Prickle Berry Tries to Be Careful

by David Silver

47 - Baltimares

Arriving in Baltimare, they stepped from the crowded and bustling train station to find themselves among towering buildings on all sides, blotting out much of the sky. Prickle's eyes danced and her body was a little lower to the ground.

Immovable threw a leg over her smaller mentor. "First time in a real city? Don't let it intimidate you." A pony bumped into her, but she didn't move. The intruder in her personal space seemed to come out of their own thoughts with some confusion.

"Look where you're going, hon," spat out the mare as she realized she had not run into a pole, but a pegasus instead. "Some of us are walking." She moved past with a huff.

Immovable barely registered the event. "Ponies are always in a hurry in these places, but I learned to just go at my own pace. Forget 'em!"

Prickle reached up and poked her sidekick in the nose. "That is way easier for you to do. Nopony can move you no matter what they do. I don't want to be crashed into."

Immovable raised a hoof to her own chest, the other forehoof still on the other side of Prickle. "Well, it's a good thing you brought me along. It would be my distinct honor to be your shield."

Prickle felt a little smile coming along. "You know, that really does make me feel better." She hopped to her hooves and scampered around, then up, scaling Immovable to mount her as a proud winged steed. "Onwards! I have a hotel reservation for us... It should be... there'ish?" She pointed down the road.

Immovable rose and began walking along the sidewalk. "Roger! Do you have an address? What hotel is it?"

Prickle had not brought the address, and warmed in her cheeks as she thought how silly that mistake was. "It's the Lady Baltimare Hotel," she directed. She remembered that. It sounded like a nice place, and it wasn't too far from where the convention would be, which she still wasn't allowed to tell Immovable yet. "Maybe we should ask around?"

"Nah." Immovable trotted across the street. "That sounds boring. How about we cheat?"

"Cheat?"

Immovable's wings snapped out, catching a pony on either side and drawing dark glances. "Ta da!" With a flap, she ascended over most of the traffic and began to soar gently down the street. "Lady Baltimare..."

Prickle thrust out a hoof to the right, ahead of them. "I think I see it!"

It had a strip of lights running along a cement overhang, and golden doors. Golden doors? Prickle tilted her head a little. "How did I afford this?"

"With bits?" suggested Immovable as she banked to come in for a landing in front of the hotel. "How else?"

"I mentioned the 'secret discount code' and it was really affordable..." Prickle put a hoof to her cheek. "I didn't think it would be this nice looking."

"So they have gold doors, big deal." Immovable began walking towards them. "I bet the inside's boring. They're just putting on airs."

The interior looked old, the refined kind of old. Chandeliers hung above with tinkling crystal. Brass and solid metal were used for wall decorations. It was not, in the end, a palace of gold. Prickle let out a breath of relief, but Immovable just laughed. "How much do you want to bet those are just painted?"

Prickle blinked at the idea. "Oh... Yeah, I guess that's more likely..." She hopped down from Immovable. There were far less people inside the hotel than the traffic of the sidewalks. With purpose, she strode towards the front desk, but wavered as she came close to it. It wasn't golden encrusted everything, but it wasn't Ponyville either...

The stallion seated behind the counter smiled down at her. "Hello, little filly. Are you here with your mother?" His eyes lifted towards Immovable a moment. "No reason to be shy."

Prickle felt the hairs on her back lifting. "N-no! I mean..." A blush came on fierce. "She's my friend, not my mother. We have a reservation... please." Why had she said please? She felt silly.

The stallion's ears remained relaxed. An easy smile spread on his snout. "It's alright. My apologies for assuming. Please, welcome to the Lady Baltimare Hotel. We'll do our best to make your stay a comfortable one. Under what name is the reservation?"

Prickle went stiff as a board. She had put it under her own name, her normal one, and there she was, in her outfit, with Immovable. She had fouled the entire thing up! But... "Immovable, I'm thirsty. Can you get me a drink?" She pointed at a water pitcher across the lobby.

Immovable lifted her shoulders. "Sure. Get our key." She ambled towards the water, seeming more annoyed at the delay than anything else.

Prickle hopped up and grabbed the edge of the counter, dangling off. In a harsh whisper, she practically hissed at the stallion, "Look, I put it under the wrong name. It's under 'Prickle Berry', but change it to 'Tiny Titan' please! Quick!"

