"And I'll have an apple cider," Big Mac was saying, "Shaken. Not stirred."
"I'll be back in a moment with your orders," the bar tender mare simpered, then swept off from the counter.
"Okay," Tealove said once the mare was out of ear shot, "what's up with the 'shaken not stirred'?"
"It's what the spies say," Big Mac grinned, "Plus it tastes better that way."
Bon-Bon giggled (that's new) as the mare returned, using her horn to levitate four drinks.
"Here is your strawberry chocolate drizzle frappe, miss," the bar tender proclaimed, setting down Bon-Bon's drink, "The monsieur's cider. Shaken, not stirred."
"Eeyup," Big Mac accepted in thanks.
"And your green tea!" the mare concluded.
"Thank you!" Tealove piped, breathing in the soothing fumes of herbs from her drink, but the bar mare didn't leave and set down a fourth drink next to Tealove's.
"The colt across the way bought this for you," she briefly explained then trotted off to take another couple's order.
Tealove glanced to the other side of the bar counter to see a stallion of a light brown hue sitting alone, black mane like a fan down the back of his head, wearing a tux with a wilting rose in the pocket. He was stirring around a glass of water and suddenly looked up, dark eyes locking with Tealove's, and she instantly felt her cheeks turn pink (that's only a little awkward..but I can't like him! That's what Big Mac is for!).
"Don't drink it," Bon-Bon said flatly.
"Why?" Tealove asked as she tore her eyes away from the stallion's, "that would be rude."
"Hello," she hissed, "we're in enemy territory. You can't trust anypony. What if it's poisoned?"
"Yep," Big Mac nodded curtly, "Don't trust him."
"I think I'd be able to tell if it's poison," Tealove mumbled, "And could you tell if it was?"
"Of course I can!" Bon-Bon exclaimed before she could think.
Tealove smirked, "Then tell me," she slid the drink across the counter, "Tell me if it's poison."
Bon-Bon glared at her, but quickly shook the expression away and sighed, "Alright."
From under Bon-Bon's belt was produced a small paper packet that seemed to be a sugar pack, but when she opened it, the powder inside was almost totally transparent. So with one delicate tap, the packet's contents were sprinkled into Tealove's tall, thin glass and instantly dissolved into the liquid.
"If it bubbles," Bon-Bon stated, "it's poison, toxic, drugged, disease or is concealing a bomb or weapon of some kind."
"Really?" Tealove asked, exasperated, "Why would it be concealing a bomb?"
"Hey, you're a newbie to the Clandestine," Bon-Bon reminded, "You have no idea how many Coverts have died because they were too lazy to check their drinks for bombs."
Tealove gave a nervous gulp.
The ponies watched the drink for a whole minute, but nothing happened. Not one bubble.
"Okay," Tealove sighed after the second minute licked by, "I'm just going to drink it now."
"Fine," Bon-Bon grumbled, sitting back and sucking on the straw to her frappe.
Tealove wished Bon-Bon would just relax, but forced herself to remember the amazing time they had getting ready together and how she'd been so determined to make Tealove's mane perfect, and at the thought, she smiled (at least Bon-Bon cares about me dying as much as she does about my mane). And when Bon-Bon caught Tealove smiling, her expression softened too and she managed to give a small grin. (Hey, we just stared at a drink for two minutes of nothingness. When you think about it, that's pretty hilarious.)
"Excuse me," Tealove called to the bar tender, "Can you tell me what this drink is? Because if it's...it's just that I don't drink."
"No worries, dearie," the mare said, "That's today's trifle special; raspberry freeze cream atop a puree of mint and vanilla fluff, drizzled with a dark chocolate melt and sprinkled with wafer strips . Enjoy!"
(My mouth is watering just hearing that. Only me?)
"Lucky," Bon-Bon muttered as Tealove scooped into her extravagant milkshake-like trifle.
Tealove smirked, "Don't you wish you had a secret somepony? I should probably go talk to him."
"Nope!" Big Mac exclaimed so suddenly it made the two mares jump.
"It's fine, Mac," Bon-Bon assured him, "Just be careful, Tealove. And remember, we're here to get information on Luna's imprisonment, so try asking him if he's heard of anything while you're over there."
