Chapter 4: A Loving Home
"What the hay kid?" asked Caramel as he trotted up to the ebony colt, "What are you doing out this late? Your mom won't be happy."
Dawn, who had, up until that time, been wandering somewhat aimlessly, trying to put his mind into some semblance of order turned to look up at the tan stallion approaching him. Caramel's question made Dawn shudder. "I..."
Caramel's expression softened as his eyes took in the state that Dawn was in. He hadn't seen the colt looking this lost and forlorn since that time after the incident with Willow. "Come on Dawn," said Caramel, "Let's go to my place." So much for a quiet evening to myself, thought Caramel ruefully.
Caramel led Dawn back to his house and unlocked the door, leading the two of them in. After depositing his saddlebags in the entryway, Caramel led the colt into the kitchen, directing Dawn to a seat whilst Caramel rummaged about in his pantry for a moment. Coming back, he got water boiling prepared the cups. A few seconds later, Caramel set a cup of steaming liquid directly in front of Dawn's nostrils. Dawn took a speculative sniff and was caught off-guard by the intense fragrance of menthol rising from the drink.
"What is this?"
"Spearmint tea," said Caramel, "Technically, it's not actually tea as there's no real tea in it. It's just an herbal infusion. A growing colt like you shouldn't be having caffeine this late in the evening."
Dawn nodded and took a slow sip of the drink. The fumes surged up from the back of his mouth, helping to clear his sinuses, which had been a bit clogged as a result of his earlier weeping.
"It helps relax your nasal passages," Caramel continued, "Makes it easier to breathe, which is why it's a good thing to take before bed." He took a mouthful from his own cup and took a second to enjoy the minty flavor before swallowing. "Now then, can you explain what has you out wandering looking like a lost puppy somepony kicked?"
Dawn nodded and began to lay out the situation, explaining how he had come home to find Softhoof in the house with Fluttershy, his fight with Fluttershy, and his flight from Fluttershy. By the time Dawn had finished, Caramel had drained his cup, refilled it and drained it for the second time.
"Geez," he said, "You know, you make it real easy to forget just how young you are sometimes."
"I don't understand," said Dawn.
Before Caramel could answer, the room echoed with a low growl that had both ponies looking down at their stomachs. "Uh...I'm guessing you didn't get anything to eat before you left your mom's, right?"
Dawn winced visibly at Caramel's continued insistence at referring to Fluttershy as his mother. Dawn wasn't feeling very much like a son to her at that moment. Faint traces of shame, tinged with guilt and mixed with anger and a feeling of betrayal that Dawn wasn't certain he was right to feel all wormed together, making it impossible for the colt to truly articulate how he felt about the situation. All he could say for certain was that it wasn't a positive feeling.
"What to do then," said Caramel, who was already rummaging in his pantry, trying to come up with something quick that he could whip up to satisfy both their appetites. He'd originally planned nothing more than a simple salad from some greens he was keeping in the icebox. But that had been a meal for one. He suspected that, after the emotional evening he'd just been through, Dawn would need something more substantial. Naturally, the onion soup that Dawn loved so much would be the perfect choice, but that took a lot of time...not exactly the kind of meal that could be cooked on the fly.
As it was, Caramel's quest for sustenance was interrupted by the sound of knocking on his door. "What now?" he mumbled as he withdrew from the pantry. "Uh...hold on for a sec," he said to Dawn as he made his way back to the entryway and opened the door. Is it Fluttershy?
It wasn't. Instead, Caramel was caught staring as he realized just who was waiting for him on the other side. "M-Mayweather?"
"Uh...hi," said the bright-yellow mare, the fading light of the evening being just enough that Caramel was barely able to make out the green, blue, and magenta streaks of her mane. Even though her boss, Blenheim, as well as her remaining coworker had departed from Ponyville to return to Appleloosa, Mayweather had opted to stay in town. She was currently living in the bunkhouse at Sweet Apple Acres, but had been spending more and more time in Sugarcube Corner, to the point where the Cakes had hired her on as an additional staff member to help handle the fall load.
Caramel wasn't sure what to think. While he and Fluttershy had spent an afternoon showing Mayweather around, they couldn't be called especially close. The fact that two of her coworkers had tried to attack Scootaloo and were now in Guard custody (with one of them still in a full-body cast) didn't help matters. "What are you doing here?" asked Caramel, more confused than hostile.
"Um...Pinkie Pie sent me," said Mayweather, turning so that Caramel could see that her back was weight down by something being carried in an insulated bag, "She said her Pinkie Sense told her that you were going to need some comfort food and sent me to deliver this. She said it's on the house."
