Prologue - Sale
It really has been a while since I was first flung into Rolling Acres, hasn’t it? For nearly two years, Aita’s lived in Ponyville alongside the Cutie Mark Crusaders. It really is too bad that there isn’t anymore reason to visit the other world, the one where Aita used to live. First Akron, then Wisconsin. I can’t blame the situation though. No reason to go anywhere lasts forever after all.
Throughout these past two years, Rusty, Pane and I have made a few more visits to Bundle Roller Rink and have made some cross country trips every so often as well.
Frequently, as of late, the three of us have been going to Greta Scone Corner. And during one of those visits, the owner finally gave us the origin of the bakery. It apparently opened not long before the Canterlot invasion due to hearing about some “mysterious race” embracing what they knew about changelings. I mean back then, their vision of changelings were completely different from our reality’s vision. But anyway, starting Greta Scone Corner was because of the changeling who would later become one of my best friends from Chrysalis’ hive, even if she lived in another world.
Well, it’s good to know the best of the best inspired this kind of prediction about how Equestria finally embraced Chrysalis. So this place is still quite young. Not even a decade in business. Back during my visits into Ponyville before losing Rolling Acres, I had heard that Sugar Cube Corner started in the early stages of the previous millenium’s final decade, the same one that later would have the sonic rainboom performed by Rainbow Dash. So that means Sugar Cube Corner is basically twenty years older than Greta Scone Corner.
Oh, and there’s finally that last visit I ever had to the Rolling Acres world: one that was for that “Circuit City” that was originally planned two years ago. It turned out that the one that was planned to be visited was in “Columbus”. I don’t know what kind of name that is, but at least there’s no pun. Much to my disappointment, it turned out Circuit City was more for electronics. It seemed to make sense in context of that world, but I don’t think a store like that would fly in Equestria.
In any case though, today, I start out exactly like I do every day. I wake up, talk a bit to Rusty, make plans for the day and execute said plans. Rusty and Pane have apparently been making plans to visit Blockbuster... Hearth’s Warming... Maybe they might have me tag along, but I don’t see much of a point to that. Ponies don’t have to worry about most of the content. It’s only how moldy the building is that they have to worry about. Me? I have emotion to take into consideration when going exploring as changelings feed on love, and most other positive emotions.
BUT Pane and Rusty take me on their adventures anyway whenever I don’t have anything else to do.
Today starts out like a fantasized version of my everyday life. Everything’s going well, and I might as well call this the best day I’ve churned out in a while. I just don’t know where to start. Probably I should turn to when Rusty and I went to Greta Scone Corner.
;=;
“So, uh, why exactly do you feel like going to Greta Scone Corner? You could easily head out to see Aita and Tracey.”
“Well, why not, Rusty? Everything’s been going so well today, I thought I’d calm some of my dopamine down with a little something to richen my skin some more.”
“Hmm... that does make sense. Even so, I could easily give you the money.”
“Wait. You don’t wanna go?”
“Well, you invited me. If you were inclined to go, I would’ve just given you the money. However, thinking a second time, I could use a break from packing for Blockbuster.”
“Huh... okay.”
Suddenly, just as we’re halfway through the last block, Rusty’s hoof stops me.
“Wait a minute... that wasn’t there before.”
“What was?”
I look ahead and see Greta Scone Corner as I usually would any other day I’d walk there. However, Rusty is right. Something does look different.
“Huh?!? Liquidation sale?!? But why is Greta Scone Corner having a sale like that?!?”
“I have no idea, Carve. They seemed to be pretty successful the last time I checked.”
;=;
So Greta Scone Corner is apparently filled to the brim with every possible ingredient usable to them because of course it is. Rusty says that’s because the employees are liquidating and that they need to get rid of everything before they close up shop. BUT that doesn’t give us the root cause, so I head up to the cash register from the entrance, Rusty following suit. The cashier promptly waves.
“Oh... Carve. What’s going on?”
“Not much. But Rusty and I saw that you’re having a liquidation sale.”
