The Olden World

by Czar_Yoshi

Unfiled Complaints

The sun was beginning its descent to the horizon as Maple, Starlight and Gerardo looked on, all astride a lift that would return them to the Stone District. The valley below was likely already bathed in the mountains' shadow, and the eastern Stone District would soon join it, if it hadn't already.

Nothing of interest had happened during their return journey. Gerardo had been unable to find Slipstream... though, admittedly, it didn't seem as if he was trying. It was a setting that might have demanded a note of somberness to the air, or tension, or even peaceful relaxation, and Starlight would have been fine with any. Predictably, however, Gerardo was talking.

"Indeed, the construction of the skyport over a three-year period was what sent Sosa into its decline," the griffon rambled, re-iterating things he had probably gleaned from the timeline after she had stopped reading. "I imagine the happenings prior to that were too mundane to be worth mention."

"I read it too, Gerardo," Maple said with a weary smile, sitting down on the platform they shared with three other ponies. "It's not that hard to guess. You don't need to explain it again."

"Well, I..." Gerardo looked away.

He continued, but Starlight nevertheless felt a small rush of appreciation for the mare... followed by concern. Maple hadn't tried to make any small talk with her like she usually did since they had reached Ironridge. She was up and about, friendly, seemingly trying her best to be useful and conciliatory... and those were normal, for her. But it felt as though other things were missing, like her penchant for routines. She had one of those, right? Starlight hadn't properly been around her long enough to know for sure, but it felt like it. And none of these changes felt like her choice so much that she just hadn't had a chance. What if she was constantly being stressed or annoyed, but just hadn't noticed it yet? It had taken Starlight until the museum to realize it herself, after all.

Her eyes turned back to Gerardo, who was saying something else, and she didn't care to listen. More pressing was her worry from earlier: they were told to stick together, and would until they had left Ironridge. When she was on her own, in the mountains, it had been difficult, but she had survived. She had made it work. With Maple, she had initially tolerated the mare because Willow had requested that she do so, but eventually come to enjoy certain aspects of being around her. But with Gerardo... would that be a good thing? He was tasked with keeping them safe, but his constant presence would quickly become tiring. In doses, he was entertaining, but constantly talking...

It could become a problem. She didn't want it to become a problem. She would have to do something to ensure it wasn't... and that involved figuring out exactly why he was bothering her. Talking too much? Amber had been happy to talk, too, and she had never had a problem with the mare. Inconsiderate of when he was talking? Much more possible. So was he clueless, or did he just not care?

She was just a filly, not special in any way, with a possibly-defective horn and no special talent. She didn't like it, but the growing difference between what was practical and what was ideal had been made all the more apparent in her mind since reaching Riverfall... and especially since leaving it. With those credentials, why did he insist on protecting her? Honor? Because of a promise? Was that all she was worth? A deep-seated instinct screamed out, telling her all ponies and lives were priceless, no matter what, but it wasn't as if everyone believed that. Yet, he still kept her around. He had to care... right?

She tried to remember the last time the griffon had even tried to open conversation with her. In the skyport atrium, about the investigator mare's conversation... No, that had been her responding to something he had said. Same for when she had suggested choosing randomly who got their way in the hotel room. And before that... she couldn't remember. Maybe he had in Riverfall. To apologize after she had shown off her magic, maybe. All of one time. Lovely.

It didn't make sense that that would bother her, though. Technically, he was respecting her wishes. He was treating her the same as the other thousands of ponies living in Ironridge. He was treating her and them as complete equals... by only speaking to them when necessary or if they could do something useful, crossing paths without so much as an acknowledgement, and carrying on with his own ways regardless of how she felt about them. So why did that bother her? Why did it? Why?

...Her train of thought derailed, falling through the floor and landing in a deep lake of sadness and loneliness that welled up out of nowhere, catching her completely by surprise. Suddenly, she realized she was pressed tightly into Maple's side, barely breathing so as not to accidentally sob. The leftover thoughts swirling in her head coalesced into one question: it wasn't whether he cared, but why she cared. And no answer came.

She could put up with what she didn't like, as she had done until she snapped and left back in Equestria... or she could take Willow's advice and try to change things, to make her situation tolerable. It wasn't much of a choice. In Riverfall, she had known what she would be giving up by opening up and letting the mares love on her: the ability to go it alone, to ignore and block out and pretend she wasn't missing out on anything at all. She had decided it was worth it for that one taste... and because she had made that choice then, she didn't have one now. She couldn't go it alone. Something had to be done, and a fiery determination rose in her to figure out precisely what.

