Chapter 2
Vanilla Cream felt a little bored sitting by the counter of the candy store. It had been a long day but not many customers. Apparently no one was in mood for sweets. The mare had thought she had lucked out, scoring a job in the much nicer Hooflyn area of Manehattan but sadly, despite candy and candy making being her passion, it didn’t pay enough to be able to live there. Thus she was stuck living in Hoofington.
I need someone to talk to. Vanilla yawned, she was a social pony who tended to chat with the customers, that’s why the mare usually liked being at the counter.
It would also have helped distract her, she kept thinking back to Tango and what happened to him earlier in the day. The stallion had still refused to go to the hospital and after fetching the mail for him, Vanilla couldn’t do much except leave him be so she wouldn’t be late for work.
Vanilla groaned and rose up, she might as well make sure everything was fully stocked since nobody was there. The shop owner would usually do that but she wasn’t in and for the most part tended to let the mare run the small corner shop on her own. Vanilla liked having the responsibility and the owner had mentioned few times that she might take over it completely one day.
The mare looked over the shelves, the cases, the jars, all stuffed with delicious looking sweets. Vanilla had made some of them herself and was allowed to sell them in the shop, it gave a little boost to her paycheck. She was so engrossed in her work that she almost missed the chime of the bell above the door, indicating that someone had just come in.
Ooh, a customer, finally. Vanilla jumped and hurried back to the front. She stopped, smiling wide and friendly, in front of a little filly. Her coat was brilliant gamboge, the mane and tail were light amaranth with brilliant amaranth streaks. She had no cutie mark.
“Hello and welcome, little one, here to feed your sweet tooth a little? We got something for everypony here in Sweet Candy World,” she greeted the girl cheerfully.
“Huh? Uh yeah, I guess.” the filly shrugged and blew the mane out of her eyes.
A noise from outside seemed to catch her attention, the filly’s eyes widened and she quickly stepped to the side so that she was out of view from big glass door. Vanilla was confused by this behavior, then saw few foals run past the shop.
“Uh, were those your friends?” she asked and pointed towards the door.
“No,” the filly quickly responded and kept staring at the exit as if she was worried the others would come in.
“Well, why don’t you come on in and see if you can’t find something you like,” Vanilla said when she realized that the girl had come in here to hide, she gestured further into the shop.
“Uh, yeah, sure.” The filly walked further in and started to examine what was available. She did keep an eye on the door as she browsed.
“So what’s your name?” Vanilla asked, the mare strategically stood so that the filly was blocked from view of anyone that looked through the door. She didn’t know why the girl was hiding from the other kids, but had an idea what it was all about.
“Babs… Babs Seed,” the girl hesitantly responded.
“Nice name, I’m Vanilla Cream. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you around here, do you live in Hooflyn?” the mare wondered and casually glanced towards the door, she saw the same foals run now in the other direction right past the shop. None of them even looked inside.
“Yeah, Farrier Hill,” Babs muttered almost inaudibly.
Farrier Hill, that’s one of the higher tier residences in Hooflyn. Vanilla blinked, most ponies living there made more on a month than she did on a year.
“That’s a pretty nice neighborhood,” the mare said and then remembered where she lived and almost envied the girl. “Very nice.”
“Eh, it’s okay I guess.” The filly turned around to face her. “Do you live in Hooflyn?”
“No, no I don’t. Too expensive for me I’m afraid, even here in the southern part of it. I live in Hoofington, Hoofington Lane to be more precise,” Vanilla sighed slightly.
“Hoofington? Uncle Orange says that’s a bad place, I should never go there,” Babs said and walked to another shelf to look at things available there.
“Your uncle is not wrong.” Vanilla nodded but then blinked when realizing she was familiar with the name. “Orange, as in Mosely Orange? The biggest orange and other citrus fruit distributer in all of Manehattan?”
“Yeah, but I just call him Uncle Orange.” The filly didn’t seem overly concerned who she was related too.
