Sandpoint, 4 of Rova (Presumably 27 of October 1000 SR), Afternoon
Sharing my suspicions with Applejack was, at least in my humble opinion, the best I could’ve done in the situation I found myself in. The moniker of 'most dependable of ponies' as far as I'm concerned described her perfectly, and aside from Twilight I trusted her the most out of the girls, sometimes even more than her. So it wasn't a surprise when, once I explained what had happened directly under her nose, she genuinely became concerned for me. And once AJ's concerned, she doesn't just leave things like they are.
As soon as I concluded my short story Applejack asked me to accompany her on her patrol. She explained that for the time being it would be best if I wasn't seen alone and that we should gather some information on who the young thief was, who he was affiliated with, and what could come out of this whole situation. Reasoning that the guard force was probably our best bet at the moment, AJ concluded that her partner Titus would serve this purpose nicely, and set out to look for the man with me in tow.
It didn't take us long to find the guardsman. Titus was patrolling the streets of Sandpoint as duty dictated, projecting an air of order only armed law enforcers could project. Losing no time Applejack and I joined him, myself being greeted with a friendly nod from the much larger man, and without mincing words we proceeded to inform him of what had transpired over the last hour or so.
Once we finished, guard Titus' face lost its smile, adopting instead a thoughtful frown. Still marching and absentmindedly looking around the streets, he stroked his chin and hummed.
"Have to give it to you; trouble's attracted to you guys like cats to catnip." Were his opening words, after which, with a shake of his head Titus launched into an explanation of what he thought would be the implications of what happened to us.
The first thing he made sure of was that we understood what Sczarni actually were. According to our friendly guard, Sczarni was a collective term given to wandering criminal families of Varisian ethnic descent. True, we were in the region that shared the name with them, Varisia being their ancestral home, but that was beside the point. Now as for Varisians themselves, they were a sort of human race, much like pegasi and unicorns were races of ponies, with the exception of the differences being purely cosmetic. They usually had darker, tan skin, black hair, and were a bit shorter than the average person. They also generally had a tradition of being wandering folk, nomads, or downright vagabonds, a trait that the Sczarni embraced to its fullest, remaining mobile most of the time.
The criminal aspect of this loose organization centered around petty crime. Sczarni were primarily thieves, con artists, and confidence schemers. According to their logic, it was a surefire way to amass wealth while avoiding being subjected to higher forms of punishment. They knew perfectly what crime could end up with them being flogged or driven out of town, and what could potentially end up with them spending the rest of their life in prison, if not executed. As a side note, I didn't really know what to think about the fact capital punishment seemed to be a thing around this place, but figured it was a cultural thing and simply rolled with it. Doesn't really help that now I know I could potentially end up with my head lopped off for breaking a law I didn't know even existed…
According to guard Titus, Sczarni weren't known to take part in violent crimes all that much, with maybe the occasional kidnappings, muggings, and the like. Even then they made sure not to draw attention to themselves, trying their best to cover their tracks or shift the blame onto someone else. They also supposedly abided to some sort of 'honor system' (an oxymoron if ever I heard of one) in which they avoided targeting fellow Varisians. On one hand it was a very pragmatic rule, making sure others of their ethnicity didn't see them as scoundrels and making them more willing to help them if need be, but on the other it promoted the image of a Varisian thief and cheat, so much as to create a racial stereotype due to their notoriety.
After that brief explanation Titus informed us that, if the young thief actually were a Sczarni, he was the first one he had ever heard of to have willingly assault another, especially while being seen by the authorities. Normally he would've slipped away once he managed to free himself from my hold on his shirt. For him to actually stick around and try and shiv me went against what he knew about Sczarni. He even went as far as to suggest that the guy may have actually not been one of them and just pose as one to try and intimidate us into letting him free.
And that was another thing that didn't add up. While Titus claimed that not even the best mannered thief would refrain from threatening those that captured him, he also didn't really see a Sczarni spewing out what he did towards Trixie and me. They may be racist, but they also know when a threat stops being a way to express their irritation and starts to be something they could actually answer for. And to promise death and imply rape was exactly one of those things.
That wasn't all in the way of the threats though. Once Applejack mentioned that our captive 'friend' uttered his 'warnings' in a foreign language, Titus became far more interested. He became even more intrigued once we told him only I and supposedly Trixie knew what he was saying, and once I let it slip it felt surprisingly… familiar… he knew this was an important lead. Asking me to repeat what the thief said, only this time without translating it but in the original form, guard Titus made sure to listen closely and at the very least try and identify the dialect.
It took me a moment to recall the whole thing. This language, while familiar for some reason, wasn't really a simple one. I had to concentrate hard to get it right, and it took me some time to adjust to actually speaking a different language, especially one I shouldn't rightfully know, but I finally managed it. Interestingly enough, once I uttered the first word of it, I felt something stir inside of me, like some sort of beast awakening from its years of slumber and roar a mighty roar, a flame starting to burn deep within my gut, just like the dragon fire I was so used to. It nearly made me stumble over my words, but I managed to reign this surprising yet not unwelcome feeling in, delivering the threat in its original form.
"Okay, that's weird." Guard Titus muttered once I finished speaking, starting to stroke his chin anew. "I was half expecting you to speak in Varisian or a dialect of it, not something like… that." He gestured at me with his hand, shaking his head.
"So you don't know what it could mean?" I asked, getting an incomprehensive look from both Titus and Applejack. It took me a second to realize I unknowingly spoke in that language on my own, making me feel a little creeped out. Still, I repeated myself, only this time making sure I spoke in this place's common tongue.
"No, no I don't." Was what I got in response, the guard looking at me with a raised eyebrow. "If anything, I would expect you to know more about it than me, seeing you speak it."
"Yeah, about that…" I started, and gave him a short explanation as to why I didn't know what this was about. After all, it's one thing to learn a language from scratch, and a completely different thing to suddenly discover one knows it without ever hearing it uttered before. Well, I did have my suspicions, the glowing thing that got us here in the first place being a prime suspect, but I didn't tell him about it for obvious reasons.
Hearing my explanation guard Titus nodded slowly, the gears in his head visibly turning, trying to piece together what was going on. It didn't seem however that he was very successful in it and ended up filing those information for later. All he did manage to figure out was that he had heard something familiar before coming from Mr. Gandethus and that if I wanted to know more I should contact him. Aside from that, all that he could say about the situation with the thief and his threats was that this was something unusual and that he'd have to look into this, and that for the time being he would ask the guys to keep an eye on him so he wouldn't try anything funny. It was literally the best I could hope for given the circumstances, so I took it.
Having that issue taken care of, I decided I might as well accompany Applejack and Titus on their patrol. I didn't really have anything better to do, and I rather keep myself busy less I start to worry about the thief or whether Rarity and the girls were fine. Plus, having a guy to talk to, even if he seemed to be a bit enamored with Rares (which still annoyed me slightly) was a welcome change. That, and Applejack at least wasn't able to continue her lecture on the multiple types of apples her family grew.
