Feeling troubled, Sunset Shimmer gave some serious thought to the ramifications of the actions of both Hibiscus and Blackwater. There was a clear cut case of good old fashioned rivalry here and things had spun out of control. The center had not held. When the town had still been prosperous, when the town had still functioned, these family rivalries were kept in check, at least somewhat, to allow the town to continue to function and to allow both families to continue accumulating wealth. Now, however, with nothing to strive for, with no more wealth coming in, the rivalry had become cutthroat. They were already experiencing a collapse, there could be no worse consequences for their misbehaviour.
Of course, Brook’s disappearance could be explained away with ease—this was a swamp, after all, and it was filled with pony eating monsters, sinkholes, it was a place where bad things happened. Sunset, however, did not suspect that to be the case though.
In the distance, there was a boom followed by a faint rumble. Looking out to the north and east, Sunset Shimmer saw a pillar of fire rise up from the swamps, billowing upwards over the treeline, and the corners of her mouth curled upwards in a manner most involuntary. She found herself smiling at the sight of the rising pillar of fire and as the ground around her trembled, she laughed. It appeared as though Bucky was quite fed up with nature and was taking the fight back to the denizens of the swamp, a good thing for Sunset. Ponies were busy watching Bucky’s battle against the very swamp itself and were now distracted. Sunset Shimmer hoped that this could be used to her advantage; she might catch a pony off guard or have a chance to look around when she wasn’t being watched. And she made no mistake, she could feel eyes on her sometimes.
“I spoke with Mister Blackwater. He told me some interesting things,” Sunset Shimmer said to Hibiscus. Sunset watched as the older matron’s eyes narrowed. “He told me some very interesting things.”
“Like what?” Hibiscus asked, her ears pinning back against her skull as she spoke.
“Nevermind what he told me, I’m more interested in what you can tell me about Brook.” As Sunset Shimmer spoke, she could see that her words drew blood. She saw Hibiscus’ face cloud with fierce anger. As Sunset stood there, waiting, her ears were filled with the sound of a clock upon a glass shelf ticking.
“I don’t know what he told you, but I had nothing to do with that,” Hibiscus said, her words little more than an angry whisper.
“I spoke with Blackwater quite a bit about the whole thing, he said there were plenty of witnesses that saw you get quite angry and make threats—”
“Witnesses, hah! More like Blackwater’s toadies and flunkies, the ponies who hope that he’ll be generous and return the favour if they lie for him!” Hibiscus glared at Sunset, her face contorting into a rage filled somewhat smarmy smile.
“Oh, let me tell you a little something about myself,” Sunset Shimmer offered, holding back her own rising feelings of anger. “See, I’m not the common rube. I’m not some backwater hick that can be lied to. As a Black Cloak, I know when I’m being lied to. I have magic that helps me in that regard. Now, if I was to go out and start asking around about you and how you dealt with Brook, what do you think I would find out from your fellow townsponies?” Much to Sunset’s satisfaction, the smarmy smile vanished and the only thing that was left was an icy, hateful stare.
“Brook bewitched my grandson.” Hibiscus’ lips pressed into a fine, thin line and her ears pitched forwards, pointing at Sunset Shimmer. “Zoysia became insolent and sullen. He started talking back to his mother and to me. I’ll admit, I was angry, but I didn’t do anything to hurt that filly.”
“And what excuse do you have for screaming at Zoysia, berating him, and humiliating him in front of the town? Hmm?” Sunset Shimmer’s eyes narrowed as Hibiscus gave her a spite filled glare.
“He needed to learn a lesson in respect.”
Hibiscus’ reply was quiet, her words were almost spit out, and her eyes glittered with rage. Sunset Shimmer did not like what she was seeing, not at all. It was clear that Hibiscus prefered to be in control and right now, Hibiscus had no control. Sunset Shimmer, worried that further escalation might hurt her investigation, decided to allow things to cool off.
“I’d like to speak with Zoysia, please,” Sunset Shimmer said.
“No.” Hibiscus shook her head.
“No?” Sunset blinked. “You are mistaken if you think that was a request that you could turn down. I will speak to Zoysia and there is nothing you can do to stop me.” Sunset, who felt frustrated, stared back at Hibiscus. So much for allowing the situation to cool down, she thought to herself.
“He’s still a colt, I have a say in who speaks to him and who doesn’t—”
“No, no you do not… it seems to me that you don’t want me speaking to him, which leads me to believe that you have something to hide.” Sunset took a deep breath to check her temper. “Not only will I be speaking to him, but I’ll be doing it far, far away from you so you can’t bully him or intimidate him into silence. Try to stop me.” Sunset could hear Hibiscus grinding her teeth together and she realised that she could have been a little less antagonistic, but Hibiscus really was asking for a good dressing down. She was the matron of a house and one of the leaders of the town, but that was the end of her authority. Her overblown sense of importance was beginning to annoy Sunset; she knew what would happen if Hibiscus continued to throw her weight around and Bucky got involved.
Nothing good would come of that. Nothing good ever came of that.
Hibiscus turned and stomped off, her solid, heavy hooves thumping on the wooden floor as she left, leaving Sunset Shimmer standing alone in the parlour, the heavy hoofbeats causing the various items in the room to rattle.
Waiting, Sunset Shimmer had been promised that she could see Zoysia. She was growing impatient and was worried that Hibiscus was browbeating the poor colt into submission. If she was forced to keep waiting, Sunset was worried that she might become a bad guest and start searching the house.
