Chapter 9
Trouble in Paradise
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Rarity squinted through her magnifying glasses at the stitches of the gown she was working on. The more she looked the more concerned she became. She took off her glasses to wipe the lenses clean with a tissue. She turned to the sewing machine to see her partner, Coco Pommel sewing with a dazed look on her face.
"Coco dear," Rarity started, the young seamstress didn't seem to hear. "Coco!" Rarity snapped causing the seamstress to jump with a yelp messing up her stitch.
"Oh shoot!" Coco whispered looking around to make sure none of Suri's agents were nearby to notice the mistake. She turned to notice Rarity looking around as well. If Suri's henchmen discovered Coco's mistake, she might lose her pay for the month.
Cocoa removed the garment and found her seam cutter and began the process of cutting the stitch she ruined.
"Darling, you have been off all morning." Rarity said quietly helping Coco with the seam. "Is there something going on?" Rarity asked noticing Coco’s frown.
"It's nothing." She whispered.
"Now, now, darling. If you are feeling off it effects the clothing, then we get in trouble. You better talk to me." Rarity said in a scolding tone. Coco sighed rubbing her face with her hands looking around thinking.
"It's personal." Coco whispered angrily.
"Was it after Applejack and I dropped you off? You seemed perfectly fine then."
Coco remained silent thinking back to the night before.
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
"Thank you for the ride." Coco called shutting the back door of the car, waving. Applejack nodded as Rarity waved.
"See you tomorrow, darling." Rarity called as Applejack drove off down the street.
Coco sighed turning towards the steps to the apartment, she walked up the stone steps then reached the door unlocking it open. She walked in and stopped with a frown noticing that the lights were off and everything was left as it were from the morning before. She sighed setting her satchel on the couch walking to the kitchen and turned on the light. What she saw shocked her, there was a folded note on the counter with her name in Spelling's handwriting on it.
Coco gulped and opened the note to read it. After a moment, she sighed closing her eyes crumbling the note in her hand feeling anger.
The note said that Spelling was going to be gone for two more days. She said it was business but seeing and hearing that term hundreds of times this year was starting to feel disheartening and sad.
Coco never shown it but she was terribly angry at Spell Check for doing this all the time. And it might be part of her job as a reporter but sometimes ideas of what Spell Check might be doing on her long days crawl into her thoughts. But for some reason she also felt terrible for thinking of such thoughts. Spell Check was faithful and caring, she hates it when Coco gets upset and always shown it by trying to be funny or even take her out to a late night ice cream parlor and things go fine.
"What am I thinking?" Coco whispered to herself looking at the handwritten note again but still couldn't get the feeling of hurt out of her heart. "Doesn't she know that I'm worried sick about her?" She whispered feeling tears sting her eyes.
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Coco sighed opening her eyes turning to Rarity.
"Does Applejack keep her word?" Coco asked suddenly causing Rarity to turn to her.
"What do you mean?" She asked softly seeing Coco trying to fight tears.
"I never told you this but ... I have been seeing someone."
Rarity gasped audibly before slapping her hands over her mouth. She looked around her to make sure no one heard her. Once she was sure no one heard her she stood up grabbing Coco's arm.
"Come along, we haven't had our break yet!" She said smiling and dragging Coco with her out of their work station to the center aisle. Several workers looked up from their working stations to wonder what Rarity and Coco were doing. One of Suri's guards walked over to them. Rarity reached into her pocket to produce a slip of paper.
"Coco and I are going in for a quick coffee break. As you can see we both haven't taken a break all day." She said primly handing the slip to him. The guard read through the slip then back at the two women. He nodded signing his name on the slip and handed it back to Rarity.
"You have five minutes." He said with a smirk.
Rarity gasped. "Five minutes?!" Coco blinked staring at him. "It should be ten!"
"Change of rules." He said crossing his arms across his chest. "Get going, you break starts now."
Rarity huffed stuffing her slip of paper into her pocket as she marched ahead in a quick pace with Coco jogging to catch up with her.
