8 - Rat Hunters
The next morning, everyone felt refreshed and ready to go. A quick, and surprisingly affordable, shopping trip got them the supplies Apple Bloom needed to continue practicing her potions and bombs. Taking Louis' advice, they ate out, finding the food from the Shining Goblet to be quite serviceable and reasonably-priced.
Applejack strode with the girls, with a full belly and a renewed sense of determination. "Ah'll admit, almost looking forward ta taking care of that lady cat's pest problem."
Scootaloo pointed up ahead, her head craning to take in the sight. "I think... that's the place?"
It wasn't a small dwelling like most of the others. Instead, a sprawling manor was coming up on the righthand side. Even the part of town they were in seemed to be higher quality, with finely-cobbled walkways, actual street lamps, and more visible guards. The crowd was also thinner here.
This led to one of those visible guards checking on the group. The purrsian wore leathers and had a khopesh at his side. He was standing on two legs, with wings half-unfurled as-if for balance. "Hail. There are no tourism venues this way. What brings you here?"
Sweetie smiled up at the large cat man, "Hello! We're here to help out there." She pointed at the manor. "The lady's waiting for us, and we don't want her to be angry."
The guard hesitated visibly. "No! No, we wouldn't want her to be upset. Let me escort you." He strode ahead of them without further words, guiding them to the gate of the manor. He pointed a finger at a small copper plate beside the gate. It read 'Longtail Manse'. "Press the plate and you can reach them, if this is your first time here." He backed away, but kept them in easy sight.
Applejack glanced at the guard, then advanced on the plate, eyeing it a moment. She rose a hoof and pressed it lightly. She felt it click like a button and a gentle chime rang out from it.
"Oh, do come in," came an elderly female voice. "That is you, Emerald? I've been waiting all morning."
Applejack shook her head at the plate. "'Fraid not, ma'am. We're here about tha pests?"
"Oh! Of course. The gate should be unlocked, come in, come in." As if to emphasize the point, the gates swung inwards a few inches.
The guard nodded at the group of them. "I'll leave you to your work. Don't be surprised if another guard sees you out. We can't have the fine citizens of the area being harassed." He offered a salute with two fingers. "May your fortune ever grow."
With parting waves, they all proceeded inside. The gate silently swung shut until the two halves clattered together with the sound of colliding iron. Apple Bloom casually checked her inventory as she went, counting out three bombs, a healing potion, and a 'move real fast' potion.
Scootaloo nodded as if listening to the inventory. "I have the get-big spell and the get-out spell ready to go."
Sweetie Belle shook her head. "Song magic's a lot simpler than that! I feel full up and ready to go."
Applejack smiled at their reports, tipping her hat as she spoke, "Y'all really are planning. We'd be stuck here a while if ah started listing everything up mah sleeves."
Apple Bloom tilted her head up at her sister, looking her over. "Hate ta say it, sis, but ya ain't got sleeves."
"Don't get smart with me."
They walked past a burbling fountain. It wasn't as large as the public one, but was in much better repair, made of marble with gold trim along the outside. The bottom was lined with embedded gemstones that made it sparkle in the light. Apple Bloom hopped up on the lip and took a quick drink. "Never thought Ah'd be so happy to get a free drink. This here's a fancy-looking fountain. Ah get the feeling we may be doing more than fighting some pests."
The others approached, taking their turn to enjoy the water. It was clear and clean, refreshing them all. Scootaloo spread her wings wide. "I'm gonna scout!" She hopped off the edge of the fountain and took off with a gallop and eager flaps of her wings. She soon began to gain altitude and soared into the air with a squeal of delight. She managed a half-turn before she collided with the top of a large bush. She slid back to the ground through the branches, mildly dinged up, but with a goofy grin on her face.
The others rushed up to her. Applejack brushed the twigs and leaves off of her while checking for harm. "Ya need more practice, but good job. Did ya see anything?"
Scootaloo gave a flap of her restored wings before folding them tight against her back. "The whole place looks rich! Sweetie, time for you to shine."
Apple Bloom nodded in agreement, "Work that silver tongue of yers."
Sweetie Belle tilted her head a little, "I have a silver tongue?"
Applejack laughed nervously. "Just a saying, Sweetie. She means ya good at getting ponies to give ya what ya want."
