Dadonequus Discord (Book 2)

by CrazedLaughter

Chapter 32 - A Quick Rich Intermission

Author's Note:

a chapter that I realized halfway through writing it was kind of pointless filler. So rather than pack it in with the upcoming Ocellus chapter. I made it it's own short thing.

You started to ponder as you made your way to the Rich mansion. Was that guy for real? Did he believe in you that much? Where did he hear those rumors? Was he right? Were all or some of the other races plotting something? Obviously not all of them, but some of their higher ups? Thorax wasn’t capable of shit, you knew that much. But what about his brother? You hadn’t met Pharynx, but he didn’t sound like too good a guy, even if he was turned good at some point.

Well, you’d find out tomorrow for sure. If there was some plotting going on, you and your horn could figure it out. Hell, maybe it wasn’t even the hive. Maybe he was referring to Chrysalis. But then, what of the other races? Chrysalis wasn’t the type to do a team up with someone she didn’t trust, so perhaps it wasn’t her either… But then, during the exam…

You arrived at the mansion mid thought, and looked upon it’s beautiful construct. The pillars, the glamourous front door, the well kept front yard. And inside? Your precious Diamond, waiting for you. You put aside your thoughts as you brush your mane back, head towards the door, and knock. “Hello? Is anypony there? It’s me, Anon!”

Oddly enough, the door opens not soon after you knock, as if someone was waiting for you.

“Mr. Anon, I’ve been waiting for you.” Said the voice of Mr. Rich, as he opened the door, stepped forward, and closed it gently with his hind leg. “But where are my manners? how are you, son?”

Wut? “Mr. Rich? Ummm, I’m doing alright. How are you? And erm…” This was kind of awkward, why was he waiting for you? “What’s up?”

“Doin’ alright, just a bit on the worried side of things. Considerin’ what happened today and all.” He said as he sat in front of you, and gently placed his right hoof on your head, giving it a very slow and gentle rub.

“Oh, you mean the exam? Yeah, but… Why are you worried? I alre-” But he interrupts you as he stops the motions of his hoof without removing it from your head.

“The missus already let me know what really went on, Anon. Can’t say I’m too pleased about it. Even nearly lost my cool…” He goes back to gently rubbing your head “Putting the lives of two foals in danger like that, that ain’t the Rich way at all.” His tone was grim, yet sorrowful. W-was he ok?

You frowned as you looked up at him. Did he get mad at his wife? Him? The ever cool Mr. Rich? Mnnngh, ok, maybe what she did was worth getting mad about in terms of his perspective and reputation, but…

You look up at him with big worried eyes as your adorable ears folded down “You’re not mad at her, are you? I know what she did was not very well thought out, and could have ended a lot worse. But, I’m not mad at her. I mean, as it turned out, I wasn’t in any real danger anyway. My Dad’s gear protected me.”

“And what about little ole Scootaloo?” Mr. Rich asked, seemingly suppressing his frustration in a way that while still seeming pleasant, there were hints of actual anger in his voice.

“Yeah… She didn’t get that. But…” Dammit, fine! Fuck! Ok! So it really was a shit situation, one you knew would make the headlines back in your world. Maybe Mrs. Rich deserved all she got from him… Whatever he did, but everything came out ok, and everyone got something out of it, even Scoots! She’s a Junior Wonderbolt now! Not sure what that entails exactly, but she’s proud of it.

“And what would have happened if she didn’t make it? Anon, I know you ain’t no fool, and I don’t want to lose my cool. But c’mon, son, yer smarter than this and…” Mr. Rich suddenly stopped, sat, and put his hoofs to his face as he shook it “And I’m to blame too, ain’t I? Got all sorts of mad, and I didn’t even take a look at myself. Could have told her no, could have had it stopped, but nope. I let it happen all the same. I’m a terrible pony, ain’t I, son?” Mr. Rich started to sob as he suddenly realized he was just to blame as everyone else. Really, everyone let it happen, from You to Twilight herself. Though, some were more in the know than others.

Poor guy, he just wanted everything to be fine and ok. He probably lost his cool because of what Mrs. Rich told him, not even realizing the full spectrum of what really happened. And now that he has, you felt pretty bad for him, he didn’t know that platform would collapse, and neither did you. “Mr. Rich, c’mon, it ain’t your fault. Nopony knew how dangerous it really was, and we all went into it thinking it’d be ok.” You sit next to him, and gently lean against his side “Mrs. Rich just got in over her head, which sort of caused this domino effect. In fact, you could say it’s like how business works. You can’t make a profit without some risk, right? Well, we all put in the risk, and walked our richer for it. Nopony got hurt, everypony is ok, and I’m sure Mrs. Rich learned her lesson, right? I mean, she looked pretty sad about it, right?”