"I can't believe this!" Rarity huffed. "It takes us three of those minutes to reach the break room in this stuffy warehouse!"
"Please Rarity," Coco whispered seeing another guard glare at them as they walked. "Not so loud."
Rarity sniffed. "Yes, you are right." After a moment she sighed smiling. "So you better give me the details darling! Tell me who are you seeing, how long have you been around him?"
"Her." Coco corrected with a blush. Rarity gasped stopping in her tracks.
"Oh my Celestia!" Rarity cooed jumping up and down. "Oh darling why didn't you tell me before!" She asked taking Coco’s arms and spun her around. "This is amazing!"
Coco blushed, frowned, and then turned away. Rarity frowned noticing her friend’s mood change.
"What happened dear?"
Coco shook her head. "It's complicated." She said softly. Rarity took her by her arm and ushered her toward the break room door and closed it behind her. The break room was just a tiny room with a counter. The counter has a tiny sink, a coffee maker and a tiny out of order microwave. In the center of the room was a plastic table with four plastic chairs. Rarity walked to the back door leading to the entrance hall to see no one in the hall then shut the door.
"Talk to me dear. We’re in private." She said softly sitting on one of the plastic chairs. Coco sat down across from her feeling Rarity take her hands.
Coco sighed turning away. "Remember my roommate, that is helping me pay the rent?"
"Uh yes, I think I remember you talking about her sometimes."
Coco blushed. "We started dating after New Year’s." Rarity's eyes glistened with awe, Coco smiled at that. "She was very sweet and always there for me when I needed the pick me up after work." Coco sighed pulling her hands away to cover her face. "But over the summer she was always busy working long hours and a lot of her business has to be outside in the city."
Rarity watched her for a second staying silent as Coco tried hard not to cry.
"When she comes back so late at night or right before I wake up for work, she always looked exhausted or just angry." She stopped to notice Rarity's look of concern, she was ready to make a retort but Coco beat her to it. "No she never raised her voice with me or done anything to me ... it's just ... she says too much and yet she doesn't."
Rarity was confused by that. "Like how?"
"I mean she promises so much for me to be happy but she never tells me more besides that she's a reporter from Manehattan. She never tells me about her plans or her job, she never tells me anything! She let slip once in a heated argument we had a long time ago that what she's doing would end up killing her if the GSF discover her and catch her."
Rarity blinked looking worried.
"Darling, what is she into?" Rarity asked nervously.
"I don't know." Coco answered truthfully. "I see her working all the time but she's always gone when I want to see her. I love her, I do. It's just so frustrating!" She whispered angrily. "I wanted things to be like they used to be. Where we would be together at home, watching movies, cooking together. Or even ..." Coco blushed softly shaking her head. "Lately since this Princess Summit started she's been out and about for days saying she's busy working and have no time to hang out like before."
Rarity nodded. "So that’s why you asked ..."
Coco sniffed. "Yes, does Applejack keep to her word with you? Cause so far, Spelling hasn't kept to her word in a long while. She hasn’t been home since yesterday morning."
Rarity thought for a long moment then shrugged. "Applejack and I hardly do anything anymore." She said truthfully to Coco’s surprise. Rarity sighed looking at her wedding ring. "Back then we used to go out every chance we can but lately she's been very distant with me. She doesn't talk to me much anymore. She's always so ... depressed."
Coco nodded. "But she always stayed with you?"
"Well of course!" Rarity scoffed. "She's always home before I get there. I always found her laying on the couch watching the gloom and doom of the news. But ever since the summer after she proposed to me ... I always found her sleeping on the couch smelling like some awful smoke as if she started smoking again."
"Again?" Coco asked curiously.
Rarity nodded. "Yes I made Applejack quit smoking when she moved in with me a few years ago. She smoked when she was a teenager." Rarity said with a sniff. "She was just starting to be happy before our proposal. I always wonder if it was something I did that made her turn back to smoking."
Coco shook her head taking her friend’s hands. "I'm sure it wasn’t you Rarity. She loves you, that I can see." Rarity blinked with a light blush on her face.