Curious to see what Mayweather was talking about, Caramel trotted up and opened the bag. He lifted out a multi-tiered tower made from bamboo slats, steam still wafting out from within. He didn't even have to lift off the lid to know what was inside. "Dumplings?"
Mayweather nodded, already taking the bag off her back and hoofing it over to Caramel as well.
"I see..." said Caramel, looking dazedly at the steamer, "When you get back, could you give her my thanks?"
"Sure," said Mayweather, already turning to take her leave.
"Wait!" Caramel raised a hoof to stop Mayweather before she could leave completely, "Could you do another favor for me?"
"Sure," said Mayweather, "What is it?"
Caramel explained what he wanted and Mayweather agreed, though she was a bit miffed about having to go so far out of her way. But she obliged him nonetheless. After thanking her, Caramel turned and went back inside, taking the bamboo basket and its savory contents in with him. As he closed the door, he shook his head slowly, his mind drifting back to the image of a particularly pink pony. I swear, that mare gives me the willies sometimes. But she really came through for us tonight.
Dawn was still waiting in the kitchen when Caramel returned. His ears perked up as his eyes found what the tan stallion was carrying in.
"Looks like Pinkie was thoughtful enough for the both of us," said Caramel as he set the basket on the table and lifted up the lid. Picking up the stacked tiers of the basket, he set one out for the colt and one for himself.
Caramel watched as Dawn used his primaries to lift out one of the dumplings and bring it to his mouth. The colt bit down and hummed at the familiar sweet and savory flavor of caramelized onions and melted cheese. His body visibly relaxed, all the tension that had been there previously bleeding swiftly away. Caramel hid a grin as he took a bite of his own food. You're a miracle-worker Pinkie.
"What were you saying earlier?" asked Dawn, as he finished his second dumpling.
"I was saying that it's easy to forget that you're still a colt," said Caramel, "You've been through a lot and you can do a lot on your own. But you still don't really understand the world in the same way we adults do."
"What are you talking about?"
Caramel sighed. "Listen, I can understand why you're upset. I can even understand why you're upset with your mom. You thought that this Softhoof mare was trying to take you away and Fluttershy wasn't doing anything to stop it."
Dawn nodded slowly and Caramel shook his head. "But that's not it at all. Your mom is trying to her best to be able to keep you and she's trying to do it the best way she can. This Softhoof mare; your mom was just trying to convince her that where you are now is the best place for you to be."
"But she shouldn't have to," said Dawn, "That mare shouldn't have even been there. There was no need for her to ask in the first place."
"You say that and you know that, but Softhoof doesn't," said Caramel, "Softhoof and the ponies that she's working for are just trying to make sure that you're in a safe place. They're trying to help you too Dawn, in their own way."
"I don't need their help," said Dawn acidly.
Caramel sighed. "You're right," he said, "But they don't know that. They don't know you. They haven't lived with you. They haven't watched you fend off grown ponies or trained assassins. As far as they know, you're just a foal with a funny eye-condition. That's why Softhoof was talking to Fluttershy. Because your mom knows you better than anypony, she's the one who can convince Softhoof that this is the best place for you."
"But..." Dawn's voice trailed off as he tried to object, but couldn't find a reason that sounded anything other than petty to his mind.
"The problem is," said Caramel, "Is that you're trying to look at Softhoof as an enemy, like Willow, or Quicksilver and Garnet. But she's not trying to hurt you. She's not trying to wrench you away from Fluttershy because she believes you don't deserve to live in a happy home with a loving mother. She just wants to be sure that you really are going to be happy there. She has good intentions."
Seeing that Dawn was less than convinced, Caramel saw he needed to explain a little further. As he was about to speak, he'd noticed that Dawn had already polished off his own tray of dumplings. However, there were still three more baskets stacked in the tower that Mayweather had brought. So Caramel unstacked another one and set it in front of Dawn. As the colt picked up another dumpling and bit down on it, Caramel started speaking again.
"There's an old phrase that says 'The road to Tartarus is paved with good intentions.' Have you heard that one?"
Dawn nodded slowly.
Caramel continued. "Do you understand what that means?"
Dawn looked like he was about to nod, but hesitated.
"Some of the worst things ponies do to one another they do because they think they're doing the right thing," said Caramel, "Ponies will go to any lengths and do the worst things imaginable if they think that it's the right thing to do. You're probably familiar with that saying because it practically describes what the Cult Solar has been doing to you. They think they're doing the right thing, that they're saving ponies, or Equestria itself, by bumping you off. That's the most obvious example of what the phrase means. The problem with that phrase is that ponies use it as a generalization and spout it off whenever someone with genuine good intentions is trying to do something they don't like or find inconvenient.