“Miss Shimmer?”
Sunset turned and looked at the earth pony standing in the room with her. She had not heard him come in. He stood just in front of the servants’ entrance, looking timid and afraid. He was a faded shade of brown with a reddish brown mane. His eyes were an odd looking golden hazel.
“Yes?” Sunset replied, her eyebrow raising.
“My name is Graham… I cannot be seen with you, so I must be brief. Zoysia is my son, please, help him. I think he’s in some trouble. He won’t tell me anything. Get him away from this place. Right now, Hibiscus is busy intimidating him… he’s a fragile sort, he has been since his mother, Nutmeg, died. Please, be gentle with him, he’s shy and sensitive, he’s not a troublemaker. If you are patient with him, he will open up to you.”
Graham, his ears perking, looked around, an expression of extreme panic and fear upon his face. He shook his head, his barrel heaving, and he whispered the words, “I cannot be discovered.”
Sunset watched as Graham slipped through the servants’ door and then was gone. She looked around, her ears perking, and then she noticed the heavy sounds of hooves upon the wooden floor. She looked at the door, waiting, now hearing voices, the fearful sounds of pleading, a whimper, a grunt, and then a colt was shoved through the door and into the room.
The colt was a dark shade of brown, earthy coloured, and he had the most brilliant green mane that Sunset had ever seen. His cutie mark was a patch of grass. He appeared to be in his late teens, and his cheeks were stained with tears.
For a moment, Sunset Shimmer thought about unloading on Hibiscus, but she knew that her bellicose anger would accomplish nothing. But she wanted to, oh how she wanted to. As she stood there, choking back her anger, Hibiscus left, her maid following after her, leaving Sunset and Zoysia alone together.
“Hi, Zoysia… my name is Sunset Shimmer and we’re going to go for a walk to get you away from your grandmother.”
Sunset Shimmer walked in silence, Zoysia following along just behind her, as if he was fearful to be walking next to her. She could sense his fear, she could see it, he walked with his tail tucked between his legs and his ears pinned back against his skull in the most submissive posture one could muster. He looked pitiful, and she felt bad for him.
It was hot, Sunset was sweating, but she had left the cool confines of the house hoping that Zoysia might open up to her if he was away from his overbearing grandmother. Much to her relief, a cloaked figure approached, almost appearing to be floating over the dirt road rather than walking.
“Hi,” a voice said from within the hood.
Zoysia, fearful, did not respond.
“Zoysia, this is Bucky,” Sunset said, introducing her teacher and friend. “He can help you… just like I can help you, but only if you talk to us.”
After what felt like a full minute with no response, Bucky leaned a little closer to Zoysia. “You look troubled… worried… what are you worried about?”
Without warning, Zoysia bolted, taking off at a run. Sunset looked at Bucky, but could not see his face. As the earth pony colt went tearing off at incredible speed, Sunset Shimmer gave Bucky a smile. She then teleported in a bright flash of light.
“Running doesn’t do you much good,” Sunset Shimmer said as she appeared in front of Zoysia. She watched as the colt veered off to one side and kept going. “We can help you… we want to help you… just give us a chance… we can get you away from Hibiscus if that is what you want.”
Sunset Shimmer watched as the colt came to a skidding halt and almost crashed into Bucky, who teleported in front of him. She could see Bucky’s manic grin and hoped that Bucky wouldn’t scare the poor colt by accident.
“Can you really get me away from her?” the colt asked.
“Oh, indeed, we can, but only if you help us,” Bucky replied.
The colt began chewing on his lip and Sunset Shimmer took a step closer, feeling hopeful. The poor colt was wrestling with something, something big. He just needed a bit of encouragement. “Zoysia, if you help us, we can help your father, too. Would you like to get away from here with your father?”
The colt dropped his head, his ears drooping against the sides of his face. He trembled, afraid, his heavy breathing making his sides heave. He lifted his head a little, looked around at some of the ponies staring at him, and then looked at Sunset Shimmer, his eyes glistening with tears.
“I don’t know anything, honest, but I need your help… I’m in real trouble,” Zoysia said.
“Well, I am feeling a little generous. Are you sure that you don’t know anything?” Bucky asked, eyeing the colt from beneath his hood.
“I know what happened to Brook,” the colt whispered in reply.
“Are you certain nopony can see us?” Zoysia asked.
Sunset nodded. “Aversion spell. It’s like invisibility. Ponies don’t want to see us.”
“Usually, I try to sneak away at night, when I can’t be seen.” Zoysia looked around him as he trotted away from the town, following a narrow dirt road that rose up from the swamp. The colt stopped. “Wait, before we go, is there some way we can get some food?”
“Food?” Bucky paused. “You and Sunset keep going. I’ll go scare up some food.” Bucky made a gesture with his talons. “Don’t worry, I’ll find you… just keep going and I’ll catch up.” Bucky, who had some guesses as to what was going on, planned to go find Fever Cure and bring him along. “Sunset, be careful, the flesh eating giant dragonflies are nasty. But they burn well.”
“I always just outrun them,” Zoysia said in a quiet, hesitant, and shy voice.
“Bucky isn’t the running sort, and neither am I.” Sunset gave the colt a grin. “Now, how about you and I get going? Let’s see if we can make it difficult for Bucky to catch up to us.”