Just a Phase

by HorseStories

Part 2, Chapter 2 - Pseudonym

'Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. You mean you knew Azure Meadows?'

Sweetie Belle nodded.

'The Azure Meadows? Not just somepony pretending to be him, or-'

'Amethyst, I know it sounds impossible, but I'm telling you, it was him'.

'Wow. And he asked you to sing in the Flawless Rainbow? The Flawless Rainbo-'

'Yes, Amethyst, THE Flawless Rainbow!'

Amethyst recoiled, stung by Sweetie Belle's outburst. 'Sorry, Sug-Sweetie Belle. It's just a... surprise, you know. I never knew you met ponies like that'.

'I didn't know. I never even guessed - I was only a filly'.

'But did you find out?'

'Yeah. Pretty quickly actually...'

---

Getting 'cleaned up', Sweetie Belle found, meant getting vigorously scrubbed down and styled by an irritable and tired-looking mare who spent more time berating Sweetie Belle for her terrible mane than actually fixing it. Even so, Sweetie Belle was shocked by the end result. Her mane was washed and dyed, leaving it a much deeper shade of purple, and then it was cut. One side of her head was shaved, and the other side was left much longer, flopping over one of her eyes. Apart from the bald patches, Sweetie Belle looked almost civilized. She then waited while her stylist fretted over the bald patches in her coat, before finally deciding she could cover the patches with makeup.

Finally finished, Sweetie Belle was directed behind the stage curtain, where she was greeted by an enthusiastic Azure Meadows.

'Ah, Sweetie Belle, you're finally done. I'm very excited about all this, you know. It's been so long since we've had somepony... trustworthy play here. Now, I thought we'd have you sing one song to get started, and then we call you back. If they like it, you'll go back on. Do you know what you want to sing?'

Sweetie Belle nodded.

'And do you know what you're going to call yourself?'

'What?'

'What you're going to call yourself. I don't want everypony going around, blabbing about you being at this bar. They might guess who you are, but I certainly don't want to confirm it'.

Sweetie Belle hadn't considered this until now. Of course, it made sense to adopt a new name - the less she was associated with Sweetie Belle, the better. Something similar, but not obvious.

'Uhh... How about "Sugar Note"?'

Azure nodded his approval. 'Sugar Note. I like it. Well, are you ready to get on stage?'

Sweetie Belle had one final concern. 'What if they don't like it?'

Azure looked past her. 'On the stage, Sweetie Belle'.

---

Sweetie was no stranger to large crowds, but the knowledge that her new job depended on a good performance tonight was enough to turn her legs to jelly. Sitting on a stool in the centre of the stage, she lowered the microphone in front of her and spoke:

'Hello, everypony. My name's Sw-Sugar Note, and uhh... I'm here to sing tonight'.

A weak opener, but it would do. Sweetie Belle expected to see ponies looking skeptical, bored, or even incredulous at the idea of a filly singing for them, but instead she saw encouraging smiles all around, giving her new resolve. She paused for a moment, focusing the lyrics in her head, and began.

Once again, she had chosen Countess Coloratura's song. It was her go-to opening song, and she knew it always got a good response. Around her, ponies cooed and whispered among themselves. It was not spiteful or mocking, either - ponies were genuinely astonished and impressed by her performance.

Around halfway through her song, Sweetie Belle felt a sudden burst of stamina, and another strange, yet strong emotion. Initially, she hadn't a clue what it was, but then she pegged it - it was a sense of belonging, the same sensation she had felt when she first met Scootaloo and Apple Bloom. Acceptance. She could hear ponies gasping, even shrieking theatrically at her performance.

Sweetie Belle knew she had found her calling. The music, the gratuitous cheering, everyponies eyes fixed on her. This wasn't a hobby, or a job. This was her passion. Sweetie Belle was born to do this.

When Sweetie Belle finished, the applause was instantaneous. Sweetie Belle appreciated the congratulations, but when the applause continued for more than thirty seconds, she began to think the crowd was a little too enthusiastic. She turned to Azure Meadows for an explanation, but he was simply gazing at her, dumbstruck.