Well, I wanted to talk with somepony. Didn’t think it would be with the niece of one of Manehattan’s richest. Vanilla thought, she could almost picture the faces of some her neighbors she regularly chatted with when the mare would tell them about this encounter.
“So find anything you like?” she wondered, since the girl hadn’t made any selection yet.
“Uh… no, not really,” Babs sighed and turned back towards her, she started to slowly walk towards the exit. “I… didn’t bring any money anyway.”
Vanilla felt a bit sorry for the girl, she picked up a candy heart from one of the shelves and offered it to the filly. Babs hesitated before accepting the treat, she stared at the mare quizzically.
“It’s on the house, it’s one of my own creations,” the mare assured her and then walked over to the exit. “Also, let me check if the coast is clear for you.”
“Uh, thanks?” Babs was even more confused. “Why are you helping me?”
Vanilla didn’t respond just yet as she was looking out of the shop. She saw a lot of ponies walking around but none of the kids from earlier. After judging that things should be relatively safe for the filly, she held open the door for her.
“I don’t like bullies,” the mare said with a warm smile.
“H-how did you…?” Babs Seed brow rose even higher.
“Let’s just say I have a good eye for spotting bullies.” Vanilla’s smile turned more solemn. “It was nice meeting you Babs, see you maybe later.”
“Yeah, see ya and thanks again.” The filly smiled a little for real now as she trotted out with her candy heart.
The mare closed the door and returned to the counter. She half expected things to be quiet for the remainder of the day, then the foals that had been chasing after Babs Seed burst into the shop. There were five of them all together.
“No she’s not here,” the leader said, a rather prissy looking earth colt with a silvery coat and sky blue mane and tail.
Vanilla Cream rose up with a frown, half ready to shove them all right back out. Then she had a much more devious idea and grinned wide.
“Hey children, welcome to Sweet Candy World. You’re in such a luck, we just got all kinds of new candy here to try out and on sale too, why don’t you all go find something you like, take your time, there is a lot we have to offer,” she addressed the foals who all looked at her questionably.
“The last one to make a selection gets it free,” Vanilla added laughing on the inside, figuring that would delay them. The kids took the bait and rushed into the store proper but as the mare had predicted they took their time, not wanting to be the first to select.
That should buy Babs some time to get home, the mare chuckled.
It was well into the afternoon when Vanilla Cream found herself waiting for the subway that would take her to Hoofington. Once the kid bully group had gone the rest of the day had been very quiet and the pony was just relieved to be done with it. For once she couldn’t wait to get home.
I hope Tango is still okay. Her thoughts went back to the stallion and she wondered if she should bring him something.
The subway arrived and Vanilla entered, finding herself a quiet corner in the car. It was not over crowded but still plenty of ponies around. Most seemed to be on their way home from work much like her.
The trip was rather uneventful; Vanilla had tried to strike up a conversation with the pony sitting next to her but that one ended up changing her seat. Sometimes the mare wondered if it was possible she was a little too social. She just couldn’t help it.
Not many ponies stepped out at the Hoofington stop. In fact, Vanilla was the only one and she wasn’t too surprised, not many would voluntarily come here unless they already lived there. The station was littered with graffiti and some of the local homeless had already arrived to stay for the coming night.
The homeless ignored Vanilla who felt a little guilty walking past them and essentially ignoring them. She wanted to help but wasn’t sure how. She also knew Barricade employed some of them as spies. The mare walked the steps to reach the streets above. She wasn’t too far away from her apartment from where she came up.
“I should check on Tango first, just to make sure he’s still okay,” she mused quietly to herself as she trotted down the street.
When the mare turned a corner she nearly walked into a figurative brick wall. Figurative in the sense that it wasn’t a real one, it was an image on a dark grey flank. The earth pony quickly backed when realizing she had nearly walked right into Barricade. The unicorn slowly turned his head towards her.
“Hello again, Vanilla Cream,” he greeted her in a soft tone of voice, it was eerie and quiet. The stallion was grinning strangely.
