The Stone Chisel Way

by King Genesis

Impromptu Interview

Arc I - Chapter IV - Impromptu Interview

There are lots of Manehattan journalists waiting for that train to arrive. One of the trains that get from Canterlot to Manehattan Train Station has Iron Pick and Poofy Lantern, parents of Stone Chisel, inside one of the train wagons. Meanwhile, behind the crowd filled with cameras and microphones, there are two stallions looking at everything. A young grey stallion with an inkpot as its cutie mark and an old, thin and trembling unicorn with white hair, a chin beard and big squared glasses with a newspaper as a cutie mark. Both journalists of the Manehattan Gazette are good old Tabloid, and his assistant and secretary Ink Pot.

"Are you sure you want to ask that, Mr Tabloid?" asks Ink Pot. "It's quite a heavy question."

"All questions are heavy, Ink Pot," answers Tabloid, getting nearer the crowd near the station. "The only difference is that some tend to show the truth, more than others."

"But that question of yours directly..."

"It's my question, and I have to ask it, Ink Pot. Now, help me. My hooves are trembling."

Ink Pot helps Tabloid to move nearer the train station, at the same time a train arrives and the first one to get out is a ticket holder. "Gentle stallions and ponies, please, take a step behind for all the passengers," asks the ticket holder while the doors are opened. Several stallions and ponies get out before Iron Pick and Poofy Lantern, covered in black tunics trying to hide their identity, get surrounded by dozens of journalists, trying to ask them what they think about their son's trial. The tunics, instead of hiding them, only gave them more attention...

"Please!" shouts the holder. "Let them get out!" but the journalists and cameras don't listen to him. Poofy Lantern desperately takes off her tunic, revealing her white skin and black mane, showing a golden necklace with a blue gem on it. Iron Pick, meanwhile, keeps using his tunic and even pushes stallions away while trying to get out of the train station. All of the journalists asking about their son are simply ignored by the couple... until they see Tabloid and Ink Pot. Tabloid, the legendary, respected and veteran journalist who has been writing articles even before Stone Chisel's birth, gets in front of the couple with his assistant, Ink Pot, just to ask them one question.

"In my case, it's only one question, Mr Iron Pick," exclaims Tabloid. "And I decided to come here personally, despite my old age."

"I won't answer any questions," replies Iron Pick while getting off his tunic, revealing his light grey skin and also a black mane. He has a silver necklace with a yellow gem. "Even yours, Tabloid."

"I have a bomb in my mouth, Mr Iron Pick," says Tabloid while the couple passes by him. "You wouldn't like to leave me here, alone, because the bomb it's going to explode in the media."

"Let it explode, then," answers Poofy Lantern, this time. "We don't care if everyone's sensationalism destroys our family's reputation."

The Burglar's parents go away, but Tabloid keeps being provocative. "You should listen to them," says Ink Pot. "Leave them alone, Mr Tabloid. They're not in a good day."

"No, little filly," he says. "These questions don't care about how good, bad or luxurious your day is," he adds, and he dares to exclaim loudly: "Actually, this is about a clandestine connection which calls my attention..." Then, he lets a laugh go. "Oh, what a nice rhyme."

Iron Pick turns around, angrily. "What do you mean with that, Tabloid? I can stand with anything except for this kind of blasphemies."

"Blasphemy?" says Tabloid. "No, no... actually, this is a theory, a hypothesis."

"Hypothesis?" says Iron Pick, while the journalists, Ink Pot and even the holder gather around them. "I don't want to hear conspiracies about my son coming out of your mouth."

"No, it's not about him... it's about you."

"Me?" asks Iron Pick. "What are you talking about?"

"It's something that I call..." he says while using his horn to read a paper. "Coincidences, that's what I want to believe."

Iron Pick sighs and turns around again. "Leave us alone, Mr Tabloid."

"Your son is the least important thing in my question. This is related to his partner, Stolen Bag."

