Dysphoria, Arc 3: Canterlot

by thedarkprep

4. Blending In

4. Blending In

For an egalitarian society that preaches equality between all things and ponies, the disparity in the standard of living in Canterlot, as opposed to other cities, was staggering. True, some of it was a natural shift of income, as the wealthiest clans and families moved closer to the Royal Castle in order to increase their chances of rubbing shoulders with royalty. Then there was the castle itself, which accounted for a lot of the grandeur of the city with its tall spires and architecture dominating the skyline. However, even taking both of these factors into account, the amount of wealth displayed in the infrastructure of the city was obscene.

The roads of the city were all paved in white stone, which never seemed to crack or scuff despite the wear and tear of supporting the weight of traveling hooves as the local ponies and tourists alike went about their business. The buildings of the city were also built in a way that alluded to royal elegance, with tall structures and elaborate hoof-crafted designs meant to emulate the castle they were built around. Furthermore, each surface area visible to a passing observer seemed to shine and glimmer with a radiance that suggested constant polishing, a magical cleaning enchantment, or probably both. The street, the walls, the tables, the signs, and everything in between were a spectacle of magnificence that battled for the passerby’s attention. As such, the ponies of the city fought a constant battle to be as noteworthy as their environment.

Indeed, every pony walking these streets was clothed in the most alluring and eye-catching colors and designs available to them and their funds. The name of the game was “look at me”, with every pony hoping to be the one to shine the brightest amongst the city of boundless splendor.

This worked to Rose’s advantage, since, amongst such a frenzied competition of color and brilliance; one would be hard-pressed to notice the poorly-dressed mare in a simple dark cloak.

Rose could not help but smile as she walked unnoticed through the crowded streets of her hometown. Granted, she was not always unnoticed, with every once in a while a pony pointing out the quaint (meant to be: poor, unfashionable, and laughable) pony walking down the street but, in this city, such attention was the same as no attention. Within minutes the mare in the dark robe would be forgotten, a speck of dust not worth remembering amongst the city’s more valued assets.

Rose had learnt this trick early in her life. Being a part of the Rhyme family meant that the reporters were always out to catch you where you should not be, and the would-be elites were always trying to be caught with you in order to boost their status and importance. This made traversing the city, even at night, an unpractical endeavor. However, necessity breeds ingenuity, and finding the flaw in the selective sight of general society had been nothing short of miraculous. After all, there was an art to being unremarkable.

Donning dark cloaks, Slant and Octavia had managed to pass unnoticed for years by the populous, often being sneered at by the very ponies who would have groveled at their hooves if they had known who they were underneath their hoods, much like what was happening now. It gave her comfort to know the city had not changed much in her absence.

Before long, Rose arrived at her destination, an ornate house in the middle of the city. Rose bypassed the door and walked around the house, tapping on the second window to the left. It opened and another pony in a dark cloak exited the house. The pair took a slow walk away from the house and to the outskirts of the city where there would be less of a chance of being overheard.

“So, has anything changed that I should know about?” asked Rose.

“A bit,” responded Octavia. “But all of it to your favor.”

Rose nodded to show she was listening, allowing Octavia to continue.

“Slant has recently taken to walking around town by himself, much like you used to,” she said. “No one is finding this remarkable because you made such a habit of it, but it is interesting because of three reasons. One, he’s not you, and whereas you had your habit of wandering around, every time I had seen this Slant before my trip he would always be sticking close to your parents, as if scared of exploring. Second, he’s not doing a good job of hiding himself, and although he always manages to lose the crowds he draws, the fact that it hasn’t occurred to him to disguise himself makes him pretty easy to track. Third, he’s been hanging out with about five other sons and daughters of nobility, probably at your parents’ request, meaning he’s far more trusting of other ponies than you ever were.”

“So he’s horrible at hiding and is being friendly with other nobility? I don’t normally care about my reputation, but we’re going to have to do something about that,” Rose nervously joked.

“And since these new changes make him easier to find by himself, easier to track, and easier to approach without suspicion, you may get to do just that,” said Octavia. “You’re sure you don’t want me to go with you?”

Rose looked at her and was really tempted to take her on her offer, but then reason kicked in.