"You really think that?"
Coco nodded. "I could tell the way she surprised you last night after work. The way she smiled seeing you and all that stuff. Perhaps it was something at work that’s causing her stress."
Rarity scoffed. "She never talks about work much with me. Actually, she hardly tells me anything about herself before we met." Rarity sighed softly. "I remember that first time I saw her in the alley, skinny but fit.”
Coco nodded feeling a smile on her face. "I remember when I first met Spell Check. She only had a large backpack on her back and holding one of the flyers I sent out asking if that extra room is still available." She blushed. "She was very sweet and very polite. You don't see many people being that polite in this world anymore."
Rarity nodded. "Maybe I should meet her then?"
Coco frowned. "I don’t think that is wise. She told me not to talk much about her considering her business."
"What type of reporting does she do?" Rarity asked curious.
"I think it has something to do with the government here in Cloudsdale. I'm not exactly sure."
Rarity sighed looking at the clock on the wall with a hard sigh. "We must go before we're dragged out. Our break is over." Rarity walked to the door and stopped to turn back to Coco. "I'm sure she cares for you dear. If she didn't tell you everything about her job saying it was dangerous then that must mean she's keeping it to herself for a reason."
Coco turned to her to see her sad smile.
"You think?" Coco asked worriedly.
Rarity nodded. "I bet so. Now come along, are you better to stay focused? We still have fifty more dresses to sew together."
Coco nodded with a small smile. "I do feel a little better."
"Great, let’s go get to sewing!" Rarity cheered making Coco giggle as the duo walked back to their stations and began working again.
Coco though was still troubled. She already knew that what Spelling's doing was dangerous but is that the reason why she hardly ever talks about it? To protect her? From who? And why? The next time she saw Spelling she was going to have a good talking to.
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Spelling sighed staring at her blank notepad. Hours of traveling the city looking for her contacts and every one of them were either high on drugs to answer, too drunk to care, or nowhere to be found. Nothing. She got nothing. She groaned taking off her glasses to rub her sore eyes from being up for the last twenty hours. She sighed cleaning the lenses of her glasses before placing them back over her eyes to look around her.
She's sitting at a speakeasy deep in Low Town waiting for one of her contacts to come over. She blinked hearing a sound. She turned to look behind her to see one of the hookers walking towards a drugged man and lead him to the back. Spelling shook her head turning away grabbing her drink glass and took a quick swig of her drink.
She froze up feeling herself shiver when a familiar woman sat next to her trailing her finger up Spelling’s neck.
"Hello sugar," Spelling gulped down her drink before she ever reacted by spitting it back out. She turned to glare at the woman next to her.
"Cherry, been a while." Spelling grouched turning away from the speakeasy owner. Cherry Jubilee is like everyone else in this city. Came for a visit then ended up trapped here after the attack. Cherry, with her resources, she was able to open a bar in Cloudsdale but thanks to the GSF’s stick laws Cherry was forced to move to the Lower City to open her “business”. She claims often that she never would have thought she would stoop so low in her business. She is known to be one of the top bosses in Low Town, after the Dumb Brothers of course.
Cherry Jubilee is also one of Spell Check's questionable contacts.
Cherry chuckled waving her bartender to pour a drink. "It sure has sugar," She said smiling. "Here, have a drink." She said reaching for the new glass and switched the old glass with the new. Spelling blinked then glared at the owner.
"The last time I accepted a drink from you, I was in bed with you. I didn’t find it a very enjoyable surprise if you know my drift." Spelling growled pushing the glass away. She’s not very proud with how she got into the city and got to meet her contacts. She had to do questionable things just to get her way. It was like starting as a gossip reporter all over again. She shuddered at the thought. She never liked that time in her start and she felt that feeling after gaining a spot in the city’s underworld.
"Oh poo," Cherry purred chuckling. "I thought you enjoyed yourself."
Spelling blushed deep red from that. She might not have a clear cut memory to what happened that night when she was drugged. She didn’t have to imagine it to know what took place. She shook her head. "Look, I'm only here for one thing,"
Cherry chuckled. "Want another fun time with me?"