"Softhoof isn't like the Cult Solar. She isn't trying to hurt you and then justify it, she's trying to help you. It's just that the way she's trying to help you isn't the way you want to be helped, so her good intentions are hurting you in a way."
Caramel chuckled, giving Dawn a wry grin. "The problem is, good intentions are all that we have. They're what drive us to help one another in the first place. Sometimes, they just don't match up. Do you remember when Storm Front and Red River put you in the hospital?"
Dawn nodded slowly.
"I can tell you that Fluttershy was livid," said Caramel, "She was absolutely furious about how they had hurt you, even said that they were going to kill you, making you think that you were going to your own execution."
Again, Dawn nodded, his own memories going back to the incident in question. He remembered his mother's anger quite clearly.
"But Storm and Red were helping you weren't they," Caramel pointed out, prompting Dawn to signal his agreement again, "But they were helping you in a way that Fluttershy and the girls didn't understand because they have no idea about how all that martial arts stuff works. They had good intentions, but those good intentions didn't make sense to Fluttershy and the others, so all they saw was that Red and Storm had hurt you badly."
"That's true," said Dawn softly, remembering Fluttershy's initial confusion about how Dawn's near death at the hooves of the two mercenary stallions had helped him over the emotional hurdle he'd been stymied by.
"Fluttershy was also pretty upset that she couldn't help you with your issues then," Caramel added, "She had good intentions too, but hers weren't able to do for you what those two stallions did.
"It's the same thing with Softhoof. Softhoof had good intentions and was trying to help you. She just doesn't understand that the kind of help she's offering isn't the kind of help you need. That's what Fluttershy was trying to show her. And you didn't really understand Fluttershy's good intentions because you didn't realize how hard she was fighting for you."
"Mom was fighting..." said Dawn, his expression going blank, "...for me?"
"She was," said Caramel, "But she was doing it her way. She can't fight the same way you can and Softhoof isn't somepony to be fought the same way the Cult Solar is."
Dawn opened his mouth to say something, but Caramel fixed him with a stern look. "Look, Fluttershy told you that she'd stay with you no matter what, right?" Dawn nodded. "And she said that she'd even be willing to go on the run with you if that was what needed to happen, right?" Another nod. "But I think you'll agree that you'd be the happiest if you and her got to stay together and the two of you got to stay here in Ponyville. Isn't that the case?" Dawn gave another nod.
"That's what Fluttershy was fighting for," said Caramel, "She needs to convince Softhoof that her home is the best place for you and that you belong here in Ponyville. I'm guessing your life here wouldn't be so much fun if you had to fight off Equestria's government just to stick around, right?" In all likelihood, given the connections that certain friends of Fluttershy's had, that kind of conflict wasn't likely to occur, even in the worst-case scenario, but it was still the best way to explain it to Dawn. The colt apparently agreed, because he was nodding once again.
"That's why Fluttershy was talking to Softhoof. Neither of them wanted to hurt you and both of them wanted to help you. Fluttershy was just showing Softhoof that the best way to help you was to let you stay here." When Caramel finished, he saw that Dawn was tearing up once again.
"I'm such an idiot," muttered the colt.
"You're not," said Caramel, coming around the table so that he could ruffle Dawn's mane. Reaching out, the stallion pulled the colt into a hug. "You're just a kid who's been through a lot, especially for somepony your age. You were afraid that Fluttershy had changed her mind about you 'cause that's happened before, right?" Caramel remembered hearing something about that from Fluttershy, though Dawn hadn't told her the particulars.
He felt, rather than saw, Dawn nod this time. "When you've had something bad happen to you, it's pretty darn scary when it suddenly looks like it's happening again," said Caramel, "You were afraid and you let that fear get away from you."
Dawn slumped against Caramel's chest. He'd thought he'd made peace with his emotions and his past. It seems I haven't come as far as I'd hoped.
Caramel chuckled and gently rubbed Dawn's back. "You shouldn't be so hard on yourself. No matter how strong you are, you're just a kid after all. You know, it's okay to depend on adults sometimes. You're lucky since you can depend on one of the best ponies in all of Equestria."
As though summoned by Caramel's voice, there was a soft knocking from the front door. Letting go of Dawn, Caramel headed to the door and opened it, the colt following along behind. A panting Fluttershy was waiting on the other side, tears streaking her cheeks as her eyes darted around the entryway to Caramel's house, only seeing Dawn when the tan stallion stepped aside to give her a clear view.
"Dawn!"
"Mom..."