Sweetie bobbled her head and moved towards the main house. "I can do that!" The rest of the party formed up behind her, and soon they arrived at the stout-looking double wooden doors of the manor house. Applejack reached over Sweetie and nudged the door open for her. It was as heavy as it looked, requiring some effort to get it going.
Seated in a small, but plush, red chair was an elderly purrsian in a fine silk robe. She smiled at them as they entered. "Louis has outdone himself today. Look at the lot of you. Are you sure you're ready for this?"
"No." Applejack went for brutal honesty, looking around at the fancy art pieces that seemed scattered all over the available wall space and often every elevated surface.
Sweetie advanced quickly towards the elderly cat. "We're more than ready! We were told you have a rat problem?"
She nodded, "Ratfolk, digging into my vaults and stealing my life's work."
Apple Bloom tilted her head in confusion. "Did ya just say rat 'folk'?"
She rose up to her feet. "Oh, look at me, forgetting all of my manners! I am Lady Longtail." Her tail didn't seem especially long compared to other purrsians. "And this is Longtail Manse. I expect it will take time to fully exterminate them, so consider this your home until the task is complete."
Sweetie nodded hesitantly. "Alright, what was that about ratfolk?"
Longtail just looked at Sweetie expectantly a moment. Sweetie caught on quickly. "Oh! I'm Sweetie Belle, that's Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Applejack! Nice to meet you, Miss Longtail."
She nodded slowly. "Very good, now that formalities are out of the way... Yes, ratfolk. They're rat men. Short, hunched, dirty naked tails and beady eyes. They don't believe in working for their money, so they're after mine."
Sweetie Belle tapped at her chin with a hoof, "I confess, we were told to expect rats, not rat people..." She narrowed her eyes. "That's gonna cost extra."
Longtail quickly nodded. "Of course. Fair pay for fair work. Louis has always sent quality help over, and I don't want that to change." She made a dismissive gesture. "I don't much care how you do it, just get rid of them, and don't cause any additional harm to my collections. If you should need any assistance, use this." She handed a small silver bell to Sweetie, who held it in her magic. "My manservant can hear that clear across the house, and will come quickly."
Scootaloo took a step forward, looking up at Longtail. "Can you show us where they've been breaking in through?"
Longtail pointed at the bell. "I won't go near the place until they're gone. Ring the bell. Are there any other questions, or shall I leave you to your work?"
Scootaloo raised a hoof. "Just one. Do you have any, uh, weapons, just in case?"
Longtail smiled. "Ring the bell. He'll show the way to the armory. Just return what you use when you're done. First time I saw a mercenary arrive without a weapon, I admit. Best of luck." She moved to shuffle off, ascending a spiraling staircase almost painfully slowly.
Applejack looked to the others. "Are ya sure this is a good idea? Ah don't reckon ah like the idea of killing somepony for somepony else, rats or not."
Apple Bloom shook her head with a thoughtful expression. "We'll try talking to them first and see if we can't work out a deal, or block up the way they're getting in."
Sweetie nodded in agreement. "Maybe they're looking for something specific. If they wanted to take everything, why wouldn't they have already?"
Applejack blinked, looking at Sweetie with a new bit of respect. "That's actually a mighty good question. Alright, let's investigate, carefully."
Sweetie gave the bell held in her magic a good shaking, ringing out its little ring-a-ling. As if from nowhere, a human appeared. He was dressed in a tuxedo and looked quite severe. "You called, madame?"
Scootaloo looked over the butler curiously. "You're like Soft Mane. Cool! Can you take us to the armory, please?"
"Right this way." He lead the way with smooth efficient steps.
Applejack asked as she walked along. "So, ya work here long?"
"Most of my life, ma'am. Are those your children, ma'am?" His voice was even and deep. It had a polite tone to it, dripping with formality.
"Only one by blood, and she's a sister, but ah reckon they all are in mah care, yeah."
"Pardon my saying, but they seem young for this work, ma'am."
Applejack sagged a little. "Don't remind me. I'd rather be doing almost anything else, but we need tha money."
Apple Bloom huffed softly. "We can take care of ourselves! We're a team. We'll have your rat problem cleared out in no time at all!"