'Sugar Note, it's beautiful!'

'Look down!'

'Yeah, Sugar Note, look down! Your cutie mark!'

'WHAT?'

Sweetie spun around so fast she nearly fell over. Sure enough, there it was, on both sides of her flank - a single musical note. Her special talent!

Sweetie Belle shrieked with joy, jumping up and down on the spot. Rushing backstage, she found the nearest mirror and began to examine her mark from every angle. In the background, she could hear Azure Meadows calming the crowd, who had loudly begun demanding an encore. Azure Meadows had remarkable skill when it came to crowds, and indeed other ponies, all of whom fell silent upon his command.

Azure Meadows greeted Sweetie Belle upon returning backstage. 'Quite the performance, Sweetie Belle! They'll be talking about that for a while, I can tell you!'

Sweetie Belle did not immediately reply, still trying out new angles in the mirror.

Azure coughed. 'Sweetie Belle, I'll let them calm themselves down, and then I trust you'll be back on stage?'

Sweetie Belle nodded, still observing her new mark. 'Uh-huh. Sure'.

Azure smiled, and called over the stylist. 'Do her mane and makeup again, and then send her back on. Understand?'

The stylist nodded, head bowed. 'Yes, sir'.

'Sweetie Belle, I'll see you after the your next performance - I want to show you where you'll be staying.'

Sweetie Belle nodded. 'Sure. See you later'.

Azure hesitated. 'Sweetie, I hope you don't mind, but I would prefer it if you addressed me as "sir". It's just more... professional. Is that understood?'

Sweetie Belle was taken aback, but quickly recovered. 'Um, sure. I mean, yes sir!'

Azure smiled, seemingly satisfied. 'Excellent. Well, I'll see you later tonight. Good luck with the rest of your show!'

---

The rest of the evening went swimmingly for Sweetie Belle. The patrons couldn't get enough of her singing, and Sweetie Belle felt like she was walking on water, unable to do any wrong. Several times, during her breaks, she went to meet some of the ponies in the bar. All of them were warm and welcoming, treating her as an equal. Sweetie Belle was fascinated by them, asking as many questions as possible about the 'scene' in Fillydelphia.

Sweetie Belle was surprised at how relaxed the atmosphere in the room was. Just above their heads was a major Fillydelphian bar, packed full of ponies, yet this entire operation was hidden from the public eye by nothing more than a 'Staff Only' door. She raised this concern with the other ponies - was this not incredibly risky?

One of the mares, a yellow pegasus with short, bright orange hair, gave Sweetie Belle a supportive smile. 'Don't worry. Nopony comes down here. They're all too scared of Azure'.

'Of Azure? Why?'

The mare's eyes lit up. 'You don't know? Listen newbie, Azure-'

'Don't scare her...'

'What? She's gonna find out eventually, why not tell her now?'

'If Azure wanted her to know, he would've told her himself. Maybe he doesn't want her to know. How do you think he's going to feel if you tell him?'

The pegasus mare immediately shut up. 'Sorry, newbie. Maybe another time'.

Sweetie Belle was bursting with curiosity, but sensed it was better not to push the matter. Instead, she shrugged and continued plaguing them with questions.

At the end of the night, an exhausted Sweetie Belle wandered backstage to see Azure waiting for her.

'Sweetie Belle! Again, my congratulations on getting your cutie mark. Now, I know this must be an exciting night for you, but I must show you where you're staying. Do you have anything you want to pack?'

Sweetie Belle shook her head.

'Good. Well then, follow me!'

---

Sweetie Belle followed Azure outside, where they hailed a passing taxi. Sweetie Belle was surprised - she thought she would be staying at the bar, perhaps in a room above it, but it appeared Azure had arranged a place elsewhere.

Finally, they came to a stop outside a hotel. Sweetie Belle stepped out of the taxi, taking in the name - The Azure Grand Hotel.

Sweetie Belle turned to Azure. 'Do you own this place? Uh, sir?'