Dawn hesitated, his guilt weighing him down. Fluttershy didn't. She rushed forward, nearly knocking her coltfriend over in the process and threw her arms around Dawn, pulling him tight against her. After a few seconds, Dawn returned the gesture, the two of them hugging each other tightly while Caramel shut the door.
"I'm sorry," said Dawn.
"It's alright," whispered Fluttershy.
"I love you."
"And I love you." Fluttershy kissed her son on the forehead and continued to hold him close, the two of them crying as they let go of the emotional turmoil the past few hours had put them through.
Caramel joined them, hugging them from the side as he traded nuzzles with Fluttershy. "Thank you," she whispered in a voice for his ears alone. Caramel simply held her and Dawn tighter.
It was a few minutes before the three of them felt comfortable enough to disengage from the embrace. When they did, Caramel led them back into the kitchen, where he sat back and let Fluttershy and Dawn polish off the last of the dumplings. Looking at the clock, he noted how late it was. The moon would be high in the sky. Night had fallen over Ponyville.
"Hey," said Caramel, drawing Dawn and Fluttershy's attention, "It's getting late. You two should spend the night here."
"Oh...um...I don't want to impose," said Fluttershy, blushing and hiding behind her mane slightly.
"It's no problem," said Caramel, "I'll get the guest bedroom ready."
He left them in the kitchen and went upstairs to the guest bedroom, where he started laying out sheets. It was the work of a few minutes and Caramel was soon back downstairs. When he arrived, he was surprised to see that Fluttershy and Dawn were no longer in the kitchen. Looking for them, he wandered into the living room to see that the two of them had laid out on his couch and curled up together. His surprise was compounded when he saw that, in the short time he had been gone, they had apparently fallen asleep. Dawn was tucked tightly beneath Fluttershy's wing, his head nestled comfortably under hers, their breathing in synch as they slumbered peacefully.
"It's been a rough evening for them, I guess," said Caramel, smiling wryly. He headed back up to the guest bedroom and took the blanket he'd laid out for them. Bringing it back downstairs, he draped it over Fluttershy and Dawn, tucking them in.
Fetching some wood, Caramel lit a fire in the fireplace. After making himself another pot of spearmint tea, he retired to the armchair that was adjacent to the couch and nursed his beverage as he worked his way through an adventure story he'd been reading. Every once and a while, he stole glances at Fluttershy and Dawn, feeling a glowing warmth over how peaceful they looked. Not a bad way to spend the evening.
Softhoof yawned and stretched, blinking blearily as she tried her level best to will some alacrity into her manner. Normally, with the conclusions she'd drawn from her investigation, she would have felt content taking a day to rest so that she could be at her best when reporting to her superior. However, the Dawn Lightwing case had been accorded the highest priority and Softhoof had been instructed, in no uncertain terms, to report back with her findings as promptly as possible. So, after concluding her investigation and wrapping up her interview with Fluttershy, Softhoof had caught the last train out of Ponyville, the overnight to Canterlot. While she'd been able to catch some sleep on the train, her bench wasn't exactly the most comfortable place to rest. She dearly wished she'd thought to use the money she'd ended up not spending on a room at the local inn to get a private compartment with an actual bed.
But wishes were pointless, especially in the past tense. Softhoof accepted that and continued to work to build up her energy for the meeting. As her spine offered one final pop, the door to the office swung open and its occupant trotted past her to assume his place at the desk at the front of the room. The grim-faced stallion looked at Softhoof across the expanse of wood, his expression betraying nothing. However, Softhoof couldn't quite fight the foreboding feeling at the look on her boss's face.
"Welcome back Miss Softhoof," said the stallion, "Given how quickly you returned, I assume that the Dawn Lightwing case is an open-and-shut one."
"More or less," said Softhoof with a shrug, levitating out the file of forms she had filed out and setting it on the desk in front of the stallion, "I trust that you will find everything in order."
"Before that, I would like to hear your own conclusions from your own mouth," said the stallion, giving Softhoof a small smile. That reassured her. This was Grayblood's usual approach to their post-investigation meetings.
The pale-gray stallion had overseen the Foal Investigations section of the Ministry of Welfare for as long as Softhoof had been working there. Grayblood came from a long line of social workers, who had done stellar, even groundbreaking work, in several departments across the Equestrian government. It was rumored that one of Grayblood's ancestors had been the ones to help Princess Celestia found the Ministry of Welfare in the first place. His family was also rumored to be related, somewhat tenuously, to the family of Duke Prince Blueblood of Paradise Estate, which may have accounted for Grayblood's mother's choice of name.
"As you wish sir," said Softhoof before clearing her throat, "After conducting my investigation into the premises, including conducting an interview with Dame Fluttershy, I came to the determination that there was no need for further investigation."