The rest of the day seemed to pass relatively peacefully. Sandpoint, despite our rather poor first few days here seemed to be a rather nice and generally peaceful town, quite pleasant. The people were nice (or a bit too nice, for reasons I've already stated once before), the weather pleasant, and the company was genuinely fun. It was literally like if Ponyville was transported to a different world and placed on the coast instead of being landlocked. I actually caught myself expecting to see Sugarcube Corner after turning a corner once or twice. All that familiarity however served only to feed my own longing to get back home. Because no matter how familiar this place felt, there were enough differences to remind me this was not home.
It was about two hours after we met up with Titus when we run into something to break the peaceful monotony I was starting to fall into. Turning yet another corner our small group ran into none other than the grumpy guard Ernie. The guardsman seemed to be standing for no apparent reason in front of what looked like a general store, arms crossed on his chest and a smirk I could only describe as malicious hiding underneath his shaggy black beard.
Applejack didn't seem too thrilled to have run into him, her green eyes narrowing as she lowered her Stetson in agitation. Titus however didn't seem that bothered by this turn of events and directed his steps towards his fellow guard, a smirk of his own tugging on his lips.
"Hey Ern, how's it hanging?!" He greeted his older counterpart, provoking the man in question to momentarily lose that smirk and grumble in annoyance.
"Ye call me that one more time lad, and I'll make sure no one will find yer body." He snapped back at Titus, which only earned a chuckle from him.
"Sure you'll do, Ern." He replied cheekily, earning a glare and a muttered curse from Ernie. "So, whatcha doing here anyway? Here to buy some quality grog from Ven, or…?"
"Nay, just… waitin'." Ernie replied, looking back at the front door of the shop, his smirk returning.
"Waitin' for what?" It seemed Applejack was sufficiently intrigued since I doubt she would've normally say anything to the guy. Still, she didn't get any sort of response from the grump, and was about to repeat herself when she noticed something wasn't quite right. "Wait a moment… Where's Rainbow Dash? Shouldn't she be here with ya?"
"Oh, she is." Was all she got in terms of response as guard Ernie was still looking intently at the shop. It seemed however that this was enough for his fellow guard to piece together what was going on.
"You're a bastard, you know that?" Titus commented, shaking his head at Ernie. "You really did that."
"Did what?" I asked, confused. My question unfortunately went unnoticed.
"I didn't do anythin' lad, she went o' 'er own free will." Guard Ernie replied simply, shrugging nonchalantly. After a moment however he added. "Ten sails Ven's goin' ta tan 'er hide."
"No bet." Titus immediately shook his head, confusing both Applejack and me even further. It was actually enough for AJ to get fed up with being so left out of the loop and address the issue directly.
"Can somepony tell me what in tarnation is goin' on?! Where's Rainbow? And what makes y'all say this Ven fellar's gonna lay a hurtin' on her?"
At this point I wasn't necessarily sure what made the two guards shift their attention to Applejack: her raised voice, or the fact she let an Equestrianism slip in there. In the end however it didn't really matter as Titus decided to answer her questions regardless.
"You see, it's like this: Ven's the owner of this here shop, but also a father of two girls. His eldest daughter, Katrine, recently started to see Benny Harker, the owner of the lumber mill. Ven's not really fond of Harker, the two butt heads on occasion, and it drives him mad that his daughter actually accepts his advances. I even think he forbade her from seeing him at some point under threat he's going to disown her if she keeps this up."
"Like 'e's ever goin' to do that. The bloke's too soft fer that." Ernie decided he might as well add his two bits, which in a ironic twist of fate went completely ignored by Applejack. Speaking of her:
"That's nice and all but how does all that have anythin' to do with Rainbow?"
"I was just getting to that." Titus assured. "You see, Ven's so focused on Katrine that he straight up ignores his younger daughter, Shayliss. And I'll just say that Shayliss has a… reputation around Sandpoint."
"The lass' jealous o' 'er sister's luck in the relationship department an' figured becomin' a harlot's going ta help 'er." Ern supplied offhandedly, being as blunt as a cudgel to the head.
"And Ah still don't see what this has ta do with Rainbow?"
"Shayliss' known to fancy both men and women."
"Oh." AJ and I both uttered simultaneously, realizing what the two guys were implying.
Titus nodded at our reaction, crossing his arms on his chest. "Yeah, that's a bit of an issue, 'specially for old Ven. Even though it's her own decision who she fancy's, and the whole town knows about it, Ven's not really happy about that. But since he's the overprotective father type, he got it into his head that it's others that corrupted his baby girl, and add to that his explosive temperament and you have a recipe for disaster."
Upon hearing the explanation I exchanged a quick glance with the Applejack. "So what you're saying is that…"
"Shayliss most likely tricked your friend into coming with her and by now's probably trying to woo her, yes. And if I know how it usually goes, Ven's going to walk on in them." Titus confirmed. "By the way, what method did she use this time?"
"Rats in the basement." Ernie informed, his grin never leaving his face. "I'm actually surprised she didn't jump on the occasion once asked fer help. Gay Parade tried ta get miss Fluttershy involved fer some reason."
"Fluttershy's good with animals, and probably would chew Rainbow out if she ever found out she willingly harmed any… wait, Gay Parade?" I admit, it took me some time to realize what I heard, but once I did I genuinely couldn't help but snort in amusement. I know, sexual orientation is no laughing matter, but the nickname's still amusing.
What little mirth I was feeling quickly dissipated when a muffled scream came from the building in front of us. The cry, obviously a furious male's roar, was quickly followed by another one, this time much more high-pitched. Seconds later sounds of a scuffle started to come from within the shop, several loud thunks sounding from the inside, like if somepony was trying to redecorate the inside using a mace, followed by a series of crashes and yelps that could belong only to Rainbow Dash. Judging purely by sound, she was having the time of her life.
"Shouldn't we try an' help her?" Applejack asked uncertainly, casting a wary glance at the front door of the shop.
Before she was able to take even a step forward Applejack immediately paused, spying something through one of the windows of the building. This thing turned out to be none other than Rainbow Dash, which became quite obvious not a second later when she bodily slammed into the door, forcing it open and stumbling onto the dirt road in a slight daze. She recovered quickly though and, which in my personal opinion seemed horribly out of character, started to crawl-run away from the shop and its angry owner and towards our flabbergasted group. Well flabbergasted except for Ernie, who was in the middle of laughing his flank off.
"Keep him away from me!" Rainbow managed to shout out just as she took shelter behind AJ's back. "That guy's crazy!"
It was in that moment, accompanied by the sounds of a frantic Rainbow Dash and the hysterical laughter of guard Ernie, that the man responsible for the former's panicked reaction showed his face. One glance at the man however made me question why Rainbow was acting like she did and completely understand it at the same time.
Ven Vider was an average-looking man all around. Being a middle aged shop owner, he displayed characteristics of someone used to moderately hard work, especially heavy lifting. His tan skin seemed leathery at places and downright hardened on his hands, a sure sign of a lifetime spent working, providing for his family and running everything by himself. His dark clothes and wide-brimmed dark hat seemed nice enough, pointing out he was relatively well off. All in all, everything really did screamed 'average' while looking at him. Everything but his face.