Azure chuckled. 'Yes, Sweetie Belle. I have a variety of business interests. It helps me keep my more... unconventional ventures undercover'.

Inside, Azure was greeted warmly by the receptionist. 'Good evening, sir. How can I help you?'

'I'm here to drop off this filly. She should have a room reserved under the name "Sugar Note". Please have somepony accompany her there and arrange for an evening meal to be sent up. Got it?'

'Of course, sir'.

'I want this understood. She is being sought by the police, and I believe the Royal Guard have mounted an independent search. If anypony comes here asking about her - not that they will - tell them nothing. If they ask about this room, tell them it's being reserved'.

'Understood, sir'.

Sweetie Belle saw the receptionist flash her a curious look, immediately refocusing her attention on Azure Meadows. 'Is that everything, sir?'

'I believe so'. Azure turned his head towards Sweetie Belle. 'It's getting late, so I won't go into any further detail now, but tomorrow I will tell you your pay and working hours. Is that all right?'

Sweetie Belle nodded. Azure raised his eyebrows. 'Yes, sir'.

'Good. See you tomorrow, Sweetie Belle'.

---

The room she had been given was unlike anything Sweetie Belle had ever seen. Every square inch of it was dripping with luxury, from the rich, vibrant wallpaper to the golden bed frame. Sweetie Belle spent five minutes exploring, testing the shower and gawping at the view. To think she had been living on the streets just a day ago was incredible.

Soon afterwards, her meal arrived, which she ate next to a window overlooking all of Fillydelphia. The food was some of the best she had ever tasted. Once again, Sweetie Belle remembered: this was all hers. She was astonished at her luck. Of course, it wasn't all luck. She must have been a good singer for Azure to select her. Good enough to get a cutie mark in it...

Her cutie mark! In today's excitement, Sweetie Belle had completely forgotten about it. Rushing over to an ornate mirror, she began reexamining her cutie mark in every angle. It was a single black musical note, with a simple design. Sweetie Belle assumed it meant her special talent was singing, but maybe it meant other types of music as well. She would have to check.

Returning to her meal, Sweetie Belle thought about Azure Meadows. He must be very wealthy, she thought, to own this entire hotel.

Something was off about Azure Meadows, Sweetie Belle decided. She remembered how eager the pegasus in the Flawless Rainbow had been to tell her about him, and how meek she had looked when warned she could be upsetting Azure.

Was Azure a dangerous pony? After all, he ran an illegal bar, so it was possible he was involved in other criminal activity. On the other hoof, he could just be wealthy and powerful. And he was so nice. He could never be involved in anything bad like that.

Most importantly, was it Sweetie Belle's place to be asking these questions? After all, Azure had given her a job, a place to stay, and the opportunity to discover her special talent. There was nothing to be gained from rocking the boat. Whatever Azure did to earn money, she would make it none of her concern.

Sweetie Belle checked the clock. Nearly midnight. She doubted she would be able to get much sleep, given the recent excitement, but once again, she had underestimated the luxury of the room she was in. The bed seemed softer and lighter than air, pulling her in, smoother than silk...

---

Sweetie Belle woke to see the sun streaming in through the windows. It was nearly midday by the time she was up and ready to leave.

Where was she supposed to go? She had arranged to meet Azure, but it seemed he was nowhere to be found. Perhaps she could ask at the lobby?

As it turned out, there was a new receptionist, who treated her surprising politeness.

'Good morning, Miss Note. I hope you had a pleasant sleep. How can I help you?'

Sweetie Belle, unused to this level of deference, asked where she could find Azure Meadows.

'He's in a meeting upstairs, conference room 3. You can wait for him outside, he should be done soon'.

Sweetie Belle thanked the receptionist, and made her way upstairs to the conference rooms. The meeting had concluded by the time she arrived, and lots of ponies were gathered outside, bidding their farewells. To Sweetie Belle, they projected a demeanor reminiscent of businessponies, although the prevalence of scars and bruises on many of them cast doubt on this assumption.

Azure was the first to notice her, and drew all attention to her.

'Sugar Note! Everypony, this is Sugar Note. She's a performer at the Flawless Rainbow'.