Spelling growled. "No!"
Cherry made a pout. "You're no fun."
Spelling growled rubbing her eyes. "Look, I have no patience in being polite right now, Cherry. I just have some questions to ask you."
Cherry sniffed. "Fine sugar. What do you wish to know?"
Spelling sighed in relief looking at her notepad. "Good, now um tell me about those Titan Walls."
Cherry snorted. "The eyesore? Please sugar I always see that thing every morning. I used to have a clear view between the buildings to see the Cloudsdale Plaza and now thanks to that damn wall I can't see it." She complained with a sniff as she reached into her low cut shirt to pull out a pack of cigarettes.
"Well," Spelling started watching the older woman light up a cigarette. "Know any information about them? Surely your girls and boys have slept with some Griff supporters." Spelling coaxed watching one of Cherry's girls pull a middle aged man to the back.
Cherry turned to notice the same thing then turned back to Spelling with a wolf like grin. "Hmm, maybe I heard a birdy or two sing to me." She purred leaning closer. Spelling blushed harshly seeing Cherry’s fingers grab the collar of her shirt. "It will cost you."
Spelling glared at her shoving her finger away. "Didn't I just say I have no patience with this bull?" She growled.
Cherry blinked in surprise. "Ouch, so you do have a bite. And here I thought you only bark."
Spelling growled tossing a few bits on the counter and leaped off her stool. If she’s not going to get anything why stay? She still had other contacts to visit anyway. Cherry sighed then ran after her.
“Wait, wait, don't be like that, sugar." Cherry called as Spelling stopped by the door. "Come now, you know I kid."
"Really?" Spelling snarled, "I haven't noticed."
Cherry blinked seeing the true anger in Spelling’s eyes. Suddenly a thought occurred to her and began to smile. "I see, you have someone waiting for you hmm?"
Spelling blinked a few times her glare lessening. She turned away. Cherry chuckled.
"So that's why you are so hostile towards me." Cherry said seeing Spelling blush again. "You are with someone." Spelling didn't answer as Cherry started to laugh. "You are! Wow, since when were you into someone."
Spelling growled walking away. She felt hands push her back into the bar and blinked seeing a large man with ginger hair look at her. She gulped seeing his vibrant green eyes glaring at her telling her to not cause any trouble. Odd those eyes seem very familiar to the reporter. But that thought had to wait, she’s in trouble right now and Cherry was beaming her wolf grin. Not good at all.
"Cherry, let me go." Spelling growled.
"Oh come now Spell Check." Spelling shivered feeling Cherry against her back. Her hand reached up from under Spelling’s shirt. Spell Check went still as a board feeling her clammy hand on her skin. Spelling gulped hard trying to stay calm and think of a plan of escape.
"For old times sake? Go on ahead and tell me who has taken your leash." Spelling looked to Cherry's door guard then to the floor noticing Cherry’s sandaled foot between her feet as the older woman was now pressed against her back, one of her fingers poked past her sports bra and her second hand was retreating to her pants. Spelling began to panic.
"Cherry Jubilee, months ago that was okay for a time and I do thank you for your ... visits. But I'm afraid I'm with someone else. And I want to keep her thanks." She growled.
"Oh a she? Is she pretty?"
Spelling gulped feeling Cherry's hand grabbing her belt buckle. Time to go! Spelling gulped.
"Sorry in advance." Spelling whispered looking down to see Cherry's sandaled foot between her feet and stomped hard on her toes. Cherry yelps pulling her hands out of Spelling’s personal bubble. Spelling took the chance to grab Cherry, shoved her into the giant body guard, pushed past him, and ran out the door. Cherry growled standing up shoving her guard aside.
"Get that bitch, Mac!" She ordered angrily.
"Eeyup!" The big man said running out the door after the reporter.
The red headed guard ran down the alley then out into the deserted streets of Main Street. He looked around scratching his head. The reporter was gone.
"Damnit." He whispered walking back dreading what Cherry would do.
