Chapter 2
The Citrine high-rise was one of Manehattan's taller buildings, easily picked out in the skyline by it's golden-capped silhouette and honey-yellow columns. Despite its striking appearance, what makes it truly special is its construction; it's the first of Manehattan's many towers to be built from the ground up with crystal-current electrical infrastructure.
For its age, The Citrine is exceptionally modular. Due to this inherent design, it was also the first tower to include several elevator systems upon its grand opening, rather than install them retroactively. One of which, had just reached the ground floor. As its gold-leafed doors slid open, two mares locked in an argument stepped out into the expansive lobby.
"No, it's okay," a tall pink unicorn defended. "Really, I'll be fine!"
The senior batpony she was walking with gave her a stern, motherly glare. "Nopony is fine skipping breakfast, Pixelle. If you won't make sure you stay fed, then I will!"
"M-Miss Airflow, please-"
"Nope! I am dead-set now, sure as Luna's moon. Errand number one, we're going to a bakery!"
Pixelle sighed in defeat. "Yes, Miss Airflow..." Reaching the front entrance, she opened and held the tall door for her client.
The pair walked in relative silence (and the silence was very relative, being in central Manehattan) through the crowded streets. Celestia's summer sun slowly filled in the paths below. The night shops pushed out their last few customers, while the day dwellers were eagerly opening their doors.
With every restaurant and cafe they passed, Airflow would catch her escort stare wistfully at the food in the window displays. While she wouldn't intentionally lead anypony on like that, it worked in her favor. There was no doubt in her mind that she would succeed in getting Pixelle a proper meal to start the day. She silently hoped this wasn't a habit of hers.
Pixelle was in a tiny hell of her own making. Having had nothing for breakfast but cheap oat bars for months, the sights and smells of coffee and hot food only worsened the pangs of her empty stomach. Of course, they simply had to be passing by all of the best cafes, off to some bakery she's never heard of. Airflow had never mentioned anything of the sort to her before; she posited that with all the other special-order things she required, it made sense for that to extend to her food.
Crossing roads, turning corners, and weaving through the hustle and bustle, the duo finally stopped in front of what looked like a secret entrance to some underground maintenance shaft. The stairs leading down were steep, and the door at the bottom was made of aging rusted metal. A hoof-painted sign above the frame simply read 'La Panaderia Antigua' in big red letters, and in parenthesis under it, '(The Ancient Bakery)'.
Pixelle swallowed nervously. She'd watched enough horror films to know that doors like that likely led to the deaths of the curious. Airflow simply smiled, starting her cautious descent. She spread her wings a little to help keep balance. Pixelle had also watched enough horror films to know that murderers really like it when the party splits up. She hastily followed. For the safety of her charge, of course.
Upon reaching the landing, the purple batpony reached for the handle, and struggled to pull it open.
"Oh dear," she wheezed, "they really should fix this old thing!"
"N-no worries Miss, I'll... I'll open it for you!" Pixelle stuttered. Not wanting to get anywhere near it, her horn lit up and she tugged at the door gently. It barely creaked. "Wuh?" She tried again, with more force. The hinges made a few rusty screeches, but otherwise it remained unmoving. Pixelle silently thanked Celestia.
"Oh well, I guess they're c-closed!" she started. "I guess we won't have to go in anymore, aw shucks! Well Miss Airflow, I'm sorr-"
"Ah! Silly me, I forgot it's a push door!" The handle clicked, and the door swung inward with comical ease.
"Push.. door.. oh." She tried her best to hide her grimace as she stared into the dark corridor. A single sliver of orange light was shining from another closed door further down the hall. "Oh..."
Airflow rolled her eyes. Draping a wing across her back, she led her inside. "Sweetie, aren't you supposed to be the one helping me along?" she chuckled. "Come now, a little bread never hurt anypony!"
