//------------------------------// // Chapter 24: Within Circles // Story: Drake's Empire // by Pentel123 //------------------------------// Chapter 24: Within Circles “The Spice Must Flow” - Dune Frank Herbert Drake wandered through Ponyville with Twilight by his side. Though she was bursting to asking him questions, she stayed silent after he’d told her to wait until they stopped. Every time he stopped to check where he was, she started to speak thinking they’d finally reached their destination, only for him to start moving again. This resulted in her cutting of whatever she was about to say, emitting a squeak. Drake had planned to stop several times earlier but after Twilight’s first squeak he kept going. It was at once adorable and hilarious taking his every effort to avoid laughing. Glancing down, he saw just how hard she was trying to do as he asked and finally relented. Settling down in the field behind the library. He was rewarded with an exasperated screech. “All that! All that, just to end up back where we started?” Twilight said, throwing her notebook high into the sky with a blast of undirected magic. “Is that a serious a question, or was it meant to be rhetorical?” Drake asked, chuckling as the notebook was brought down on Twilight horn by gravity. “Don’t you dare start! After all you have put my through don’t you dare start with me. You are going to answer my questions, I have waited long enough! Spike won’t tell me anything beyond the most basic detail and avoids certain topic entirely because of you! I will not wallow in ignorance like a rockodile wallows in the swamp! So let’s get started.” Magic flashed as Twilight exchanged the notebook for a fresh one along with a couch and table to work on. “First question: What is your name?” “Really you are going to burn a question on that. You do know this isn’t a one way exchange right?” “Yes it will help to validate the integrity of this- wait what do you mean burn a question and exchange?” “Simple for each question you ask I will ask one. We will go until one of us runs out of questions. I am assuming that will be me, since you’ll never stop.” “NO! No. no, nono. That isn’t part of the rules for an interview. In an interview, the interviewer asks the questions and the interviewee answers them.” “Who said this was an interview?” Drake asked, exhaling forcefully and ruffling Twilight’s mane. “Do you want to turn this into an interrogation?” Twilight asked pressing as close to Drake’s unbandaged eye as possible. “I want this to be a conversation between two people with a mutual friend that know very little about each other and both have the friend’s interests and happiness at heart. Surely, you can appreciate and value that, ‘little miss friendship reports’,” Drake said backing off slightly and pretending to dust his shoulder as he waited for her reply. Twilight huffed defensively as she thought over what he had said. She realized he had backed her into a corner. She didn’t know what was making her so confrontational. It felt like something about him was giving of a strange aura, familiar but not. Like when Pinkie had tried to make Joe’s donuts. Sure she used the same recipe, but they weren’t the same. With a defeated sigh, she spoke. “Very well, let’s ‘talk’ then. Introductions would be a good place to start. I am Twilight Sparkle, Student of Princes Celestia, Element of Magic, and Librarian of Ponyville’s Golden Oaks Library. What is your name?” Twilight said forcing a smile onto her face. “That much better now isn’t it Ms. Sparkle. I am Drake Rex, I don’t have any fancy title though I suppose Regent of Forum and Leader of the Phoenix Initiative would be appropriate, if they would ever agree to it,” Drake said, muttering the last bit under his breath. “Now that is something I have been wondering about Mr. Rex. Just what is Forum? Spike described it is a massive ruin, but you don’t act as regent for a ruin. Surely there is something more there than decrepit buildings.” Twilight said using every bit of tact and manners Celestia had forced her to learn. What good was tact when you could be learning about flow fields and the average flight velocity of a swallow? Shaking those thoughts away, she waited for Drake’s reply, her pen poised to take down every word and bit of body language Drake displayed. “Please Ms. Sparkle I insist you call me Drake. That’s what all my friends call me, well that and one other thing. Forum is indeed a ruin, a remnant of a fallen empire founded by Minotaurs before ponies wandered to these shores. It was a major center of learning. As it happens, a small but very important part of it was less ruined than the rest. Also, I do ever so apologize for stealing your number one assistant away from you. I know he is vitally important to you. However, if not for his unique talents, I would not be here now talking with you,” Drake said laying in as much sweet sticky syrup as he could manage. “I wonder, do you have anything to drink? I find myself positively parched.” Twilight grit her teeth trying to decide which part of Drake’s answer to ask about first