"I will...and it's actually convenient for you two that I'm leaving because everypony around here is in pairs and if both of us were hanging onto Big Mac..,"
The mares giggled, but Big Mac remained amused.
"Don't worry," Tealove breathed into the stallion's ear, "I'm just hunting for information."
"Also," Bon-Bon added before they parted, "Your name is Tealove, not Sweet Pea. From now on, your code name is Tealove."
(Well, that will be hard to remember.)
"I got it," Tealove assured her, then, with one deep breath in, she began her graceful trot across the bar to the isolated stallion.
"Hello," she greeted as she swept into the stool next to the surprised stallion, "The drink was delicious. Thank you."
"Anything," he replied with a smug grin (was that even a real sentence?), "You look great tonight."
(I wasn't sure if I was supposed to say 'thank you' again, so I just moved on.)
"So..what's your name?" (Always a good place to start.)
"Call me Flare," the stallion declared, "You?"
"Tealove, and it's a pleasure."
"Sorry," Flare said, pushing his glass aside an giving Tealove his full attention, "I don't recognize you. Where're you from?"
(Oh no. Brain's blank. Sweet Celestia, save me now!)
"Uh..Manehatten," Tealove ended up blurting, "I'm visiting..just for this even t though."
"Ah," the stallion smiled, "the city of lights. No wondeer you seem to glow."
Tealove blushed then quickly changed the subject, "So you live here in Las Pegasus? How is it?"
"Pretty good," Flare shrugged, "but I wish I lived in Manehatten headquarters. What's it like there?"
"It's..," (think, girl, before I slap you), "not a nice as this one actually. Do you have these parties often?"
"Monthly. Unless there's an emergency meeting..then we have to bribe our members here with food."
Tealove giggled, "That's how you'd get me here!"
"Drinks for two, please," Flare called to the passing bar tender, "It's on me."
"So," Tealove began, getting down to business as the bar mare served them two slender glasses of cider, hers with an apple slice stuck onto the cup's rim, "I heard something about a prisoner being kept here..or having been captured recently. Have you heard anything like that?"
"A hostage?" Flare actually looked surprised, "I think I would've heard about that one," the stallion took a sip from his glass,"..Tealove," Flare looked back into her eyes and Tealove was instantly locked with his deep, dark ones, "I see that you don't have a significant other for the evening."
(Oh. Awkward. Unless it's just me.)
"Well, I was here with my friends, but..."
"And I was wondering if you wanted to be my right hoof mare tonight."
Tealove sucked in a breath. (Well..I guess...but Big Mac and Bon-Bon..)
"Attention, everypony," a deep voice rumbled though the room, bringing everyone to silence. From her seat at the bar, Tealove spotted a room to her left that opened up into an auditorium where on the stage was the black stallion in a white tuxedo who had welcomed her, Bon-Bon and Big Mac in.
"We will be beginning this evening in the Stage Corner, so everypony come and find a seat," the stallion announced, his vice somehow amplifying through all of the headquarters.
Flare stepped off his stool then turned toward Tealove and offered his arm, "You coming?"
His black eyes almost looked sad, like he was about to cry, like he was pleading her to link with his arm, and Tealove couldn't find the guts to refuse so she surrendered to giving him a grateful smile and took his arm. Flare's coat was warm against hers and Tealove was surprised to find it a comfort to have the stallion by her side.
"Thank you and welcome to the Broke Equestrian Democratic Society dinner gala," the black stallion on the stage calmly announced when everypony had gathered in the auditorium, looking almost like a shadow against the curtains, "We are here together to enjoy the equality of our Society outside of the rule of Equestria's tyrant Princesses and dive into the joys of everypony having a say in our government. We would first like to thank our cooks who graciously made this meal possible, starting with Meadow Vine, Summer Skies..."
(First of all, what is this democracy he speaks of? Second, this meeting doesn't sound like an evil rebel society plotting murder...)
"Who's that guy?" Tealove whispered to Flare as the black stallion on the stage began reciting what he announced was the Broke Declaration.
"He's our area leader, Thunderclap," Flare replied, "You're lucky to have our Head-pledge to Ringo-leading your home headquarters."
(Ringo?)
"And before we adjourn to our dinner, we shall pledge ourselves in thanks to our Head, Ringo," the stallion named Thunderclap was saying when Tealove tuned back in, "Everypony, please stand for the Pledge of the Brokes."