Shielded from the sun by his hat and covered by a dark, bushy beard, Mr. Vider's face seemed to glow an unnatural, furious red. It was literally the color that could be achieved only by a father defending the honor of his baby girl, ready to brutally murder whomever dared to break her heart, or in this case try and 'deprive' her. His dark, beady, bloodshot with rage eyes immediately focused on Rainbow's form, who was doing her best to hide behind Applejack, and if looks could kill, she'd be the most lively dead I'd ever seen. It didn't help the man was brandishing a really sharp-looking hoe, ready to split her skull with it.
"Get back 'ere you little piece of shit! I'm's not finished with you!" He bellowed furiously, immediately taking his steps towards the cowering speedster. He didn't get far fortunately, as Titus decided he should try and stop the man before he did something he'd later regret.
"Calm down Ven, take it easy. There's no need for this…"
"The Hell there isn't!" Ven spat at that. "That strumpet tried ta seduce me daughter! Hell, she shamed me little Shayliss already!"
"Hey, I didn't even touch your daughter!" Rainbow tried to defend herself, only to duck back behind AJ's back when the man lifted his hoe threateningly.
"You shut your whore mouth! I knows what I saw! You's a deviant!"
"I'm not a deviant!" That one seemed to touch a nerve. Rainbow, upon hearing that insult, sprung from behind Applejack and shook her fist at the raging man. "You call me that one more time punk, and I'm going to make you feel as crap as you look!"
"Rainbow!" AJ, who up until then struggled to get a grip on what the actual buck was going on, seemed to finally snap out of it and hissed at RD. "Ya ain't helpin'."
”Well I don't see you doing anything either." Dash snarked back at the apple mare, after which she glared at her guard partner. "And what are you laughing at? A little help here!"
"Nah, I ain't going ta help ye with this one lass." Ernie replied, getting a hold of his laughter long enough to say that with a straight face. "This doesn't concern me. An' it was ye that decided to go through with it. Ain't my concern what ye do after duty." And with that said he started to walk away, like if nothing had happened here, leaving a completely stunned Rainbow Dash behind.
"What? After duty?" She mumbled for a second to herself, forgetting about the furious shop owner to stare at the back of the guard's head. Finally, she snapped. "Are you kidding me?! We're off duty?! Since when?!"
"An hour or so ago." Ern replied without turning around, after which he gave her a little wave. "Ye have fun now!" And with that he turned a corner, disappearing from site.
"…that bastard!" Was all Rainbow managed to utter before an angry 'Don't you ignore me, pervert!' from Mr. Vider brought her back to the reality of what her life was right now. "All of my hate!"
Ponyville and Sandpoint had a number of things in common. A cozy, homey atmosphere; a generally nice if not sometimes eccentric population; and a number of problems that seemed to crawl from out of the woodwork. But for all similarities the two settlements shared, just as many differences could be noticed if one was just to look around more carefully. With a number of stone structures dotting the townscape and the gigantic ruined lighthouse looming ominously over the port town it was easy enough to deduce as much. But there were several more subtle distinctions that I just recently started to notice. And the one I learned about today was rather… intoxicating, if you catch my drift.
Ponyville didn't really have that much in terms of places to get a drink, not that I knew anything substantial about that. Sure there was at least one restaurant that offered alcoholic beverages to go with their more fancy meals, and there was one night club I heard about that didn't shy away from selling hard cider and actual liquor, but that was about it. Well, maybe the Apple family had a stash of hard cider they broke out for special occasions, but that didn't really count. Here however, oh it was a different world altogether.
Sandpoint had at least two inns, both offering food and drink, sold jointly or separately, depending on their clients' preferences. There were also at least two bars, and a straight up brewery supplying not only the town in several types of alcoholic brews, but also other settlements in the region. It probably came with the fact that Sandpoint, as a port town, had a lot more foreign traffic and through their import and export policies having places to produce and serve drinks was a smart and truth be told lucrative idea.
Let me go back however to the bars I've mentioned. One of them was called the 'Hagfish', mostly due to the owner having an aquarium on display with a strange, ugly, eel-like fish sloshing in slimy water, called just that. Well, the owner affectionately called it Norah or something like that, but for the life of me, I couldn't tell how something that looked like an overgrown leech with a fang-filled maw could possibly translate into that. The establishment itself was definitely one of the more shady ones in town, the air thick with the stench of alcohol and filled with silvery wisps of pipe smoke, all that among the din of excited voices and the sound of rolling dice. I probably forgot to mention the Hagfish was also a gambling site, game tables placed here and there, with excited and/or concentrated players placing their bets and trying to outplay their opponents and win the pot. Either way, the place was lively, even if tension spiked from time to time. And how do I know all that you ask? Well, it should be obvious.
After the fiasco that was trying to calm Ven Vider down, guard Titus decided we needed something to distract us from what happened. Looking at Rainbow Dash, she really needed it, for more reasons than one. Allowing ourselves to be led by the guard, who concluded similarly to Ernie that we were more or less done for the day, we found ourselves in front of the Hagfish in no time. Picking a table for us and ordering a round of drinks, he then proceeded to talk us through what we, especially Rainbow, should do in the situation we found ourselves in.
Apparently this situation was hardly new for him, and as such he had a speech prepared for just this occasion. In the long run it was a smart thing to do, and he even had a special fund prepared for the victims of Shayliss' machinations, mostly for drinks at the Hagfish, should a victim need a couple of stiff ones to get past the whole mess. Titus also promised o try and minimize the fallout that was sure to follow Ven's intervention. Long story short, it's best we try and avoid the store run by that family, and yes, we, as in our whole group, Twilight and Rarity included. It was common knowledge around town we were sort of a team, and Ven would no doubt take issue with anyone even remotely associated with Rainbow. Just goes to show how spiteful the man could really be.
Having talked us through and finishing his drink, guard Titus decided it was time for him to get on with his promised damage control. Bidding us farewell and informing the barkeep, a jolly man, despite him losing a leg, by the name of Jargie, that we were on the 'Ven fund', he left the Hagfish, leaving the three of us to ourselves.
It was an… interesting experience. Up until now I never really were out without Twilight in tow. I mean sure, Donut Joe's was a place I frequented back in Canterlot, even when Twi couldn't come with me, too caught up with her studies, but this was fundamentally different. I mean this was a bar and a casino for starters. And I was in the company of two mares that… nope, not going there. This is not a date, nor a double one.
Why did I even think about that?
Anyways, I guess the experience, if it took place in any other circumstances, would've been a fun one. Unfortunately, with Rainbow Dash looking the most miserable I've seen in my life and dejectedly downing tankard after tankard of foamy ale, this was anything but. It actually got AJ and me concerned when we realized how much and how fast was RD drinking. But just when Applejack decided she should intervene, Dash slammed her fourth tankard onto the wooden table and glared at it with slightly bleary eyes.
"This sucks." She muttered just loud enough for the two of us to hear. The look on her face, despite a slight flush on her cheeks, was one of misery. "This sucks sooo much."
