//------------------------------// // Putting on a Show // Story: The Wandering Physicist Adventures // by WanderingPhysicist //------------------------------// Main Characters: Silver Fox Cameos: TWP, Twilight, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie, Rei, Lyra Original Write Date: May 24, 2012     A green pegasus with a styled neon pink mane steps off the train in Ponyville station. She looks over her sunglasses at all the ponies trotting about. She turns to find a porter and is immediately confronted by a pale amber earth pony with a grey mane.     ‘Welcome to Ponyville, Miss d’Argento!’ the mayor greets.     Silver Fox sighs and puts on her best Vulpe d’Argento smile. ‘It is so wonderful to be in your lovely town.’     ‘Well, it is not everyday that we get a celebrity in town.’     ‘Don’t the Elements of Harmony live here?’     ‘I mean a real celebrity.’     A loud groan comes from behind the mayor. She steps aside as Twilight Sparkle trots up to greet the visiting pegasus.     ‘Greetings, Miss d’Argento. I am Princess Twilight Sparkle, one of the Elements of Harmony.’     ‘It is a pleasure meeting you,’ Silver lies, affecting a tone that would convince even Twilight that they never met.     ‘Twilight here has volunteered to show you around town and be your liaison during your visit,’ the mayor explains. ‘If there is anything you need, ask her.’     ‘I am sure this town will have everything I need.’     ‘Excellent! Please enjoy your stay!’     The mayor bows slightly and trots away. The remaining ponies sigh and look at each other.     ‘Been a while, Silver.’     ‘Sparkle.’ Silver looks around. ‘Does this town have an organic, gluten-free, nondairy smoothie bar? I’m a little thirsty after the train ride.’     Twilight groans. ‘How about we begin the tour, okay?’     Silver moans. ‘Fine. Let’s get this over with.’     Twilight snorts and leads Silver into town. The flashy pegasus attracts countless stares and whispers. She tunes them out, along with Twilight’s speech about the town. She fills in the details with what she sees in her mind.     Class two lock. Just need my simple picks. Silver thinks. Worn shutters on the second floor. Light force needed to break. Homeowner easily distracted by muffins. A tree for a house? Really? Wait. Why is she looking at me?     Silver blinks back to reality as Twilight frowns at her guest.     ‘Were you listening to anything I said?’     ‘Was any of it important to my mission?’     ‘Mission? Is the town under a threat?’     ‘Not that I know of... Oh right! You don’t know my true profession. I am here to steal the Elements of Harmony.’ Silver poses dramatically. Twilight’s jaw drops. ‘Oh. And I will be writing an episode about it. I figure it would make a good story.’     ‘Really? You came all this way for that?’     ‘Given your brother’s ability with magical barriers, I am looking forward to the challenge.’     Twilight facehoofs. ‘I keep them in a display case.’     ‘What?’ Everything Silver knows about security for national treasures with the ability to banish the greatest evils known to ponykind is thrown out the window.     ‘Ever since Discord was freed, Celestia thought it best for us to have our Elements ready at all times. I keep them in the lobby. The schoolfoals love seeing them when they visit.’     Silver questions her entire profession. ‘You just... show them to anypony who asks?’     ‘Want to see them? I keep the display case right by the door.’     Silver stares at Twilight, her mind shattered. Twilight tries to read her guest.     ‘Miss Silver?’     ‘Where is that mulberry-maned mare? She seemed to know where the best watering holes would be.’     ‘Are you okay?’     ‘That is unless you have something really strong or really expensive to drink in your home.’     ‘I just turned old enough recently. Why are you asking?’     ‘YOU KEEP THE ELEMENTS OF HARMONY IN YOUR LOBBY!’     Twilight backs away. ‘Please stop yelling. You are scaring me a little.’     Silver closes her eyes and takes several deep breaths. ‘Direct me to my hotel. I just want a warm bath and a bottle of liquor to finish off the day. I’ll figure out what I am going to do for the rest of the week then.’     ‘Are you sure you want to stay? You can make it back to Canterlot by night if you are really upset at me.’     ‘No. I paid for my room. I never waste money. Not one bit...’     Twilight slowly approaches the other mare and puts a hoof on her shoulder. ‘I am sorry that my security is not what you expected. Ponyville is a lot different place than even small cities like Hoofington and Trottingham.’     ‘Whatever. Just point me to my hotel.’     Twilight sighs and trots ahead of her guest. ‘Follow me.’     The night does not go as Silver hopes as well. She is unable to find a decent drink. She is unable to find a decent place to eat. The only thing going for her is that the local spa sold her some nice bubble bath. The defeated pegasus watches her tub slowly fill when she gets a knock on the door. Silver growls, turns off the water and goes to the door. She takes a deep breath, puts on her Vulpe d’Argento act again and opens the door.     ‘I am sorry, but I am going to be indisposed for the rest of the evening. Please come back later.’     Rei trots right past the other pegasus. ‘I brought pizza! Let’s party!’     Several things shock Silver. One is the brazenness of her guest. Second is who the guest is. At a distant third is the food being offered. Silver turns back to the room. Rei is looking everywhere and somehow still balancing the pizza on her head.     ‘Rei, it is nice to see you, but I was just about to take a bath.’     ‘AW! But Twilight told daddy to tell me that you were feeling all saddy and to bring you this pizza. I didn’t eat any of it yet or anything.’     ‘That is very nice, but I wan...’     A bottle drops from under Rei’s wing. ‘I, uh, also borrowed that from Kaeko-san.’     Silver examines the bottle. It is a rare type of sake from Neighpon. She looks up at the way underage pegasus. She picks the bottle up under her wing.     ‘Well, I won’t tell if you won’t.’ …     Silver moans contently as she soaks in her tub, forelegs hanging over the side. Her mane and coat are free of the dyes that once covered them, and her natural colors shine forth. A brush lands on Silver’s head and starts stroking her mane.     ‘Brushie, brushie,’ Rei mumbles mindlessly.     Silver snorts, blowing bubbles from the tub and all over the bathroom. Some land in the empty pizza box. One lands on top of the half-empty sake bottle. The drunk pegasus giggles as she watches the bubbles.     ‘Brushie, blub,’ Rei mumbles mindlessly as she goes underwater to brush Silver’s tail.     Silver giggles at the younger pegasus. She suddenly sits upright. ‘That wasn’t my tail!’     Rei resurfaces. ‘Sorry. Got a little lost.’     The other pegasus sighs. ‘You’re not the only one.’     ‘Gin-chan?’     Silver sighs, blowing bubbles in the tub. ‘Nothing seems to be going my way recently. Not just this trip. Ever since the Canterlot mission...’     Rei nuzzles the other pegasus. ‘It is okay.’     ‘My cast and crew hate me. I know it. I am so demanding about accurate dialogue and performances. That caused several delays in production. When my contract is up for renewal, I am sure they are going to threaten to walk if I don’t give up creative control.’     ‘It will work out. I know it.’     The silver-maned pegasus snorts. ‘Also, the Canterlot incident has caused a massive increase in requests for my talents. I can contract some of that load off to Octavia, but palace security is so demanding. That damn captain of the guard wants to know every detail about every centimeter of the palace. ARG! How can your father put up with his sister?’     ‘She grows on you. Plus, she is very cuddly!’     ‘Hmm. Right. Cuddly.’     Rei frowns at Silver. ‘Don’t you have a special somepony? I am sure all sorts of ponies love you.’     ‘The closest thing to a special somepony I have ever had was when you missed my tail just now.’     The younger pegasus grabs the older in hug. ‘Don’t feel sad! I know you’ll find the right pony one day. If I didn’t have three other ponies that I like, I would love to be your special somepony.’     Silver blushes then smiles. ‘Thanks, Rei. That means a lot to me.’     ‘Gin-chan...’ Rei looks at the other pegasus with wide eyes.     ‘Yes?’     ‘Want to get more pizza? I’m starved!’     ‘But you ate most of...’ Silver laughs and shakes her head. ‘That would be great.’     ‘Yay!’     Rei bolts from the tub to make the call, splashing water everywhere except, somehow, near the sake bottle. Silver sighs and goes back to soaking.     Silver wakes to a rapping sound coming from the sitting room of her hotel suite. The groggy pegasus looks around the room. Rei is nowhere to be seen. Silver sighs in relief. She would hate to have taken advantage of the underage pegasus given how drunk they were last night. She groans and rolls out of bed.     