Thankfully Tealove was still linking arms with Flare because otherwise while all the Brokes began to stand, Tealove would have been clueless and be left to scramble to join the others.
"Ready," Thunderclap solemnly declared, "Salute."
Then the whole audience began reciting words Tealove desperately tried to mouth along to, but sometimes she was too focused on listening to make her mouth move.
"I pledge my loyalty," the ponies chorused, their hooves that had the Broke emblem branded on at their temples in salute (I saluted, hoping nopony was looking as I balled my hoof into a fist so they couldn't see that I wan't branded), "to our Head of the Broke Equestrian Democracy, and to our fight for freedom and voice, as one society, forever for equality, ever united with liberty and justice for everypony."
And then they sat. (Is it just me, or does this not at all sound like a plan to overthrow Equestria? Perhaps that's just what they want me to think!)
"And now every couple is dismissed for dinner," Thunderclap said emotionlessly, "Enjoy."
"We should sit next to him," Tealove whispered as Flare led her into the dining hall where a long table set with covered dishes lay.
Flare gave her a side glance, "Why? I sort of have a bad reputation with him..."
"Well, I'd be an honor to meet an area Head!" Tealove tried to sound excited, "It would just be for dinner."
The stallion gave her a weary look, but easily gave in and the two ended up in the two seats on the left side of the dining table's head where Thunderclap sat.
When the shining silver covers were taken off from the many dishes running down the table, the spacious, high ceiling room was filled with the warm perfumes of the ponies' feast. Tealove helped herself to a minuscule serving of everything and grinned when Flare offered up a toast for the two in honor of Tealove's visit to Las Pegasus, then she carefully waited for the perfect time to speak with Thunderclap. (And I would have gotten that out of the way sooner if Flare would have stopped talking to me! Okay, I can't complain too much because at that dinner, I found out about every detail there is to know about him. And he found out the same with me...And I can't help saying that it was fun. Who would have guessed that Flare had been born in Canterlot, trained to be part pf the Royal Guard, got kicked out for pulling a prank on the Captain and had been a blank flank all that time because he'd never been able to be himself. Then he came to Las Pegasus and finally got his mark, a flaming quill-turns out he's a writer.)
Finally, when Flare was busy getting a fourth serving of rolls, Tealove decided that that was her only chance and dove to take it.
"Mister Thunderclap," she began, "My name of Tealove and I'm visiting from the Manehatten headquarters! It's a pleasure."
The black stallion looked up stoically, examined Tealove from tail to muzzle (please don't notice my blank hoof!), then gave the smallest smile, "Wonderful to meet you as well. Be sure to give our Head-pledge to Ringo-a friendly hello when you return," then he returned to his food and that was that.
"Um..," Tealove's raced around a moment then she forced herself to continue, "So tell me how you rose to be an area leader, Mister Thunderclap!"
"You may just call me Thunderclap," the leader said then took a sip from his drink, "And as for how I came to this position...I worked for it. Served our Head-pledge to Ringo-all through my colthood, always loyal, never a time to rest, and when dear Ringo decided that my powers had come to their peak, she began training me."
Thunderclap's eyes, a very bright blue against his black coat, seemed to suck Tealove into his words, to transfix her so she could only hear his words as he continued.
"Ringo worked me for years. I fought for where I am, and eventually I rose above the others until our Head-pledge to Ringo-thought I worthy of this honor. Now, dear Tealove, listen carefully."
It was out of fear that Tealove didn't look away of move even one muscle.
Thunderclap spoke softly this time, clearly with words that pierced, but were soft, "The only way to get something in this world is to work for it, to fight for it, and if you're one who does not have the fire within them to fight, then kindle that fire now or nothing in this world or the next will ever be yours."
And then he turned back to his food and that was that.
Tealove just sat there, stunned, then she realized she'd been leaning forward and was on the verge of falling off her seat. She quickly repositioned herself then quietly, voice a bit raspy, stuttered, "Uh..Mister..I mean Thunderclap..I've heard rumors of a-a-a hostage here. A prisoner..is that true?"