Spelling peaked out from behind a dumpster to see the tall man disappear back into Cherry's speakeasy. She crawled out from her hiding spot and stood up wiping off the dirt and grim off her pants and fixed her jacket.
"Damn it Spelling." She scolded herself. "I knew seeing Cherry was a bad idea." She sighed and reached into her pocket for her cell phone and turned it on. She fixed her jacket and shuddered as she quickly walked away, as fast as her feet can go while watching around her. She immediately felt her pocket vibrate from her phone and pulled it out to see several missed calls and texts all from one person. She stopped and sighed sadly tapping her thumb on the phone screen.
"Damnit," She whispered feeling guilt.
"Hey Reporter!" Spelling froze and turn looking around her until she saw a young woman walking over. Spelling blinked once and recognized Cloud Kicker one of her other contacts. "You look pale," Cloud said chuckling leaning against the wall. "You cool?"
Spelling sighed stuffing her phone back into her pocket. "Scare the shit out of me why don't you?" She growled in return. Cloud blinked with surprise.
"Wow, you're cranky." Cloud said with a chuckle. Cloud turned, recognizing the street. "We're near Cherry's place."
Spelling growled walking off. She didn’t want to be reminded. Cloud followed her.
"There is only one reason why you’re here."
"What about it?" Spelling asked.
"Come on Check," Cloud said walking over wrapping her arm around Spelling’s neck pulling her into a side hug. "You only come to Cherry for info and by the look of you I'm guessing she gave you something else."
Spelling shoved her away. "You better shut that mouth of yours, Kicker!"
Cloud held up her hands. "Wow, my guess was wrong then?"
Spelling walked away. Cloud sighed. "I can give you the info that Cherry didn't." Spelling stopped, she bit ear lip thinking hard about this. She rarely went to Cloud Kicker for information but she does give juicy tidbits. She sighed scratching her head then turned to Cloud seeing her smile.
"What do you wish to know?" Cloud asked. Spelling sighed waving her finger for the runner to follow her as they began to talk, while Spelling’s cell phone buzzes with more urgent pleas for a call back from the sender.
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Vinyl Scratch was leaning against a street lamp waiting across the street from Octavia’s apartment building. She sighed out loud tapping the toe of her shoe on the pavement. She blinked and pushed off the light post seeing Octavia walking down the sidewalk in a lavender colored jacket. She looked tired and upset.
Vinyl swallowed wondering if this was a bad time to visit her. It was just Wednesday, two more days until their date. But lately Vinyl just wanted to see her again. It felt like ages since she last saw her. She quickly crossed the street running over to catch up with her.
"Hey Tavi!" She called before feeling herself tip forward and fell to the pavement with a groan.
Octavia stopped hearing the nickname and turned. She gasped seeing Vinyl’s fall and ran over to her. Vinyl groaned sitting up rubbing her face.
"Vinyl, are you alright?" Octavia asked worriedly helping her up her feet.
"Damn shoes." Vinyl snarled seeing that one of her shoe laces were untied, the cause of her fall. She couldn’t believe she tripped over her own shoe laces like a kid! So embarrassing! She blushed harshly seeing Octavia’s worried frown.
"Yeah, I'm fine." Vinyl said shamefully rubbing her arm.
"Are you sure, that was a nasty fall." Octavia said worriedly checking Vinyl’s face looking at the light scraps on her nose and chin.
"Please, I've gotten up from worse falls than that." Vinyl said chuckling seeing Octavia’s soft smile. "So um how have you been?" Vinyl asked blushing. Octavia smiled in return.
"Couldn't you have text me?" Octavia asked walking to the apartment, Vinyl ran up behind her.
"Well I could ..." Vinyl said smiling remembering that her phone got busted earlier that day when her producer dropped it on the floor. "But it died on me." Vinyl lied smirking.
"Oh well you can borrow my phone charger?"
Vinyl blushed at that. "Um thanks for the offer but my phone's back at my place."
"Oh alright then." Octavia said watching Vinyl acting stranger than usual. "Is everything going alright?" She asked curiously.