The waking pegasus yawns as she trots through her suite. The room is filled with pizza boxes from Rei’s binge the night before. Silver pities the pony that has to feed her on a regular basis. She wades through the mess and opens the balcony doors. A cyan pegasus stands on the landing.     ‘Are you ready to rock?’ Rainbow Dash shouts.     Silver winces as the yelling pounds her hungover head. A slice of pizza hits the new pegasus in the face.     ‘Urusai,’ Rei groans from under the couch. ‘And don’t eat that. It is mine.’     ‘Shouldn’t you be in school, kid?’     Rei bolts upright, knocking over the couch. ‘Shimata!’     A white and blue streak shoots from the hotel room. Rainbow Dash laughs at the filly before turning back to the guest.     ‘So, you coming?’     ‘Why? Where?’     ‘Twilight figured that since her tour was such lame sauce, that I could give you the awesome sauce tour of the area.’     Silver groans. ‘I’m not dressed.’     ‘Uh, Silver, we don’t normally wear clothes.’     ‘Or, as I am known in public, Vulpe.’     ‘D’oh! I forgot your silly disguise. … Screw that! You look fine. Let’s go.’     The thief glares. ‘You will wait for me or the next mane dyed neon pink will not be mine.’     ‘Fine!’ Rainbow Dash groans. She picks up the pizza slice and starts eating. ‘Just don’t take too long.’     Silver looks over a large group of pegasi that Rainbow Dash is introducing her to. They seem to meeting right at a shift change for the local weather patrol.     ‘Everypony, this is, uh, Vulpe. She’s in town visiting for a bit,’ Rainbow Dash introduces her guest to her friends.     Silver waves while most of the gathered pegasi happily greet their guest.     ‘What do you do?’ a light blue mare with a pale green mane asks.     ‘Good question, Flitter,’ Dash interrupts before Silver can answer. ‘She is an actress. Maybe she can give Thunderlane tips on how pull off his fake excuses better.’     A dark grey stallion tries to hide himself in the back. A whitish mare with a manecut similar to Twilight Sparkle’s pushes her way forward.     ‘Can I get an autograph, Miss Vulpe?’ Blossomforth asks. ‘I am a huge fan of your show.’     Silver sighs and signs a notepad for the fan. She looks around at the group again. ‘Miss Dash, what are we doing here again?’     ‘I promised to show you the awesome side of Ponyville, and what better place to start than the most awesome weather crew in Equestria!’     The weather crew cheers. Silver groans as Rainbow Dash starts introducing her to everypony individually. She starts filling in all of the names with new ones of her own.     Flitter. Flexible one. Awesome mane. Tiny wings. Bit of a wuss, but nice bod. Cloud Kicker. Flaming tire. Co-captain. Co-captain?     Silver blinks back to reality and looks at Raindrops’ smiling face.     ‘Good to meet you,’ the friendly pegasus greets.     ‘Did you say “co-captain”?’ Silver asks.     Rainbow looks ashamed. ‘Well, I don’t have half the brains that Raindrops has.’     ‘And nopony has Rainbow’s speed or leadership,’ Raindrops compliments.     ‘That is everypony,’ Dash says. ‘What do you think?’     ‘Uh... Awesome show, great job?’ Silver tries to cover her inattentiveness.     Rainbow Dash glares at her guest. Raindrops giggles. The other pegasi that heard the cover laugh too.     ‘Um... So what do you do around here?’ the actress asks.     ‘Duh. We’re weather patrol,’ Dash groans. ‘We move clouds and make rain and all that stuff.’     ‘Oh. Where I am from, unicorns do all of that.’     ‘Even pegasi I know from Canterlot have done basic weather control while in flight school. Didn’t you do that there?’ Raindrops questions.     ‘I, uh... never went to flight school.’ Silver looks away to hide her shame.     Raindrops stares in shock. Rainbow Dash shrugs it off.     ‘Meh. You didn’t miss much. Just a bunch of rules and not enough nap time,’ Rainbow replies.     ‘That is why you have a co-captain,’ Raindrops snorts. ‘Your nap times with the morning patrols accomplish nothing.’     ‘Hey. How I reward my crews for finishing early is my business. ‘Sides, they like it. Right, guys?’     The morning weather crew cheers for their captain, led by an exuberant Flitter.     Raindrops snorts. ‘Time off is one thing, but my crews enjoy the treats I bring them for a job well done. Right?’     The afternoon weather crew cheers for their captain, led by a large white pegasus with tiny wings. Rainbow Dash and Raindrops glare at each other like they are about to fight, but they start laughing.     ‘Yeah, I wish I could cook like you so I could bring stuff for my crews,’ Dash sighs.     ‘You’re busy enough with the night crews. You deserve a break now and again,’ her friend replies.     The friends laugh and brohoof. Silver yawns. The two weather ponies glare at the actress.     ‘Oh? We’re not awesome enough for ya. Dat it?’ Dash snorts.     ‘Maybe we should show her the real fun,’ Raindrops offers.     ‘Good idea. Heh, heh, heh.’     Silver slinks away, worried about what the other mares will do to her. …     The thief posing as an actress now serves as a weather pony. The work is a strength check for a pony who is built for dexterity and intelligence. Silver pushes a cloud into place then collapses onto it. The other pegasi laugh at the tired pegasus. Blossomforth flies over with a bottle of water.     ‘Thanks,’ Silver pants. ‘This is a lot of hard work.’     Blossomforth giggles. ‘Just think how hard it gets after more than a single hour.’     Silver groans and buries her head in the cloud. The other pegasi laugh further. Rainbow Dash flies over and lands on the cloud.     ‘Ah, don’t let them get to you,’ Dash soothes. ‘You did great for a first time. Come on! I know what we should do next.’     ‘Finally!’ the tired pegasus moans.     Rainbow Dash turns to the others. ‘Thanks a lot guys! We had fun! See ya tomorrow!’     The weather crew wave after the departing pegasi. Silver fakes a smile and waves back. She follows Rainbow Dash as they fly over the town.     ‘You must be hungry. Where do you want to go?’ the host asks.     ‘Personally, I feel like going to this nice little shop run by a nice old stallion from Equina, but I doubt either of us is up for the train ride.’     ‘Equinese food, eh?’ Rainbow Dash thinks for a moment. ‘We got a Diamond Dog place just outside of town, but they have some meat dishes we’d have to avoid.’     ‘If you know any good sushi bars, I am willing to treat.’     ‘Say what? You sound like Rei talking like that.’     ‘Fine. Do you have some place you like to go?’     Rainbow Dash taps a hoof on her chin. She gets an evil grin. ‘You’re a professional thief, right?’     Silver raises an eyebrow.     Applejack charges out of her barn with a pitchfork in her mouth. She takes careful aim and hurls it as hard as she can. There is a scream and a thud. The farmer gallops to the source of the sounds. She finds Rainbow Dash pinned to an apple tree via a pitchfork through the tail. Below the pegasus is a pile of apple pastries, some smashed from the fall. The thieving pegasus smiles at her friend.     ‘Rainbow, how many times do Ah have t’ tell ya not t’ steal mah bakin’?’     ‘What stealing? I don’t see anything.’     Applejack is about to lecture her friend some more, but she notices all of the pastries are missing, even the crushed ones.     ‘Now how in the hay..?’     ‘Too bad we don’t have any cider to celebrate this hilarious moment.’     There is a groan from the trees. The trees rustle one by one back towards the barn. Applejack watches the strange occurrence then turns to Rainbow Dash.     ‘Ah know what yer up t’. Ya better have yer wallet handy t’ pay fer all of this.’ …     Rainbow Dash grumbles to herself as she lands on the landing outside of Silver’s suite. The other pegasus calmly snacks on an apple tart. She toasts the returning pegasus with a mug of cider.     ‘You’re right. This is good.’     The cyan pegasus growls. ‘AJ made me pay for all of the items you stole.’     ‘It was your idea for me to steal them. You were great cover.’     ‘I had to pay.’     ‘You shouldn’t have gotten caught. Thieving one-oh-one.’     ‘And you should never have made it known you are in town,’ Rainbow Dash smirks.     Silver freezes. There is a knock on the door. The thief looks from the door to the landing. She sighs and goes to answer the door.     Rei helps Silver finish off all of the apple pastries the unlucky pegasus was forced to purchase. The younger pegasus sees the treats as a perfect addition to the stack of pizzas she brought with her for dinner. Silver sighs, not knowing what to do about her returning guest and the cleaning bill that is likely to come from all of the food being left around the suite.     ‘Applejack’s baking is so much better when it is paid for,’ the white pegasus says, spraying pie crumbs everywhere.     ‘You’ve never paid for her baking before?’     ‘Nope! I either steal it or she gives it to daddy after he does a favor for her, usually involving going to her farm for hours on end.’     ‘Hmm... That might be good leverage. Do you think they are..?’     ‘Nope! You can tell by their faces.’     Silver raises an eyebrow.     ‘See... Their faces are just different. Those that have done it. I don’t know how to explain. You can just tell by their faces!’     ‘You think an awful lot about that subject, don’t you?’     Rei blushes and gets a slice of pizza. Silver laughs and goes to a cupboard. She gets out a bottle with an amber liquid inside.     ‘Applejack doesn’t know I took this too. Care to join me?’     ‘No thanks. Last night made my head really hurt, especially when I ran into school.’     ‘I thought exercise usually countered the effects.’     ‘I meant literally.’     Silver barely contains a laugh. She puts the bottle away. ‘You’re the goofiest friend I have.’     ‘What about Lyra-sensei? She is goofy, too.’     The silver-maned pegasus kicks at the ground. ‘I don’t really consider them friends. We work together, but...’     ‘I saw you smile when you saw Tavi-tan was okay after the mission. You are friends.’     ‘I guess... Wait. Tavi-tan?’     ‘Because she is so small!’     ‘She is as tall as I am, and you could fit in my suitcase.’     ‘I hate being so short.’ Rei gets another slice of pizza to comfort herself. ‘Even my younger siblings are bigger than me...’     ‘You have siblings? I thought you were adopted.’     Rei’s head and wings shoot up. ‘Um! Never mind that.’ She munches her pizza in silence. ‘Do you have any family?’     Silver begins to regret that she put the bottle away. ‘I did. Once.’     ‘What happened?’     The older pegasus gets a slice of pizza and stares into space while eating. The younger stares at her friend.     Silver sighs. ‘What do you want to do tonight? I am game for anything.’     Silver wakes early. Despite Rei’s energy, she was able to get rid of her guest at a reasonable hour and get plenty of sleep. She goes to the washroom. She sees her mane and coat dyes sitting on the counter.     ‘Not today. It is Wednesday.’     She climbs into the shower and takes a long rinse to make sure all of the dyes are washed from her.     A light brown pegasus with a silver mane trots through the streets of Ponyville. She is covered in dirt, looking like she slept in a dust pile all night. It is a bit of a stereotype, but Silver knows it is the best way to convince other ponies that you are lower class. She knows that too well.     Silver scans the street for her first target. She spots a building with a cupcake for the roof. She licks her lips and trots towards the bakery. A stallion runs straight into her as she crosses the way.     ‘Watch it, bum!’ the stallion snorts as he keeps trotting.     The pegasus sighs and picks herself up. She keeps going and slips behind the building. She looks for the bins that might hold the day-old goods. She climbs onto one large bin and starts digging around.     ‘Whatcha doing?’ a chipper voice asks.     Silver screams in surprise and loses her balance. The lid of the bin slams over her. She groans as she adds the expected smell to her cover. The lid to the bin opens, and Pinkie Pie smiles down at her.     ‘Did I startle you? I didn’t mean to startle you.’     ‘Yes,’ Silver grumbles. ‘You got me quite well.’     Pinkie helps the smelly, dirty pegasus from the bin. She looks at the new pony then gasps.     ‘You’re..!’     A hoof to the mouth cuts Pinkie short. ‘Shh! I don’t want anypony to know it is me.’     ‘I understand. Flutters liked to disguise herself when she was a model.’     ‘More like the actress is the disguise,’ the pegasus sighs.     ‘Is that why you are hiding in the garbage?’     ‘I wasn’t hiding. I was...’ Silver growls and looks away.     ‘You were what?’     ‘I was looking for breakfast...’ the hungry pegasus grumbles.     ‘Well, that is easier to do if you come in the front, silly.’     ‘I can’t. At least not on Wednesday.’     ‘Why not?’     Silver glares at the pink pony smiling at her. She snorts and turns away. A stomach growling causes the pegasus to blush.     ‘Oh! I have the perfect thing for that!’ Pinkie darts into the shop and returns with a pair of danishes. ‘I got one, too. Your hoof tastes awful!’     Silver takes the offering and quietly eats. The party pony stares at the sullen mare in front of her. It looks as if the pegasus is about to cry. As soon as the pegasus finishes her breakfast, the other danish is put in her hooves.     ‘You know, I didn’t need it anyway.’ Pinkie smiles.     ‘Why are you doing this?’ Silver whispers.     ‘Uh, duh. You’re hungry and you’re my friend. Why wouldn’t I do this for you?’ An idea strikes. ‘OH! We never had a “Welcome Miss Famous Actress” Party for you! We have to have one before you leave!’     The pegasus nibbles the pastry. ‘You don’t have to. It is okay.’     ‘I don’t have to, but I want to! It will be fun.’     Silver sets down the pastry and covers her face as she starts crying. Pinkie trots over and gives her a friendly nuzzle.     ‘Do you not like parties? I’m sorry.’     ‘No, it is not that. You are just being so nice to me. Why? I don’t understand. Why is everypony here so nice?’     ‘You’re our friend, silly. Why wouldn’t we be nice to our friends? I mean, it is a lot easier than rooting around in bins for scraps.’     ‘There were no leftovers in there, were there?’     Pinkie laughs nervously. ‘We, uh, have a way of handling that problem. Besides, right now, making you happy is more important. Why were you digging in our trash? Did you lose something in there?’     ‘Promise not to tell anypony, especially not Rei?’     ‘Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye!’     Silver looks around to make sure she and Pinkie are the only two in earshot. ‘My family is poor. Until I discovered my talent for thievery, we barely scraped by day-to-day. Some days we didn’t eat at all. After I was able to pull myself up and escape the slums, I promised I would never forget my past. Every Wednesday, I go out without my Vulpe disguise and live how I used to live. It... It keeps me humble.’     At the end of the tale, Silver looks at Pinkie. The earth pony is sobbing.     ‘That... was... the saddest story ever!’     Pinkie grabs Silver in a hug. The pegasus pats the earth pony on the back.     ‘It is okay. I am rich and famous now. I only do this for fun.’     ‘How can that be fun?’ Pinkie looks up, her hair appearing flatter. ‘You shouldn’t have to beg for food or dig through bins or...’     Silver puts her hoof over Pinkie’s mouth again and shakes her head. ‘Nopony should have to do that. I choose to. A lot of ponies don’t have that choice. That is just the way the world works.’     ‘But...’     ‘Miss Pie, it is okay. I share what I learn with those who need the help, and I always leave gifts of fresh food or money for them to help make their lives easier.’     ‘It is not okay! Nopony should have to live like that!’     ‘They do when there aren’t enough jobs for each individual talent. In Canterlot, you would be just another party planner among hundreds. You might have a good niche with foal’s parties.’     Pinkie’s jaw drops. ‘But, but, but...’ Her hair becomes completely flat and she stares at the ground.     It is Silver’s turn to offer a hug. ‘It is okay. I am sorry for saying such scary things.’     ‘They are not true, are they?’     Silver pauses for a long time.     Pinkie pushes back and shakes her head. Her hair puffs back to normal. ‘No! That settles it! I will make everypony in Equestria happy! Rich and poor! I won’t stop until everypony smiles!’     ‘It is good to see you so determined.’     ‘And that starts with you! We are having a huge “Make Silver Happy” Party tonight! We will show her that she will never have to eat from a bin again!’     ‘Uh... I do that to remind... Never mi...’     Silver chokes on her words as Pinkie shoves the rest of the danish in the pegasus’ mouth.     ‘Now, be a a good girl and let Auntie Pinkie Pie take care of everything.’ Pinkie happily trots into the bakery only to pop her head out with a demonic expression on her face. ‘And don’t let me catch you eating out of a bin again!’     Silver screams and gallops away from the terrifying sight.     Several hours of avoiding Pinkie Pie later, Silver explores the town some more. Some well-honed begging netted several bits which are invested in a large head of lettuce that she split with a vagrant pony she encountered. She makes sure to leave the rest of her bits she collected, as well as a little extra, before taking in the rest of the town. She enters an area with several stores arranged around a central cluster of large stores. She marvels for a moment at the small theater as she passes.     