"Which explains why you returned to us so quickly," observed Grayblood.
Softhoof nodded. "And so, after conducting said investigation, I have come to the conclusion that there is no need to remove Dawn Lightwing from the care of Dame Fluttershy. I have determined that she is providing a suitably stable and healthy environment for the foal and shows all indications of genuine affection for him. In addition, she also clearly commands his respect and deference, even though Dawn Lightwing is decidedly more independent and self-reliant than most ponies twice his age."
"Is that so?" There was something about Grayblood's tone that set Softhoof's nerves on edge.
"Yes," said Softhoof.
"I see..." Grayblood tapped his hoof on the table, as though he was trying to think of what to say. "Softhoof, you are one of the best ponies I have in my employ. So it is with a great deal of sorrow that I have to say that you have disappointed me."
"What?" gasped Softhoof, "What's the matter?"
"The problem is that you have bungled this investigation in a way I didn't believe possible. You are telling me that, after a simple interview with the prospective mother and inspection of her house, you were able to come to a definitive conclusion with so little information."
"I came to the conclusion that no further investigation was necessary," said Softhoof, "All the indicators showed that Dame Fluttershy is able and willing to provide for Dawn Lightwing's needs."
"And what about the colt himself?" asked Grayblood, "You mean to say that you didn't interview him."
"Well...no..." Softhoof looked down. "Not really. He was hostile towards me when I met him because he thought that I was there to try and remove him from Dame Fluttershy's care. It was Dame Fluttershy who calmed him down and told him to behave himself, though it upset him at the time."
"And none of this bothered you?" asked Grayblood.
"It did at first," admitted Softhoof, "But, actually, that was what made me come to the conclusion that there was no need to remove the colt from Dame Fluttershy's custody. Dawn Lightwing's hostility was such that I actually feared for my safety for a moment. That Dame Fluttershy still had such control over him, even though he was in such agitated state, was a clear sign that she could be trusted as his mother and caretaker."
Grayblood sighed. "And yet, this is nowhere near enough. This is the first major slip-up I've had from you Softhoof. I know you can do better than this."
"I don't understand," said Softhoof. Certainly, there were other avenues she could have investigated. However, she saw no need to look further, as it was clear that Fluttershy was more than capable of meeting Dawn Lightwing's unique needs and understood those needs far better than Softhoof or anypony else in Foal Protection did.
"You need to investigate this matter thoroughly," said Grayblood, "The irregularities are piled up too high to ignore. Inspect every aspect of Dame Fluttershy. Leave no stone unturned, no nook or cranny un-searched. Find out everything you can and make sure that you determine, with absolute certainty, where Dawn Lightwing belongs."
"But sir, Dawn Lightwing has stated-"
"He is a foal!" snapped Grayblood, slamming his hooves on the desk, "Since when do foals know what is best for themselves?"
"Sir, I can't, in good conscience, conduct any further investigation into the matter without reason," said Softhoof.
"I'm sorry to hear that," said Grayblood, "It seems that I will have to have somepony else look into the matter. If that is your opinion, then perhaps you are no longer suited to working in this department."
"What?" cried Softhoof, "What's going on here? Something's not right!"
"What's not right is that you are refusing to do your job and do it right," snapped Grayblood, "Some very important ponies are showing a great deal of interest in this colt, in spite of his deformity. Such a half-flanked investigation will not satisfy them."
Alarm bells were ringing in Softhoof's head as she began to put the pieces of the puzzle together. Grayblood was definitely agitated about something that was not the results of her investigation, at least, not directly.
"Now," said Grayblood, leaning forward over the desk, "I ask you again; will you return to Ponyville and conduct your investigation properly this time?"
Dawn and Fluttershy awoke to the sizzle of eggs and the smell of potato pancakes as Caramel went through the process of making breakfast. Mother and son slipped out from under the blanket. Fluttershy set to folding it while Dawn wandered into the kitchen, his nose twitching at the savory smells emanating from the stove as Caramel worked.
"Hey there," said Caramel, turning to smile at Dawn before returning to his work, "Breakfast's almost ready, so have a seat."
Dawn did as he was told and Fluttershy soon joined him. Caramel brought the food to the table and the three of them started eating. The pancakes were delicious, especially to Dawn, seasoned with onions and chives and topped with sour cream. While he'd had plenty of dumplings the night before, the little bite-sized treats had amounted to little more than a snack. As such, Dawn practically inhaled the pancakes that Caramel had set out for him before turning to decimate his portion of scrambled eggs, his enthusiasm drawing a chuckle from the tan stallion.
