Apropos of the Sinners

by SpitFlame

Part I – Chapter V – At Golden Oak

Airglow soon reached Golden Oak Library, a privately owned, two-story treehouse, the best in town. But I suspect the reader is familiar with it—aren't you?

Although Olva Velvet, the librarian, spent most of her time in Manehattan, where she had an estate, as well as her own house, she still kept her current residence in Ponyville, which she had inherited from the previous owner.

When Airglow opened the front door Olva ran to her.

"Airglow, there you are, my dear!" she began quickly and nervously. "You're late, you know that? Oh, how there's so much to do! We have to reorganize bookshelf E and H in alphabetical order. We've had two hundred ponies come in the last week, so it's good for us. Come in, come in!"

Airglow went on in, first stopping by her room, as was a habit. She had her own little library over her bed, with a collection of her favourite books. Airglow liked very much to stay up at night reading by a candle. Then, going to the main room, she took to the air, scanning bookshelves E and H for any inconsistent placements.

Airglow was fifteen by now. She held Olva in high regard, owing much to her for this opportunity; not only to earn a little money, but for a place to live. That said, she was genuinely surprised when Olva did not ask her about her father, Bronze Pocket (whom everypony in Ponyville knew) when she first applied there. It was as if they communicated without words, and Olva came to the conclusion that Airglow's being there by herself indicated a desperate and woeful case, one into which she eagerly and with dignity poured all her sympathy. If anything, Airglow was even quite glad to have skipped the beat of discussing family matters, owing to the awkward uncertainty of the whole thing.

And while she almost began treating Airglow like she were her own, Olva could not afford to divide any attention from Twinkie, her actual daughter. Twinkie was a young, wild spirit, whose small size and frailty betrayed an adamant will. Olva was practically hysterical over her, almost never letting Twinkie out of her sight, the poor thing. Even this could be understandable, seeing how Twinkie was a cripple, and became paralyzed waist-down since she was four due to a genetic mutation in the spine—something the doctors underestimated. Oh, a desperate case for her, too! And that was why Olva was so very thankful for Airglow, and why she accepted her as an assistant in the library: Twinkie finally had a friend.

A few hours later, when Airglow finished up with the bookshelves, she was carrying another stack of books across the room when Olva came by again.

"Airglow, dear," she said, "do you happen to know anything about the auction house this morning? Word spreads like wildfire. The town looks to be getting excited, and everypony is expecting somepony. But now... do you know that Misty Gem stopped by here?"

"Really?" exclaimed Airglow. "Nova's girlfriend?"

"She was looking for Cluster, with the intention to ask him for advice concerning her relationship. Oh, could you believe it?"

"That's good, I guess."

"I know everything, everything. I've heard all the details of Nova's affair, she told me. Oh, and of all those horrors with that... creature. Revolting, truly, and in her place, I—I don't know what I'd have done in her place! Oh, Celestia! Your brother, Nova, is a fine one, too. Airglow, I'm getting confused, imagine: right now your brother, I mean, not the terrible one, but Cluster I mean, he had such a solemn conversation with her yesterday."

"Misty met Cluster yesterday?" Airglow's eyebrows shot up at this information.

"It's such a terrible tale, a real tragedy. That Nova is wretched, Airglow. How could he have done what he did to such an angel as Misty? One simply can't even believe it. They're destroying themselves, who knows why, and they know they're doing it; Nova and Misty refuse to talk to each other. I need you, Airglow. Oh, you're a good soul! The main thing is, I can't bear it. I'd like to tell you something else, but there's the main thing, too—ah, I even forgot that this is the main thing: tell me, why is Twinkie in hysterics? She's in hysterics over you and I don't know why."

"I'm not in hysterics, mama," Twinkie's little voice suddenly chirped through the opening of the door to one of the side rooms. Her voice was strained, like she were suppressing some emotion. Airglow noticed at once that Twinkie's sparkling eyes were peeking at her.

"No wonder, Twinkie, no wonder," reproached Olva. "Your caprices are going to give me hysterics, too. But anyway, my dear Airglow, she's so sick, she was sick all night, in a fever, moaning! I could hardly wait for Doctor Tubercuhoofis. He says he can make nothing of it, and that we should wait. This Tubercuhoofis never does anything. And ever since he came, Twinkie had a fit and demanded to be left alone."

"Mama, it had nothing to do with the doctor. It wasn't because of him at all that I wanted to move to this room."

"That's not true, Twinkie dear. Oh, go see what she needs, Airglow. Take a ten minute break. I'll allow it."

"Mama, that's not very nice on your part, saying those things about me."

"Twinkie, you're going too far, and I assure you I shall finally take strict measures. Oh, Airglow, I'm so unhappy!"

"But what's the matter with you, mama?"

"Ah, these caprices of yours, Twinkie, your fickle nature, your illness, this terrible night of fever, this eternal Tubercuhoofis and his rates. Eternal, eternal, eternal! And, then, everything, everything, everything... I close my eyes every moment and see that it's all nonsense, all nonsense. But, anyway, your break, Airglow."

"Maybe you can bring her a wet towel, if it's a fever?" suggested Airglow.

"Yes, yes"— Olva nodded ecstatically —"I'll bring that right away, along with a glass of water and some mints. And maybe a colouring book. Only don't get feisty, Twinkie. Anyway, anyway..."

Olva hastened from the room, which was what Twinkie was waiting for.

Airglow crossed over to the room from where she heard Twinkie's voice. She entered and left the door a little open. Twinkie was by the corner, in her wheelchair, with a cloth-covered table in front of her with a stack of cards to play with.