Most of the ponies turned to acknowledge her, some ignored her, and one of them twisted their face in disgust at the mention of the Flawless Rainbow, though he did so surreptitiously, clearly not wishing to offend Azure. None of them spoke, or showed any interest in her, which was fine by Sweetie Belle, who didn't like even being in the presence of these ponies, much less the idea of speaking to them.

Fairly quickly, the congregation began to break up. When the ponies had all departed, Azure turned to Sweetie Belle. His tone was brisk and far less friendly than it had been yesterday. 'Good to see you're up, Sweetie Belle. Now, about your pay and hours. I want you to work every night from 7 to 12, and you will be paid five bits an hour, totaling twenty-five bits a night. I will also accommodate you in this hotel, free of charge. In exchange, you will work every night at the Flawless Rainbow, and you will also work any other location I ask. Is that acceptable to you?'

Sweetie Belle wasn't sure if she was getting the best possible deal here, but twenty-five bits a night and free housing was more than enough. She nodded. 'Yes, sir'.

'Well, you have around seven hours until you must go on stage. I've told the bouncer at the Solaris to let you through whenever you ask'.

Azure brought out a leather wallet and counted out twenty-five bits.

'Your pay for last night. Any further questions?'

Sweetie Belle had plenty, but she knew she would only annoy Azure by asking. Instead, she shook her head. 'No, sir'.

'Well Sweetie Belle, I must be off. I suppose you'll want to spend some time today looking around this city. If you want my advice, start at the library. It's a good place to get your bearings, learn your way around. And do try not to get lost!'

---

Fillydelphia was indeed an enormous city. It took Sweetie Belle nearly ten minutes of working herself up before she left the street containing the Azure Grand Hotel, terrified of getting swallowed up by the city. She had taken a map from the lobby of the hotel, which had done nothing so far but impress on her how big Fillydelphia was.

Using the map, she made her way to the Library of Fillydelphia. Upon arrival, she entered the front lobby and headed for a section titled 'Tourist Information'. Most of it was dedicated to brochures about Fillydelphia's many attractions, among them cinemas, museums and landmarks. Sweetie Belle flicked through a few of these before coming to a pamphlet titled 'Harmony Hall'.

Harmony Hall is the historic site of the signing of the Declaration of Harmony. Back when Fillydelphia was a small settlement, the three pony tribes - Unicorn, Pegasus and Earth Pony - gathered to officiate their new union on paper. The connection between the declaration and Fillydelphia is widely credited with transforming the small settlement into the thriving metropolis it is today.

Prior to the signing of the Declaration of Harmony, the three tribes had lived separately, fiercely hostile to outsiders. The Unicorns and Pegasi both demanded food from the Earth Ponies, in exchange for controlling the weather and raising the sun and the moon, respectively. This uneasy pact was shattered by an extended blizzard that left the Earth Ponies unable to produce any food.

Following an outbreak of hostilities during a summit of the three tribes, each tribe relocated their capital, coincidentally all arriving in the land today known as Equestria. The three tribes established independent kingdoms - Unicornia, Pegasopolis and Earth. Tensions soon flared during this brief territorial dispute, and war erupted after the Pegasi, the most militant of the three tribes, declared their ownership of the land, and besieged the capital of Unicornia.

According to legend, the blizzard was caused by windigos, mythical creatures that feed off of fighting and hatred, and freezing the land over wherever they go. The leaders of the tribes, in their stubbornness, did not pay heed to the warnings of their advisers, and instead chose to continue their war, causing the land to freeze over. The ponies from the three tribes who survived bonded together out of necessity, forming close allegiances and friendships. With no more hostility to feed from, the windigos departed, and the land thawed. Realizing the importance of friendship and harmony, the three tribes reconciled and formed the land today known as Equestria.

Today, Harmony Hall stands as a monument to this agreement that lead to peace between the three tribes, and shaped the founding of Equestria.

Intrigued, Sweetie Belle turned the leaflet over. Opening times and directions. No charge for admissions.