Most of the activity in the district is around the central shops. Silver avoids the video game shop but stops to look in the comic shop next door. She stares at the various comics on display, lingering for several moments on the latest issue of Captain Equestria. She looks around to find another shop to investigate. A tapping catches her attention. She tenses up when she spies James waving at her. He points behind his store and trots away. Silver looks around then gallops around the shops. She creeps down the back alley. James is talking with a red earth pony. The red pony leaves a small bag and enters the comic shop. James smiles and waves Silver over. She sighs and trots over.     ‘Ha, ha. You got roped into a Pinkie Pie Party.’     Silver shudders. ‘Thanks for reminding me.’     ‘Yeah, heard you got her to go flat-haired, too.’ James examines his hooves nonchalantly. ‘I only gave her a heart attack when I told her I didn’t want a party.’     ‘Is that really something to be proud about?’     ‘I got my first kiss out it.’     Silver cringes. ‘Your family has the weirdest romantic habits.’     ‘Oh! Before I forget, this is from Marvel. He thought you would like it.’     James gives the bag to Silver. She looks inside and sees the issue of Captain Equestria she was looking at. She blushes and puts the comic under her wing.     ‘How do you like Ponyville so far? Definitely a huge change from the city.’     ‘Yes, I am fairly certain that all the ponies in this town are crazy.’     ‘You’ll get no argument here. How is scrounging going?’     ‘Pinkie told you, didn’t she?’     ‘Or somepony might have dropped a five-bit coin in your basket. I really appreciate how you invested it.’     Silver snorts. ‘Do you have to know everything about everypony?’     James turns. ‘Come on in. You’re taking a shower before the party. It is quicker to stop here than going back to your hotel.’     Silver stares at the stallion before sighing and following. …     A nice shower later, Silver sits in James’ kitchen. The stallion serves them cups of tea and sits with his guest.     ‘How’s the family?’     Silver stands and turns to leave.     ‘You will answer that question. You know I am the only pony who will not tell anypony else.’     The pegasus’ wings flare in anger. ‘I haven’t seen them in years. I have no idea if they are even still alive.’     ‘By not having seen them in years, you mean since your mother’s birthday.’     Silver spins and shouts, ‘How do you know that!’     ‘You just told me. Or I could have remembered a report from when I lived in Canterlot about how the top bakery in town always seems to miss a triple-layer double-chocolate cake every year on the same day.’     ‘When I was five, she said she would love to try one of those cakes... We could never even afford a single slice... The first time, before I got good, the cake got smushed, but she was so surprised and excited to try a bite... I told her I secretly saved up for it and could buy it since it was ruined. I made sure she only got perfection since then.'     ‘Does she know you are Vulpe?’     Silver kicks at the floor. She takes a sip of her tea and looks away.     ‘Okay. How is Octy? I haven’t seen her since she tried killing me at Twilight’s birthday.’ James sips his tea. ‘Such a fun night.’     ‘Octavia is fine. We work together often thanks to the desire for security consulting these days.’     ‘How about your other friends?’     Silver takes a long sip of her tea.     James sighs. ‘The correct answer is: Rei is doing great, Rainbow Dash is working her tail off and Pinkie Pie is acting normal.’ He sips his tea. ‘Oh! And Lyra is currently going through your garbage.’     ‘But I...’     ‘Silver, why are you always running? Everypony has a reason why they run. I even had a reason once. What is yours?’     ‘Triple-layer double-chocolate cake...’     ‘Again.’     ‘Triple-layer double-chocolate cake. If she knew who I really was... I cannot let her know. I have to protect her from the truth. She cannot know that her daughter is Equestria’s most wanted thief. It is better she thinks I just disappeared ten years ago...’     ‘Can she know her daughter is Equestria’s favorite actress?’     Silver takes a long drink of her tea. She set down her cup and marches to the stairs ‘We have party to go to.’     The next morning. Silver hides in her bed. She curses that Pinkie and James found her the previous day. She hates confronting her past. She hates when other ponies ask about herself. She hates other ponies being pointlessly friendly to her. She hates when they do her favors, give her gifts, and express interest in what she says. She hates the attention. She hates the companionship. She hates friendship! Silver pulls the covers over her head and shuts out the world.     