The stallion took it in stride. He pulled out a large reservation book and flipped through it before, with a glow of his horn, he casually removed the old name and placed in the new one. "Room 406, a fine suite." He floated a key over to rest on the countertop. "Would you like a second, for your companion?"

Prickle fell to the smooth stone floor. Was it that easy? "Oh, yes, please? If that isn't too much trouble."

"Of course, Lady Titan." Another key joined the first. "There is a matter of the deposit."

"Right." Prickle got to fishing out her bits when a wing tickled her cheek. She squeaked and looked up to see Immovable holding out a glass of water in the same wing. "Thanks!" She sagged a bit, the tension fading. She took the glass and set it down before counting out the deposit, with a few extra. "For your fantastic service."

The stallion slipped the bits away. "Thank you, ma'am. Enjoy your stay! Your room includes a free breakfast in the morning. It's quite good, don't miss it."

Immovable licked her lips. "That sounds great, but how about dinner?" She leaned in closer to Prickle. "And weren't you thirsty?"

Prickle grabbed the glass in her hooves fast enough that some water sloshed free. "I am!" she said perhaps a bit defensively before she chugged it down in hungry gulps. "Excuse me, sir, where do you suggest we go for dinner?"

The stallion gestured to the side. "We have a fully staffed, five star, dining hall right here. You don't ever have to leave the hotel for comfort and relaxation. Also included in your room, we have a training room, a pool, and a hot tub." He plucked up a small pamphlet and offered it towards them. "Here you are."

Immovable snatched the pamphlet with a wing. "Alright. Let's get some of that food."

They went to get some food. A waitress showed them to a table immediately and was very chipper and kind. It seemed like a fine place, until Prickle unfolded the menu and tilted her head to the left slowly. "Why are the menu items out of order?"

The waitress looked equally puzzled. "Out of order?"

"Yeah, see, you have ten, then six, and then twelve?" She turned the menu around for the waitress to see.

"Those are the prices," explained the mare with a bright smile.

"Oh..." Prickle set down the menu slowly. "Oh."

"So whatcha getting?" asked Immovable. "It all looks so good!"

Prickle stood up from her chair. "Thank you." She dipped her head at the waitress, hopped down, and began walking towards the door, her steps stiff and wobbling all at once.

Immovable came scrambling after her. "Hey, what's wrong? Didn't see anything you like?"

"Yeah, we'll go with that." She walked for the front door. "Let's eat like the locals."

"Oh, that sounds fun." Immovable followed after her mentor. "Now that's my irresistible force, going for something adventurous."

In the end, they found a small and humble local eatery to give their bits to. Bellies were filled and wallets were spared. As it turned, seafood was a big thing in Baltimare, and they got to try some of it.

Food eaten, their trip complete, both felt ready to crash. Immovable extended a wing. "Hop up, let's get to our room. Tomorrow's the big day!"

"Actually..." Prickle glanced around. "It isn't."

Immovable blinked softly. "Why are we here if it isn't starting?"

Prickle tapped her forehooves softly together. "They said to not tell you when it was, and if we arrived right when it started..."

Immovable's eyes made a mighty roll. "Alright, so tomorrow's just a big day off. We can--"

"If it involves spending money, no," Prickle crossed her arms and gave a firm nod.

"Or... we can..." Her eyes darted around, then she sagged. "Twilight needs to hurry up and get me on the books. I hate being poor..."

Prickle bounced up onto Immovable's back in a powerful leap and hugged her sidekick from above. "It's alright. We have each other."

"Yeah..." Immovable stood up and started walking with her passenger back to the hotel. "Yeah. This isn't so bad. I get a day of relaxing with my favorite mare." She perked an ear at an odd noise and realized Prickle had fallen asleep on her. With a near-silent giggle, Immovable made her way to their room. It was nice and spacious. It had two beds, so Immovable carefully set Prickle down on one of them.

That's when she considered Prickle's super outfit. "Does she sleep in that? Should I take it off?" She frowned softly. She wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed, but she was pretty sure stripping one's friends while they were sleeping would be considered rude in most places. "Better not blame me." She pulled up the covers over Prickle and tucked her in.