Then Thunderclap froze. His neck snapped to pierce Tealove with a death stare, his eyes sucking her in, making it feel as if her very insides were being thrust from her, her mind was becoming a blur, the world was just a colored smear, she was seeing flashes of Queen Chrysalis, the cloaked stallion, Celestia being stabbed, explosions, her parents, her insides were twisting like they were being wrung out of all her memories-
"Tealove!"
The mare's eyes snapped open.
She was in a dimly lit room on a sofa. The lounge. Nopony else but her and a worried Flare was in the room. Tealove's mane, the do that Bon-Bon had worked so hard to perfect, was not mussed. (And yes, that's what I'm worrying about right now.)
"Oh, Tealove, what happened to you?" Flare asked, exasperated (kind of reminds me of a certain pink and blue maned mare I know..), "You totally passed out! Was it something you ate? I had to pretend you'd drunk too much cider to get those ponies off my back! Thankfully they're all busy at the dance now.."
"Ugh," Tealove moaned (it happened. Again.), "How long has it been?"
"Not too long, don't worry," the stallion brushed away her question, "If I were you, I'd worry about what just happened more. Did you just faint? Thunderclap was about to take you up stairs for some tending to, but I got to you first," he looked quite proud of himself, "He was really mad afterwards too. No clue why, but he was."
Tealove was suddenly feeling sick. She was wondering herself what had just happened. She had asked about Luna being held prisoner, then...she had to get out of there.
"I'm sorry," Tealove forced the words from her tight throat, "but I think I should be leaving."
"Wait!" Flare cried when Tealove heaved herself from the sofa and began trotting wobbly towards the music pumping from the dance floor, "You..can't leave yet! The night's only begun and..."
Tealove slowed to a stop to let her mind refocus the world and to let her twisting insides settle down, "I know..but you saw what happened. I shouldn't be out tonight."
"Wait," Flare hurried to Tealove's side and caught hold of her hoof, "Can we..at least dance before you go? Just one, then you can go home."
Tealove felt her face burning up and was glad they hadn't stepped out of the lounge's dimness yet, "Well..I don't want Thunderclap to..see me again..."
"Please?"
(His eyes were doing the begging thing again. Can't...resist...stop being dramatic, hay bag, before I slap you.)
"Oh," Tealove sighed, "I guess one wouldn't hurt."
Flare whole face instantly lit up, "Brilliant! I mean..thank you."
Tealove let herself smile as she was led into the lights and energy of the dance floor, but then, just as the two were stepping into the crowd, the upbeat music faded away and (what is to come on but-!) a slow song took its place. (No! I can't do this! I need Bon-Bon! And Big Mac! And my mini cupcake tins! Anything but this song, but the memories of dad...)
Flare smiled as Tealove struggled to conceal her expression of horror, "Come on," he grinned, "you've made it this far, so there's no turning back now!"
The ponies around them were rising to their hind legs and as the lights dimmed to just a glimmer, Tealove suddenly felt a hoof on her hip. The another took her free hoof.
"I..I don't know how-" Tealove began as her mind was be weighed down by memory of her first slow dance at the father-daughter social, but Flare lifted her to her hind legs before she could finish, and before she knew it, he was leading her through the very steps she'd taken with her dad.
Tealove watched her hooves prance to the beat, and when she suddenly could herself feeling confident, she dared herself to gaze up at Flare. He was smiling at her, dark eyes watching as she stumbled less and less, as the thought of misery were swept away. All Tealove could hear was the music, all she could think was peace and all he could feel was Flare's touch against hers.
Before she knew it, Tealove was twirling away with the music, her mane flying behind her like a ballerina's ribbon, her mind free from the world, from her past, and for once in long time, Tealove had nothing to worry about. It was just her and the music. Her and the dance floor. Her and Flare. (This is almost as amazing as the time I made two thousand mini bunt cakes in a day for my cousin's wedding and got my cutie mark for taking charge in a kitchen where just about everything had gone wrong..until I'd drifted away with the baking...and that's how it felt with the dancing.) The two ponies spiraled and pranced, skipped and stomped to upbeat tunes and Tealove quickly adapted to being lifted and spun in the air,to feeling the flutter of her heart as she joined the other mares being raised to the sky in a musical flurry of manes and dresses.
Even though dancing seemed like the thing that should have caused her second cutie mark (if that's possible) Tealove was surprised to suddenly find her hooves sore and Flare took her momentarily to the bar for a break so she could catch her breath. (Sweet Celestia, what one song can do to you!)