“I have nothing to say to you,” Vanilla snorted and tried to go around but Barricade swiftly stepped in her way.
“Going so soon?” he purred.
“What do you want?” the mare snapped and tried again to go around but the stallion kept being in her way. It was then she noticed the stench of alcohol coming from him. He was drunk, but not enough to be unsteady on his hooves.
Horseapples, just what I needed. Vanilla wondered if she should make a break for it in the other direction and try to go around somewhere.
“I was thinking of a Vanilla Ice Cream,” Barricade laughed and stepped closer. “Because you need to chill, you sexy filly.”
“Don’t you already have somepony? Not that I understand what Barbell can possibly see in you,” the mare snorted and backed a step when the stallion came forward.
“That’s because you all assume I’m some nice brainless ditz Barricade has brainwashed,” a voice spoke up behind her.
Vanilla looked back to see a greyish opal earth mare standing there, her mane and tail were moderate turquoise and white, braided up. Her cutiemark was the rather appropriate barbell. The newly arrived was smirking and reeked just as much of alcohol as the stallion.
“Heya baby,” Barricade greeted her. “Want some Vanilla Ice Cream?”
“I’m not into Vanilla,” Barbell snorted and shoved Vanilla out of her way and went nose to nose with the unicorn. “I want the jerky gray poupon.”
“Gray poupon?... Uh wait is that reference to both my coat and mane?” Barricade actually looked slightly confused.
Vanilla was quick to use the opportunity of the distraction to dart past the drunk couple. She shuddered a bit, not reveling in the memory of Barricade hitting on her. The mare didn’t glance back and just made a beeline for her apartment building.
Ugh, I need brain bleach. She ran inside and sat down for a moment in the hallway. Thank Celestia Barbell was there to take over the attention.
The mare rose up, but then her wild imagination began playing all kinds of scenarios. What if Barricade would follow, would Barbell necessarily be distracting enough? How predictable was the unicorn when drunk? He knew what apartment she lived in. She had interfered with him this morning, considering what he did to Tango for doing the same, what would he do to her?
Suddenly going to her apartment wasn’t an appealing thought at all. Was this what the other ponies scared of Barricade felt like? The insecurity that he knew where they lived and could barge in whenever he liked. The pony was so distracted by her thoughts that she didn’t notice the door to the building opening behind her, bathed in an indigo colored glow.
“Hey sexy filly, why did you run off? We weren’t done talking.” The voice reaching her ears nearly froze her. Vanilla slowly turned around and winched when seeing Barricade standing there, right behind him was Barbell.
“I told you already, I have nothing to say to you,” the vanilla colored mare stated though it sounded rather weak. It was clear to her now that Barricade hadn’t been just randomly standing there while drunk, he and Barbell had in fact been waiting for her.
Barricade approached her, looking more like a cat ready to pounce on its prey. Slowly he started to circle the mare. Due to his size and the tight quarters of the hall it made him come uncomfortably close to her.
“Then don’t talk and let me do the talking,” he said softly.
“Now my dear, Vanilla, I am not upset with you, but terribly disappointed,” Barricade kept talking in this soft gentle voice, it gave the mare creeps, it was like it was trying to worm itself into her head and stay there.
“I wouldn’t want to have to hurt a pretty face like yours.” Barricade eyes narrowed. “But don’t think I won’t.”
“What you did this morning, it’s understandable and I was done with Tango anyway. But I’m going to need a little clarification. Am I going to expect something like this from you again?” The stallion’s face darkened and his voice deepened. “I would, as I said, hate to have to hurt that pretty face.”
“Barbell, you can… you can tell your stupid coltfriend that I won’t let him bully me,” Vanilla managed to force out, she was determined not to be intimidated.
“Barbell was she just asking for her face to be rearranged?” Barricade asked, still maintaining that soft eerie tone in his voice.
“Sounded like that to me,” Barbell snorted and rolled her eyes.
