Thank You, Miss Exposition - Part 2
When Gray and her family returned home, she was filled with a happy energy. In-between bites of the sandwiches Eebon whipped up for dinner, she went over assorted tales of her childhood with them. There were so many details that didn't make sense from a pony's perspective, but started to become clearer now that she knew the truth.
"All these years and I still flinch when I see my reflection."
"It's rare when I see a dog that doesn't make me want to run away. Even the friendly ones."
"I can finally explain to your grandparents why I hated cucumbers growing up. ... Though I don't think they'll believe me."
"When I was a rookie with the force, I had a work lunch with a griffon. The local Griffons For Equestria chapter named me an honorary member the next day, and I couldn't figure out why."
Those stories and more filled the hours, and it was only when Zig-Zag and Fiver started to nod off that they were able to stop. That night, instead of her usual sleeping spots, Gray was finally able to bring herself to rest in the apartment's master bedroom for a change--something that didn't go unnoticed by the family.
On waking up the next morning, Gray decided that it was time that she started getting herself back into shape: if she happened to meet any of those responsible for the recent attacks, as opposed to confronting them in an official capacity, she wanted to be ready. She left a note for her husband saying that she'd went out for a light jog, grabbed her saddlebags, and set out.
Two blocks from the Hyacinth Apartments, she reached the stand where she purchased most of her newspapers. She offhandedly paid for one, checked the front page... and did a double-take on seeing the headline that decorated it.
Wow, Fairy. I knew my procuring those files would help the Police, but I wasn't expecting this. You don't waste any time, do you?
THREE SUSPECTS IN CITY-WIDE ATTACK ARRESTED
Fourth Sent Running
By: Marsh Mellow
Multiple suspects have been arrested in connection with the attacks that threatened Manehattan's peace this past weekend.
The MRPD reported that their own officer Trifecta, alongside the well-known ice dancer Statuette, are both in cells at the Department awaiting trial. Both have admitted to acting as diversions while the Midnight Castle leaders were broken out. Further interrogations are pending.
A third suspect, a griffon hunter known as Glintlock, was arrested as well. Wanted in both Equestria and the Griffon Kingdom for illegal hunting, he was escorted by representatives of the latter back to his homeland to await judgement for his crimes there. Authorities have confirmed that he was responsible for putting some of the Royal Police's finest in the hospital.
(Photos: Police artists' sketches of Trifecta, Glintlock, Metallium, and Statuette. Credit: Manehattan Royal Police Department. Caption: "Official sketches of the four suspects confronted by the Siren General. Metallium's rendition is based on eyewitness reports.")
In addition, the dragon believed to be responsible for freeing Bastion and Iron Gates was confronted at Bright Lights Beach. After doing battle with Fairy Leviathan, the entity identified as Metallium was confronted by Princess Celestia. (story continued on Page A5)
Turkey Bowl would be the first to admit that he was a coward, at least with matters pertaining to the unknown. Beyond the occasional trip to another town or city to compete against their team, he'd never left Manehattan since he'd matured. For him, the world beyond pony civilization had too many unknowns. At least in the big city, he knew what to expect and how to deal with it.
This was part of his rationale for becoming one of Drama Heart's customers. Even though she wasn't as well-traveled as she liked to proclaim on-stage, her imagination and illusions made everything seem very real. When he first read the ads for her shows in the Minutes, he decided this would be a way for him to see the dangers of the outside world without actually seeing them. After the first show he attended, despite his heart seeming like it would burst, he approached Drama and thanked her for scaring him like she did.
Leviathan had claimed multiple times that everypony in the city was crazy. She had no way of knowing this, but the one with the most 'normal' personality compared to the rest of her associates wasn't any different.
It wasn't until the Reploid in question had actually landed in his city that Turkey had ever confronted something that could be remotely considered nightmarish. Looking back on it, he thought that he had handled things pretty well, even considering Drama's help luring him in. He'd almost started thinking that he could confront the unknown without help.
With that said, sometimes the scariest things weren't the monsters beyond Turkey's little world. As the recent explosions showed, sometimes that dishonor went to those that lived close to home. And after reading one of the other news stories on the front page, that fact fully sunk in.
TRAITOR!
Long-time Officer Turns Against Manehattan
By: Burnt Lemons
In a shocking turn of events, Officer Trifecta a.k.a. Springboard was arrested yesterday on charges of arson, destruction of property, assault and battery, possession of illegal weaponry, and illegal usage of hair spray.