"We'll have two lemon raspberry ciders," Flare told the bar mare as Tealove panted, light headed from the exhilaration that hammered her heart double time.
"That..was amazing," she breathed out a laugh.
Flare chuckled, "I don't know what you were so worried about. You're as light on your hooves as a deer!"
Tealove stirred her drink the bar tender had just set in front of her and grinned, exhausted, at the swirling red lemon liquid in the glass, "Thanks...I think you're the one to give credit to though. I would be home asleep right now..if you hadn't dragged me out there."
"I'd say 'dragged' is a bit of an exaggeration," Flare reasoned, "but yah. I get you."
"And I sort of get you too," Tealove whispered while biting down on her straw.
Flare grinned, "Only sort of?"
Tealove laughed so she didn't have to answer that one.
****************************
The rest of the night (plus three hours into the morning) was spent dancing, trying and critiquing the served desserts (they were good, but I could have made better eclairs), chatting over varieties of cider (honestly, Flare probably spent all three of his piggy banks on drinks), resting from the bustling party in the lounge, exploring the other rooms on the down stairs level (like the waterfall room! We 'accidentally' fell into that one and ended up going swimming even though there was a sign that said not to), competing against other couples in a million random games, (my favorite was probably the paint Twister. Yah, that got messy fast, but no worries, I took off my dress for that one! And the pie eating contest. And the pudding pictionary), and singing along on the dance floor sidelines to their favorite songs.
It was at three thirty in the morning that Tealove, for the first time since they parted, spotted Bon-Bon. She was at the bar, sitting with a stallion who looked awfully mussed and had about six cider glasses in front of him. He looked quite groggy and...like he wasn't aware of what he was saying or doing. (Yah, we'll just put it that way.)
"An' I was'n supposed ta tell, bu'..," the stallion was saying when Tealove and Flare approached.
"Don't worry about a thing," Bon-Bon replied ever so sweetly, "your secret's safe with me."
"Bon-Bon!" Tealove exclaimed and hurried to join the two, but stopped o stare at the swaying stallion who was still glugging down cider, "Who's that?"
"'M Capt'n!" the stallion blubbered.
Tealove took a step closer to Bon-Bon who stifled a laugh,
"That's the Broke warrior's captain," she explained in a whisper, "I sort of freaked out when he told me the Brokes have troops stationed at every city, but along with that, I've got loads to tell you. He was pretty easy to handle, thankfully. I just bought him a few ciders and got instant access to all the Broke secrets I wanted."
"All of them?" Tealove marveled, then glanced at the captain and raised her eyebrows at Bon-Bon, "You call that a few ciders?"
"Okay, not all of them," Bon-Bon confessed, "but a lot, and let me tell you, all you need to do is order an extra fizz to the drink and that numbs right up their senses!"
Tealove grinned, "Right. I'll remember that..but it also helps when somepony is nice enough to dress you up fancy so that ever stallion is dying to spill their secrets to you."
Bon-Bon flipped her mane of her shoulder, "You like it? Thanks. One of my weird friends did it for me."
Tealove scowled teasingly and head butted Bon-Bon in the shoulder who was laughing until she spotted Flare.
"Oh, who's that?" she grinned mischievously.
"Oh yah. This is Flare! Flare, Bon-Bon," Tealove quickly introduced as the two ponies greeted each other.
"Nice to meet you," the stallion nodded, "Who's your companion?"
"Oh," Bon-Bon said as if she'd totally forgotten about the captain still mumbling into his cider glass, "this is..Fred Va-"
"'M Cap'n!
The ponies took a step back.
"Ah," Flare said, "Nice to meet him."
"So where's Big Mac?" Tealove asked, seeing that her friend was alone.
"Oh, he's being that wonderful undercover player he's so good at being," Bon-Bon simply (more like confusingly) replied.
"He's-wait, what?" but then Tealove spotted him.
Big Mac was on the dance floor, (looked an awful lot like James Blond) completely surrounded by swooning mares, pushing each other out of the way to get the stallion's attention. Tealove felt a fiery heat bubbling up to her cheeks.
"What does he think he's-!" she began hotly, but Bon-Bon quickly explained,
"Oh, calm down. He does this on all our missions. This is how he get information-by being his handsome self and tricking mares into telling him everything they know. Honestly, Tealove, he'd never do that on normal circumstances."
