The Olden World

by Czar_Yoshi

Power Plan Woes

An unending shower of rain tumbled through the hole that made up Grandbell, the weather refusing to change even as the afternoon passed and the evening advanced and the storm clouds above started to darken from the lowering sun. But Starlight wasn't around to see it. Valey and Shinespark had returned, their acquaintances from the tournament organization in tow, and now they were deep within the city, the better half of the Immortal Dream's crew seated with their friends in a dimly-lit room as a stage was prepared at the far end.

"This is an interesting venue," Shinespark commented, seated on a long wooden bench that was comfortably curved and contoured. "I'm guessing this was converted to a theater and not built as one initially?"

"You would guess correctly," Pierre replied, seated next to Randorf and watching as the room slowly filled. "Grandbell is too large for a single house of culture, and the troupe we are friends with are not the most wealthy or established in the world. They travel too much to own claim to a permanent venue."

"So remind me what we're watching, again?" Valey scratched her head, looking slightly less bothered by her wounds than the day before.

"A dramatization of the last few years of the tournament," Saffron Sunflower replied, putting her hind legs up on the bench in front of them. "Figured if you all are weary of being the entertainment for other folks, what with being in the tournament spotlight and all, might as well see what it feels on the other side. Let the stories of some past champions entertain you."

A stallion who looked to be carefully hiding the signs of age stepped onto the stage, checked a pocket watch, and surveyed the crowd. "Ten minutes until showtime," he announced, sporting a prim, layered suit and a cravat. "Everyone should find their places and enjoy the show."

"That's Nimble Step," Shill stage-whispered. "He runs the troupe. Randorf works there when it's not tournament season."

"I'M OUT OF THIS PRODUCTION TO FOCUS ON MY FIGHTING," Randorf said, lowering his voice to an outdoor level.

Saffron elbowed him. "Yep. Wouldn't hurt to become the next champion and get in the play yourself some year, would it?"

"Excuse me," a voice said next to Starlight as the lights began to dim. She looked up, seeing a teal unicorn mare pointing to some empty space between her and the aisle. "Is this taken? And would there be room for two?"

Maple glanced over Starlight's shoulder, the mare regarding them with a coat slung across her back and a friendly smile. "I don't think so. I wouldn't mind. Starlight, we can trade if you want..."

The mare's smile slowly fell away into a look of surprise and recognition, her jaw dropping in the dim light. "Wait, you're the ones from Ironridge...!"

"Indeed we are," Gerardo said, leaning back from the bench a row ahead. "Have we crossed paths?"

"Shinespark!" The mare's face brightened again, her horn lighting for illumination. "I haven't seen you for months! It's me, Brightcoil! Don't you remember?"

Shinespark leaned over as well, her own eyes widening slightly in remembrance. "From Sosa!"

"You know each other?" Maple asked, beaming from their tones.

Shinespark nodded to everyone. "None of you would have been here to remember, but Brightcoil was the one who helped us get a better manacore for the ship while we were out of fuel, when we had just arrived. You all had flown on to Izvaldi with Wallace."

Brightcoil nodded brightly, and Shinespark glanced up at her. "You had a partner. Was it... Sharpie? Are you two still together?"

"We are." Brightcoil blushed slightly, though it could have been a trick of her horn's light. "I was trying to get seats for us... Looks like we're in good company, aren't we?"

Gerardo perked up. "Sharpie? Not the gray pegasus inspector from the Sky District who helped me sniffing out those bombs Herman had planted on the dams?"

"The grayest of the gray," Brightcoil giggled. "That's us. It was a horrible and stressful job for her that she only stayed at because of the money, and after seeing that dam, we decided to cut ties with the city and leave. We were actually on the last passenger ship east before the skyport went down, we learned. And now we have a happy life here... It's good to see you again!"

"Same to you." Valey grinned, waving lazily with a wing. "Always cool running into ponies who are friendly instead of headhunters or jerks. So yeah, you want to join us?"

Brightcoil set her and Sharpie's coats to claim their seats, stretched, and sat down. "Thanks..."

"So your lives here have been better?" Shinespark asked, turned in her seat to face her fellow unicorn. "That's a relief to hear. I don't often get news on how former Sosans are getting on with their new lives."

"We're good!" Brightcoil assured, nodding happily. "Both of us got new jobs working for Meltdown's Power Distribution Agency. I never thought we could be together in the same business, but it turned out perfect for our skillsets, and Meltdown was eager enough to get her hooves on Ironridge expatriate know-how that she gave us a very generous signing bonus. That was your airship core, actually. But we don't regret it."