Sweetie Belle slid the leaflet into her saddlebag and headed into the main body of the library. Most of it was filled with dusty old books she had no interest in reading, although she did purchase a coffee at the library's cafe, which gave her time to sit down and think.

Was her income going to be enough? She didn't have to worry about accommodation, which was her biggest relief. She would have to buy her own food. She wasn't sure how inclusive the service offered at the hotel was - she might need to buy her own bathroom supplies. She would have to have her mane done. She also wanted to have enough money to afford the things she wanted. Twenty-five bits might not stretch very far over these costs - the coffee alone had cost her seven bits. Of course, food from a store would be cheaper, but it still could take a large chunk out of her budget.

Sweetie Belle had no plans to go on a spending spree, but she still wanted to do something with her day. The clock above her told her she had four hours before she had to leave for the Solaris. That meant she was stuck in Fillydelphia for four hours, and she couldn't even afford to do anything.

Of course, she could go to Harmony Hall. The leaflet had advertised it was free of charge, and it was a historic site of interest. And it wasn't too far away, according to the map. Sweetie Belle had never held a great passion for history, but she remembered watching her sister and their friends put on a performance in Canterlot. Sweetie Belle had always thought her sister was an amazing actor...

Remembering her sister was a mistake. Feeling a lump rise in her throat, Sweetie Belle distracted herself by pulling out the leaflet on Harmony Hall. Just a ten minute walk away...

---

Azure Meadows closed the door of his office. On his desk, as requested, was a copy of The Fillydelphia Tribune. He grabbed the newspaper and eagerly scanned the front page. The front page read:

COLTCUDDLER RING SMASHED, OWNER MISSING, WANTED FOR MURDER

Last night police raided prominent nightclub Thunder, upon receiving an anonymous tip-off that the nightclub was a front organisation for a deeply-entrenched ring of coltcuddlers. The information provided appeared to be accurate, as seven arrests were made during the operation. However, the owner of the nightclub, Nimble Specter - commonly known as Bronco - was nowhere to be found. When police entered his office, they found the body of an as-of-yet unidentified stallion, who reportedly died of blunt force trauma to the head. The office was in disarray, showing clear signs of a struggle, police told reporters.

The coltcuddler ring, which potentially involved hundreds of ponies, involved coltcuddlers using a specific dress code to identify one another. This operation received the full assistance of Nimble Specter, and it is believed he actually headed the entire ring. Nimble Specter himself never married. Police so far have refused to confirm or deny these allegations.

Patrons at Thunder reacted with shock and dismay. Police are urging anypony with information of any kind to come forward.

Azure Meadows temper had flared halfway through the first paragraph, and by the end his blood was boiling. He knew he should have dealt with Bronco himself. The stallion he sent was young and inexperienced. Bronco probably ran circles around him. And Azure knew exactly who Bronco would be coming for next.

Of course, this wasn't a total defeat. Bronco's operation had been smashed, which meant some of his customers would give their business to him. And Bronco's reputation was destroyed, no matter what. He was very unlikely to do anything risky, such as come after Azure the day after Azure had tried to kill him.

Azure's main priority was to warn the others. Picking up the telephone, he recovered a list of numbers from his desk and began to dial.

---

Sweetie Belle had found Harmony Hall to be interesting - not so much the actual exhibit itself, but the artifacts, such as early drafts of the declaration, and pegasi battle armor - but even so she left early. Partly because she felt out of place - most ponies there were much older than her, and Sweetie Belle felt self-conscious with her new manestyle and overall image - but she also wanted to arrive at the Flawless Rainbow early, to ensure she didn't annoy Azure Meadows.

The bouncer didn't question Sweetie Belle when she arrived, simply lead her through the club and through the 'STAFF ONLY' doors. When Sweetie Belle entered the actual club itself, a round of applause and cheering greeted her, causing her to blush before she was whisked backstage. Sweetie Belle didn't see Azure anywhere. Presumably he had other business to attend to.