They arrived in the armory. Weapons of all types were arrayed on display racks that went across the walls, while suits of armor stood in upright rigidity. Scootaloo hurried in and browsed the selection. She spotted some weapons smaller than the others and pointed at them. "What's up with these?"
"Training weapons." The butler gestured at them as he spoke, "They're for the children of the family, to train while their hands were too small for larger weapons."
Scootaloo bobbled her head. "Perfect." She grabbed a small longsword in her mouth and gave it a few test swings. She set it down, satisfied, then began to search again. "Do you have something to wear it with?"
The butler advanced and picked Scootaloo up from the ground, slipping a sheath over her and placing the sword into it where it dangled properly. He placed her before a tall mirror to inspect herself. "Oh, uh, thanks!" She did a slow turn. "I look dangerous!"
"To yerself," muttered Applejack low enough to go unnoticed by the others.
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The food is "serviceable" and "reasonably-priced."
The walkways are "finely-cobbled."
His wings were "half-unfurled, as if for balance."
She managed a "half-turn."
The "double wooden" doors are "stout-looking."
She's an "elderly-looking" purrsian.
"Louis" has outdone himself.
There are two spaces between these sentences.
Don't capitalize "purrsians."
Don't capitalize "expectantly" either.
Scootaloo "browsed" the selection.
He placed her before a mirror to "inspect" herself.
5869226 Fixed! So many hyphens, hyphens everywhere!
I hope it's not chlorinated.
elderly-looking (although just "elderly" would work too)
Louis
extra space
hyphen not needed here
Apple Bloom is her sister, not her daughter. They're probably only 6-8 years apart in age.
browsed
5869356 Fixed, and I would have a hard time thinking Applejack doesn't consider Apple Bloom as 'her kid' even if they are sisters.
I so do not like rats.
I have a feeling sweetie's silver tong will save the day.
looking good.
Harts Fire
5869362 Well in the show she always calls her "sis"
fancy-looking
5869369 Titles and feelings are not the same thing. Applejack very much acts as a mother-figure and guardian.
5869362 She probably does think of Apple Bloom like a daughter, but among country-folk like the Apples it would be highly embarrassing to allow a stranger to make that assumption without correcting them. (She would be thinking about the implications of being the single mother of a ten-year-old at her age)
5869399 Tweaked!
5869411 Thanks. It seems like a little thing, but two of my sisters were going around together at a fair and someone asked the older if the younger was her kid; they were both so embarrassed they wanted to hide the rest of the day until we talked them out of it.
Well, the rat-slaying job has come with quite the hidden complication - the rats are people too! With that revealed, it's not surprising that the CMC has immediately leaned towards diplomacy, as they're nowhere near old enough to seriously contemplate killing other sentient beings. One can only imagine Applejack's fear at the thought of them having to go that far, justified or not. What having to kill does to the fillies might be almost as bad as what happens if they lose such a fight.
Longtail is a breath of fresh air, in that she seems to be a kindly, almost grandmotherly type of character, like a purrsian version (hey, that rhymes!
) of Granny Smith, albeit less senile and more refined. I can almost see her pseudo-adopting the CMC as surrogate grandkittens, especially with how easily she let them live in her house for an indeterminate period of time. I'd bet that she's rather lonely, especially since she seems to be single, and so probably has a lot of heartless cats sniffing around her estate, trying to figure out how to separate her from her money. That said, it's certainly nice that she doesn't seem to have an ulterior motive, since Murrage has been so unkind to the ponies since their arrival.
I'd also like to second the idea put forward by an earlier poster, and agree that bringing Sunflower and Willow Leaf back into the story would be fun. The coincidence would be a bit hackneyed, but acceptably so, especially for such minor cast members. One can easily imagine Sunflower developing a kittenish crush on one (or more?) of the Crusaders, as he was quite the irrepressible scamp, and running around trying to impress them. A young romance between a filly and a kitten? Squee!
I do love seeing Sweetie sweet-talk circles around people. Rarity would be so proud.
You know, overlooking the whole "getting stranded in another plane of existence" thing.
Here's hoping the ratfolk are amenable to rational discussion. And that Lady Longtail will be willing to acknowledge their demands, if any. This could get a heck of a lot more complicated...