"And why are you asking us for Stolen Bag?" interrupts Poofy Lantern. "We clearly don't know who he was."

"Are you sure?" says Tabloid, chuckling.

"More than sure!" shouts Iron Pick. "You're already pissing me off, Mr Tabloid."

The couple now goes away, further from the journalists, but Tabloid keeps talking: "It has been recently discovered that Stolen Bag worked undercover for several clothing companies of Manehattan, including Suri Polomare's, before turning himself into what everypony knows. Stone Chisel and him supposedly robbed important clothes and accessories to give them back to these companies to re-sell them at a bigger price, a more expensive one, where everyone won."

Iron Pick and Poofy Lantern stop while listening to that, all of the journalists, even Ink Pot, are in silence. Tabloid keeps speaking: "Stone Chisel and Stolen Bag got paid by these companies to do what they did, and the stupid victims bought their stuff at a bigger price, giving much more money to the companies. However, what made me think about this was the golden monocle of Fancy Pants, which, days after the Crystal Faire's robbery, another golden monocle magically appeared
at Polomare's, which had a tiny red gem attached to it, and obviously was more expensive. What calls my attention is... that tiny red gem came, according to what I've heard about Suri Polomare's interrogation which happened days ago, from you."

The couple now looks at each other and Iron Pick turns around, looking at Tabloid. "You say... my wife and I were involved in my son's robberies?"

"Well, it's just a theory..." says Tabloid. "From out of nowhere, not only the golden monocle of Fancy, but also lots of items who looked like those who Stone and Stolen robbed from Equestrian fests were released weeks later at clothing stores... with gems on it. It must be a coincidence, Mr Iron Pick, but... I'm a journalist, and a journalist always asks what he thinks. Even Ink Pot told me you did it because you needed sales!"

"NO!" shouts Ink Pot, nervously. "No, no, no... my apologies, Mr Iron Pick and Mrs Poofy Lantern," he says, while getting between Iron Pick and Tabloid. "My mentor Tabloid here is just raving and drooling... we had a long night due to we are preparing our interview on the Crystal Empire and we didn't sleep... he's just raving... just that..."

"What are you doing?" says Tabloid, angrily. "You are the one who has to prepare that interview, not me!"

"You have to do it too!" shouts Ink Pot. "You'll go with me!"

"Of course not!"

"Stop," says Iron Pick, and both journalists shut up. "Thank your butts I won't sue you due to public image defamation, Mr Tabloid and assistant Ink Pot, because what you've said is not only a nasty lie but also a grave and fake accusation that shows how stupid are you with your obnoxious sensationalism. I won't give anyone of you an impromptu interview and I'm glad to say, with my own tongue and mouth and throat, you can screw yourselves."

The journalists get in shock after Iron Pick starts around and starts talking. Everyone gets repelled because of his commentaries but no one dares to say anything to him. Ink Pot gets now angry at his mentor, Tabloid. "Why did you do that?"

"What?" says Tabloid, looking at how the couple goes away further from him.

"What?" says Ink Pot. "You say what? That was immoral, Mr Tabloid!"

"It's the journalist's job," adds Tabloid. "We have to ask what we think, as I told you before."

"But... that thought was ruthless! How can you accuse an affected couple of his son's robberies?"

"Everything is possible, Ink," he answers. "Everything is possible."

Comments

[Pete100]

10467377
There was a lot of things going on, and a lot of information in one chapter.

[Pete100]

"Stop," says Iron Pick, and both journalists shut up. "Thank your butts I won't sue you due to public image defamation, Mr Tabloid and assistant Ink Pot, because what you've said is not only a nasty lie but also a grave and fake accusation that shows how stupid are you with your obnoxious sensationalism. I won't give anyone of you an impromptu interview and I'm glad to say, with my own tongue and mouth and throat, you can screw yourselves."

I wouldn’t be taking that insult.

[King Genesis]

10467412
Oh, yeah. Typical.

[Pete100]

10467528
Because Imagine you just doing your job, and then this happens.