"Eh… Sugarcube?" Applejack said gently, silently judging whether or not Dash was speaking under the influence of alcohol. "Ya know we ain't blamin' ya, right? Ya just did what ya thought was right."
"Well of course I know." Dash replied with a little bit more force than necessary. "I didn't say 'this is all my fault', I just said this whole thing sucks." She finished, letting out a groan and burying her head in her arms.
AJ and I shared a look. For somepony aware of their lack of fault she really didn't act the part.
"Listen Rainbow, Titus already said he's going to take care of this." I said matter-of-factly. "The worst that will happen is we'll be banned from one store, that's all."
"Spike's right sugarcube, this' ain't the end of the world." Applejack added helpfully. Sadly, that didn't seem to do anything for RD's demeanor, her head still buried in her arms.
"I know!" She groaned once more, face still directed at the table and muffled by her hands. "Can you two just drop it already?"
Sharing one more look, Applejack and I decided this called for an intervention.
"We ain't droppin' this until ya tell us what's a matter." My blond companion decided with finality, giving RD a hard look. Sadly, since Dash wasn't looking at us, its potency was lost on the prismatic mare.
"I told you to drop it!" Was all Rainbow managed without lifting herself to look at us.
"Well then, tough luck -we ain't gonna do that."
Rainbow didn't respond to that. She just kept her head buried as it was and decided to ignore us in favor of whatever it was that she was doing. Seriously though, it seemed so out of character for her that it really got the two of us concerned. And to think it was all because of one shop owner, his daughter, and a guard with a mean streak. Then again, since I was there when they tried to calm said shop owner down, I could partially relate.
The whole thing was destined to fail from the start, the attempts at dissuading Ven Vider from enacting his vengeance futile. The man didn't want to listen to reason, and when Rainbow gave her side of the story he almost flew into a berserker rage, accusing her of lying and trying to save her own skin. For the record: Dash thought she was asked to get rid of a few overgrown rats (Rats the size of dogs? Seriously?!) in a basement by some random girl, but ended up being confronted not by giant rodents but by a makeshift cot. Next thing she knows, the same girl that asked her for help is standing there, buck naked, her clothes on the ground, and trying to advance on her. It didn't help that Dash, despite understanding the utilitarian part of wearing clothes, didn't really care for the social aspect of it in humanoid society, so she didn't even think to tell the girl, Shayliss, to put them back on when refuting her attempts. Add to that Ven walking in on them and you have a whole hot mess ready to explode all in your face.
I feel that came out distinctively wrong for some reason.
Long story short, Ven was understandably furious at Rainbow and ignored any of her pleas of innocence, calling her a depraved harlot that dared to put his little angel's purity into question. Didn't help much Shayliss didn't take kindly to being rejected and backed her father up, going as far as to insinuate this was a rape attempt on Rainbow's part. AJ and I knew back then that this had as much in common with truth as a mole had with nuclear physics, but since this whole debacle attracted a sizable crowd of onlookers, Dash's morality has been put into question. In the end, this was a disaster all around, and that's without Ven's parting gift.
"Ah can tell somethin's botherin' ya, and Ah ain't one ta just let it go like that. So either ya start talkin' or Ah'm gonna force it outta ya." I was snapped out of my reminiscence by Applejack's declaration. She seemed to have just about enough of Rainbow's attitude and as such decided to forgo any notion of subtlety and just squeeze it out of her friend.
At first it seemed Rainbow Dash was about to ignore her friend once more, but one quick glance at her hooves hands said otherwise. As soon as the meaning of AJ's words reached her, Rainbow started to clench her fists, so strongly in fact, that they started to shake. It looked almost as if she was about to explode and tell Applejack to get lost or actually punch her (after all, alcohol supposedly made ponies do really stupid things), but in the end it brought a reaction we weren't expecting, at least not at that point.
"You know what? Fine! I'll tell you! I'll tell you what's bucking up!" Dash snapped, her fist colliding with the wooden surface of the table with enough force to rattle the collection of metal tankards in front of her. She then lifted her head and directed her irritated glare at AJ, her right eye burning with anger while her left one remained swollen and purple.
"I've been bucking humiliated by some Celestia-damned shopkeeper and his whore daughter in front of a crowd of onlookers, that's what's up! I've been played like a foal by a guy that was supposed to be showing me what I'm supposed to do as a guard just because he's holding some sort of grudge. I can't even blow off some steam because I'm not a pegasus anymore. And if that wasn't enough, the whole thing will start the bucking rumors again! I don't want to go through all that again!" Rainbow ended in a shout, slamming her fist on the table again and garnering the attention of other patrons. Noticing this but not really caring, she glared at the closest onlooker, huffing from her little outburst in a threatening manner until he looked away.
During all this I admit to have backed away slightly from Rainbow, mainly because I really didn't know what she was about to do. It didn't even have anything to do with the amount of drinks she already had; I genuinely had never seen her behave like that. Well, true, there was that one time in the forest, but compared to this that one was but a little tantrum thrown by a toddler. Was this again a sign of whatever was affecting us that made us that much more irritable, or was it just the lack of inhibition brought upon by an alcoholic haze? Either way, I didn't want to have anything to do with it.
Applejack in the other hoof didn't seem all that fazed, her expression becoming a little harder but otherwise unshifting. She calmly listened to what Rainbow had to say, seemingly not surprised by any of it, and looked like she had an answer already prepared. That is until she understood the last part of it. Cocking her eyebrow questioningly, she couldn't help but ask:
"Whaddya mean by rumors, sugarcube? That this whole Shayliss-gal tricked ya, or that Ven kinda hit ya square in the…" She trailed off, having been met by a one-eyed glare from the former pegasus.
"That's not funny Applejack." She muttered, annoyed. "At this point I don't give a flying feather about having a black eye thanks to that idiot. And I rather the rumors say I've been tricked by that whore than… whatever, you know what I mean." She muttered in the end, refusing to finish the line of thought herself and figuring we knew what she was talking about. The look on AJ's face however said otherwise.
"No Rainbow, Ah don't, an' neither does Spike." She replied after noticing Dash was avoiding eye contact and busying herself by checking if there wasn't anything left in her tankards. "Why won't ya enlighten us?"
"Seriously?! You expect me to believe you never even thought that? That you never just assumed that I was one?"
"Was one what?" Applejack pressed on, making Rainbow squirm uncomfortably. After a moment however Dash decided that she might as well get it out already and have this conversation over with. Squaring her shoulders she looked Applejack square in the eyes and with whatever seriousness she could manage in her state she said:
"That I'm a filly fooler."
A few silent seconds had passed before it was broken by a simple question.
"Aren't you though?"
It took me a second to realize I was the one asking that question. It took me another to realize this was probably a bad thing to say. But it took me less than a millisecond to start regretting opening my mouth.
Before I could even blink I felt something hard, cold, end definitely made out of metal collide with my forehead. The force of this hit, while not particularly strong, at least when compared to what I've been through the last couple of days, was enough to knock me off my chair. Landing in an undignified heap on the decisively dirty wooden floor I decided the best thing I could do given the circumstances was pretend to be unconscious. Maybe, just maybe, I'll be able to walk from this one out alive.