“I’m sure. I don’t know what we’re dealing with and Slant has already seen you. If I get caught, I don’t want him to think you’re involved. He might go after you and your family,” she said. “Besides, if something horrible happens to me, I’ll need somepony else to alert the others on what happened.”

Octavia nodded, understanding that her responsibility in salvaging this should Rose be incapacitated was a very real possibility.

“How long do you want me to wait before sounding the alarm?” she asked.

“A month.”

“A month!” Octavia yelled. “Why wait so long?”

“Because I only have enough extra bits to cover a month of vacation time,” Rose said. “If I’m gone longer than that, I’ll need someone to tell my landlord and my boss why they haven’t heard from me.”

“So I’m your glorified messenger then?” Octavia asked with slight annoyance tinting her voice.

“Pretty much,” Rose said. “Oh, and if I do die, please invite my parents and have everyone just glare at them if they show up.”

Octavia allowed herself a smile.

“I don’t know which of your coping mechanisms for when you’re scared annoys me the most, your constant list-making or the joking.”

Rose smiled.

“Who says I’m not doing both?” she said.

“Point taken. Well, I have my orders. You’ll find Slant somewhere in the northern square later today; just look for a random crowd of ponies blocking a road,” Octavia said. “See you in a month.”

“Hopefully less than that. A month is the most I can be away,” Rose said. “And thank you, Octavia.”

“You’re welcome,” she said as Rose ran off. “Stay safe, Script.”

---

Rose stalked the back streets of Canterlot with an ease that only came after years of mapping out and traveling down the same roads. The first rule of blending in was that it was important to always be moving; as such, Rose had decided to take the long way to the northern area, passing by the southern one and working her way up. She was pleased to find that she still remembered everything perfectly. This calmed her, since the knowledge of terrain can be one of the most important determining factors in winning any battle. If it came down to a fight, she would have the home-field advantage.

“As long as you think through your actions and don’t rely solely on instinct,” she thought to herself.

It was not long before Rose came across the Cliff of Canterlot, that infamous edge from which she had jumped, unable to fly but unwilling to die. She stared down the edge, trying to trace the descent she had suffered around half a year ago. Looking down at the trees below and seeing Ponyville in the distance, the thought struck her.

“I really shouldn’t be alive.”

Having had time to look over the area, Rose moved on, heading towards her destination.

Eventually she arrived at the northern area, where her real search began. The sun was setting and it would be dark soon, which had the added benefit of helping to conceal her despite making her target harder to find. Still, it seemed that she would not have to search long.

Packed towards her left was a small crowd of noble mares and stallions trying to convince a flustered-looking black pegasus to come to their event, home, or restaurant with them. After a couple of hasty apologies and excuses, Slant bade the crowd goodbye, running into the back streets of the city.

“And the chase begins,” thought Rose.

To be honest, this was not a fair competition, since it was not really a competition. It instead was an attempt for Rose to observe the running pony before confronting him. Rose noted that as hard and fast as he ran, Slant seemed unfocused, often doubling back accidentally or taking a longer route than he seemed to have meant to.

As such, Rose had no problem in keeping up with Slant while remaining hidden.

Rose was watching from a corner when she noticed the direction that Slant had taken.

“Yes, this is my chance.”

Slant eventually ended up staring at a wall, having ended in a dead end. However, instead of turning around or running, Slant just stood there.

Rose came out of the shadows ready to surprise the pony when he spoke.

“Just so you know,” he said turning around to reveal a mad gleam in his eye. “You are awful at stalking ponies.”

Comments

[Lady Froey]

Who are you Script? WHO ARE YOU!

[thedarkprep]

2294872

What?

How did you hear about that! Ubisoft only contacted me about it yesterday!
I hope they don't pull me from writing it because of you, or I swear I'll be pissed.

[ElkinFencer10]

DAMN IT, WHY WOULD YOU END IT THERE?!?

#walkingdeadcliffhanger

[Miki]

2295106 Well, she did say this chapter would be short in her blog.

[ElkinFencer10]

2295318

Yeah, but it can be short without having to end it THERE!!

[Hexy]

derpicdn.net/img/view/2013/6/20/352732__safe_solo_animated_reaction+image_alternate+hairstyle_snails_scared_trap_eyes_artist-colon-kryptchild.gif

Internal screaming