The sulking pegasus wakes to a grumbling stomach. She sighs and wonders if Rei left any pizza in the countless boxes she brought with her in only two visits.     ‘There isn’t any left,’ a calm voice says. ‘She even ate all of the crusts you refused to eat.’ There is a giggle. ‘Sorta like an indirect kiss.’     Silver growls and pulls the covers over her head again.     ‘Not even going to say “hi” to me on this trip?’ Lyra asks. ‘I am hurt.’     ‘What do you want?’     ‘I want to see my friend. Is that too much to ask?’     ‘We’re not friends. We only work together on occasion.’     ‘You’ve been in my house. As a guest, not as a thief. I say that makes us friends enough. Speaking of which, you have to come over and finally meet the wife. She loves your show.’     ‘Fall in a ditch and die.’     ‘That is no way to talk to your friends, young lady!’     ‘I have no friends! Friends are stupid! They get in the way!’     ‘Does your fillyfriend know you think that way?’     ‘My fillyfri...’     ‘Gin-chan!’ Rei calls as she trots into the room. ‘I was getting sick of pizza so I got us a few big things of spaghetti. Please come soon or I might not be able to save you some.’     ‘Rei?’     The young pegasus looks at her friend. ‘Something wrong, Gin-chan?’     ‘Rei... I....’     Rei climbs into bed and maneuvers herself between Silver’s forelegs. She hugs her friend and buries her head in Silver’s chest. ‘Don’t be sad, Gin-chan.’     The upset pegasus returns the hug. ‘It is okay, Rei-chan.’     ‘I’ll get us some lunch, okay?’     Lyra gets off the bed. She kisses Silver’s forehead before she goes. …     Silver groans as she imagines the dry cleaning cost being added to her bill due to Rei’s and Lyra’s messy eating habits. The two guests have some of the worst table manners imaginable. Rei slurps a long strand of spaghetti, leaving a large, red stain on her white coat.     ‘What do you want to do next? I’m feeling like ice cream!’     ‘I think Silver wants to stay in, dear,’ Lyra replies.     ‘Oh. Okay.’     Silver wipes the few dots of sauce from her lips. ‘Shouldn’t you two be at school?’     ‘In theory, yes,’ Lyra replies. ‘Though my bosses complain, they also say the school day runs much more smoothly without either of us present.’     ‘I would never have guessed.’     ‘Missed a spot!’ Rei leans over and licks a spot of sauce from Silver’s cheek.     The older pegasus blushes and looks away, exposing her erect wings. Lyra giggles at the younger mare.     ‘You should at least come out and see your other guests,’ Lyra says.     ‘Other guests?’     Lyra gets off the bed and goes to the door. Rei licks Silver’s face again and trots out. The depressed pegasus sighs and gets up. She freezes in the doorway when she sees Pinkie and Rainbow Dash sitting in the suite. Pinkie looks up from her bowl of spaghetti, licks all of the tomato sauce from her face and smiles.     ‘About time you get up,’ Rainbow Dash grumbles.     ‘Who cares? It is just good to see Silver again!’ Pinkie cheers, throwing confetti everywhere.     ‘What are you two doing here?’ Silver asks.     ‘We’re your friends, duh,’ Dash groans. ‘It is not like we’re going to sit by and let you be upset for no good reason.’     ‘Yeah! You might go crazy and start eating out of bins again,’ Pinkie adds.     Silver cringes. ‘I guess telling everypony would be the opposite of not telling anypony.’     ‘Oh! So that’s why you had cupcakes on your face this morning,’ Dash realizes.     ‘I’m sorry I told,’ Pinkie frowns. ‘I had to tell somepony and I figured it would be best to keep it among just your friends.’     Lyra puts a hoof on Silvers shoulder. ‘You can trust your friends with your problems. It is a lot easier than forcing us to use lockpicks and keyloggers to know what is bothering you.’     Rei flies over Silver and gives her a hug. ‘Plus, if you get all saddy, we’ll be there to cry with you. That makes it hurt a lot less.’     Silver looks down. She tries holding them back, but her tears fall at her hooves. ‘You are my friends... I have friends...’     ‘You have more than just us, too, silly.’     ‘There’s daddy and Tavi-tan and Hikari-chan...’     ‘My friends... I am sorry. I am sorry I ignored you for so long.’     ‘You didn’t ignore us. You were just too busy.’     ‘Yeah. You kinda did ignore us for a while.’     ‘Rainbow!’     Silver laughs at her friends’ behavior. She smiles a truly happy smile for the first time in a long time. Bonus Scene