“W-what?” Vanilla’s stance faltered a bit, suddenly magic aura grabbed parts of her mane and she found herself pinned up against the wall. Barricade stood now right in front of her, grinning sadistically and a strange glint in his eyes.
“Oh my naïve little Vanilla Cream,” the unicorn whispered in a mock concerned tone. “Not all bullies back down when you stand your ground. Some just crush you if you are stupid enough to still stand there in their way.”
“I tend to agree, those bullies usually only understand, THIS language!” was snorted and suddenly a pony threw himself at the unicorn, pushing him away. The magic holding Vanilla was released and she crumbled to the ground.
Tango stood now between her and Barricade. He still looked just as banged up and his legs where shaky. But the stallion stubbornly kept himself standing, glaring at the unicorn who still stood and peered at the newly arrived pony.
“This is starting to become a habit with you, Tango.” Barricade frowned. “A habit I would advise you to break.”
“At least if you must… attack somepony who interfered… you can attack me,” Tango snorted and nearly fell down to the ground but managed to steady himself. “All she did was walk in on you beating me up.”
“Alright, I’ll concede to that.” The unicorn nodded and eyed Vanilla who was standing back up, she in turn glared hatefully back at him. “I think she got the message anyway.”
Barricade headed towards the door, nodding to Barbell to go out before him. Before he left, the unicorn looked back at the two earth ponies inside. A smirk crossed his muzzle, Tango was not having it easy standing upright and Vanilla was now supporting him.
“By the way, Tango. I’ll be collecting 600 bits from you now,” Barricade said before disappearing out.
“Oh that… aaarg.” Vanilla glared at the closing door. Then she turned her full attention to Tango. “Come one, I’ll help you back to your apartment.”
“You say I’m brave, yet there you were standing your ground,” the stallion muttered with a small smile as he stumbled into his apartment, leaning on the other pony.
“I’ll be honest, I’m not sure why I thought it would work,” Vanilla sighed and shivered a little, the reality of what had almost happened finally washing over her. “I’ve only met Barricade briefly few times in the past and I quite seriously thought most of those stories about him were just exaggeration.”
“I think my battered body can vouch that… it’s not,” Tango grunted and followed the mare’s lead to the living room. She helped him lie down on the couch.
“I don’t get it… why would Barbell be with that pony. He’s awful,” Vanilla shook her head and sat down close to the couch. The coffee table had been cleared away into a pile in one corner of the living room.
“Y-you know her?” Tango glanced at her curiously.
“Well, I thought I did. We were in school together in Baltimare. We weren’t friends… but she never seemed to be bad, she always was a tough no nonsense pony, but I could never picture her associating with someone like Barricade,” she told him though looking uncertain.
“Ponies change… sometimes for the worse,” Tango whispered and his face became expressionless. “And love… can make you do stupid things.”
“I suppose.” The mare looked at him. “Are you… alright, you haven’t stressed anything too much? Maybe I should have taken you to the bed instead.”
“No… I’m good,” he assured her though his voice sounded a bit distant and his eyes were without emotion or life.
“Are you sure?” she asked, not quite buying it. The stallion didn’t look at all good or sound it.
“Look… if it’s all the same with you… I want to be alone,” Tango muttered and somehow managed to twist enough in the couch so that his back faced the mare.
The living room became silent. Vanilla still sat there but now stared at the back of the injured pony. It was a mystery for her why Tango was refusing help yet he had now two times helped against Barricade. She was aware he was on probation, everyone on the block knew that but she was only vaguely aware of what it was he had been arrested for. The mare had read something about a foalnapping case in Ponyville but that was about it.
“Thanks, anyway, for helping me out there I mean,” Vanilla said and stood up. She waited for a second to see if there was any response but the only movement from the couch was Tango’s steady breathing. Shaking her head the mare left the living room and headed out. She closed the door to the stallion’s apartment and headed up to the second floor to her own.
End chapter 2