Locksmith

by QuartzScale

15. P.O.V.

Pinkie was a bit livid at this point. A pony didn’t come to their party and she couldn’t make them smile. It was time to make specialty sweets with Applejack and that at least raised her mood. While there were a few things going on at least she could be happy making snacks with one of her friends.

(Raindrop’s Tale)

It took several hours for the ponies of ponyville to fully barf the baked bads away. Forever know as the Baked Bads Bonanza left the ponies wary of any sweets from that day. Nurse Redheart had pulled a triple shift at this point making sure everypony finally emptied themselves from the hazardous material.

“Who the buck let’s an overworked pony make desserts. We’ve had over twelve cases in the last couple of hours and we’re still nowhere close to getting these ponies back on their feet.”

Redheart went back to patient zero and helped clean up the buckets that were created and made sure she would get back on her feet soon.

“Pinkie, what have we learned from all this?”

“Make sure the ingredients are the right ingredients.”

Redheart merely patted her on the head and continued her rounds to deal with epidemic. Pinkie was only one of the many victims of the incident. Raindrops, unfortunately, was afflicted by the baked bads. She was not having a good day. Due to the stomach pains she was missing a day of work which was something she hated to do.

“Redheart… I need another bucket.”

This was only the tip of the iceberg for Raindrops while she got better.

(Vinyl’s Tale)

Vinyl had made the trip over to Manehattan checking out one of her usual hangouts. Most were places that she worked for late night shows at random. Most of her money came out of Canterlot where the stuck up ponies paid for the real entertainment to let loose. She cringed at all the moments of the nobles dancing like fools and quickly purged them from her mind. This particular party was being thrown for the Wonderbolts Captain, Spitfire.

“So how are you enjoying the party?”

“Pretty chill place here. Good atmosphere and decent tunes make this a happening spot. Though the dancing could be better.”

“Well yeah. A lot of these ponies were meant for flight not walking. So are you gonna grace us with your skills this night?”

“I’ll think about it. I need to unwind sometimes.”

“I heard you unwound with a pony awhile back. How’d that go for ya?”

“Fine.”

Vinyl immediately wanted to shut herself in the booth to avoid talking about details. Wonderbolts were usually really chatty about accomplishments. That was until Spitfire screamed out.

“What the buck do you think you’re doing Soarin? Who in Tartarus is that?”

Vinyl looked on as she saw Soaring, Vice Captain of the Wonderbolts embraced in a random ponies arms. He had a bunch of lip prints over his face and seemed both nervous and unsure at the same time. She wondered if the rumors of them being an item were true. She also wondered if he was going to survive.

“I’m outta here. Buck off Soarin!”

“Wait come back!”

Vinyl stared at the dance floor and noticed every other pony was unsure whether to keep dancing or not. Sighing to herself she got into the booth knocking the other DJ out of the way and got everypony’s attention.

“Don’t worry folks DJ-PON3 has got the grooves to get you back on to your hooves. Now let’s crank that bass up!”

The wubs were in full effect and the ponies on the dance floor continued on like nothing even happened. The thoughts that swirled in her brain were as complex and mysterious as any others and nopony would ever guess what was going on in her mind.

‘I wonder if the Hayburger will still be open after this…’

(Octavia’s Tale)

Octavia had made her way back into Canterlot to get to the Music Hall to check out some things for one of her composer friends. They annoyed her to no end and waited for the place to open. The problem was that they started painting the hall that very day. One particular unicorn was in charge of it. She wore a green hat and a red smock while she continued painting the main hall.

“Um… excuse me Miss. How much longer will you be painting the hall?”

“Well I think it might take me one more day before I’m satisfied with the last coat of paint. I don’t wanna miss a spot. So who are ya?”

“Oh apologies. My name is Octavia Melody I’m here to check on the progress for a small concert that’s being held here.”

“Ah I see. Name’s Fresh Coat. They hired me last second and it’s been a nightmare. These Canterlot unicorns have been a bit… unpleasant lately. Here I am trying to work and then this idiot comes up and tried to touch my flank. Made sure they regretted that. Am I right?”

“Uh sure. What happened to him?”

“Him?”

Octavia blinked a bit but shut her mouth though the small meep was audible. Fresh Coat merely laughed and brushed it off.

“Don’t worry bout it. It’s flattering but she wasn’t my type, They got to earn my affection.”

“R-right.”

“You know it’s weird when somepony thinks that a little physical contact is all you need to make a relationship. You gotta make a connection instead of rushing off into a relationship. Though I guess for some ponies some pretty words are all you need to fall for each other huh?”