5869631
5869591 The rats will surely be more complicated to deal with than a mugger, bandits, or that scorpion (of doom)! They'll have to keep their wits about them...
Meanwhile! Tie-ins with the first story? Who would do such a thing?!
Probably me...
*points at Sweetie* Diplomacy is OP
5871208 It's true.
Welcome to the desert city of Mirage, where you beleive you have found a welcoming oasis of water and rest, but rest is all youll have, if you are lucky, and life if you are good at your job.
I wonder if AJ will have enough adventure to gain one level, just how many levels the CMC would gain in that time? Alchemists have some very intresting things in the first few levels. such as pets.
If Sweetie Belle ends up with a riding scorpian or something daft like that, I think Rarity will be beside herself.
Did they leave the rope and brass posts behind? Should be worth a small amount?
Next, they get to meet the leaders of the Rat Pack, Frank and Sammy?
5871420 I don't recall alchemists getting pets, though they could take a tumor familiar? Not really Apple Bloom's style.
5871436
Well, there're a couple ways for them to get undead pets or monster summoning. Though I think infusions would be her priority discovery.
Will they be getting Archetypes?
5871460 Have any compelling ideas? I am easily bribed with awesome ideas.
5871463
I personally would make Scootaloo a Black Blade Magus. Because giving the CMC a mysterious and probably evil talking magic item will only end well.
Hmm.. You know, between them, AB and Sweetie Belle could start a hell of a business. Alchemists do have brew potion at first level and there are some very nice potions available. It's just a minor Spellcraft check to simulate requirements!
Also, Applebloom needs a tentacle and/or the vestigial arms discoveries. AJ would lose so many SAN points
5871532 Are you just trying to abuse poor AJ?
Great to see so many new chapters in this sequel! <3
Though I must confess Applejack w/ the Crusaders in Everglow....THAT I did not expect!! Well done!
Looking forward what a bard, alchemist, and two magus can get up to in Everglow. Also, the CMC being the ones to have the adventure is definitely one that's gonna try AJ to the limits.
Speaking of the CMC and character levels, with what all they've been doing, they should be closing in on level two soon, shouldn't they? If not, then this rat problem will definitely put them there!
5872230 It was actually a poll on the Patreon and they won out!
5872704 They're working on it!
Huh, I missed this being posted. Favorited now so I can track it.
5872959 I do hope you're enjoying the trip! I... think... I've improved from the last story.
5873023
Which doesn't really help much if those plans aren't good ones; here, they've consistently been good, which is sort of the point.
She's really not.
Absolutely none of which speaks to intelligence. Seriously, none of the points you raised have anything to do with smart or stupid:
The first time with Flim and Flam wasn't a question of intelligence; it was a competition, pure and simple. They rejected a bad deal, and then had to show that their way was better. The second time around was a question of morals, not intelligence; she was trying to figure out the right thing to do.
Her part in "Testing, Testing, 1, 2, 3" was to say that she believes that learning is best done via personal experience. Again, that's not stupidity - that's her own personal style of learning, no better or worse than any other. It's what works for her.
Her line about "fancy mathematics" in "Applebuck Season" was her pride talking, which again isn't a question of intelligence. She clearly knew she was biting off more than she could chew (hence her pronouned gulp at the end of that line, signalling her nervousness), she simply went and did it anyway because she's stubborn. Stubbornness isn't a lack of intelligence, it's a matter of excessive pride (at least for her). That's also the case in "The Last Roundup."
Finally, "Somepony to Watch Over Me" is simply her worrying excessively over her little sister, and not recognizing that Apple Bloom is more competent than she was giving her credit for. Again, that's not an intelligence issue; it's a relationship one between sisters.
She does have wisdom, as the events in "The Cutie Mark Chronicles" show, gained via personal experience - but nothing about that necessarily means that she's lacking in intelligence - she has no lack of intellectual capacity or reasoning, she simply doesn't possess those things in greater quantities than any other pony, the way that Twilight does.
Darn misleading job advertisements. People need to be specific. Telling someone they'll be up against an 'armored warrior' doesn't prepare them for a fight with an iron golem(true gaming story). Likewise Ratfolk are not just 'rats.'
6167637 But who has money to pay for that?
6167637
Nor are dire rats just rats.