"Really?" Shinespark raised an interested eyebrow. "You got a mana core as a signing bonus?"

Valey shrugged. "I mean, it is a power company. Giving out power equipment as payment? It's really cheesy, but it makes sense."

Brightcoil nodded. "The Power Distribution Agency has a monopoly on technology like this in the Griffon Empire, so it didn't cost her as much as it would have elsewhere. And we asked for it for you. We ran into you before, when you had first arrived, if you remember."

"Mmm..." Shinespark nodded, thinking.

Brightcoil's smile returned. "Anyway, I'm now a switching technician. The Empire's power grid uses centralized production in Grandbell, but due to the varying demands of each city and area and the way the loads change with time, balancing the infrastructure so no places get drained or overloaded requires a lot of hardware that's challenging and expensive to maintain. And Sharpie's a quality control inspector, as always. That means instead of being the one who tells the higher-ups things aren't fine and then getting stressed when they don't listen, she's the one who tells them there are no problems on her end and they have to blame their problems on something else."

"What about my job?" another mare's voice asked, the silhouette of a pegasus with a suit collar and short necktie joining Brightcoil.

"Oh! Hi, Sharpie!" Brightcoil's horn grew brighter. "I ran into Shinespark again!"

Sharpie leaned in, making brief eye contact with Gerardo. "Ah. It's you all. Hello again."

"Aha," Gerardo chuckled, offering a talon. "Your name rang a bell, but the appearance really seals it in my mind. I do know you!"

"Yes, we've met before." Sharpie shook with a wing, then settled into her seat, letting out a long breath. "Don't let me interrupt your catching up. We're here to relax, after all."

Brightcoil shook her head. "Oh, I was just talking about our new jobs. I'm sure you could tell much more about what yours is than I could."

Sharpie's ears folded. "You just like listening to the sound of my voice."

Brightcoil sheepishly grinned. "Guilty as charged."

"What was that you were saying about blaming problems on someone else, though?" Gerardo asked. "The power agency is having issues? Or do you mean routine things?"

Sharpie shrugged. "Issues are always routine. In the Izvaldi incident a month ago, that batpony did something to the power grid, and the continent has been facing increasing power shortages ever since. As long as I'm not pointing out problems that are being ignored like I was in Ironridge, I'm happy."

Valey narrowed her eyes. "Waaait a second. I heard from a shady but maybe-reliable source that Gazelle was making that up as an excuse to keep power expensive and the lights off for that stuff that just happened in Stormhoof. But now that all that's over, he's still doing it? Is he planning something else that requires keeping the lights off?"

Sharpie frowned. "This comes from Meltdown. I don't know why there are shortages, but as long as it's not under the parts I have authority to watch, I can in good conscience tell her everything is clear."

"And did you say they're getting worse?" Gerardo tilted his head. "Valey, are you certain? What reason would there be for that?"

"Hey, if someone tells me Gazelle is being shifty, I'm gonna believe it." Valey shrugged. "If he wants to be less blame-worthy, he can try it sometime."

Sharpie shook her head and looked at the stage. "Not my job. They are getting worse, and I suspect Meltdown already knows why, because she doesn't even press me for accuracy when I make my reports and I know she's getting a lot of pressure from the rest of the nation."

"As long as you're happy," Brightcoil insisted. "And it's not like your job in Ironridge."

"No, it's different," Sharpie softly insisted. "Here, I can do my job. There, I spent months compiling a report on the Defense Force's wasteful weapons contract and it got ignored. As long as I can do what I'm paid to and my management is not incompetent, malignant or evil, everything is perfectly fine..." She stretched, fluttering her wingtips, and put a wing around Brightcoil's back. "Though it's still important to make use of our vacation days."

As the duo cuddled up, everyone on the front row turned back to the stage and Valey mused, Nimble Step returned to the curtain. "Mares and gentlegriffons, griffonesses and colts, the production will now begin. Please dim your horns and enjoy the show."

Comments

[ZanyZapper]

I was having flashbacks at first to the Avatar episode where the gang went to a play that was about them and their adventures where they got most of it hilariously wrong! I'm kinda disappointed that isn't where this is going, apparently.

[Mini-Joe]

man, i never thought I'd see that pair of characters ever again

[Boopers]

Oh my gosh, not only are we going meet Matryona's old troupe, but also Brightcoil and Sharpie are back! YAY!

[Oberth Effect]

As long as I can do what I'm paid to and my management is not incompetent, malignant or evil

Famous last words?