“Um? I just wanted to know about the hall…”

Fresh Coat gasped and blushed in embarrassment. The paint brush held in her levitation field fell back into the paint can somehow making sure that the paint didn’t fly out of the can.

“Sorry about that. I ramble whenever I have an audience when I paint. Bad habit of mine I’m trying to break.”

“It’s fine. I guess I could relate to some of that.”

“Oh yeah? In what ways Octavia.”

“Met a stallion. He was kind enough to save me and my roommate one night. We both got to know him a bit better but we found out he has a dangerous job. He’s kind of like one of the guards in the palace but not affiliated with them. My roommate managed to get him to agree to a herd situation but I’m not so sure about it.”

“How come? Sounds like you got the dashing hero type. Well at least you didn’t sleep with him just cause he saved your life.”

“Yeah. When we met with him that night we thought he might be one of those stallions but he surprised us entirely.”

“Really? Now I’ve heard everything. Sounds like a catch.”

“I guess… It’s just when he went off to his job we found out he had to fly himself to the hospital… covered in blood… nearly broken legs… It was horrifying.”

Octavia let a few tears break through but held it together. She was stronger than that. Fresh Coat was a bit more apprehensive but the gleam in her eye showed that she was interested in the story.

“Damn. Sounds hardcore. I bet he told you what happened and bragged all about it.”

“That’s the thing. He was reluctant to talk about it and kept it to a very vague explanation. All we know is that he’s been partially trained for it and is the best they found at the time. Could you believe those foolish ponies picking one pony and barely training him for something like that. It’s infuriating that they wouldn’t teach him better.”

Fresh Coat placed her hoof against her muzzle quieting her down. She shook her head apprehensively and looked over her work. She was nearly done and this conversation was getting a bit too deep. Clearly the mare in front of her was more distraught than she appeared. Scratching the back of her head she pointed to the cello case that Octavia had left at the hall so as to not have to drag it around with her everywhere.

Octavia watched her hoof and looked at her case. With a sad smile she opened the case and allowed herself to play a small serenade that came straight from the heart. Her feelings on the matter flowed from the bow through the strings while Fresh Coat finished her work.

“Sounds like an interesting stallion. Mind if I could meet him sometime too?”

“What!?”

“What? You’re the one who made him appealing. What can I say, it sounds interesting.”

“Fine... But I’m watching you.”

“Sounds like fun.”

Octavia blushed and then facehoofed when she realized that she accidentally added to their herd without even realizing it. Vinyl and Raindrops were going to kill her.

(Raindrop’s Tale)

Raindrops finally was able to fly once again. Though she was also the last pony managing to get out of the hospital. Redheart was the only pony left and seemed real tired. All baked bads had been destroyed… aside from the few that went mysteriously missing.

“Thanks for sticking around Redheart. I didn’t think I would make it after that horror.”

“It’s not a problem. It’s not the worse thing I’ve seen. That belongs to this stallion I saw yesterday coming into the hospital covered in blood. That was scary. Yet he looked calm and content. It was the strangest thing I’ve seen.”

Raindrops tried to keep her squeak contained. Octavia had told her what had happened earlier and was feeling a bit mortified by the action. She had nearly fainted when she heard what happened but kept herself standing by sheer force of will.

“Really?”

“Yeah. I know you know Raindrops. I’ve heard about you walking around with a thestral. Same one I had to treat. So what’s the story?”

“I thought you weren’t a gossiper!”

“Hey! You try dealing with a pony covered in blood and not even knowing why they were even like that.”

“It’s nothing!”

“It’s not nothing. I want to know what happened to them! Something like that isn’t natural in the first place!”

“Ask him yourself!”

“Fine. The moment I see him I’ll ask him myself.”

“Wait! Why do you want to know so badly?”

“Curiosity. He wasn’t whining the entire time we patched him up. He even managed to finish up the treatment even though he wasn’t under anesthesia without much more than a grumble. How is that even possible is what I want to know.”

“I guess I can understand that.”

“Plus he was easy on the eyes…”

“Wait what?”

Raindrops didn’t know what happened but she felt as though she was just manipulated somehow. Leaning back in her bed Raindrops desperately wanted to go back to sleep to forget how the rest of the day had gone.

(Vinyl’s Tale)

Vinyl finished up a couple of her sets and left the club in a grander mood. She stopped off in a small bar near said club where she once again found the Wonderbolt Captain drinking the night away with another Wonderbolt, Fleetfoot.

“Huh… Well I’m not dealing with that.”