...Maple was what. She cared about Starlight. They could get along. They would; they already did. She would just talk to her whenever they got some time, quiet and alone... which would never happen, because someone never left them alone.

Suddenly, her earlier annoyance with Gerardo bubbled up into an intense dislike, and she had to immediately clamp it down to prevent herself from growling. This was why she cared. He wasn't just ignoring her, or annoying her, or treating her the same as every other pony he met. He was separating her from her friend and that was unforgivable. He probably didn't even notice. Sunburst's parents probably hadn't noticed, either. It was happening again right before her eyes, and it was all she could do to keep her horn from igniting then and there and-

Maple was still there. Touching her, even. And Willow's final advice flashed through her head: the world is unfair, but you have the power to change it.

Nothing had happened yet. She could still do something. Everything could go right back to normal... so what should she do?

There was always the possibility that she could somehow get rid of Gerardo, but that wouldn't be fair. It wouldn't be fair to treat him differently, just because he was in her way. He was still standing there, across from them on the lift platform, yapping his head off about something or other... no, talking about something. Deep breaths. Just because he had managed to accidentally offend her didn't mean she had to treat him poorly back. But where did that leave her? Making him change? Making him be different than he was? Wouldn't that be just as antithetical to her ideals? And how would she do it, anyway?

She couldn't tell. There had to be a long-term solution. Something in Riverfall had worked, hadn't it? He had been there for several days, and not grated on her any more than... no, he had caused her to show off her magic in front of the entire town and probably been indirectly responsible for her origin getting out. Maybe there wasn't an answer in that, after all.

What she did know was that, until she found something permanent, she had to deal with it. She couldn't take it out on Gerardo or treat him unfairly, couldn't break up or sabotage the group, and she needed to do something to help Maple. Maybe if the griffon left them alone for a while, then came back? That sounded difficult, but it could be a temporary fix. It was worth trying, at least. With some effort and reluctance, she dragged her attention back into the real world.

"...and that brings us to tonight," Gerardo was saying. "I still think we have time to complete my delivery, though we'll have to be quick about it. After all, we are bound for the Water District, and what we learned about it doesn't seem to be of much use."

Maple shrugged, sounding slightly more lively than she had when discussing airships earlier. "Well, you know where in the city it is, at least."

Gerardo nodded. "Indeed. I also have little clue how we are supposed to approach that place. We could go through the Sky District and walk across the mountain plane, but I fear that would be unpleasant and difficult to begin. Did you even see a public access point in those terminals?"

"No, I didn't," Maple admitted, shaking her head. "You say that like there's another way?"

"Well..." Gerardo hummed. "The existence of a Stone District Defense Force carries certain implications..."

"...Of course!" Maple's eyes lit up. "So there might be an entrance in the Stone District..."

"That is what I was thinking," Gerardo confirmed. "Of course, I neither know where that is nor am free of reservations bringing the two of you through the lair of a paramilitary organization. Being authorized by the government, I would imagine it contains at least some modicum of decency, but with these types of things..."

Maple's brow furrowed, but she had no counterpoint to make.

Starlight saw her opportunity and pounced. "Hey," she announced, consciously avoiding calling Gerardo by name. "You could leave us at the hotel and go looking for it yourself, and see how dangerous it looks and where it is, couldn't you?"

"I was..." Gerardo hesitated, looking conflicted. "Instructed to prioritize your safety, you know..."

Starlight shrugged. "You're willing to leave your crates back there alone, right? Why not us with them? We won't go anywhere. I promise. Please?"

Gerardo sighed. "Normally, I would say let it be so, and that anything negative that transpired as a result would be upon your head... but so that that might not be the case is precisely why I insist on accompanying you. Nevertheless, I suppose I shall... think about it."

"I second this plan," Maple broke in, causing Starlight to beam: it seemed like she had at least read the situation right. "We'll be fine on our own, Gerardo. You don't have to worry about us that much, especially if we just sit in the hotel room. How long will you even take?"

"Unknown," Gerardo answered. "Though it appears I am outvoted once again. First, however, let us ensure that my crates are indeed untampered with. Should anything have happened to them, I fear both your reassurances and the point of scouting will become moot."

The lift abruptly plunged below the snowline, the tunnel's darkness heralding the nearing end of the ride.

Comments

[alamais]

Glimmy plz. Such a nerd.

[FloydienSlip]

Betting that the crates will be gone as an elaborate ruse by Gerardo himself.

[bronyheat]

Glimmer was inches away from writing Gerardo's name in her Death Note, Big Book of Grudges, Stalin's shooting list.