Pixelle flinched at the sound of the door slamming itself closed behind her. "Clearly you haven't seen 'Baguette Basher: World of Pain'," she mumbled, adjusting her glasses with her magic. Her eyes darted around the concrete hall, looking for any other possible escape route.
Approaching the second entryway, Airflow gestured for Pixelle to go first. Anxiously, she put her hoof on this new handle, and pushed it the rest of the way open, ringing a little bell. They were both instantly hit with the mouth-watering aroma of freshly baked breads and pastries. The light from the bakery's interior was warm and inviting, a stark contrast to the hall it parallels. Rows upon rows of goods lined the counter, each looking more appetizing than the last.
Eyes turning wide as dinner plates, Pixelle could do little else but stare in awe. Airflow slowly but surely nudged the stupefied mare inside. Past the structure's horrid exterior lay a quaint bakery decorated with artifacts, pictures, and trinkets common in one of the cultures at Equestria's Southern end. Golden idols, knitted tapestries, clay statuettes, and a picture of a mare standing in some ruins with a few alpacas.
"Quien carajo viene tan temprano?!" a distant voice shouted around a corner. Angry stomps could be heard making their way to the front end of the shop, and a short mare came into view (barely). She was a light orange earth pony, sporting a striking magenta and violet mane. Two long braids draped her shoulders, falling over a very colorful, hoof-knitted lliclla. "Hola? Is too early, we are still- Ay! Airecita, mi preciosa anciana! How are yoouuu?"
"Good morning, Grano!" she chimed, trotting up and giving the mare a hug. "And you know, the only one here who has 'anciana' in their name is you!"
The mare threw her head back in a hearty laugh, taking a step backwards to give her space. "Siempre bueno ver my best batpony customer!"
"Grano, with how late you open and how early you close, I think I'm your only batpony customer," Airflow panned, amused.
"Pah. No seas tan amarga, yegua," Grano complained. She looked past Airflow for just a second, noticing Pixelle awkwardly sitting just behind her. "Oh, you bring a friend! Introduce me!"
Airflow shimmied out of the way of her view, gesturing between the two. "This is my caretaker today, Pixelle. She works with the company that makes my breathing device. Pixelle, this is Grano Anciano, or Ancient Grain, the best baker in Manehattan!"
"No hay panaderia mejor este lado de las montañas!" She beamed, offering a hoof.
"Uh, nice to meet you!" Pixelle met her hoof with a respectful bump. "Sorry I don't speak.. um, that.."
"No problem! I can say in Equestrian. But she needs to practice!" she accused, pointing a hoof at Airflow.
"Relajate pata, I haven't forgotten everything yet!" the batpony defended. "Anyway, I know I usually make the pickups in the afternoons, and I apologize for the surprise visit. Esta zanahoria aquí no tiene ni michi en casa. So I brought her here for breakfast."
"Ahhh, entiendo eso. Lucumita forgets always too! I bring menus and start your order, ya?" she nodded, trotting back towards the kitchen. "Toman asiento! Get comfortable, I be right back!"
The two settled in at a table against the far wall. Little light from the sun outside made its way through the tiny rectangular windows just above them, adding to the dining room's warm atmosphere. Although, being a bakery, it would have been warm regardless; with most of the ovens still burning, it was actually quite hot.
Airflow gently fanned her wings. Pixelle uncomfortably tugged her collar. While cozy, The Ancient Bakery's location did it no favors during Equestria's hotter months. Small windows, no doors to fresh air, and a basement-level concrete room ensured that whatever heat those ovens made, stayed trapped within the walls.
As Grano walked back with the menus in her teeth, Pixelle took note of her lliclla. "How can you wear that poncho-thing in here? It's sweltering!"
She practically spat the menus onto the table, face twisting into annoyance. "No no no, no es un poncho," she huffed, "es una lliclla! Much more useful. Make into.. like.. bah. Como se dice?" She raised an eyebrow at Airflow, vaguely gesturing to Pixelle's bags.