“Oh, that. Well, aside from you, Rusty and Pane, business has been relatively slow. But that’s not the reason why. Today, we were told that the landlord’s bill payment were completely invalidated. It’s happened three times now. Then we got a letter from where we get our ingredients from saying that they experienced the same thing, so we’re scrambling to rush out all the stock we can find here and give it all away. Heck, come on our last couple of days and we’ll give you the sign up at the front.”
“Whoa... That’s unusual,” Rusty remarks, behind me and the cashier. “I paid my water bill just two days ago and it went through. Why would you and your stockers’ bills be rejected?”
“I have no idea why the invalidations took place, but I’m still going to be in Las Pegasus for a good while after Greta Scone Corner. I’ll probably get to be a dealer fill-in. Hey, you never know.”
“Well, Treat Tip, I sure hope that goes well for you.”
“Me too, Rusty. Still exploring relics of the modern past?”
“Sure am, although now we’re starting to run dry. I mean we have Blockbuster to look forward to for Nightmare Night, but what else do we have for the rest of the year?”
“Actually, I reckon Rusty and I will have one more place to revisit, as long as you’re okay with it anyway.”
“Well, if you’re talking about what I think you’re talking about, Carve, I would advise you to talk to the landlord about that. I know you’re good about that, but just so you know.”
“That won’t be a problem really.”
;=;
Well, Rusty and I contributed quite a bit to making room in Greta Scone Corner. Treat Tip gave me a schedule for when the liquidation sale ends so I can see when to come in. And from what I can see, Greta Scone Corner has about a week left.
“Well, Carve? What do you think?”
“To be honest, the only thing we can do is talk to the owner about the rejected payments. Otherwise, we’ll have to have a lot on our tray when we visit for the next couple of times, and we may want to also bring Pane along with us.”
“Is it going to be every single day? Because remember that we have Blockbuster to start heading to in two days.”
“With how I plan to do that, it shouldn’t take half of the time that Greta Scone Corner has.”
;=;
When Rusty and I get home, I have now built interest in Greta Scone Corner’s dilema. What could possibly have invalidated the landlord and the stocker’s bill payments? The only thing I can think of is if Luna had to raise the sun alongside the duty of raising the moon, and I don’t see that happening anytime soon.
Suddenly, as I retrun from my room to the living room, I see Pane and Rusty.
“...me what happened, okay Pane?”
“Okay. So, you know how a package of pudding is just a couple of bits?”
“Yeah.”
“The price more than quintupled today! The cheepest is eleven bits! And get this. The pack of lights was just eight yesterday, and now it’s forty five.”
“WHAT?!?” Rusty and I exclaim together, cause Rusty and Pane to gasp.
I move a bit away from the living room, only to see Rusty walk over to me.
“Carve? Were you-”
“Not really. I wanted to ask you what could’ve caused the payment invalidations, but it doesn’t seem to be just Greta Sconee Corner going through some wierd stuff.”
“Apparently, Pane witnessed the prices at the grocery store soar to ridiculous and even unafforable levels.”
“Why is that happening? How could the prices be-”
Pane sudddenly walks in on the conversation.
“I don’t think we should worry about this whole market thing. I’m sure the Foal Free Press could help spread the word about this.”
“CARVE!!! RUSTY!!! PANE!!! HELP!!!”
I-is that Spike calling us?!? I think we should see. When I look at the main entrance, it looks like Spike, however, something looks different about him. It almost makes me question whether or not it’s really him.
“Huh... didn’t expect you to be here, Spike. So, uh, you’ve-”
“Carve! You, Rusty and Pane have to help!! Canterlot Bank has ruptured!!!”
“Wait... WHAT?!? What are you talking about?!?”
“Twilight discovered that somepony set up an unreasonably high interest rate!!”
“So, what does that mean?”
“Carve! Think about it! Twilight and I can’t afford ANYTHING with the prices changed! What’s worse is that Sugar Cube Corner is closing next week!!!”
“That’s odd, same thing happened to us today too. Did the bank collapse or something and whatever extra money is profited goes to rebuilding it?”
“Didn’t I just tell you that the cause of the rupture was interest rates?!? The bank ran out of money!!!”
As soon as we hear the news, Pane, Rusty and I all gasp.