Trifecta deliberately targeted the long-abandoned Diarchs Zoological Institute in a successful attempt to draw attention to himself, thus permitting the jailbreak that allowed two of the Midnight Castle thieves to escape. According to eyewitnesses in Diarchs, he later engaged in battle with the wayward robot Leviathan in an attempt to destroy her for reasons unknown. Leviathan could not be reached for comment.
Prior to his arrest, Trifecta was a wanderer from youth on. More than fifteen years ago, he settled in Manehattan and pursued a career in law enforcement after witnessing one of the city's finest giving it her all in her line of work. "He was always dead-set on trying to solve Manehattan's problems," said one Royal Police officer who asked to be unidentified. "We are baffled as to why he would turn against the city he claimed to love." (story continued on page A2)
Following the previous night's emotional uplifting, Juniper Leaf was walking on cloud nine. After being forgiven not just by Gray but by the pegasus's family, she felt as if she'd been given a new lease on life. When she woke up in the morning, she found herself filled with the sort of energy that she hadn't possessed since she was young. Her aches and pains, a constant in her life for years, felt more manageable.
Her day went much more smoothly as a result. In a rarity for her line of work, all of the children she was tasked with looking after behaved themselves without causing too much trouble. The adults who picked them up at the end of the work day took note of everypony's improved moods, all but guaranteeing Juniper some extra work for the near future.
It was only after everypony had gone home that she found the time to look at the newspaper. She'd sat down in her favorite chair, reading the articles about the arrests and Trifecta's decision to become a turncoat. As she finished the latter, a headline on page A2 grabbed her attention immediately, and she opted to look at it before checking out the other stories on the front page.
By the time she was done reading, Juniper decided that if she'd ever felt any real attachment towards her former workplace, it had been reduced to ashes with the building. It's for the best, she decided, if I just let those memories die.
By: Buried Lede
(Photos: Pictures of the Institute both old and new. Credit: Left: Diarchs Historical Society. Right: Buried Lede. Captions: Left: The Institute as it appeared in YoC 957. Right: Yesterday, following the altercation between Officer Trifecta and Fairy Leviathan.)
The Diarchs Zoological Institute was torched beyond repair yesterday morning. Further details are forthcoming.
The Institute was once used by researcher Wingbeat Drift to study the bizarre habits of animals of all kinds. Unsavory individuals took advantage of his generosity to carry out their own whims for personal gain, resulting in the facility being shuttered and abandoned in YoC 964. The ongoing presence of red tape prevented the facility from being dismantled for the next thirty-five years.
The Institute was put to the flames by the MRPD's Officer Trifecta, who was attempting to destroy the visiting Fairy Leviathan. Official sources stated that the Siren General was hired by the department to investigate the abandoned building for information on the recent Royal Police breakout. Trifecta instigated the arson using hair spray as a medium, but failed and was subsequently arrested.
The local fire department and weather team were able to contain the blaze before it could blossom out of control, but the damage has been done. According to local law, the property is to be condemned and the building slated for demolition. "It is just as well," admitted a pony who requested to stay anonymous. "Nothing good has come out of that place since Drift was in charge. It's long past time that eyesore was retired permanently."
Leviathan, occupied as she was with tracking down several other perpetrators of the breakout, could not be reached for comment.
As much as he wanted to visit his birthplace, Gilbert decided to stay in Manehattan.
The griffons he'd collected to deliver Glintlock to their homeland were technically his associates, not his friends. They hadn't believed him when he said that Levi was "surprisingly generous" until the money landed right in their talons. He didn't feel comfortable being around them. While he would never wish them any harm, he was still happy to see them depart with the estranged hunter.
On a positive note, it was kind of neat to see Levi well. Bounty hunting was difficult work from what he understood, and not an occupation for the faint of heart. Seeing her positive reception to the word 'chillax' was additionally nice; in his experience, few ponies outside of their adolescents really understood modern slang.
And fewer still would arm wrestle a minotaur for fun, win or lose. In light of Bossa's reputation, that alone marked her in his books as awesome.
The next day was business as usual at the grocery store. The owner was considering retiring, and everypony--plus one griffon--was working as hard as they could in the hopes that the store would be turned over to one of them. Gilbert didn't feel that it would be him, but he did his best all the same. A higher position meant more bits to be sent back to the Griffon Kingdom (and a few more in his pockets besides), and for him that was more than enough incentive.
"Hey, Gil!" one of his co-workers called to him. "There's this thing in the paper about a griffon getting arrested and thrown out of Equestria! You hear anything about this?"
Gilbert finished putting another customer's payment away before responding. "Yeah, dude was wanted for poaching. Rules back home are majorly strict on that!"