(Sorry, Bon-Bon. Too busy wanting to attack that mare trying to make out with Big Mac...or wanting to beat up Big Mac. I can't decide.)
"'M Cap'n o' the wooooooorld!"
Tealove jumped and had to control herself form screaming. (Sweet Celestia, I forgot he was there!)
"Uh..," Bon-Bon stifled a giggle, "Well, Captain, I think it best be time for me to go now. I wish you best of luck...ruling the world. Bye!"
"Why oo leaving, pretty pony?" Tealove, Bon-Bon and Flare heard the stallion cry as they trotted away. The two mares giggled.
"Well, I'll go get Big Mac," Bon-Bon volunteered herself, "All those lovers will be so mad when I trot back, linking arms with him, but while I'm gone, you two can say our last good byes, then we'll be off!"
"'K," Tealove sighed, then it was just her and Flare. The stallion sighed.
"Tonight's been amazing," Tealove whispered, "I can't remember a time I had this much fun..and thanks...for everything."
"Yah," he breathed, and just when Tealove took her eyes away from his, she felt a hoof take hers. It was Flare's.
"I'll miss you," his words tickled Tealove's ear.
The mare felt herself blushing, and her heart swelled, "Me too...and even though we just met..I feel like.."
"Like I've known you before," Flare took the words right off her tongue, "I'll be sure to write..if you promise to write back."
Tealove giggled softly, "Of course...so..until then?"
Flare's eyes, though so dark, seemed to glow. Tealove felt his sweet breath on her face, felt his hoof tuck her mane back. She was getting too close-way too close to him-that personal space bubble had been broken almost forever ago. She let her eyes drift to a close, she felt as if she could feel her very soul combining with Flare's. She hadn't felt anything like this before...not since her dad passed...not since her mom died....Tealove felt her insides twisting, twirling to the rhythm of Flare's heartbeat, and then they-
"Tealove!"
And it all broke.
"What do you think you're-Tealove!" Bon-Bon was shrieking, a stunned Big Mac by her side, and without hesitation, Bon-Bon stormed up and dragged Tealove away from Flare and towards the door.
"Wait-Bon-Bon! You're making a scene!" Tealove angrily said and was about to turn back to say good bye to Flare, but he was no longer visible through the crowd of Brokes.
"You can't just-Tealove!" Bon-Bon tried to scold, but only managed to end in exasperation.
"Leaving so soon?" a stallion at the door asked, but Bon-Bon stomped right past him, and soon the three ponies were alone in the small pitch blank stone chamber that separated them from the bustle of Las Pegasus and the party of the Brokes.
"Okay, Tealove. What do you think you're doing, kissing a colt you just met?!" Bon-Bon cried, "Girl, seriously, do you have any common sense?"
"First of all, we did not kiss!" Tealove pretty much shouted in the direction of Bon-Bon's voice, "And second, even though we just met...well, I didn't know! When's the right time to kiss somepony, huh, Bon-Bon? How am I supposed to know? I haven't had friends..or parents for five years now!! I'm sorry that I'm so clueless! Do tell me next time how to live my life because obviously I don't know how!!!"
Tealove's voice echoed through the small, moist chamber for quite some time. Even after the sound faded away, there was silence. Suddenly, Tealove wanted to cry. (How could I have done this? I hadn't thought at about Big Mac and Bon-Bon. What kind of friend am I? I don't even know how to be one. I probably just ruined any friendship I had anyways..so...)
"If I had super powers..to see in the dark," Tealove's teary voice broke the silence, "I would hug you two...just so you know."
It was either Bon-Bon or Big Mac who sighed next. (Yah, I couldn't tell.)
"I'm sorry," Bon-Bon whispered, "I should have thought it through."
"Yup," Big Mac wearily chimed in.
"Everything's fine," Tealove assured them, shaking off her tears and the weight that pressed on her in the dark, "So..what all did you two find out? Anything about Luna?"
"Nope," Big Mac sighed, "No mares have heard anything."
"Well, I heard quite a few things," Bon-Bon replied cheerfully, "Like how that Thunderclap stallion can read minds and how there have been strict rules put to keep ponies out of the up stairs level because of, what the Captain said was their 'caught treasure', and I bet that's Princess Luna. Did you pick up anything, Tealove?"
