” He shrugged. “I suppose I am. It’s not like I’ve got anywhere else to go.” A wry grin then formed on his mouth. “Carry me?” Rainbow was unimpressed. “… Yeeaahhh… Not gonna’ happen.” He shrugged once more and gestured in the direction the ponies came from. “Then lead the way.” “Hold out yer’ claws, then.” Applejack instructed as she readied her lasso in her mouth. He complied, giving a dismissive snort while rolling his eyes as he did so. With a flick of her head, her lasso lashed out and laced up his wrists completely, not allowing but the most minimal movements. He fidgeted in discomfort, his teeth bared as he scowled at his restraints, but made no attempt to resist. “Now move it!” Rainbow barked, flying behind him and giving a strong shove to his back. He stumbled forward, grumbling a little as he began walking. Applejack gave her lasso a firm tug, ensuring her ensnarement of their draconequus prisoner. The other ponies turned around and started back the way they came in an uncomfortable silence with their coerced company. They were quite nonplussed with how their confrontation with Discord’s claw-picked replacement had went. It was not the epic battle to decide the fate of Equestria that they were expecting, exchanging mighty blows with an entirely new chaotic and mad god bent on the utter destruction of them and everything they held dear, their fight scorching the very earth they stood upon and forever scarring the surrounding landscape, their battlefield an eternal testament to their courage, valor, and heroism that day against a powerful and nigh-unstoppable foe. Instead, their “epic battle” was a short-lived personality conflict in which they and the chaotic and mad god in question briefly complained at each other before he literally threw his claws up and said “Buck it, I give,” though he was a bit more wordy than that. The ponies’ feelings on his surrender were varied, though they were all still very surprised. Applejack and Rainbow Dash were nevertheless suspicious of him, even more so now, suspecting an ulterior motive or hidden agenda behind his cooperation with them, and thus kept their guard up, wary of any trickery by him. Twilight and Rarity, while also cautious of what he might be up to, were nonetheless relieved that he simply gave himself up rather than draw them into a lengthy battle, the potential for collateral damage had they actually fought, especially with them being not that far off from Ponyville, being far too great for their liking, and Rarity the potential of chipping one of her expertly manicured hooves a risk bordering on unacceptable. Fluttershy was also glad, thankful that things had ended as peacefully as they did, fighting being something that never struck her fancy, the gentle soul that she was. Looking back at him, she slowed her pace to match his, coming up to his side as she prepared to begin befriending their alleged adversary, hoping to start with some light conversation… Pinkie Pie was bouncing along, happy as well with their “victory,” already planning a “Hurray-We-Caught-New-Discord-Technically-Sort-Of-Maybe-Whatever-Who-Cares-We-Won Party!” to cap off the success of their mission from the Princess, complete with a “Mission Accomplished!” banner. Rarity gave a curious look back at the draconequus in tow before leaning her head towards Twilight’s. “Well, that went better than I’d have thought, I suppose.” She whispered to her friend. “I guess. But stay on your hooves. I’ve got a bad feeling about this guy…” Twilight whispered back, glancing behind herself at their prisoner, who was currently staring off into space, his blank, neutral expression only betraying a small measure of annoyance by way of his slightly furrowed brows. Rarity nodded in agreement. “Too right.”