"Oh, saddlebags?" the bat suggested.
"Si! Eso, saddlebag!" she nodded. "Can wrap different to hold things."
"Ah. But um, how are you wearing it in here?" Pixelle asked again. "Aren't you uncomfortable with all this heat?"
The short mare giggled, waving a hoof. "No no! I am used to it," she dismissed. "I am not stranger to hot rooms. Have been baking most of my life, and before, helping in forges. Papa was a... a brightsmith! Yes. He made things from plata, silver."
"Well either way yegua, with the upcoming summer your bakery needs some ventilation!" Airflow interjected. "Hace mucho calor, gotta have some fresh air."
"You promise me no more maquinas, Airflow! Plenty of fresh air afuera. Adentro? Fresh bread!" she grinned, sliding them their menus.
Panicked clicking and clacking reverberated off of the pristine hardwood floors as somepony's very light hooves galloped across them. Heavier clops (and some vulgar shouts) could be heard not far behind the escapee. Speeding through the hall in a blur, the lithe mystery figure ducked left into a bedroom.
Whipping their head around the room, they stopped entirely as the Prench balcony doors caught their eye. The small pony smiled mischievously, a plan forming in their head. They reared up and bucked the doors open with a crash, hoping to draw as much attention as possible. With the voices and hooves approaching fast, they quickly squeezed their tiny frame under the chamber's ornate bed.
Several mares and stallions in full black suits barged into the room, looking around frantically. Another stallion, clearly of an upper-class upbringing, strode in furiously. He dusted his baby blue pinstripe vest and aligned his navy-hued bowtie. The black-suited ponies merely stared at him, awaiting direction.
"Well?" he asked expectantly. "Where's that bird-brained brat? Don't just look at m- AUGH!! MY IMPORTED PRENCH DOORS!" The fancy stallion pushed the guards aside to inspect the crime scene. "She's probably long-gone by now, you fools! Did none of you see the doors shattered?!"
"We were waitin' on ya orders, boss!" one of the ponies saluted.
"My ORDERS were to CATCH THE THIEF!" he fumed. "Not one of you thought to check the balcony?!"
"S-sir we just-"
"No! I'm not having it. Outsmarted by a filly!" he scoffed, kicking some of the glass shards. "I expected more from Manehattan's finest in security. You're lucky this would embarrass ME, too, otherwise I'd tell the whole city to avoid your 'services'." He spat on the balcony for effect, and stomped out of the room.
The guards exchanged glances. "We uh... we don't gotta clean this up, do we?" a skinny unicorn asked.
"I ain't fuckin' doin' it," a pegasus snorted. "We guard and we look good in suits, that's our schtick. Let's break for coffee. We ain't no maids."
The well-dressed security ponies filed out, mumbling and arguing about which cafe to visit. Just a few moments later, the well-hidden filly shimmied her way out from under the low bed. Hopping up on her hooves, she straightened out her green and grey fur; her ash-colored mane was normally fairly unkempt, so she left it alone.
Giddy at her success, she reached into her wing-pouch and gingerly removed her prize. In her small hooves, she cradled a pair of earrings of exceptional quality. Pure silver frames encased the most perfectly cut emeralds she had ever seen, shaped like crescent moons. The second half of the piece filled the remaining space with equally stunning black opal, shimmering like a galaxy in the night sky.
"She's going to love these!" the lanky teen squeed, eyes sparkling. "I can finally pay her back!"
Hurriedly stowing them back in the pouch, she carefully stepped around the broken glass on the balcony. Clambering up onto the rampart, she spread her multi-colored wings and hopped off gently; mixing into the rest of the city, she glided away unnoticed.
"Grano, I'm not taking no for an answer," a batpony wheezily huffed.
"And I am not taking your bits!" a short earth pony shot back. "I tell you, you don't have to pay. No seas terca, Airecita!"
"Mare, 'stubborn' is my middle name, we can sit here all day."