worrying what new questions that answer would raise. The sickening politeness of his tone only made it worse as she realized he was mocking her. “Of course, right away. Shall water be acceptable? Perhaps if I had known you were coming I might have been able to prepare something more suitable,” Twilight said through gritted teeth doing her best to maintain her composure and decorum as she teleported some cups and filled pitcher out to the two of them. “Water will serve excellently Ms. Sparkle. Well now it seems it is my turn again. So, how did you manage without our mutual friend,” Drake asked kicking off what turned into a rather long discussion. Drake and Twilight traded questions and verbally sparred, each trying to outdo the other’s politeness. Drake because it amused him to watch Twilight grow more and more flustered, and Twilight because she wasn’t willing to give Drake the satisfaction of being better than her. The longer they talked the more the strange aura Twilight felt began to affect her. After a couple hours of talking she finally realized where it was coming from. “…so then I explain-“ “Drake I do hate to interrupt, but that bag on your backs seems to be giving off a strange magical aura, would you mind letting me examine it? Something about it seems familiar,” Twilight said. She knew she had encountered something like it before, but could not place it. It was something wrong. That much she knew. Something dangerous. Something she had to examine. “I’m afraid I don’t know what you are talking about,” Drake said, his tail twitching in discomfort. The last thing her wanted was Twilight to discover he had a changeling egg. “No, we’ve played our game long enough. There is something in that bag. Something that’s messing with my mind. Tell me what it is,” Twilight said, taking the bag into her magic, and starting to pull on it fully prepared to break the simple straps. “Wait Twilight, I’ll tell you,” Drake said, rising into a crouch and thinking fast. Twilight couldn’t get the egg. If she took it, she would realize what it was. If she figured out what it was, she would call Princess Celestia. Drake couldn’t let her have it. If she destroyed it then he would lose his grip on the changelings and they would get a new queen; if she took it and tried to raise it as her own then he would lose them to her. Neither of those options fit in the plan he was putting together. “You will?” Twilight asked skeptically, not releasing her hold on the bag. “Yes, but first let me ask you a quick question since you did take me turn.” Drake said hoping Twilight would fall for it. “Alright, fine what is your question?” “It has to do with the egg, but first you have to lean in close.” Drake said licking his lips nervously. If this didn’t work he was in serious trouble. Twilight leaned in close tighten her grip on the bag less Drake try something. “Okay what?” It was now or never, Drake hoped he was right about the kind of reaction he was going to get. If he was wrong… best not to think about that. With a quick strike forward Drake planted his lips on Twilights drawing her into a deep kiss. “Twilight will you marry me?” Drake asked, breaking the kiss, and breathing a sigh of relief as the magic grip on the bag disappeared. “What… huh... you… you..” Twilight sputtered her mind shutting down for a full system restart. “I know this is sudden, but surely you can see we are perfect for each other. You with your flaws, and me with my perfection. Come fly away with me,” Drake said taking to the air and fleeing the scene, doing his best to scrub his tongue and lips clean. “I hope you appreciate what I just did for you...” Drake muttered to the egg as he put more and more distance between himself and the stunned Twilight, praying she wouldn’t be too outraged once she figured out what had just happened. * * * * * * * * * * * * Spike sauntered through the town to Rarity’s. He wanted to break into a run but worried that it would risk scaring some of Ponyville’s more skittish residents. He remembered that they laughed or muttered understanding when he was smaller, but now he had noticed a change in how they looked at him. Skittish, uncertain, concerned, he was no longer the filly sized child they could laugh at. Now that he was tall as most of them, his body stretching the length of two ponies easy, four or five if you included his neck and tail, and their primal fear of dragons bubbled just below the surface. ‘I hope they get used to me being back in town. I may have changed physically, but… Well I suppose I have matured a bit mentally too, haven’t I?’ Spike thought, his tail twitching slightly in irritation. Spike arrived at Carousel Boutique in good time to find a sign on the door declaring it closed for the day. Spike hesitated a moment before testing the door and finding it unlocked. ‘Well if she really didn’t want someone to come in she would have locked it,’ Spike rationalized as he entered. “Just a moment,” Rarity called out in sing-song when she heard the bell ring. “Though you know, if there is a sign saying someplace is closed the polite thing to do is knock first.” Spike smiled sheepishly as Rarity came out of a back room her red spectacles resting on her nose and measuring tape draped over her shoulders. “I take it Drake gave you my message?” “Um yeah, sorry I haven’t been by since I got back. Twilight has had me sequestered away for an intense interrogation, and yesterday I had to clean up a crash site,” Spike said, blushing and rubbing the back of his head while Rarity appraised him like she would a diamond, her critical eye scanning over him. “Yes, well that is most unfortunate but, knowing Twilight, also unavoidable. Would you care for something to drink, and maybe a snack? It seems that my gem reserves have built up without someone around eating all the best ones.” Rarity said with smirk back at Spike as she moved toward her kitchen, adding a little sway to her steps. Spike, being completely star struck, followed without thinking. * * * * * * * * * * * * Rainbow Dash glided through the air over Ponyville, her way of relaxing after finishing her workout for the day. The sun was just starting its descent, the bottom just kissing the horizon when she spied Twilight sitting unmoving behind the library. Since it was strange to see Equestria’s biggest egghead outdoors, when not busy with a task, Rainbow decided to drop in on her. She landed on the table knocking over the pitcher and spilling it over Twilight’s notes. Quickly scooping them out of the water, Rainbow realized she wasn’t hearing the expected admonishments, about spilling the water, from Twilight. Setting the notes down on a dry spot, Rainbow took a closer look at Twilight. Her unicorn friend was looking past her completely unfocused, and she was mumbling. While much of it was unintelligible grrrs, she did get a dragon, brain, flaws, and tongue, or at least parts of those words. Unsure of what to do, Rainbow tried pouring one of the glasses of water over her. When that didn’t work she went into the library to see if Spike could figure out what was wrong with her. After searching through the library as thoroughly as only she could, Rainbow frowned. ‘Well if Spike isn’t here then Rarity is probably the next best bet to help her.’ Rainbow thought, figuring it might be some kind of weird unicorn thing that had happened to Twilight. Leaving the library and Twilight, Rainbow dashed over the Carousel Boutique. Completely ignoring the sign on the door, Rainbow heard sounds coming from the back of the building towards where the kitchen was located. As she got closer she heard Rarity cry out. “YES! Oh Yes!” Rarity called out from the kitchen. Followed by somepony saying something with his mouthful that Rainbow couldn’t make out. Blushing furiously, Rainbow stopped in her tracks just outside the kitchen. “Now it’s my turn,” Spike said with a chuckle, “Just you wait and see what I have in store. You should realize living with Twilight has made me very good at this.” Rainbow coughed in surprise, trying to decide what to do. With a deep breathe to prepare herself, Rainbow knocked on the wall just outside the entryway of the kitchen. “Hey Rarity, its Rainbow I let myself in. Is Spike here with you?” Rainbow asked through the wall. “Rainbow come on in here, I don’t know why you would bother knocking now, and yes I’m in here,” Spike said. Rainbow steeled herself for what she would see. As she turned the corner, she stopped in surprise and stood slack jawed. In the kitchen were Rarity and Spike seated on either side of the table with a game of Scrabble between them. Spike had a large bowl of gems of various sizes and cut before him. He had a few gems in one claw, while the other placed tiles on the board. Across from him, Rarity had a sketch pad she was working in, a smile on her face, while Spike took his turn. “You’re playing Scrabble?!” “Hmm, well yes. Now pick your jaw up off the floor, I know Spike has grown up quite handsomely but that is no reason to catch flies,” Rarity said with a smirk. “What did you think we were doing?” “I, um, well, not important! Rather the reason I came here is because Twilight is sitting outside staring off into the distance, mumbling, and completely unaware of her surroundings.” Rainbow said blushing furiously, averting her eyes from Rarity’s. Spike’s head shot up from the board, the gems in his claw clattering to the ground. “Where?” “Behind the Libr-,“ before Rainbow could finish Spike was gone a cloud of dust in his wake. “-ary. Dang,” Rainbow said before noticing Rarity looking at her. “What?” “Now tell me, just what you thought we were doing before you decided to announce yourself,” Rarity said her horn glowing and the door Spike had exited via closing and locking with a sound of finality. * * * * * * * * * * * * Spike found Twilight right where Rainbow had left her. There was a slight chill in the air as the sun continued its descent. Twilight hadn’t moved and Spike was uncertain what to do. He had already tried everything he already knew: threatening a test, saying Princess Celestia was coming for a visit, and claiming she was late for an assignment, but Twilight continued to stare off