After breakfast, Fluttershy offered to take care of the dishes, an offer that she didn't let Caramel refuse. As she worked at the sink, Caramel sat next to Dawn.
"Feel better?" the stallion asked.
Dawn nodded. "Yes. I think I understand better now. I regret that I was not thinking clearly last night."
"It happens," said Caramel, honestly enough, "My door is always open to you, no matter what. I want you to remember that."
To Caramel's surprise, Dawn leaned against him. "Thank you," said the colt softly.
"No problem," said Caramel, smiling fondly as he wrapped an arm around Dawn's shoulders and hugged him close, "Anypony would by lucky to have you for a son."
"Even you?" asked Dawn.
"Especially me," said Caramel.
From her position at the sink, Fluttershy watched her son and her coltfriend over her shoulder, a happy smile on her lips. Stifling a giggle, she turned back to the dishes before either of them could catch her watching.
"Now arriving in Ponyville. Please remember to have your luggage ready before you disembark."
The voice of the conductor jolted Chickpea out of his reverie, the taupe-colored unicorn had been absorbed in his own thoughts for the last few hours. After all this time, he's shown up again. The stallion's mouth tightened into a grim line as he looked back down at the knife he had been examining. After a couple more seconds, he tucked the weapon away, casting a furtive look around the car to make sure that nopony else was watching him. He's not gonna get away this time.
Chickpea had been there when Dawn Lightwing had come to the town of Haytenview. The colt had wandered about, asking for food and shelter, promising whatever services he could provide in exchange. However, Chickpea and the rest of the townsponies knew better. The Order of Celestial Light had warned them about demons like Dawn Lightwing. Chickpea had suggested luring the colt into a trap so that they could ensure his extermination. However, the demon's instincts had been sharper than he'd thought. Dawn escaped and disappeared into the wilderness.
Chickpea had allowed himself to hope that the demon had died out there somewhere. But then, the colt resurfaced in Ponyville of all places, brazenly seeking shelter with the Element Bearers themselves. He was even influencing the press to spread such blasphemies as the idea that Princess Celestia sided with him against the Order. The preposterous insinuations made Chickpea's blood boil and, as soon as he'd read the article, he made plans to pay a visit to the colt and finish what he'd started when Dawn had first come to Haytenview.
As the train slowly shuddered to a halt, Chickpea got to his hooves and levitated his saddlebags, the only luggage he had, onto his back. As the doors opened, he was already taking his first step down and onto the platform of the Ponyville station. After walking through and emerging into the open, Chickpea took a second to appreciate the picturesque tableau the town presented. It was larger, louder, and busier than Haytenview, but it still carried that cheerful small town ambience that the stallion so loved.
However, he wasn't here to admire the scenery. He couldn't afford to dally. If he was fortunate, he could finish things before the day was out and be on his way back to Haytenview before the sun set. Chickpea set off through the town, sweeping his gaze over everything, trying his best to spot his target. It was now that the stallion realized that he hadn't really thought about how he would find the demon. Ponyville was a relatively small town, but it wasn't the kind of place that a single stallion could hope to search in a day.
If I were the demon, where would I hide? wondered Chickpea as he ambled through the market district, his eyes sliding across the stalls and the ponies running them without even glancing at what they had to offer. As he pressed on, he noticed a building that was substantially different from the others in Ponyville. Instead of the white walls and thatched roofs, this one had walls of a brown color, with a roof that had been decorated to look like frosting and candy, making the whole building take on the appearance of a gingerbread house. The sign over the door provided the identity of this place.
Sugarcube Corner, mused Chickpea as he eyed the place up. It was a bakery. Even out here in the streets, the tantalizing odors of sugar and spices taunted Chickpea's senses, causing him to unconsciously lick his lips. It occurred to him that he hadn't even had breakfast yet. He'd been so set on his quest, he hadn't given a thought to food. Lodging was only an extra to consider if his search dragged on, but food was a more immediate concern.
And it's a bakery, he realized, Even if he is a demon, the creature is still wearing the skin of a foal. Foals generally can't resist places like this. He'll come here at some point, even if it's only to keep up appearances.
With that the taupe stallion pushed through the door and into the bakery. The morning was still fairly young, which meant that the place was relatively empty. There were a few ponies sitting at tables here and there. However, there was an absence of colts and fillies that was not all that surprising, given the earliness of the hour. But Chickpea was sure that they would come sooner or later.
Wandering up to the counter, Chickpea began to survey the offerings available, also taking in the options on the menu posted behind the counter to try and see what he might like for his morning meal. There was no shortage to the variety of sweets and treats on offer. However, something caught Chickpea's eye as he looked at the menu. Onion soup dumplings...what on earth are those? Shrugging it off, Chickpea decided to opt for something more mundane.