"Um, it's okay Miss Airflow, I-I can cover for it," a shy unicorn offered, "I mean.. I was the only pony who ordered food, and I can cover your drink, too!"
"What? No no, Pixelle. I told you I would be taking you to breakfast, and that means I pay for the order."
"Yes Airflow, and I tell you the same thing!" Grano stomped her hoof.
"I didn't want to have to do this, Grano, but you leave me no choice," Airflow said sternly. She fixed her diminutive friend with a steely glare. "I'll install my next invention in here while you're on vacation if you won't take my money."
The orange mare let out a shocked gasp. "You- you would not! Prometiste, no maquinas!"
"I know where you hide the spare key, and if you won't let me pay with bits, then I suppose I'll just have to pay you with a favor..." she sighed with an exaggerated sadness. "After all, being such a good friend, I must pay you back! What better way than my incredible, and absolutely very functional new.. machine?"
Grano Anciano cringed at the emphasis Airflow put on that word, and hung her head in defeat. "Eres un diablo, sabes? Dame la maldita plata." She thrust out her hoof.
Smiling with victory, Airflow sat on her haunches and unlatched the wing-pouch on her right. She started counting the bits owed with a an intentional 'clink' of every coin. "No preciosa, soy un angel," she said sarcastically. She dropped the payment into Grano's waiting hoof, chuckling quietly.
She couldn't keep her angry facade for very long, and shortly the earth pony's face broke into a smile. "La proxima, ya?"
"Fine, fine, I promise. huff.. Next time!"
"Good! You won't be coming later, no? I'll go and get your usual pickup prepared."
"Oh, speaking of next time!" Pixelle piped up, "Before we head out, could I have another order of those donut things to-go?"
"Picarones? Of course! I bring you a little cup for the syrup too," she nodded, trotting off to the kitchen.
As the duo sat in silence waiting for Grano, Pixelle looked around the little shop, taking in more details. All of the artifacts along the walls were very clearly hoof-crafted, and made with exceptional skill. She wondered to herself if Grano's artisan persuasion branched out to other crafts. Airflow merely sat still, eyes closed, performing a breathing exercise. As she turned an ear towards her client, she noticed that her breathing had become heavy and labored.
Turning to look at her, it was clear she was in a touch of distress. Pixelle gently placed a hoof on her shoulder. "Is everything alright, Miss Airflow?"
Through raspy breaths, the batpony mustered a reply. "Yes dear.. huff... I'm fine." She cracked a small smile to reassure her. "Just been... huff... talking too much.." She spread her wings a bit to help cool herself off. "Air's little.. huff.. heavy. Hot... huff... in here."
Now especially concerned, the unicorn turned to face her. "Miss Airflow, do you know any place nearby we can go that's cooler?" She glanced at the small windows. "Somewhere close. It's not going to be much better outside."
The older mare merely nodded her head, focusing once more on pacing her breaths. Airflow's lungs and throat burned. Not from lacking air quality, her mask and apparatus had that covered. It did nothing for the thickness of the air however, and it struggled with humidity. In the end, second-to-none filtration is also ineffective if the wearer simply talks too much. Uncomfortable with the possibility of being forced to go non-verbal for the rest of the day, she vastly preferred keeping quiet for a while as a preventative measure.
Going non-verbal would also mean it would be more difficult to get what she needed today. Though the places she frequented knew her by now, Manehattan wasn't very accommodating to a pony that couldn't speak. Most ponies simply didn't know sign language, after all. She would be visiting several places that were unfamiliar with her and her condition.
Grano Anciano came trotting back into the dining area, breaking up her train of thoughts. She had their orders wrapped up in two paper bags, which she carried with her mouth. Locking eyes with both of her guests, she stopped mid-step to assess the situation. She approached slowly, and set the bags down in front of them.
"Todo bien, Airecita?" she inquired.
Airflow merely nodded her head, smile returning.