"Rainbow! What in tarnation ya think you're doin'?!" I heard Applejack shout in protest, after which she leaned over where I fell, giving me a concerned look. Immediately I started to shake my head, hoping she'd get what I was going at and didn't mention I wasn't really out… Yeah, like that would ever work. With Applejack's abysmal poker face I'd be surprised if she'd been able to trick even a blind pony, far less Rainbow Dash.
True to my expectations and in stark opposition to my will, AJ didn't even try to pretend I was out and lifted me back to my chair with little difficulty. Once seated again I was immediately greeted by a fiery glare and a massive scowl courtesy of Rainbow Dash. Feeling what little bravery I had just said ‘buck this, I’m out’ and left through a window, I immediately started to sweat profusely (which by the way was an odd feeling, considering as a dragon I did not sweat), trying my best to shrink and just slip away.
Where's Trixie when you actually need her?
An awkward silence descended upon us, with RD glaring at me, me trying to disappear, and Applejack looking like she wasn't sure whose side she should be on. I realized my question was most definitely something that ticked Dash off more than anything ever before, and intellectually I knew I should apologize. Problem is, when you're basically a coward facing the wrath of a mare insulted there's virtually nothing that could be said to make things better.
An angry grunt alarmed me that something was going on. Looking back at Rainbow, only just now realizing I was actively avoiding eye contact, I saw her rest her head on her hand, leaning on the table, and looking away from me, still scowling. Before I was able to even think about saying sorry though she spoke up first, a mix of dejection and irritation in her voice.
"Always the same. Wherever I go, it's always the same." She muttered, absently knocking a tankard over and watching it spill what little there was inside it onto the table. "Everypony assumes I'm into mares. All because my mane looks like it does." She sighed, knocking another tankard over. "It's not like I chose to have a mane like this. Heck, my dad, one of the most awesome stallions I know has the same exact mane as I do. And you know what?" Here she looked at me again, her glare slightly less profound but still there. "Ponies labeled him a colt cuddler. Rainbow Blitz, former royal guard, a stallion that went on four tours with his company to Macintosh Hills to man Fort Dragon and defend the border from the Badland dragon raiders; a father and loving husband. And ponies called him a bucking colt cuddler! Just because of the mane he was born with!
"I don't have anything against ponies who are gay or anything, really." Rainbow switched from almost on the verge of raging into mellow in, well, less than ten seconds really, taking me by surprise. "It's their thing. But I'm not one of them, okay? I never was interested in mares, and I don't think I'll ever will. Heck, with how things are going, I think I'll end up single for the rest of my life, because every bucking pony thinks I'm a filly fooler! Do you have any idea how irritating it is when somepony cool starts hitting on you because she thinks you're into mares? Or how hard it is to find a stallion that doesn't think that for that matter? I'm just… sick and tired of this." She finished her tirade, deflating visibly and burying her head in her arms again.
At this point I really wished Rainbow Dash was still furious. I could take a verbal lashing, I'd even endure a more physical punishment if I had to. But this?
I don't think I ever saw Rainbow so emotional before. She never spoke about what she really felt, normally that was too girly for her to even consider doing. But now for whatever reason she decided to uncover what she really was feeling, and hearing all this made me feel like a sack of horseapples. In fact, looking at her like this made me feel even worse than that, and before I knew what I was doing, I was once again flapping my gums, this time hopefully saying something that would solve this situation instead of making it worse.
"Listen, Rainbow." I started, sounding unsure. "I'm sorry I said that, I really am. I just… I said the first thing my stupid brain came up with, and didn't think it through." I ventured forth, earning a nod of approval from Applejack, even if she was looking dumbfounded at Dash's earlier emotional outburst. "I didn't really believe what I said…"
"Yeah, right." I was cut off by Rainbow herself, the prismatic speedster scoffing at the notion as if I was trying to sell her some kind of made up story. Lifting her head to look at me again, she gave me a slight glare. "'It was just a slip of the tongue.' 'I never really meant to say that.' 'You don't have to get so defensive, we all know that's not true.' Been there, done that. I've heard those lines so many times I was starting to think that counting them would make a decent hobby. So you can save yourself the effort and just forget about it, Spike." She finished with a roll of her eyes, her hand grasping at the last standing tankard in front of her and knocking it over mindlessly.
Well, I was officially at a loss. I mean I wanted to apologize, I really did! Only thing is, Rainbow seemed determined not to accept any of this. At some level it gave me insight into how big of a deal this really was for her; I mean if she was actually wounded enough to automatically assume an apology was insincere than this wasn't a recent problem, and also meant she had enough bad experiences to warrant such a defensive reaction in the first place. But right here and right now it mostly meant problems for me. Fortunately, I wasn't alone in this.
"Listen, sugarcube, Ah really don't think Spike's pullin' your leg here." AJ, bless her Stetson, decided I needed some help. No doubt she felt the sincerity of my apology and seeing it rejected so readily by Rainbow prompted her to act. Looking Dash as square in her good eye as she could giving her uninterested gaze she pushed onward regardless. "Sure, he ain't the best with words an' all, an’ ya saw just how big of a hoof he can shove in his mouth, but ya know as well as Ah do he's a decent fella. When he says he's sorry, he gosh darn well means it. Just… give the little guy a chance, will ya?" She asked.
Rainbow stayed silent for a while, her gaze at some point of Applejack's words focusing on the farm mare, and then shifting onto me. For a moment when her gaze was on me I couldn't really tell what she was thinking, her face strangely devoid of any emotion, but that fortunately didn't last very long. Shaking her head and letting out a small groan of defeat Dash slumped her shoulders.
"Okay, fine. I'll cut him some slack." RD decided, but gave me a pointed one-eyed look soon after. "But if you ever say that again so help me Celestia…" And she left the threat hanging, making me instinctively gulp and nod furiously.
"Don't worry, it won't happened again. Promise!"
"Good." She nodded in return, a shadow of a satisfied smirk crossing her lips.
"There's one thin' Ah don't understand though." Applejack interjected, seeing the crisis resolved with no dragon casualties to dot the statistics. "Iffen your mane's that big of a problem Rainbow Dash, then why don't ya, Ah dunno, dye it or somethin'? Ya couldn't be labeled so easily then…"
"No. Just… no." Dash interrupted her almost immediately, lifting her hand in front of the farmpony's face. "Firstly: my name's Rainbow Dash. Rainbow Dash. That's kinda a joint package, if you know what I mean. Secondly: I like my mane how it is. And if word got out I actually tried to do something as frou-frou as that, my reputation'd be in shambles in no time. Not to mention Rarity would try to get in on that action. Thirdly: this is like one of the major things that I have in common with my dad, and I already said -he's one of the most awesome ponies I know, almost as awesome as the Wonderbolts. And fourthly: even if by some miracle I actually did dye my mane, that wouldn't change much."
"Why's that?" AJ asked. I wanted to ask too to be honest, but seeing I already strained what limited relations I had with Rainbow I decided to play it safe.