Sweetie Belle's makeup, mane and tail were all styled and completed in ten minutes - a testament to the skill of her stylist - and Sweetie Belle prepared to go onstage. She didn't feel nervous like last time - her performance had been well received last time, and everypony was clearly pleased to see her there. Sweetie had noticed a few new ponies at the bar, but they had all been excited to see her, meaning the ponies returning from last night must have been full of praise.

As Sweetie Belle walked up to the stage, a cheer rang out from the ponies in the audience. The room was packed in comparison to last night, through Sweetie Belle could still make out some familiar faces. Clearing her throat, Sweetie Belle stepped up to the microphone.

'Hello, everypony! I'm here until midnight, so do any of you want to request a song?'

Lots of ponies began shouting different suggestions, but the most common was another Coloratura song, one Sweetie Belle knew well. It was much more upbeat than the one she had performed for Ponyville, and had been very popular across Equestria.

'Okay, let me just get the lights...'

---

Sweetie Belle's first performance went on for a good half an hour, before she stopped to rest. Rapturous applause followed, and many of the ponies rushed forwards to congratulate Sweetie Belle, and offer her a drink. Yesterday, Sweetie Belle would have been terrified by so many ponies coming at her, but now she graciously accepted their congratulations, scanning the crowd for any familiar faces.

Settling down at a central table, she voiced the question that had been bouncing around her head for so long now: 'Where has everypony come from? I don't remember this many ponies being here last night. What happened?'

Mares and stallions around the table grimaced at this question. Sweetie Belle realized she had touched upon a sensitive topic, and hastily tried to backtrack. 'I- It doesn't matter anyway, but...'

'Sugar Note, don't look so scared! They're here from Thunder'.

Sweetie Belle stared blankly.

'The nightclub?'

Sweetie Belle shook her head. 'Never heard of it'.

Cries of dismay rang around the room. 'You've never heard of Thunder?'

'Mist, she looks like she's about thirteen. How is she supposed to have heard of Thunder?'

The mare called Mist shook her head. 'I still can't believe it. It's a nightclub, a front organisation like the Solaris. It got raided by the police last night? I don't know if you read about it in the newspaper or anything, but it was a pretty big thing they had going on over there. Biggest in Fillydelphia, anyway. Apparently Bronco - the guy who owned it - killed somepony and ran off'.

Sweetie Belle was slightly shaken to hear this. If the biggest operation in Fillydelphia wasn't safe, how safe was she?

'They... they couldn't find us here, could they?'

Before Mist could reply, a stallion in the crowd, slurring his words slightly, snorted. 'Not on your life, kid. The police have no idea about this place. They also had no idea about Thunder, of course, until Azure sold them out-'

'Autumn, shut up!'

'Why? You know he did it, everypony here does. He doesn't give a damn about us, just like everypony else. He just wants our money. Bronco was taking a huge chunk of his business, so he decides to sell him out, and everypony else with him?'

'Autumn, not in front of the kid-'

'Why not? What, you think she's just too sweet and innocent to hear this?' The stallion named Autumn turned to Sweetie Belle. 'Sugar Note, I know you might think Azure is great and all, but just remember, you know nothing about him. Okay?'

Sweetie Belle was shaken, but sensed she was close to getting to the answers she had sought yesterday, so she pushed a little more. 'What don't I know about him?'

'Sugar Note, Azure is a criminal'. Before Sweetie Belle could respond, or any of the ponies could stop him, he continued: 'I'm not just talking about the Flawless Rainbow. I mean he's a criminal. He sells drugs, he runs protection rackets, he had ponies killed... you name it. He runs this club to make money, and he certainly doesn't care about us and our safety-'

Autumn's rant was interrupted by the sound of the door bursting open. In strode Azure Meadows, jaw set, eyes livid.

'Everypony, this establishment has closed for the night. Please collect your belongings and leave - except you'.

As he said this, Azure stared pointedly at the stallion called Autumn, who shrank backwards. Around him, ponies rushed to grab their bags, none of them daring to look Azure or Sweetie Belle in the eye.