“Well… She did look rather glum… And, I gotta tell ya, It don’t sit well knowin’ she’s a hurtin’. Really, knowin’ we all got some sort of lesson to learn makes me realize that maybe I should go back in there and sort things out.” Mr. Rich clears the tears from his eyes, and looks to you with a gentle smile “You’re a smart one, Anon, my boy. Thought this was gonna be a big long talk and lots of sortin’ out. But it hasn’t been ten minutes and you already got it all figured out.”

You look back to him with a smile and shrug of your own. “Well, y’know. It just seemed logical to me. Not every situation needs to be a long and drawn out mess, right?”

“Yer right about that.” Mr. Rich said as he reaches into his shirt. “Anon, I’m gonna give ya somethin’. Somethin’ I’ve kept with me since I earned it.”

Since he earned it? “What is it?”

And that when he pulls it out, a shiny but old looking bit. “My first bit, of course. Kept it with me all this time, to remind of when I took over the family business and started earning my keep. Well, right now, you managed to squash this whole messy situation faster than, And I do dare say it, our Princess of Friendship. For that, you earned it.” He places the bit on the frog of your hoof, then gently puts his hoof on your head as he sniffles and tears up “My son.”

Shit, really? All this over somehow solving the problem so fast? And his first bit?! You didn’t even know he had a Scrooge McDuck styled heirloom he carried around. You probably shouldn’t accept it, but you knew it’d make him happy if you did, and that is what’s important, making him happy. “Thank you, Dad, I’ll cherish it always. In fact, check this out” You take the bit, and open up your saddlebag. You then pop it inside for safekeeping. “There we go, safe and sound.”

“Er… Ain’tcha got a near limitless supply of bits in there, son?” Mr. Rich asked, as he stoically blinked, a little baffled by what you did.

SHIT! “U-uhmm! Erm..!” You quickly open the bag, and look inside. SHIT! “Mr. Rich, I-I’m... I didn’t… I… Huh?” You are stopped when Mr. Rich reaches into your bag, takes out a bit, quickly inspects it, and pockets it. Wut? “Is that…?”

“The bit? Yes indeedy. No harm done, Anon. I’ve been handling money for years now, and it ain’t too hard to tell the difference from one bit to another. But I think I’ll hold on to it for a little while, at least til you got a better place to put it.” Mr. Rich said with a soft chuckle. He could tell you were impressed, and played it up a little by being rather modest.

Just… Woah. You were speechless. How the fuck?!

“Wellll” Mr. Rich took a stretch as he gave you a head pat “Gonna go talk to the missus now, get things straightened out and such. Thanks again, Anon, yer a real hero, and don’t let nopony tell you different.” Mr. Rich says, feeling his emotions revigored enough to have a proper talk with his wife.

“Y-yeah. You take care Mr. Rich, and erm, tell Diamond I said hi, ok?”

“Sure will” He said with a wink “You take care, son”

Comments

[Hein des Nisseroi]

I wonder if Filthy also has to deal with a witch that tries to snag that first bit from him.

[Emperor of Jurai]

Mr. Rich being a bit like Scrooge McDuck huh...I'm pretty fine with it. Though if he ever does lose his cool, I wanna see him to show he is tougher than the toughies and smarter than the smarties!

[DashFire61]

“Yeah… She didn’t get that. But…” Dammit, fine! Fuck! Ok! So it really was a shit situation, one you knew would make the headlines back in your world. Maybe Mrs. Rich deserved all she got from him… Whatever he did, but everything came out ok, and everyone got something out of it, even Scoots! She’s a Junior Wonderbolt now! Not sure what that entails exactly, but she’s proud of it.”

You’re missing a quotation somewhere in the paragraph, makes it kind of confusing.

[Luckyfanisaac]

And that when he pulls it out, a shiny but old looking bit. “My first bit, of course. Kept it with me all this time, to remind of when I took over the family business and started earning my keep. Well, right now, you managed to squash this whole messy situation faster than, And I do dare say it, our Princess of Friendship. For that, you earned it.” He places the bit on the frog of your hoof, then gently puts his hoof on your head as he sniffles and tears up “My son.”

So just like Scrooge in Duck Tales.

[Walrusesarecute]

“Er… Ain’tcha got a near limitless supply of bits in there, son?” Mr. Rich asked, as he stoically blinked, a little baffled by what you did.

Anon being Anon.