She walked over to the window/balcony of the suite and looked out over the dark street outside. Ponies were still on the sidewalk, but less than during the day. She had come from a city, but it wasn't her city. It was a new place. She could be a rock in the stream, letting it go past her. She had to... She pulled open the balcony door and slipped outside, closing it behind herself.

The wind running across her fur made her smile. She spread her wings a little to feel it more and try to forget her worries. "They'll trust me..." She let out a heavy sigh. "Eventually..." Why had she started a super villain? It seemed like a such a good idea at the time. She would be the immovable rock, unable to be moved or budged, standing in the way of progress and demanding to be noticed...

But they didn't notice her. They barely cared. They were annoyed, sure, but most eventually moved around her. Like... Like that rock in the stream. The water wasn't stopped, it just moved around. No matter how hard that rock tried to stop the water, it couldn't. It would go around...

A little quirk of a smile touched her face as she thought about helping Rainbow. She had stopped an entire cloud. She had... for that one lovely moment, stopped the river. Her wings flapped softly in the night air. "I can do it..." Her wings sagged a little. "I hope...

She shook her head and turned back to the hotel room. She slipped in past the door and closed it behind, sealing herself in the dark room. She could hear Prickle's soft breaths and smiled. She had Tiny Titan. She knew Tiny Titan cared for her, even if that trust wasn't quite there yet. She just had to earn that, by being an awesome sidekick, and a friend... How hard could that be?

Immovable slipped up onto the free bed and snuggled into the covers. The pillows were much softer than the rocks she typically used, and she faded from thought shortly afterwards.

Author's Note:

Happy moments, awkward moments, and thoughtful moments. I hope they all felt genuine.

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Comments

[badninja]

Immovable needs some TLC when this arc ends. She is homeless and I feel that Ponyville will step up when this gets revealed.

[Booster Spice]

Someones cheaping on the gig if you have to carry the grub yourself? At least breakfast is free, hopefully. Just, Can they complain when you have a repeat Full English, each?

[tsaukpaetra]

And they've arrived! Let's see how long it takes to get noticed. You'd be surprised how seldom non-pegasi look up...
Prickle is being frugal, that's a good sign.
Keep going! ;)

[Daremo]

crowded crowded - crowded crowded -or- crowded, crowded (if it's for emphasis)
come come - come come
Prickle did not bring the address - Prickle had not brought the address
A blush come in - A blush came on
there'sh - there'ish
still want's - still wasn't
thing nice looking. - this nice looking.
smooth stone fall - smooth stone floor
closed it behind - closed it behind her

and her body was a little lower to the ground.

I'm dense, I'm not sure what this is trying to convey.

---

I suppose Prickle's secret identity was never the best kept secret in Equestria, but it almost seems like more ponies will know than will be left wondering at some point.

It's also a very odd hotel that doesn't blink at two ponies wearing super suits checking in, let alone allowing them into the fancy 5-star hotel restaurant. Most of those places have strict dress codes to go along with their equally extravagant prices.

My suspicions regarding this convention are still raised, though. The only thing more suspicious would have been giving them room 1408.

---

Out of context silliness follows—

She hopped to her hooves and scampered around, then up, scaling Immovable to mount her

[George Takei] Oh my...[/George Takei]

Prickle went stiff as a board.

[George Takei] Oh my...[/George Takei]

[David Silver]

8259275
She was nervous and was drooping a bit lower to the ground, slouching, pony style.

[zalla661]

Aww... Poor Immovable. I won't lie when I first saw menus like that I too thought something similar. It took a while for me to piece together that it was prices. Sad it too a thirty dollar fish dish for me to figure it out. I was poor that day.

I hope Immovable doesn't fall into evil after feeling inadequate. Prickle's trying o keep her on the straight and narrow, but these thoughts Immovable is having is how it always starts before spiraling out of control. I can already see it. Jealousy, or anger. Hang in there Immovable!

[AdmiralPopeyesBeard]

8261748
Lol.

Oh, I dont remember if I said so already, but Im really enjoying this story!

[Lancerlot]

Worrisome... Nobody at the hotel mentioned anything about the convention.

[LEGION55]

Prickle fell to the smooth stone fall.

smooth stone Floor.