Vinyl stopped in her step to turn to her. "Yeah everything’s fine." Octavia quirked her brow. "Seriously!" Vinyl said grinning.
"Alright," Octavia said a touch tiredly as she entered the building with Vinyl behind her. Vinyl heard her tone and got worried.
"Are things alright at work?" She asked carefully. Octavia sighed rubbing her face with her hands.
"It's just normal stress that’s all."
Vinyl walked up next to her beating her to the elevator, pressing the button before she could smiling. "Want me to hang out with you for a while?"
Octavia gave her a look then made a smirk. "Oh so you want to hang out with me this evening? I thought we were going out on Friday night?"
Vinyl blushed glaring at her as the doors opened allowing them to enter.
"Alright, I'm bored, and also my producer wouldn't let me do anything in my booth today for some reason." Vinyl said leaning against the corner as Octavia pressed the button for her designated floor.
"Why is that?" Octavia asked concerned.
Vinyl shrugged. "I could care less. It could be the Griffs for all I know. I'm always back on a day after anyways." She said with a smile. She noticed Octavia’s worry as she looked up at the prompter seeing the news feed. Vinyl noticed her look to see the old Runner's warning message. She glared at the message then looked up watching the floor counter.
"Bull shit." Vinyl whispered a little too loudly.
"Excuse me?" Octavia asked surprised. Vinyl turned to her then looked down.
"Just a bunch of bull shit the Griffs put up is all I'm saying." Vinyl said indicating the prompter. Octavia looked up seeing the camera.
"Vinyl, please." She whispered. "Not here of all places."
"Why not? They can't do anything to me." Vinyl snarled turning away. "They try but they know they can't touch me."
Octavia looked to her worriedly. She turned back to the prompter ignoring the green text.
When the elevator reached the correct floor Octavia walked out first with Vinyl behind her. Suddenly the doors began to close.
"Hey!" Vinyl yelped grabbing the doors to keep them from closing. Usually they would open automatically but this time they were trying to close. "Octavia!" Vinyl cried out struggling. Octavia turned and gasped seeing the trouble and ran over to help.
"Push one side." Octavia ordered taking the felt door while Vinyl took the right and the two pushed, opening the doors wider. Vinyl heard a loud clank and felt a lurch of the elevator. She gasped and immediately jumped out of the elevator knocking Octavia over to the floor. The doors slammed shut and they heard a thunderous boom of the elevator going down.
The two women panted hard from their adrenaline rush and near death experience. Vinyl and Octavia looked to one another in shock.
"Okay ... weird." Vinyl whispered still shell shocked.
"Yes," Octavia panted as the two stood up. "Are you alright?" She asked.
"Yeah," Vinyl said rubbing her neck still shaking. "Perhaps I should’ve kept my mouth shut."
Octavia glared at her. "Next time-"
"Take the stairs." Vinyl interrupted walking off still freaking out but trying to keep a brave face in front of Octavia. Octavia though glared at her back before slapping her hand to her forehead. But the worry still bubbled up.
Octavia gulped turning to the elevator then looked around for cameras. If there was one she hoped her face isn't on a Griff hit list for being associated with Vinyl. She turned to see Vinyl shaking her hands rubbing them hard, noticing her anxiety. Octavia turned away thinking.
"Vinyl," She called mentally telling herself to shut up.
"Yeah?" Vinyl asked smiling pretending nothing was wrong.
"How would you like to stay the night?" She offered seeing Vinyl’s surprise.
"Really?" She asked shocked.
Octavia shrugged. "That was a bit traumatic and well ... having a friend in the same place with me might sooth my fears." She said in a lie knowing Vinyl was the one needing company not her. Vinyl cleared her throat and smiled.
"If you don't mind." She said politely. "Because I can just go back to my place,"
"No, I insist." Octavia interrupted walking over to her. "Besides I am planning on making some lasagna, want to help me?" She asked unlocking her apartment door. Vinyl grinned and nodded.
"Sounds good."
Octavia smiled seeing Vinyl smile at her. "Come on in then."