Rainbow seemed to have expected the question and just shrugged nonchalantly, or as nonchalantly as she could given the topic. "Apparently the way I act makes some ponies think of me like that. But seriously: I'm a mare that wants to join the best flying squadron in Equestria; an only child raised by former military; and the walking embodiment of awesome. Of course some will be attracted to that… or discouraged…" She trailed off, seemingly getting down again, but shook the gloom off of herself and promptly waved over the innkeep, ordering another ale.
"Eh… Rainbow?" Despite my earlier decision of playing safe from now on I couldn't help but ask. "Don't you think that… well… you had enough?"
"Spike's right sugarcube, this thing has more kick to it than it lets on." AJ agreed, giving her friend a concerned look. "An' 'sides, ya already look like ya had a mite much ta drink."
"No I didn't!" Rainbow immediately tried to protest, waving her arm in a wide arc and in the process knocking AJ's Stetson from her head, earning her a glare from the apple farmer. Having the decency to blush Dash lowered her hand and looked sheepish. "Well, okay. Maybe I am a little bit… um… what was the word again?"
"Tipsy?"
"Yeah, that thing!" Dash nodded at my raised eyebrow. "So, um… Can I at least finished what I ordered? It's not every day you get to drink without paying and all…" she seemed to trail off, looking with her good eye at something Applejack and I couldn't see. Figuring this was the alcohol finally letting itself be known we didn't think much of it, but decided to humor Dash all the same.
"Ya know what? Go for it. But this' the last tankard, ya hear?"
"Yeah, sure thing AJ." Rainbow muttered, following something with her eye still and seemingly sparing us only a part of her attention. This was starting to look a bit odd, but Applejack and I still though this wasn't anything important and let it slide, choosing instead to focus on something else.
"Well, at least now we know why Rainbow was so open about all that." I intoned in a low voice, giving AJ a sideways glance. Picking her hat from the floor and dusting it she replied a bit stiffly.
"True, but she wouldn't have ta be so open iffen ya thought before ya said anythin'."
"Yeah, you're probably right." I nodded, remembering this mess was kinda my fault.
"Trust me; Applejack's definitely right." Pinkie decided to interject. Nodding in agreement, I… wait. Pinkie?
Turning my head to the other side I was greeted by two large, blue orbs staring straight at me from a distance that most definitely was intruding on my personal space. Letting out a startled cry I once again fell from my chair, this time being caught before I hit the ground by the timely intervention of one Applejack. Gulping down a few mouthfuls of air to try and calm my racing heart I stared at the completely unfazed expression of the most partiest pony of them all.
"P-Pinkie Pie?" I managed to utter, still a bit freaked out by her sudden appearance.
"In a sense." She nodded, as if I had actually asked her a question. But what the hay did she mean by that? No matter, I rather not know.
"What are you doin' here sugarcube?" Applejack decided to help me out and asked in my stead, at the same time sitting me back on my chair.
Pinkie smiled at that question, though her grin was relatively subdued compared to most of her usual smiles. "Looking for you guys." She replied, both answering the question and prompting another to be asked.
"Why?"
"For money."
"What?"
"What?"
"What?"
Why?
"I'm sorry, what were we talking about?" Pinkie asked, acting as if what happened just moments before was a completely normal occurrence. Well, seeing it was Pinkie, this actually could be considered as normal, at least for her. Shaking our heads Applejack and I shared a look, not really sure how we should respond to that. Finally, I decided to sacrifice myself for the cause.
"Why were you looking for us again?" I asked, half expecting her to go off on a tangent again.
"Oh, right!" Pinkie smiled again, producing a small leather pouch and handing it to me. Unsure of what was going on I nonetheless accepted the small bundle, quickly realizing it was filled with coins. "Your part of the reward for helping catch that robber from earlier. Twenty five sails, half the normal rate. The other half went to Trixie."
"Okay…" I said slowly, pocketing the money for later pooling. This wasn't exactly something I expected to happen; I thought Pinkie would've kept the money and later on pass it to Twilight or Rarity. After all, they were the ones keeping tabs on our expenses. "So… was that all?" I asked.
Pinkie shook her head. "Actually no. You asked me to keep an eye on Trixie, so I decided now would be as good time as any to give you my report." She proclaimed with utmost seriousness, standing at attention as if she was addressing a superior officer, awaiting permission to continue.
"I don't think that will be really necessary." I replied with uncertainty, eyeing her odder-than-usual behavior. "I mean as long as she didn't try to skip town or do anything funny behind our backs I don't really care…"
"Abridged version it is then." Pinkie decided to cut me off before I could finish my sentence. Second time today that happened, that has to be some kind of record…
Before I had time to finish my line of thought, which by the way probably counted as the third instance of being cut off now that I think about it, Pinkie launched into what she said she would do: she started giving me a brief summary of what Trixie was up to for the last couple of hours.
"At about 15:00 subject 'Magician' entered Sandpoint garrison to receive her part of the reward. Formalities took around half an hour, after which the subject left the building. The subject then stopped briefly at the Rusty Dragon; it is believed she dropped off her part of the reward there, as well as ate. At around 16:30 subject exited the inn and proceeded to wander within town limits. At 17:00 subject was stopped by a male civilian in flashy clothing, entering a brief conversation with Magician. The two afterwards proceeded to move together, until at 17:25 they entered the 'Hagfish' establishment, where they remain to this time."
Okay, I admit: I wasn't expecting something like that. If not for the fact I was used to writing down Twilight's rapid-fire observations and knew bits and pieces of military jargon thanks to Shining Armor I no doubt would be at a loss similar to Applejack. The poor apple farmer was looking completely dumbfounded at Pinkie Pie, mouth agape and all. Not to be mistaken though -I wasn't fairing much better myself. It literally took me a couple of moments to realize I was gaping at Pinkie with my jaw unhinged. Snapping my mouth shut I shook my head and gave the party mare a look, trying to ignore the fact she was still standing at attention, unnaturally still I might add.
"I… eh… I guess you did a good job, I think?" I offered, unsure what I was supposed to say to all that. I mean Pinkie even used military time for crying out loud! What's up with that?
Hearing my reply Pinkie assumed the 'at ease' position, nodding at me and giving me a proud smile. "Glad to have been of service. I realized this had to be something important, so I tried my best to accomplish the mission to the full extent of my abilities."
"And you did good." I nodded, the initial shock wearing off little by little. The whole thing still had strange written all over it, but at this point I was past caring about normal. What I did care about however was the fact that I just realized a crucial detail of what Pinkie had just 'reported'. "Did you mention that Trixie is here?"
"Yes." A short nod from Pinkie wasn't exactly what I would call a normal reply from her, but what the hay. "She and an eccentrically-dressed man entered the Hagfish about seven to eight minutes ago."
"Wait up there a spell sugarcube." Applejack, who I think just managed to close her mouth, decided to interject, looking at Pinkie with a mix of apprehension and curiosity. "If what you're sayin' is true then how come Ah didn't see her commin'? Ah'm pretty sure that 'un would'a made a grand entrance or at least get some ponie… er… people (Ah'll never get tha hang of it) ta notice her when commin' inside."