into the distances, her lips moving but no sound coming out. Spike was sitting still, looking at the wet unicorn contemplating what to do, when Rarity and Rainbow joined him. “So what’s wrong with her? Is it some funky unicorn thing?” Rainbow asked, uncomfortable seeing Twilight in her current state. “No, at least not that I have ever heard of. I mean what kind of magic feedback loop could do this? This is something else.” “What do you think it is darling?” Rarity asked frowning when she noticed Twilight was soaked. “How in Equestria did she get so wet?” “We may never know,” Rainbow said, starting to whistle. Spike started to say something but a curt nod from Rarity stopped him. “Do you think Drake could have something to do with this?” Rarity asked. Since Drake was the one that sent Spike over it seemed like he was probably the last one that had seen Twilight. Rarity’s words seemed to have an effect on Twilight causing her to twitch. Everyone noticed the twitch and Spike was the first to guess the cause. “Drake,” he said, frowning when Twilight twitched again. “Well whatever happened he does seem to be involved. I know he‘s unique to deal with and Twilight isn’t the best at dealing with people, but I never thought he would break her. Remind me to ask him how he did it.” Spike said in a jesting manner, a hint of wonder and sincerity laced within the sentence. “WHAT!?” Rarity and Rainbow asked. “If either of you knew what it has been like since I got back, you would want to be able to make Twilight stop for a few hours too,” Spike said which earned him upset glances from the other two. “Hey, you two don’t live with her, and haven’t been getting interrogated without being allowed outside for days on end. Rainbow how would you feel it you weren’t able to fly for several days, or Rarity if you weren’t allowed to work on your designs. That what it has been like. The ability to get away would’ve been worth fighting Discord again.” “Okay we get your point. So how do we help her?” Rainbow said, wanting to get on with her day, perhaps to find a certain dragon, but not wanting to leave a friend in trouble. “I think I know,” Rarity said, getting close to Twilight and whispering in her ear. “Twilight, Drake is-“ Before Rarity could finish, Twilight snapped out of her stupor instantly going to her rage state. “DRAKE, GET BACK HERE! You are going to pay! Pay! PAY!” * * * * * * * * * * * * Drake had lain low in the Everfree for a bit in case Twilight came after him. Once he felt safe, he made his way to Apple Acres. There was some business he had to take care on behalf of his two favorite inventors and it seemed best to do it when Applejack would have her family around rather than just one on one. After all, the others had had a stake in it too and would be affected by whatever agreement they reached, it definitely wasn’t because he was concerned she would try to hog tie him when he brought up Flim and Flam. Plus he had been invited over for dinner and there was no way he was going to pass up a chance for some home cooking. Drake landed with a thud in front of the farmhouse, quickly bringing the Apples, who had just sat down to eat, out. “Now, what in tarnation are you doing here? We were just about to sit down for dinner and now you come barging into our property. Well, explain yourself.” Applejack said in no better a mood than she had been early in the day. Before Drake could reply an angry voice cut through the twilight, “DRAKE GET BACK HERE!” Everyone looked back towards Ponyville, then everypony looked at Drake. “Well focusing on your question and not on the tricks of the wind, I came to talk to you about a business deal involving a pair of positively productive ponies that may or may not have produced cider just as good as yours until outside intervention led to a decrease of quality control,” Drake said looking down at to the whole Apple family rather than just Applejack. “That said I am quite famished and if you are sitting down to dinner I would be happy to join you as Big Macintosh offered earlier today.” All eyes now turned to the stallion who shied away from the accusation in Applejack’s eye. “You invited him to dinner? Why, because he helped us out this morning? Because it was the right hospitable thing to do?” “Eeyup.” “What’s your problem against him anyway Sis? I’m sure dragon are… you know, but he doesn’t seem that bad,” Applebloom asked eying Drake cautiously. She remembered hearing about him at the wedding, but she hadn’t seen him, despite her and the other crusader’s best effort. She didn’t like to remember those attempts, the night guard had been less than pleased with the inadvertent destruction of priceless artifacts, but come on who put priceless vases on display on wobbly pedestals. Oh wait Applejack was speaking. “He is rude, a liar, and apparently associated with those darn Flim Flam Brothers. That is my problem,” Applejack said. “Now see here, I have just met him and so far, despite his association with those two misguided con artists, it seems he has been of help to this family, and for that he deserves the benefit