"Hi!" When the voice went off in his ear, Chickpea yelped and jumped half his height into the air. Landing, he whirled around to see a cheerful pink pony grinning at him over the counter.
"I'm Pinkie Pie," she said, "What can I get for you?"
"I'll uh..." Chickpea's voice trailed off as the mare narrowed her eyes suspiciously. He wondered if she somehow knew that he was here for the demon. He realized that there was every possibility that several ponies in the town could be under the fiend's thrall. What if this pony was one of them?
"I haven't seen you before," said Pinkie, "Are you new here?"
"Uh..." said Chickpea, leaning back away from the intense scrutiny, "Yes."
Then, like a flash of lightning, the mare's suspicious gaze was gone and she was beaming at him once again. "I knew it! You're new in town! When I saw you I realized I didn't know you but I know everypony in Ponyville but I didn't know you which means you're new in town!"
"Uh...yes..." Chickpea could hardly even follow the rapid-fire delivery of the mare's speech.
"Goody!" squealed Pinkie, clapping her hooves together, "Are you just visiting here on business moving in or passing through?"
"Um...visiting..." said Chickpea, "I don't intend to stay longer than a day or so. Really I'll probably be leaving before the day is up."
Pinkie seemed to visibly deflate at this revelation. "Aww...If you're not stayng here very long, then I won't be able to throw you my Welcome to Ponyville Party."
"That is a pity," said Chickpea, "But thank you for the wonderful greeting anyway. May I order?"
His words seemed to pep Pinkie Pie back up even as they clued her back into his original reason for being here. "Oh right! What can I get for you?"
Chickpea ordered a raspberry tart and some coffee and took a seat at the table. Pinkie was there in about two minutes with his order. The stallion munched contentedly as he continued to look about the place, trying figure out what excuse he might use to hang around the place to see if the demon showed up.
The jingle of the bell instantly drew Chickpea's eyes to the door. However, the newcomer wasn't a colt, just a regular tan stallion with a trio of horseshoes for a cutie mark. Chickpea sighed in disappointment and turned back to his meal. From his position, he couldn't help but pick up the sound of the newcomer stallion as he approached the counter.
"Hey Caramel! How are you?"
"I'm fine Pinkie. I came by to thank you for last night. You're a lifesaver."
"Aww, it was nothing. My Pinkie Sense told me everything. Did Dawn like the dumplings?"
Chickpea's ears perked up. His entire body went rigid to such a degree that he nearly dropped the cup of coffee that he'd been tilting towards his lips. Dawn! Could it be him? That was the name the demon had been using as cover.
"Yeah. You know he loves them. Give my thanks to Mayweather for going to get Fluttershy."
"Of course! Are they still at your place?"
"Nah. Fluttershy had to get back home to take care of her animals and Dawn is over at the teahouse with the other kids. Speaking of which, I've gotta go to my job. Bon Bon'll have my hide if I'm late."
"Okey dokey. You want something to take with you?"
"Sure..."
Chickpea tuned out the rest of the conversation and turned his thoughts inward. The demon had to be the colt these two were talking about. Just as he had feared, the creature apparently already had several ponies under his thrall, although the newspaper article had made it more than apparent. The teahouse...
Chickpea quickly finished his food and coffee before turning to the door. He was barely conscious of Pinkie Pie saying goodbye to him as he left, his mind set on his mission.
It took a Chickpea a little while to figure out where the teahouse was. He'd been so set on his work that he'd completely forgotten to ask for directions. As such, he'd wandered from one end of the town to the other before he'd finally found the building, which was situated near Ponyville's public library. Chickpea stopped in front of the door and stared intently at the sign hanging over it, as though doing so would cause the building to reveal whatever secrets it contained.
Finally, Chickpea stepped forward and pushed open the door, stepping into the warm, comfortable confines of the teahouse. There were already quite a few ponies settled at tables, sipping from steaming mugs. The fragrance of tea and countless herbs and spices filled the air, the scent drawing the taupe stallion in, much how he had been drawn into the Sugarcube Corner.
Chickpea was surprised to note that the servers in the establishment were all foals, all of them working with surprising calm and efficiency. His eyes wandered from one to the next, taking in a gray pegasus colt, a white unicorn filly, a yellow earth pony filly, and an orange pegasus filly. As he looked over the last one, somepony else came out into the main room, an ebony colt balancing trays on his outstretched wings as he trotted towards a table occupied by waiting ponies. Chickpea could only stare in shock at the sight. There was no mistaking those insidious, catlike eyes.