"Are you okay?" asked Airglow softly, sitting down next to her.

"Hi Airglow, I was waiting for you to come," said Twinkie, smiling cheerfully.

Airglow chuckled. "Yeah, here I am."

"I want to tell you something," said Twinkie in a sort of half-whisper, a childlike anticipation blazing in her eyes. "Do you wanna trade secrets?"

"Huh? Secrets?" Airglow cocked her head back slightly.

"Shh! Not so loud, or mama'll hear us."

Airglow, feeling instinctively that the time before her mama's return was precious to her, listened attentively and matched her tone of voice with Twinkie's.

"I read in a book that two best friends share secrets," Twinkie went on, getting all giddy. "We're both fillies, right? Fillies do that together. Can we try it? Please?"

Airglow rolled her eyes, mildly amused; though she was willing to indulge in such a game. "Okay then. Do you want to go first?"

"Okay, okay!" exclaimed Twinkie with great animation. "Here goes—ahem—I think you look really funny with your hair done back." And she burst into a fit of giggles.

"I do look silly, don't I?" tittered Airglow. While she acted with the utmost friendliness, she knew that this overt childishness from Twinkie was being purposefully overblown, and that the latter must have had something in mind that she wasn't letting out.

"Twinkie," said Airglow, "remember that talk we had that one time, about the importance of honest communication...?"

"Wait, wait!" said Twinkie, waving off her concerns. "Now you have to tell me your secret. I told you mine. What's yours?"

Airglow couldn't help but roll her eyes in a sort of halfhearted amusement. "Okay, fine. Here's my secret: I like seeing you laugh."

"That's not a secret, silly!" Twinkie giggled even more, biting her lip to keep from making too much noise.

"Yeah, I know," Airglow sighed, patting her on the head, "but it's true."

"Ha, ha! Let's do another one."

"This is fun, Twinkie, but maybe later." Airglow got up from her seat. "Your mom said you were having a fever? You need to take care of yourself. Have you been brushing your teeth?"

"I have," drawled Twinkie sullenly, swinging back on her chair.

"And you're not staying up too late?"

"No, I'm not." But she started laughing gaily.

Airglow gave her a look. "What's so funny, Twinkie?"

"Nothing, nothing," said Twinkie, looking timidly at Airglow.

The door opened and Olva entered the room.

"I'm sorry for the wait, dear. We're out of mints. But here's a towel for you, and a glass of water. Goodness, look how hot your face is."

Airglow didn't intend to say anything else; instead, she seized the opportunity to head back into the main room. She would talk with Twinkie all she wanted on her day off, but now Airglow wanted very much to concentrate on her work, if only to momentarily forget what was to come among her family.

An hour later and Olva approached her again.

"Airglow dear, thirty minutes before your shift ends I have a package for you to deliver. It's to Misty Gem."

"You want me to go to Misty Gem?"

"She's currently taken residence in Ponyville, don't you worry. Nothing too heavy—it's a new clothbound book from Hay and Noble, very exclusive. It's good for us, you know! Once you've completed that assignment your work for today will be over. I'll let you finish early today."

Airglow paused, pensively looking down. "Do you know if any of my brothers will be there? Just seems, I dunno, kinda weird."

"Hopefully Cluster. Oh, I wish she'd just forget that rascal Nova. That sweet mare can do so much better. Speaking of which..." A devilish smirk spread on Olva's lips. She began speaking mysteriously and importantly, as it were. "Have you set your eyes on any cute colt?"

The phrase "cute colt" appeared to have had the desired effect Olva was after.

"O-Olva!" stammered Airglow, her face flushing red as a lobster. Her ears drooped flat against her skull.

"What's the matter, dear? It's a simple yes or no question."

Airglow sat there plunged in confusion, blushing somehow even more hotly. Her mouth wavered.

"Um, I-I, um, I mean... n-no..." she barely managed to enunciate.

"No? How has no colt approached you yet? What's wrong with this world?"

"Olva, nothing's wrong with this world," said Airglow, furrowing her brow. "I'm just... um... busy, that's all."

"Busy? Doing what? Ah, forget it! Don't answer that, dear, I know how embarrassing it can be. Reminds me of my youth, when I was 'in the game,' as they say nowadays. But it's a shame, really. You're very pretty."

"Yeah, yeah, okay," muttered Airglow, doing all she could to avoid eye contact and get back to stacking books.

It must be noted that Airglow really was ashamed about the thoughts she had about Misty Gem's relationship with Nova, that is, ashamed that for a moment she blamed everything on Misty, and soon realized how rude and ignorant this was. She wanted to believe that nopony was in the wrong, and afterwards came to the realization that Misty must have requested for her specifically, to talk to her. Yet Airglow was grieving, absolutely standing against the idea of meddling in some love affair she knew very little about, especially when she knew almost nothing about romantic love, save for the dozens of novels she read on the subject.

Nearing the end of the day Airglow's commission took her to Neigh Street, and her brother Nova lived close by, yet she never found him home. She decided to ask Misty about Nova's whereabouts, in the hopes that Nova's mere name wouldn't offend her. She expected to get nowhere with that, though it couldn't hurt to try.

Time was passing. The sun was touching the horizon and the shadows were stretching in response. At last she found the house in Neigh Street: a large place, three-stories, painted vibrantly, windows polished and showcasing a wild assortment of flowers. The doorbell was a large, brass ring.

Airglow gulped.