"Think he was trying to hunt the Repliroid," the pony commented, this time standing closer so that he didn't need to shout. Gilbert didn't bother correcting him on the pronunciation of Levi's race, long used to it from him by now. "Want me to leave the paper for you somewhere?"
"Sure. Just drop it in the break room. I'll look at it after my shift ends."
What Gilbert didn't tell him was that he already had a good idea of what the article was going to say. He was at the Park for the aftermath and he was caught up on it quickly, so he felt like it wasn't required reading.
In the end, he read it anyway. Levi was cool, and if he was going to be a proper fan of hers, then he needed to stay in the know.
WANTED HUNTER DEPORTED
By: Triplicate
(Photo: Glintlock's 'Wanted' poster, signed by Grandpa Gruff. Credit: The Griffon Kingdom. Caption: This hunter's capture has brought relief to those injured in Manehattan.)
Good riddance to bad rubbish.
Following a showdown at Median Park, the hunter responsible for injuring several MRPD officers has been captured. The city's alien resident, the General Leviathan, was able to subdue Glintlock following a pitched duel that had all of the odds stacked in his favor.
According to both the Police and several anonymous onlookers, Glintlock spent three hours in lockup before four griffons volunteered to escort him back to their homeland. There, he will likely face punishment for the multiple crimes committed on their soil. These include hunting in protected areas, poaching, and multiple counts of possession and usage of illegal weaponry.
Leviathan could not be reached for comment, but the MRPD's own Officer Coffee-and-Cream spoke on her behalf. "I was listening to the entire thing. Glintlock had blanketed Median Park in traps, and came close to grievously injuring Leviathan several times. Thanks to the combined efforts of her, the park staff and the MRPD, we expect Median Park to be cleared for use very soon. Stay alert for details." (story continued on Page A3)
Another morning, another day that Bossa goes without bolstering her muscles. She should reconsider her workout regimen. Or at the very least invest in some new weights.
As was to be expected in the wake of recent events, the Big and Taur shop saw very few customers that day. It was beginning to reach the point where Bossa Nova was contemplating closing up for the day and hitting the gym. Provided of course that they were open.
Something thudded against the door. Took them long enough, she grumbled, getting up and retrieving the latest edition of the Minutes. The little runts are getting slower every day. They must not have much in the way of a work ethic.
Bossa's lips twitched upwards when she read the main headline, and she quickly glanced over the rest of the page. Now here's someone who works hard. The scrawny little machine's a definite fighter, going up against the odds and finding ways to win. Papercolts could learn a lot from her.
A story in the bottom left corner of the page caught her attention quickly. Her eyes stayed glued on it as she absorbed its contents.
Finally she slammed the paper down, smirking dangerously. It doesn't matter if it's a calf or a colossus. Bossa's going to keep an eye out for that beast, and she's going to teach it not to toy with her favorite customer.
Feeling charged from reading the article, she decided to put her new energy to good use and get some work done around the shop. She might not have liked her job, but it was as her gym teacher back home used to say: if you wanted to be successful and productive, then you had to be aggressive.
ROBOT AND PRINCESS CELESTIA DRIVE OFF DRAGON
By: Honest Crow
Holes dot the Beach and the residents are tired from filling them in, but everypony in the town of Bright Lights is in a positive mood after a successful defense of their home. The dragon who broke the Midnight Castle leaders out of prison has herself been driven out of Equestria.
The dragon, identified by the locals as "Metallium", turned up in the morning and held the town hostage. "She grabbed me and told me to keep serving her drinks if I didn't want 'to be charcoal', in her words," said one hotel employee. "Then she told everypony else that they'd better stay indoors if they didn't want to meet the same fate. She stated her desire to fight that robot and proclaimed that she would only leave Bright Lights after it was destroyed. Leviathan appeared later this morning."
According to one brave eyewitness, the fight with the so-called Guardian was initially very one-sided in Metallium's favor. It was when the dragon tried to eat her that Leviathan turned the tables, freezing the dragon from the inside out. (story continued on page A4)
"NO!"
Limefrost Spiral had decided that she was having a very, very bad week. After three minutes of reading the paper, she'd thrown herself against her pillows, crying her heart out.
"You've got be kidding me! No-o-o! Not that!"
SHOCKER!
Well-known Athlete Admits Wrongdoing
By: Funny Cart
After a performance of a lifetime, Vanhoover-born ice dancer Statuette has been arrested in connection with the MRPD breakout.
Madisoat Square Garden was the venue, and Statuette Vs. Leviathan was the performance. Despite everything, she found herself outmatched by the Guardian's superior prowess. Instead of railing against her opponent, she instead stayed true to her character and graciously turned herself in.