"No, I-" but then something in her mind clicked into place, "Wait...when I was eating dinner and asked Thunderclap about the rumors of a hostage, he..gave me this death stare that made it feel like..my insides were being sucked out. Then I passed out. Was he-?"
Bon-Bon suddenly gasped, "He was reading your mind! That means he knows you're part of the Clandestine! And if he got far enough in, he probably knows that you're Sweet Pea!"
Tealove's heart instantly started racing, "What are we going to do?!"
"We'll get out of here, that's what we'll do for now," Bon-Bon firmly replied, "And then we'll need to sneak in here tomorrow night...to rescue the Princess. Come on, ponies, let's get out of here."
Tealove wasn't sure how, but with one burst of flying sparkles, Bon-Bon activated the exit to morph into a door. When the ponies trotted out, Tealove was surprised to find herself glad to see the puddles, trash cans and brick wall of the alley. The wall behind them melted back into its disguise, then they turned to begin walking down the alley way when-
KA-CRACK.
Something flew through the air so fast and so loud, it shook the street lamp above.
"What was-"
Bon-Bon screamed. Big Mac was on the ground, bleeding. The blood was spilling from a small hole in his shoulder. Her very soul seemed to twist at the sight and Tealove shrieked.
"Thought you could get away," a voice from up the alley whispered, soft but fierce, and when Tealove whipped around, a black shadow was looming ahead. A pegasus. But there was something floating at his side. No, that was no shadow.
"Well, looks like tonight will be more exciting then I thought...," the shine of a gun pierced Tealove's eyes as a stallion slowly stepped closer to the two mares standing, frozen, as Big Mac struggled to breath. Tealove's heart was pounding so hard, she could barely hear, was sure that her ribs would soon break or that she'd faint and give herself to an imminent death.
"Well, nopony's going to save you now," Thunderclap snarled," No stallion at your side. No Celestia. Well, I guess it's just me and the ladies...won't be too hard."
The trigger on his gun clicked. Bon-Bon flinched. The gun was instantly aimed at her.
"Look who's volunteering," the black pegasus smirked, "Off with you then. I wanted to keep the other one alive anyways...Say goodbye to your precious-"
"TEALOVE, GO!!!"
The alley instantly exploded with the sound of gunshots. Tealove felt a sudden burning in her leg. She ran, the bullets seemed to blind her, she couldn't see Bon-Bon, Big Mac was dead-then the bullets stopped. Then she spotted Bon-Bon. Thunderclap had her by the scruff of her mane. The gun was shoved up her neck, the trigger ready to pull.
"Oh, tut, tut," Thunderclap hissed, "The dear damsels in distress. I knew there was no chance in a couple of mares beating such a stallion as I, but-"
"STOP IT!!" Tealove screamed, "PUT HER DOWN!"
"Oh, dear, but I don't want to," Thunderclap whimpered, then his face curled into an evil grin, "Agree to come with me and I'll let her go."
"Don't-!" but the gun that was further shoved into Bon-Bon's throat kept her from speaking more.
Tealove was bubbling with rage. What else could she do?
"Fine."
But Bon-Bon wasn't released.
"I SAID FINE!!!"
"Oh, such loyal mares, such weak ponies," Thunderclap went on, "Protecting your friend's life over your own? Why would you do such a thing? Weak. That's why. Mares wouldn't have such courage to make sacrifices. Mares like you don't stand a chance int the world. Dear Tealove, you belong at home. Taking care of family. Making pies. Cleaning. What worth have you or any mare in this world?"
"Shut up."
"Weak. That's what you are. Couldn't outdo a stallion in anything. Useless. How are the kids, anyway? Leave them home with a babysitter so you could try and fail to have a go at this world? Such a pity. Mares like you. Dead in their homes, that's where they belong. Let the real ponies of the world do the work, dear, and tell me later how the knitting and baking and your useless, weakling life is-"
"AARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Suddenly, it was as if everything was let out. All the anger, the hate, and then the alley exploded with light, Tealove's whole body went numb, she felt as is her whole system was being clenched, twisted, making her sick beyond puking, then the sound of screaming, bellowing, gunshots, then Tealove knew for sure that they were all dead.