"Dunno how she did it, but she did." Pinkie replied simply, pointing out something or rather someone in another part of the Hagfish. "She's sitting right there if you don't believe me."
Not that I doubted Pinkie's words, but I looked in the direction she pointed out, same as Applejack. Not surprisingly there she was, Trixie, in all her showoffy splendor, sitting at a table with a man in bright, colorful attire. It took me a few moments to realize this was the same man with the hat with a crimson plume from the opening speeches of that disastrous festival. In fact, the same wide-brimmed hat rested on the table easily within the man's reach as he seemed to be in the middle of explaining something to the self-proclaimed most powerful unicorn in Equestria. It also seemed that Rainbow Dash, who stayed away from the conversation, if she even noticed there was one going on under her nose in the first place, knew she was here, the fact she was looking all this time in the direction of the magician being irrefutable proof of that.
"Any idea what what's-his-face wants with Trixie?" I asked, the man's name eluding me at the moment. I know I heard it, I even knew it started with a C, but for the life of me I couldn't place it. The response I got from Pinkie was in the form of a shrug.
"No idea. To maintain a low profile I had to at times be at a distance from the subject, well out of earshot. The most I can tell you is that it was he who initiated contact and that Magician seemed to be at first taken aback with whatever he told her."
"That's not much." I muttered, ignoring the fact Pinkie was still using her made up codename when referring to Trixie. Looking at the pink wonder I came up with a crazy idea. "You feel up to checking out what they're talking about?" I asked.
I was half expecting Pinkie to say yes, or 'yes sir' as it were, considering her odd military fixation. Therefore it was a slight surprise for me when her reply came in the form of shaking her head in the negative.
"No. There's something I have to do, so I can't stay here much longer. That, and I don't really like the idea of listening in on somepony else's private conversation, even if there are reasons to believe said pony can be plotting something behind our backs. Now, if you don't mind, I'll be on my way." And with that she turned from our table abruptly, almost slamming into the barkeep who only just managed to hobble to us with Rainbow's order, and exited the Hagfish in a hurried fashion.
"Hey, was that Pinkie Pie?" Rainbow asked after a second, blinking with her good eye in surprise. "When did she get here?"
I get the impression Rainbow really had a bit much to drink already.
With Pinkie gone (in a manner never before encountered when dealing with the party pony) I was one easy option short of having the mystery of Trixie's conversation solved. Truth be told, I didn't actually realize I wanted to know what she was up to so much until I saw her. Something was just telling me that I should be there and hearing this conversation, if not for any other reason than to have absolute certainty that she wasn't going behind our back.
Seeing that Applejack had her attention diverted towards Rainbow Dash, who still looked confused by Pinkie seemingly warping the time-space continuum by the way, not that this was any different from normal, I slipped from the pair and slowly made my way towards Trixie's table. Making sure to stay out of sight and using my short stature to my advantage, I managed to come close enough to the conversing duo to hear them talk while staying out of the magician's sight. The man I wasn't so much concerned with; I concluded that he probably wouldn't even realize what I was trying to accomplish here, but just to be on the safe side I tried to make myself look as uninterested as I could, half-hiding behind an abandoned game table.
"So, as you can see, Miss Lulamoon, I did not in fact mean to offend you in any manner by the way of comparing you to poor Nualia. The only thing I did mean by that was to point out your uncanny resemblance to her." Were the first words I could make out coming from the artist. He was far less bombastic now than he was during his speech three days ago, but that was probably due to this being a low-key conversation instead of a happening. I was however confused hearing him addressing Trixie as Miss Lulamoon. Was that her actual name? Was Trixie just a stage name or something?
I didn't have much time to ponder that as the mare in question shifted in her seat. With her dark violet eyes no doubt scanning the man carefully, she intertwined her fingers under her chin in a contemplative manner. "I see." She stated simply. After a second or two though she continued, gesturing with her right hoof hand. "This whole Nualia; Trixie's guessing that her story must have been a particularly interesting one, considering it caught the attention of an actor and a playwright."
"Interesting doesn't even begin to describe her story, my dear." The man was quick to assure her. "That word just doesn't give her story justice. A tale of a young aasimar, orphaned at birth and left in the care of a strict head priest who got it into his head to send her to a prestigious convent; a tale of prejudice and alienating one believed to have descended from the angels themselves; a tale of a young woman seeking love where there was naught but jealousy and envy, only to be shamed in the end. Why, her history is material for a dozen of plays, each one having potential to become a masterpiece if directed and played by the proper people."
"Goes to show that life is the author of the best scripts." Trixie agreed, though she seemed to be keeping her inquisitive gaze firmly placed on her interlocutor. "I do have to ask however: aasimar?"
"Yes, true, that is a little hiccup in this plan, but also is one that can easily be adjusted, either by use of illusion or appropriate changes to the script…" Judging by the slight shifting in her seat I was guessing that Trixie wasn't referring to this with her inquiry. She, as well as I at this point, was most likely wondering what an aasimar was in the first place. Seeing thus her question being misinterpreted the magician was about to interrupt the playwright when he cut his explanations short himself, letting out a sheepish chuckle. "Oh dear. Here I am, getting ahead of myself when I haven't even made the proposition official."
"Proposition?" Trixie inquired, and I could practically see her lift her eyebrow inquisitively.
"Yes. You see, from the moment I laid my eyes upon you, Miss Lulamoon, I couldn't stop thinking about you." Okay? This just got weird. "I thought to myself: here she is, the one I have been waiting for so long!" Yep, still weird. And a little bit creepy. "An exotic beauty with an uncanny resemblance, just radiating confidence and personality, and with what my trained eye could only interpret as layers of raw talent waiting to be exposed to the world. A bright star just waiting to for her chance to shine!"
"Oh, please." Despite this being an abrupt (and creepy) confession, Trixie wasn't one to shy away from being praised, as evident by the slight purr to her voice. "Do go on."
"So, as you can imagine, with all those factors I just had to meet you in person and exchange a few words, get a better grasp of who I have set my sights on. And now, after we've talked and I had the chance to actually interact with you, miss, I can safely say one thing." The man paused for dramatic effect, a smile plastered on his face. "You, my dear, are a naturally born actress! A rare breed indeed; one, that is as rare and as elusive as a unicorn, and just as great a treasure as one."
Looking past the most likely unintentional comparison (not to self: tell Twilight that this world apparently does have unicorns), the buttered up magician took this praise in stride, her ego almost visibly inflating. I for myself was starting to wonder if that hat of his wasn't too tight, because from where I'm standing it looks like the guy has brain damage. Then again, I may be biased.
I was half expecting Trixie to ask the man to continue stroking her ego, with how much she was enjoying this and all. Therefore her next words were a bit of a shock to me.
"And if Trixie might ask: how did you come to the conclusion that Trixie is such a raw talent in the field of acting, Mr. Drokkus?" Wait, was she actually putting into question his own praise? Or was this just a way to goad him into praising her even more? Because I was starting to think the second option was actually right here.