Shortly thereafter, she stunned everypony by stating five words: "I stand against Princess Celestia." According to Madisoat's staff, the gist of her explanation was that she felt that the Princess was not doing enough to help ponies who needed her support, and she decided to take matters into her own hooves. As of yet, nopony understands why Statuette thought helping Bastion and Iron Gates would aid in this. (story continued on page A5)
The news wasn't limited to Manehattan. Those across Equestria who followed national events or otherwise kept their ears to the ground had their own reactions to recent happenings.
...
In the comfort of her newly-acquired Las Pegasus apartment, Alexandrite shivered as her old friend Paranoia came knocking. "I knew something bad was going to happen. I just knew it."
...
Charity Kindheart, still settling into her new home, sighed in relief. This was due both to Leviathan indeed being the Guardian she was meant to be, and to herself escaping the danger before it happened.
...
A produce supplier escorting his grandmother to Canterlot caught wind of some gossip applicable to the wayward warrior, and he mused to himself that it was some strange times they were living in.
...
In Canterlot, Shining Armor nodded as he discerned that his, Cadance's, and Celestia's trust in the Guardian was being vindicated.
Elsewhere in the city, Octavia Melody smiled as the anxiety and hate that surrounded some of the locals took a step down the ladder. They weren't gone yet, but it was still an effective second step.
...
Out in Ponyville, the recently-named Bon Bon feigned mild interest in those events while inwardly keeping herself from writing to Celestia for more information on this strange creature.
Fluttershy took a closer look at somepony's discarded newspaper after hearing about an editorial on Leviathan's work in Median Park, noting to herself that anypony who was kind to animals and children couldn't be that bad.
Applejack at first paid the events in Manehattan no mind, but that would change not long after when her family received an enthusiastic letter from her relatives in the city.
...
...
Within her jail cell, Magnum took one look at the page that Officer Coffee-and-Cream was showing her and pumped one of her hooves victoriously. "Called it!"
EQUESTRIA'S RULER HUGS SPACE ALIEN
By: Honest Crow
(Photo: Leviathan being embraced by Celestia, Maverick, and Magnum. Credit: Photograph donated by the village of Bright Lights. Caption: Now is or is that not the most adorable thing you've ever seen?)
In what residents of the town of Bright Lights are already calling "the experience of a lifetime", Princess Celestia was witnessed embracing the Siren General Leviathan out of thanks for protecting her ponies from the dragon Metallium. Local authorities are speculating on what this could possibly mean for relations between Equestria and Neo Arcadia going forward...
"F-Fairy?"
Leviathan, seated on the floor near the Pyre's concession stand, did not react to Ebony nudging her from four meters away with her flyswatter. She tried again. "F-Fairy, are y-you okay?"
"Ignore me, Ebony," Leviathan finally bit out, glaring daggers at the article she was reading. "I'm trying to see if I can set this newspaper on fire with my mind!"
"E-even if you c-could," Ebony pointed out, "Zig-Zag hugging y-your leg is ruining the e-effect you were going for."
Leviathan lowered the newspaper, letting her gaze linger on the family's beaming youngest. She removed her helmet and set it down... then, with a noise that Ebony swore sounded like a sob, pulled her legs closer to rest her head against her knees. "I know."
...
And Mortar and Pestle, overhearing this exchange from where they were hard at work remodeling the stairwell, found that some of their fear from Leviathan's first day in town was beginning to wither.
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And Levi will never betaken seriusly outside of battle ever again.
Good chapter and a nice way too show of how varius supporting cast takes to differant parts of the news story.
Lemon, time to go home and rethink your life.
Shame we don't see a reaction from a certain lavender mare
I loved all the reactions to the news! Nice chapter!
Cool! Go for it!
Fun little break.
Very interested in the future canon break.
11557263
Pft, you think Twilight would care about newspapers or 'gossip' in this point and time? She's don't got time for that nonsense she need to study for that test.
11557420
There's also the fact that Celestia's been actively trying to keep Twilight in the dark to keep things from being too troublesome for Leviathan later. Spike knows by now, but he's been sworn to secrecy.
11557420
can't keep that up forever. some scientist she reads from can mention Fairy.
nice aftermath chapter. too bad i ran outta chapters.
Oh dear poor Leviathan
H.U.M.I.L.I.A.T.E.D.
In all seriousness though, don't feel like you need to adhere to canon so strictly! On platforms such as these, it's better to differentiate yourself, and make something unique! 👍🔥🔥
Every time I read the name "Eebon" I want to read it as "E-E-Bon" like that one skit "A-A-Ron."
Much better reactions, but you can still improve.
11650735
I end up prounouncing it 'Eibon' like the Soul Eater character