"She's been talking too much, so she's saving her energy," PIxelle explained. "She said she knows a place that'll have some cooler air, make it easier for her to catch her breath."
Grano looked to Airflow for confirmation, to which she nodded. Airflow pointed at Pixelle. She then angled her left hoof sideways, pointing straight forward; her right hoof also sideways, pointed off to the side; she dropped the right hoof on top of the left one, and nodded again. "She's right!" she signed.
"Ah! Entiendo." the short mare got back to her hooves, and passed the bags to Pixelle. "Here is extra order of picarones, and Airflow's loafs!" Grinning, she turned to her friend. "The special this week es pan de camote! I also got you one extra, like you asked!"
The batpony closed her right eye, and drooped her right ear; she put her hoof to her lips, and gestured outwards to the right. "Delicious!" Airflow then reset her expression, put a hoof to her lips again, and extended the foreleg out, hoof up, towards the earth pony. "Thank you."
"Naaahh no hay problema chica!" Grano pulled Airflow into a tight hug, while being mindful of the sensitive equipment she wore. "Cuidate ya? Te quiero ver aquí la proxima semana, y te quiero ver sana!"
After being released from the hug, she held her left hoof flat, and closed both eyes; with her right hoof, she made a 'C' shape in the air (from Grano's perspective), ending it atop the left. "Of course!"
Waving goodbye, Airflow and Pixelle started making their way towards the exit. A surprisingly strong hoof pulled Pixelle back. Grano Anciano locked eyes with her, wearing a serious expression. "Other pony that comes with her, he has different color uniform," she started. "Your stripe green. His stripe red. I know you are not medical. Keep. Her. Healthy." The small earth pony tapped her chest with each word for emphasis, before letting go.
"I-I will!" Pixelle stammered. "I promise I will. She's my friend too."
It was not a temperate day in Manehattan. Hazel brown eyes scanned the streets below, watching as ponies struggled with the heat. She was thankful for the building's shade.
The skinny filly kept her wings spread, holding her balance atop a thin flagpole. It surely would have bent or broken under the weight of a fully-grown pegasus, but she was light even for her size.
As she peered on, a pair of mares stepping up and out from a basement caught her attention. She watched them like a hawk, taking in as many details as she could. The purple one adjusted a pair of leathery wings, and her breath hitched.
Anxious for a second sign of confirmation, she kept her eyes locked to the duo. The purple batpony sat down, and moved her hooves in a clearly communicative way. The pink companion nodded understanding, and they continued on their way.
The filly grinned a predatory smile. Exactly who she was looking for.
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Picarones sound like the hand machine minidonuts the guy in the trailer baker makes.
Not quite sure how things are in Peru, but in Mexico, at least, "Anciana" means "Elderly [female]", so "La Panadería Anciana" should really be "La Panadería Antigua".
Also got a bit confused when the elderly mare was named "Grano Anciano", a masculine noun and adjective. A bit of a stretch here, but she could be named "Gramínea Anciana".
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Yeah, I was really hoping there'd be a better word for 'ancient' than just 'antiguo', which to me just doesn't have the same connotation. I may run back through that chapter and make a few edits to both the bakery and Grano's names. (I think I may keep Grano unchanged though, just so I can keep that joke about being old lol.) Naturally I'd update the Authors Notes too.
Speaking of that! How does everyone feel about the translations contained there? Is it too much? Would it be preferable to include the translation immediately within the story, or would that break the flow? I'd like feedback on this! I very much would like to share little bits of Peruvian culture through Grano, the bakery, and snippets of Airflow's dialogue. I'll be disappointed if it doesn't work well, but I'd rather the story itself take precedent over it.
In the mean time, with the upcoming 4th of July celebrations I've got myself a long weekend, and will be working on Chapter 3! I may even have the time to write a sort of cameo "Chapter 2.5" or something, assuming I get permission/approval to include the particular OC I have in mind. I'm hoping to get it all written and proofread/edited by the next weekend!