As the last pony left, slamming the door behind them, Azure glowered at Autumn, and turned to face Sweetie Belle. In a flash, his gaze softened, his voice became softer and calmer, and a benevolent smile crossed his face. 'Sugar Note, why don't you take the evening off? I'm very sorry we had to cancel the rest of the night, but we've had some problems with the police and I don't want to risk anypony's safety'.

Sweetie Belle had been shocked to see Azure so angry, but was even more surprised to see how quickly he could change his demeanor. She sensed Azure wasn't in an arguing mood, so she merely nodded and began to back out of the room.

Azure watched Sweetie Back out of the room, and didn't waver his gaze until she shut the door.

---

Azure waited for five minutes after the door closed, then went and opened it. Sweetie Belle was nowhere to be seen. He checked the stairs. No Sweetie Belle. Satisfied, he went back into the Flawless Rainbow and shut the door.

As soon as he came back in, Autumn began to stammer an apology. Azure had heard it a thousand times before - pleas, tears, bargaining. Autumn was around halfway though before Azure finally lost his temper and lunged at him.

The struggle was utterly one-sided. One strike from Azure sent Autumn sprawling into a nearby table, and Azure was on top of him in seconds. As Autumn began to scream - oh, how he hated it when they did that - Azure held him with one hoof and began to pummel him with the other, venting his pent up fury on this pony who had just made his life a thousand times more difficult.

'You-fucking-moron! What is you problem? Do you have brain damage from being such a damn whore? Answer me!'

Reeling, Autumn pushed Azure off him and tried to stand up. As soon as he was back on his hooves, Azure struck him over the head so that he immediately fell over again. Autumn fell awkwardly, twisting his ankle as he fell. He made no further attempts to get up, just laid there whimpering. Azure had never seen a more pathetic sight in his life.

Originally, he had planned to kill Autumn, but his anger had ebbed somewhat, and in his new found clarity, he saw this was not the prudent thing to do. Instead, he crouched down and growled in Autumn's ear:

'Listen. You are going to leave here the second you can walk. You will never return. You will never tell anypony about this place. Most importantly, you will never tell anypony who did this to you. If you do, everypony in this city is going to know all about you and your sordid little desires. Understand?'

Autumn grinned stupidly, gurgling a mixture of gratitude and assurance. Scrabbling to his feet, he made a beeline straight for the door, wrenched it open, and was gone.

Azure examined the damage from the fight. A few overturned tables, and a few smears of blood. There would have been a much greater mess if her had killed Autumn. He had certainly made the smart decision.

Azure wasn't sure when he could reopen the Flawless Rainbow. Bronco was sure to attack it, only a question of when. Of course, the public would view it as an attack on the Solaris, but that wouldn't matter to the patrons of the Flawless Rainbow. They would all be scared off, and his profits would collapse.

As far as Azure could see, his only option was to kill Bronco, or otherwise remove him as a threat. Since Bronco would have hidden himself away, it would be difficult, expensive and time consuming to find and kill him. Perhaps it would be easier to have somepony take his place, somepony more willing to listen to reason. Bronco must have had a lieutenant standing by to take over. If Bronco commanded no control and no money, he would cease to become a problem.

And what to do about Sweetie Belle? What would she do, now she knew the truth? Of course, she might already be confessing everything to the police, but somehow Azure didn't think so. Sweetie Belle was in deep, far too deep to talk to the police. And he held complete power over her - he owned her residence, he paid her, he controlled every faucet of her situation. She had no way whatsoever of disappearing. He had her exactly where he wanted her.

He would lie to her, he decided. Tell her Autumn was crazy, or deluded, or something. It didn't really matter if he believed him or not. She would treat whatever he told her as the truth, or else.

---

Sweetie Belle was crouched behind the door to the Flawless Rainbow, head so low it was nearly flat against the floor. Her heart had been pounding in her chest ever since Azure had first come out to look for her. Mercifully, he hadn't looked behind the door, otherwise Sweetie Belle was quite sure he would have attacked her.