Seeing the man, Mr. Drokkus, was it? Strange, I could've sworn his name started with a C. Well, seeing him bow his head and place his right hand over his chest with a mock wince I could tell this was actually the second option. "Oh, you wound me so, Miss Lulamoon. I've been in this business for over twenty years now, and although I realize this is practically a two year internship for elves such as yourself, I do believe I can tell a good actor, or actress as the case may be, when I see one." I had to stop myself from snickering here, imagining Trixie's reaction to her implied age. Old timer indeed…
"The way you act, keeping a tight lid on your emotions during the entirety of our conversation, highlighting only what you wish to show and nothing else; why if that isn't artistry in acting than I don't know what is. I can even go as far as to say that the very way you refer to yourself is a construct of this art form, a persona you've created, like most accomplished actors do when they reach a level of fame and accomplishment. I can only guess that you were well educated in some kind of elven conservatory most other races of Golarion may only dream of, have you not?"
"I won't deny nor confirm that." Trixie replied, and I could hear a shadow of nervousness entering her voice. That made me wonder though: was this whole Drokkus fellow right? I mean I could very well tell that the magician wasn't nearly as good as he claimed she was; after all we were able to push her buttons enough for her to lose her cool and act without thinking so the notion of keeping her emotions in check wasn't all that well grounded, but in a civil conversation who knows, right? But the most important in my opinion was the one about her creating a persona. Just what did the man mean by that?
Unfortunately, as one not really taking part in the conversation I didn't have the time to ponder things as the discussion went on without me. Snapping back to attention I caught the tail-end of what must've been a question asked by Trixie, no doubt in an attempt to direct the conversation away from whatever touchy subject the playwright managed to touch upon.
"…does my talent have to do with this whole Nualia? Are you perchance asking Trixie to perform in a play you're putting together based on her story?"
"Beautiful and sharp, a rare combination." The man complemented, winking at the magician in a flirty manner. "Yes, indeed I am putting such a play together. Until recently though I lacked anyone to play the lead role, but with your help and a few slight adjustments to the script I can put together a spectacle the likes of Sandpoint has never seen before!"
"That is of course if Trixie decides to be a part of your play." I did a double take at that. Did Trixie just elude that she may not be willing to perform in front of an audience?! Did that tankard Rainbow Dash slammed me with hit me harder than I thought? Just what manner of madness was this?
I wasn't the only one taken aback with that declaration. While I was staring at the magician's back incredulously Mr. Drokkus was doing the exact same thing, only straight in her face. "Am I to understand you've decided not to take part in this?" He asked slowly.
To my great if simply mental relief Trixie shook her head. "Trixie didn't say that. All that Trixie said was that she hasn't decided yet. After all, I don't even know the script yet, or how my role would play out. Literally the only thing Trixie can tell at this point is that this will be a drama of sorts, which is good in Trixie's book. Comedy just isn't something I'm interested in taking part of." Having said that, the would-be actress leaned forward, probably giving her companion a challenging look. "So? What can I expect?"
It took the eccentric artist a moment to compose himself before he was able to come up with a response. Wiping his forehead in what could only be described as relief he nodded at Trixie, clearing his throat in the process. "Yes, well. You're only partially right on the part that this play will be a drama. In fact, this will be a tragedy, one deeply rooted in Sandpoint's recent history. I'm sure by now you've heard about the Late Unpleasantness?"
"Trixie heard bits and pieces. It was during that time the old cathedral burned to the ground, wasn't it?" Where did she learn that? I mean I'm quite sure Twilight didn't really know about that tidbit of information. *sigh* Another thing to report to her I guess.
"It was more widespread, but yes -the fire marked the last of the tragedies that transpired during that time period." The artist nodded. "The play itself will be my interpretation of what led to the fire in the first place, as well as social commentary on the problems of acceptance, alienation, and fanatical religiousness. Due to the fact most people I associated with these events are alive and live in Sandpoint, not to mention I was a resident of the town back in that time as well, I decided to place the events in a fictional setting that directly parallels Sandpoint and its inhabitants, as well as change characters as to not offend anyone. I will most likely still offend a fair amount of viewers once they realize what the story really talks about, but I'm not only willing to take that risk, but welcome the controversy. After all, a controversial play at least has free publicity. As for your involvement in this project of mine, Miss Lulamoon, I'll of course pay you the standard I usually save for big stars I manage to secure from Magnimar, plus, if the show happens to be a success, a bonus relative to how well you performed."
Hearing the proposed amount and assuming this was an appropriate pay for the use of her talents Trixie hummed in appreciation, tapping her chin with one of her fingers in contemplation. That gave me time to intellectually grasp just what happened before my very eyes. So Trixie, a mare I was suspecting was going to act as a complete freeloader and like a parasite live off of the girls' hard work was actually going to earn some money herself for a change? That was something I wasn't really expecting, not with her self-centered, better-than-thou attitude. It'd been even better if she was to pool what she earns this way with us, but considering her arrangements with Twilight this wasn't going to happen. Still, I was pleasantly surprised. And worried for the mental state of Mr. Drokkus, but that's beside the point.
"Trixie will need to see the script before she makes her decision final." The magician said after a moment of thinking, returning my attention back to the conversation. "However, with what you had presented thus far, Mr. Drokkus, Trixie can say that she would be interested in partaking in this project. It's fairly interesting, and Trixie would appreciate the chance to perform on a scene again, especially if she will get to play an interesting and complex role."
"Of course Miss Lulamoon, I wouldn't dream of having it any other way." The local artist beamed at the news, unadulterated joy painted on his face. "I'll have a copy of the script delivered to you by tomorrow evening. You're staying at the Rusty Dragon, correct?" He inquired, and after receiving a nod in response clapped his hands together. "Splendid! Then I shall look forward to your final decision and hopefully the next time we'll see each other will be at Sandpoint Theater."
I took that as my cue to leave. I learned all I needed, and I didn't really fancy being caught by either of those two while listening in on them. Remembering just how much of a mean slap Trixie had I didn't want a repeat of that. So, being careful not to make any undue noise that could attract the stage magician I slipped away from the two, making my way towards where Applejack and Rainbow Dash were seated. Or at least that was the plan.
Being so concerned with staying out of Trixie's line of sight I decided to ignore the playwright she was with, which came to bite me in my tail. Just as soon as I started to make my way towards my two companions Mr. Drokkus just had to notice my movement. Up until now it seemed he was content with ignoring my presence, but unfortunately, that was not the case right now.
"It does seem you already have the beginnings of a small fan base, Miss Lulamoon." He stated towards Trixie, yet with his eyes placed on my diminutive form. The silver-maned mare quickly followed his gaze and within moments her large eyes zeroed on me, narrowing slightly and making me freeze mid step. "Either way, I await your response. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to make some final adjustments to the script. Ta-ta!"
And just like that I ended up one on one with a magician that just so happens knows a shrinking spell. I silently vowed to get that man back for this, seeing him stand from their table and directing his steps towards the only exit. Mentally wishing to be in his place, I nonetheless steeled myself for what was about to come.