The Olden World

by Czar_Yoshi

Ponies Seeking Attention

"You're a friend of High Prince Gazelle's?" An Everlaste guard squinted at Maple, part of a proud formation blocking the entrance to Stormhoof keep. "First you said Stormhoof, now him? Changing your story's not going to get you in, lady. I understand wanting, but national security is too tight right now to be admitting tourists. It's hard for all of us, so don't take this personally."

"We're not getting through," Glimmer pointed out from Maple's back. "This isn't a good place to push our luck."

Maple wore a strained smile, but nodded. "Right. Thank you, sir." She turned to leave.

The guards gave them no trouble as they retreated, Jamjars and Starlight at Maple's sides. Once they were safely out of earshot, Maple sat down against a step-like wall and sighed. "Well, that was nerve-wracking."

"At least the guards here are nicer than the ones in Ironridge." Starlight shrugged. "So now what do we do?"

Jamjars blinked at her. "Try what I've been suggesting from the beginning?"

"We are not walking into another office of Meltdown's power company and trying to get her attention by telling them we have someone to arrest," Maple firmly replied, putting a hoof down. "That's a good way to make a scene, draw attention to ourselves and do nothing productive at all."

"We could go to the colosseum?" Starlight suggested. "Maybe we could find Wallace or someone else who can help."

Maple hummed. "Mmm. Good idea. I think we still have time to make it there and back before dark."

---

The colosseum itself was packed with sound, the tournament already in progress. Starlight and her friends took a moment to scrutinize a massive tournament board posted by a road leading up to it: while no one had bothered to explain the structure of round three to them, it was fairly obvious just from the diagram. Sixteen trees of four fights and sixteen ponies each, about half of them had their bottom level already resolved and cut off. She couldn't see Valey, but knew her friend's name would be somewhere on the remaining lower leaves. Over a hundred first-wave battles, but half were already done... Valey couldn't have more than a day. Her fight would almost certainly be tomorrow.

"Well, noise is good," Maple remarked, a din of cheers rising from the bowl ahead. "I guess we're more likely to find someone if there's something to be here for, aren't we?"

Their hooves started along the familiar path to the private box Gazelle had rented them for the previous round, more Everlaste guards stationed throughout the complex. Most of the guards in more populated areas gave them no trouble, but at the entrance to a corridor near the boxes, one griffon stopped them with a wing. "I'm sorry, Ma'am, but there are private balconies past here. Are you on the list?"

Maple blinked. "We were for the second round. I'm Maple. In a party with Valey, Gerardo, Shinespark..."

"Hrmm..." The guard scratched his chin, scrolling down a lengthy sheet of paper. "A guest of Prince Gazelle?" He raised an eyebrow, but stepped aside. "You're more unassuming than I would have expected. Please enjoy your experience."

Maple paused, smiling awkwardly. "Actually, speaking of the prince, you wouldn't be able to tell us where he is, would you?"

The guard frowned. "It's not my job to keep track."

Starlight nudged her not to press, and Maple nodded thankfully. "Well, we appreciate it," she thanked, bowing and walking into the final hallway.

The private box was just as they had left it, with several chairs and room at the back to set down any packs or day supplies. Nobody else was there, and Starlight couldn't tell if this was fortunate or unfortunate. While they were now looking for Gazelle or anyone else they could barter medicine off of in exchange for information about Izvaldi, the box was like a shell, and Starlight felt much more at ease as the door closed behind them.

"Here we are," Jamjars declared. "So what do we do now?"

"I'm not really sure," Maple answered, setting down Glimmer and sliding into a chair. "We didn't run into anyone we were looking for on our way here, but I'm really not sure how to find people better than wandering around and hoping we cross paths. I wouldn't mind just sitting for a moment, but we will have to call it a night soon and go home..."

Starlight settled into a chair as well. The arena seating was full thanks to peak evening hours, and an evenly-matched fight between a griffon and a pegasus down below formed the perfect background noise for her thoughts. They wanted to talk to the higher-ups, but without attracting attention or making names for themselves...

"I still think my idea is best," Jamjars announced. "Remember, I'm the one here who actually got their attention last time."

"It's also the most dangerous," Maple sighed. "But if you want to do it by yourself, I can't stop you."

Starlight tuned them out, scanning the distant crowd. Wallace's bulk couldn't be hard to pick out, but she saw nothing, even searching the full circumference of boxes and stands. Maybe he had a private box she couldn't see into...?

A sigh from Maple cut her off, and she turned to see her mother with the newspaper out again from earlier. Starlight raised an eyebrow. "You think there's anything else in there?"

"It doesn't hurt to look," Maple murmured. "Wallace and his friends were a team from Izvaldi. If they went back after the disaster to help keep morale up, this might say. I just realized we should have checked earlier, before walking all this way."

Starlight glanced over to Glimmer as Maple settled in with the paper. "And how do you think we could get ahold of Gazelle or someone important?"

"Well, there are a lot of ways." Glimmer shrugged. "You could find a dusk statue and ask the Night Mother for help, though there are some problems with that. She can contact him, though. You could try to sneak somewhere important, though I couldn't come with you. Jamstars' idea is probably the soundest of the bunch."

Jamjars grinned wickedly.

Starlight just blinked. "You're actually calling her that?"

"She was the first to call me something." Glimmer rolled over in her chair. "And I'm agreeing with her, too. If you want to summon Gazelle, you know how to get Meltdown."

Maple glanced up from the newspaper. "Really? Are you sure walking up to her power company is a good idea? Because it's her job to arrest-"

"Yeah, yeah, you told me." Jamjars waved a lilac hoof. "Look, there are four votes, I have at least half. Easy decision. Are you coming?"

Maple groaned, getting back to her hooves. "We just got here..."

---

The sun hadn't set by the time Jamjars led Maple, Starlight and Glimmer to the power office she had found on their first visit, but it was low enough on the horizon that the entire island was shadowed by its own buildings. A sea wind was starting to chill Starlight's fur, and combined with the shadows of dusk made her wish she was the one getting the ride. Unfortunately, she didn't have long to think on it.

"Hours of operation: currently closed," Maple read from a posting in the window, her face falling. "Oh no..."

"Booo." Jamjars kicked at the ground. "We should have gone here earlier!"

"It would have had to been more than an hour ago," Maple murmured. "We didn't just miss it."

Jamjars scoffed. "We spent at least an hour walking between the arena. Whatever. Who has other-"

A distant blaring cut her off, making her cringe. Maple and Starlight turned to see a patrol of Everlaste griffons coming, walking along a main street tangent to them, the leader wielding a megaphone. "Sundown curfew!" the leader screeched, spreading their voice. "For your own safety, please refrain from staying outdoors after dusk! Sundown curfew! Sarosians move more safely under cover of dark! Sundown curfew, for your own safety..."

The patrol quickly passed by, but Maple's ears folded. "It looks like we're out of time. I guess we have to go home empty-hooved?"

"It sounds like you will," Glimmer sighed. "I don't advise being slow. The guards probably won't hurt you if you stay out too late, but you wouldn't enjoy the kind of attention it brings."

With a last glance at the power building, Jamjars huffed, and the four started back for the docks with nothing to show for the day but a newspaper and dead ends.

Comments

[Zapdroid]

Sorry, Jamjars being the soundest of those three???

[sploopy slooder]

im wondering where this is gonna go because i really cant see the tourney arc just....end like this. valey doesnt really have any stakes in actually participating, but so many chapters have been devoted to the tournament that i cant see valey getting disqualified now.