As she made her way to leave a voice rang out of the bar directed at her. It was very loud and very pissed sounding. She didn’t want to deal with a drunken Wonderbolt. The last time she did she watched eight tables be thrown through a wall and several patrons walk out with black eyes and broken wings.

“Hey! Vinyl! Over here! Hey! Over here!”

“Right… Hey Spitfire. How’s it going? You look… good,”

Spitfire didn’t. She looked angry and Fleetfoot was nursing a nearby bucket for the inevitable. Vinyl sat as far away as she could.

“Oh I’m fine. Just fine. Yeah fine. Right Fleetfoot. I’m doing great and nothing could be better.”

“Yeah that’s right Captain. No problems here.”

Fleetfoot managed to give off a fake smile while looking away from the table. Vinyl knew that look. It was the same look Octavia gave her whenever she dragged her to a club way past the time she would usually sleep at. It was the look of annoyance.

“I’m guess it had to do with ‘him’.”

Vinyl knew exactly how to avoid those kind of minefields after meeting with a different friend up in Canterlot. Spitfire gripped her drink too hard as it shattered in her hoof. She brusquely brushed the glass off the table and her hoof without cutting herself. Fleetfoot lightly tapped Vinyl’s shoulder which she promptly ignored.

“Maybe. It’s not like watching somebody you liked suck some other ponies face without even knowing who they are. It’s not like I’m bitter about seeing that happen once again. Damn it all I need another drink.”

Fleetfoot held her hoof up as another pony floated over another drink to Spitfire. Vinyl frowned. She hated dealing with these things.

“I have to go deal with some things Captain. I’m gonna leave you in the capable hooves of this pony over here. Vinyl you got the reins.”

Fleetfoot left a small note for Vinyl which still left her frowning. When she left Vinyl looked closer at the note and her eyes nearly bugged out.

‘Gotta Check on Soarin. He’s in the hospital.’

Vinyl looked at Spitfire who nursed another drink forcing her to shift her seat closer. It was going to be a very long night.

“Vinyl why does fame change a pony so much?”

“I don’t know. Maybe we just can’t always be the same because of the expectations of everypony who walks around us. We’re ponies as well but those expectations are always too high.”

“Somedays I hate being a captain. Other days I love the job. How do you handle it?”

“I made sure to make friends before I became famous… or infamous in other ponies’ eyes. I got lucky that those ponies stuck around me for this long.”

“What about other relationships?”

“I’m working on that. Got my eyes on somepony and I’m working on it with some other mares.”

“Ha! You’re a herd pony. Though that does sound easier. When you get them introduce me, k?”

“Oh dude! You should totally join us!”

“Ha. Only if that stallion could handle me in a fight. Only one pony could do that and he’s not going to be getting on my good side anymore.”

“Hey you never know. When he gets back at least give him a chance.”

“Fine… But if he isn’t up to snuff I’m gonna beat him up~”

“You are way too happy a drunk.”

“Yeah but it’s fun.”

“True. Let’s get you back to your room. I think you drank too much.”

Below the table were several empty mugs and a few broken glasses. Sighing, the not drunk Spitfire held onto Vinyl just to find her way back to the special hotel they reserved for the Wonderbolts. Vinyl was even given a room and realized what she did… And was totally cool with it. Though she knew that Octavia was totally gonna get on her case. That was gonna be a real drag.

(Gray’s Tale, 8 hours before every other pony’s tale)

I stood looking around the bridge after leaving last night. I eventually found the navigation computer and the small notebook with the information on the Gummi Ship and its operation. I placed the Lexicon over the notebook to absorb all the info. It was something I found easier to do since I could drag the Lexicon wherever I go.

The controls were inverted. So up went down and down went up. That was not too confusing at least. The triggers on the steering wheel cause the weapons to fire. The ship only has a small gatling gun and a small laser cannon at this point. It’s enough to at least get through the universe and right now only one location is registered within the nav computer. The Mysterious Tower is actually a location to visit… That’s convenient. The next note revealed something else.

‘Here is a little help on where to go. Signed God.’

I was lost in another blinking fit and pressed the buttons that would take me to the Tower. I was extremely tired from the constant movement and finally figured out how long it would take me to reach my destination. It would take ten hours to reach it and that was enough time for me to catch up on sleep. Before my eyes closed a shiver pass through my entire body. I didn’t feel cold but I felt an omen...Or maybe it was a cramp. I’m gonna think it was just a cramp otherwise I’m gonna be panicking for the entire trip.

Author's Note:

So now you know the six mares that are gonna be part of this romance stuff. Let's hope I don't eff it up too badly.