His entire body locked up as he stared at the colt, his eyes wide. The taupe stallion briefly forgot his surroundings as he focused the entirety of his attention on the colt, who wandered about the establishment like it was perfectly normal to do so. Already, Chickpea's horn was lit and his magic was slowly drawing out the knife. However, at the last moment, he thought better of it. In this place, there were too many ponies the demon could use as shields to protect himself. The stallion would have to bide his time and wait for the right moment to strike.
"We have an open table if you want to sit down."
Once again, Chickpea yelped, the half-drawn knife nearly slipping out of the saddlebag as he jumped at the unexpected voice. Whirling about, his eyes came to rest on a beige earth pony stallion who was facing him. Chickpea would have thought the stallion was staring at him, but for the fact that the stallion's eyes were closed.
"Sorry to startle you," said the stallion, "You seemed distracted. As I was saying, there is an open table you can sit at."
"Th-thank you..." stammered Chickpea, feeling put off-balance. There was something about the stallion that troubled him. It must be that demon's influence.
Nonetheless, Chickpea took his seat and the stallion produced a menu of tea selections to browse, though Chickpea barely looked at it, trying his hardest to keep his eyes on the colt with the demon's eyes. Chickpea watched as the colt flitted from table to table, performing various tasks, occasionally returning to the back room in order to fetch more tea and returning to the customers, often receiving smiling welcomes and indications of familiarity from the various patrons of the establishment. It infuriated the taupe stallion that this colt had dared ingratiate himself with these ponies, that he was wandering about this shop as though he belonged here.
Chickpea ground his teeth together, his mouth set in a thin line as he continued to watch the colt. The menu lay forgotten on the table as Cickpea's focus narrowed down to his target. It would only take a second, he thought. Back in Haytenview, Chickpea had always placed first in the annual knife-throwing competitions, being able to put a knife through a target at a hundred paces, often with enough force that the blade had to be cut out. Here, in the confines of the teahouse, the colt was well within a hundred paces. It would be the work of an instant, a swift draw, then using his magic to propel the blade straight through the demon's head, possibly right between those abhorrent eyes.
Chickpea's eyes narrowed as he waited for the right opportunity. If the colt saw the attack coming, then he could hide behind one of the other ponies present. The attack would have to catch him off-guard. Slowly, Chickpea's forehoof reached back into his saddlebag, his fetlock curling around the handle of his knife.
The colt had just finished setting out a tray for another trio of guests. He turned towards the back door, not even noticing Chickpea. His back was to the taupe stallion now and Chickpea was free to drive the blade straight through the back of the demon's head. Now!
In an instant, Chickpea had leapt away from his seat, withdrawing the knife in a single, smooth motion that he'd practiced for years. At the same time, he lit his horn, coating the knife with the aura of his magic, lifting it out of his grip before launching it in a silvery blur, straight at the colt's head. Dawn Lightwing did not react to the projectile as it approached. Chickpea's aim was true. The demon was about to die.
Then, at the last second, one of the wings on the colt's back blurred into motion. The knife that had been about to punch through his skull from behind changed trajectory abruptly, turning sharply upward, where it embedded itself into the wooden ceiling. Chickpea's eyes widened in surprise. It was impossible. The colt couldn't have seen the knife coming and yet, somehow, had blocked the attack; how, Chickpea couldn't say.
However, before his mind could even fully register the shock of his failure, the colt vanished from sight. Chickpea's ears picked up a rush of wind and, suddenly, Dawn Lightwing was right next to him. The colt's wing extended out, the tip of his leading primary just barely brushing against the taupe unicorn's shoulder. A snap echoed through the shop, accompanied by a bright spark that jumped from Dawn's feather to Chickpea's shoulder.
Chickpea felt as though he had been bucked in the ribs. His legs spasmed ferociously, kicking themselves out from under him and dumping the confused stallion on his side. There he lay, continuing to twitch and gasp for breath. His limbs refused to heed his brain's commands, instead jolting randomly. Darkness began to crawl in from the edges of his vision as he stared upwards. Dawn was standing over him, gazing down dispassionately with those disgusting eyes of his. A few seconds later, he was joined by the beige earth pony.
"Well done," said the earth pony stallion, his words growing faint in Chickpea's ears, "It looks like you managed to scramble his nerves quite thoroughly with that technique."
"I suppose there's no better way to test a technique like this," said Dawn as he idly examined his feathers, "It looks like, so long as I avoid the heart, I don't have to worry about killing anypony." He turned his attention back down to Chickpea. "In any case, this would be my first contender."
Any further conversation became incomprehensible to Chickpea as his senses faded away, darkness claiming him completely.