Sweetie Belle had heard every moment of Autumn's beating, cringing every time she heard Autumn scream or she felt the floor shake from Azure throwing his weight around. She hadn't realized how seriously Azure had hurt Autumn until she caught a brief glimpse of him as he ran past her up the stairs, his mane soaked in blood and his face disfigured beyond recognition.

Sweetie Belle now appreciated the type of ponies she had got herself caught up with. Azure wasn't her friend. He didn't care about her, or any of the other patrons of the Flawless Rainbow, for that matter. He was clearly mad, deranged and psychopathic, willing to beat a member of the public beyond recognition because they had displeased him. And he had her trapped. If she made one step out of line, she would be back on the streets of Fillydelphia with no food, no money, and no protection.

What would Azure do with her? He might not trust her enough. He might be plotting to kill her right now. She should run, return to the hotel, fill her bags and flee.

Flee where?

Ponyville? She'd be arrested.

The streets of Fillydelphia? She'd be back where she started.

Get a train and leave town? She'd be stuck somewhere new, in an even worse situation than before.

Sweetie Belle sunk to her hooves. All too quickly, the net had closed around her, ensnaring her in Azure's web. Her only choice, it seemed, was to continue with the status quo. At least, for now. There was no point in dwelling on her hopeless position - it was almost certainly what Azure wanted her to do.

Azure might have trapped here here physically, but only she would be able to lock up her head.

Author's Note:

I'm not dead!

Seriously, I apologize for the huge delay in updates. Hopefully this'll never happen again.

Comments

[Canary In The Coal Mine]

Huh, so the big divergence was all the way back to the original founding of Equestria?

It's rather depressing to see that Sweetie Belle hasn't had an easy time of it, even if we did see some light at the end of the tunnel.

[Crescent Minor]

Yeah, that's hardly surprising. If Equestria doesn't have its own version of the Mafia, then it's domestic organized crime that runs the gay bars. Back when known homosexuals made the place 'disorderly', just about every gay bar was owned by the Mafia, like the Stonewall. I sometimes wonder whether that's common knowledge; I would hope it is.
I appreciated your other nods to pre-legal gay culture, including the 'dress code'. Handkerchiefs in the pockets, or I guess in this case the saddlebags? My understanding of the subject is pretty sparse, as I've only read a couple of history books, never formally researched it, but that much I picked up on. Very clever.
I think my favourite piece of writing was your editing of their ancient history. Because it took longer to drive back the windigos, it wasn't quite as much about love and acceptance as it was about taking care of their own to the exclusion of any other. Without being heavy-handed, you told the reader how they could think of their society as one based on love when it's more based on tribalism and xenephobia; all they really did was expand their definition of 'their own' to include the other tribes of ponies, but expanded it no further than that. So, the canon Equestria might hear of zebras or griffons or ponies with 'alternate lifestyles' and think 'new friends', while in this Equestria they think 'threatening outsider'.
I really feel for her here, but honestly, if I were in Sweetie Belle's position? I'd just say 'whatever you want, Azure.' Sure he's dangerous and he's done some terrible things, but he's all she's got now, and if you can be useful to him and his illicit business, he'll treat you a far sight better than the lawful ponies will. Besides, what Autumn said isn't entirely true; Azure was furious when he read about what happened at the Thunder, so he couldn't have been behind it. I'm interested to hear what the full story is there.
If you don't mind, can I just say, I think you should do one more proofread before you put these chapters up. There have been a few easily fixable typos that a spellchecker wouldn't see in the last few entries. Things like 'Sugar Note' being written as 'Sugar Belle', or pronoun genders getting mixed around, or the Flawless Rainbow occasionally being called the Flawless Diamond. It's not terrible, but it does take us out of the story a bit.

[HorseStories]

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Thanks for telling me about the errors, I'll read through and correct them shortly. In future, I'll try to spread the writing of these stories around more evenly - a lot of this chapter was written in one sitting, so it's possible I made more mistakes than usual.

[Acadians6545]

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I think it's at least moderately well known that Stonewall was owned by...less than reputable people. It still doesn't change that it was one of few places for LGBT people back then though.

[Acadians6545]

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According to the History Channel website it was owned by the Genovese crime family.