of the doubt,” Granny Smith said admonishing Applejack’s behavior before focusing on Drake. “That said don’t think I won’t have her throw your tail out of here and to whoever wants your hide if you do prove to be a worthless varmint.” “Excellent,” Drake said after a moment. “Thank you for your hospitality.” It took a few minutes but the Apples and Drake gathered around a table set up behind the farmhouse. A wide array of food was laid out, slightly disappointing Drake until he realized that eating apples for every meal would result in some serious dietary issues, especially for ponies as active as the Apples. Instead the table was filled with starches like paste, rolls, and corn, with vegetables like broccoli and spinach, and even proteins like kidney beans and black eyed peas. Drake had before him a plate with a bit of all, though small for him it offered a wonderful sampling of local fare, as he told them. “Now then,” Applejack said once everything was served and everyone had begun eating, “Just what do you want to talk about regarding the Flim Flam brothers.” “Straight to business then. No, that’s good, no point beating around the bush with platitude and political correctness. It serves both our purposes to be direct as possible does it not, Big Macintosh?” Drake said, part of his neck resting on a bench so his head was level with the gathered ponies as his body, with his tail drawn close in, wrapped around one side. “Simply put, I want you to release them from their deal, or rather I want you to alter the deal you have with them,” Drake said, trying his best to taste each item on the plate rather than just pouring it into his maw. “An’ why would we do that. They are sleazy and untrustworthy, heck they were supposed to have returned after selling the cider but they haven’t been back since they left. For that matter, how do you even know about our deal with them?” “Before we get to that I would like to make sure what they told me was true. I trust them, but I am no fool. I want to hear from ya’ll what the deal was. As for how I know about it, those two are currently in my employ as agents taking care of tasks I cannot handle myself.” Drake said shifting about a bit to get more comfortable. “An’ just what did they tell you hmm?” Granny Smith asked looking down at Drake in the way only elders can. Drake explained the deal as Flim and Flam had described it getting some funny looks and snickering from Applebloom by the time he finished. “I take it the deal was a bit different then?” “Eeyup.” “They didn’t get to throw the bad stuff out. They had to sell it all along with the other cider they had produced. Also not only could they not sell in Ponyville, but several other towns nearby, anywhere close enough to already know about our cider,” Applejack said chuckling herself. “So they are working for you now, good for them, but they still owe us what they owe us.” “What about a different payment? I have a business proposition for you, but I need you to end your current arrangement with the Flim Flam brothers before I’ll put it forth,” Drake said finishing the food on his plate once he noticed everyone else was done. “That was quite delicious.” “No! Tell us the offer, then we will discuss it, and you can return tomorrow to know our answer,” Granny Smith said putting her hoof down. “We won’t make any business decisions without first knowing what we will be getting into.” The table was silent for a long moment as each side waited for the other to blink first. This could have gone on far longer, but Drake remembered just who he was dealing with. “Very well. I a rebuilding a city in Wildlands. I have need of supply lines for food, building materials and other whatnots. If ya’ll agree to release Flim and Flam from their deal then I will offer you the opportunity to be my point of contact in Equestria. I will tell you what I want, you tell me what it costs and how long it will take to reach me. I then pay you a commission we can negotiate if ya’ll agree to this offer,” Drake said praying they wouldn’t ask the one question he didn’t have an answer for. “An’ just how will you be paying us? I image a ruined city in the Wildlands doesn’t have much in the way of bits,” Applejack asked. Drake sighed, there it was. “At this time I don’t know. True I don’t have any money, accept for a bit I made off interviews, but that should be changing once a current operation I have the Flim Flam brothers on comes to an end,” Drake said standing up from the table. “That is my offer. If you refuse then the brothers will of course pay you back and I will find someone else to serve as my contact and they will reap the rewards I have to offer.” With a final goodbye from each of the Apples Drake took off heading back to Fluttershy’s cottage for the night. As Drake settled down to sleep he took the egg off his back and looked at it. For some reason it seemed brighter than it had in the past and a dark outline on the inside showed where the new changeling queen was developing. Tucking it somewhere safe Drake fell asleep a smile on his mouth. * * * * * * * * * * * *