Hearts and Hooves Day

Hearts and Hooves Day

Chapter 16: Decoding a message

I feel like running a marathon in the dead of night as I made my way out towards the Guest House. Thankfully, Daryl nor anypony else was present at this time. I'm all by myself as I bent my body forward and try to catch my breath. I turn my head around to see the mountain range again where that strange light was before. My initial thoughts about it were what could it be and why it took off at break neck speed? Could it have been a UFO? Some unknown creature that I had never seen before? What was Daryl telling it do with the lantern? These questions need to be explained!

I raised my body up after catching my breath while still focusing on the mountain.

“FRANK!” A familiar alicorn's voiced boomed that had my head facing straight. “Are you done with your bathroom break?!? We need to get back to the castle before my sister-in-law finds out that I'm missing.”

“Where's Daryl, Twilight?” I asked as scanned the area between the alicorn and I once more. “Where is he?”

“He's...probably inside the warehouse doing his job.” Twilight Sparkle guessed. “And what's wrong with you? Why were you catching your breath right before I approached you? Were you running from something?”

I looked at Twilight straight in the eyes with a serious look. “What kind of question is that? Yes, I was running but I ran because I saw Daryl not too long ago with a lantern, walking through these cherry trees, and communicating with...with this mysterious light in that mountain range behind me.”

I turned around facing towards the cherry trees and pointed my finger upwards to the mountain range I was talking about. “Do you anything about that mountain?”

The young alicorn princess squinted her eyes to identify the location in the distance. “Hmmm...yes, I do know what that is. That's MacIntosh Hills, one of the most isolated areas in Equestria. Nopony nor anyone is allowed to go up there for any circumstance unless permission is granted.”

I turned to her baffled as I lowered my hand down. “Wait...what? What do you mean?”

“You can only go up there if you asked Princess Celestia and Luna and you give them a reason. Otherwise, the area is off limits and if you were to go up and trespass, you will be arrested by our Canterlot guards and is issued a fine of 400 bits.”

I shook my head in disagreement. “Though I get that, it doesn't make any sense on why I saw a green light up there “talking” to Daryl below here! I am going to go inside that warehouse and ask him myself!”

I took a side step to the left pass Twilight and ran by her, ignoring her order of stopping. With myself shifting to high gear, I ran around to the front door of the building that I saw earlier during the confrontation and had no time to stop and knock. Instead, I rammed the door wide opened by placing my right arm to shield my face and absorb the painful impact. I stumbled upon the production area where a conveyor belt filled with yellow and red cheeries were being processed by the workers that were supervised by Cherry Jubilee. The workers, 4 mares and 3 stallions, all looked at me as to wonder what in Celestia's name am I doing?

“Excuse me,” Cherry Jubilee said as she trotted towards me as to demand an explanation. “Who are you?”

“Where's Daryl Blackburn, ma'am?” I responded. “I need to speak to him.”

“I ask you just who in Equestria's name are you before I call security!”

“Call security then but I need to speak to Daryl! Now WHERE IS HE?!?”

Cherry Jubilee ignores my request and turns to a stallion worker on the big wheel that operates the conveyor belt. “Get off from that and get Night Watch! HURRY!”

The stallion worker nodded and gets off the wheel. At that moment, I darted off to another door that leads to a hallway where there are several doors. Good thing I didn't have to waste time to wander around the warehouse looking for my destination because the hallway I entered was filled with employee lockers, bathroom doors, and a corridor that intersects the lockers. The corridor, to my relief, leads to another set of doors that happened to be the offices such as Human Resources and Management. I ran past the lockers, into the corridor, and noticed an open door in the middle on the right side of the wall. I approached it while hoping and guessing that it's Daryl's office since after all that he and Jubilee are the only ones in charge iof this facility. As I got to the door, my hunch was indeed correct as saw the suspicious brute sitting in front of his desk eating a vegetable sandwich with a bottle of water.

“DARYL!” I shouted to get his attention.

Daryl drops his sandwich and looks at me with a startled surprise. “Wh...wha...what are you doing here, Frank? How did you get in here?”

“Never mind on how I got in here!” I carelessly replied. “What the hell were you doing outside with a lantern and talking to a green light in the distance?”

Daryl flinch his head back, which is followed by an eyebrow raise and an expression of confusion. “What?”

I got closer to his desk with my right fist balled up like I'm ready to strike him as while my left hand pointed at Daryl's face.

“Don't you play stupid with me, Daryl.” I assured him. “I saw you outside through the glass window of the Guest House, carrying a lantern, passing the cherry trees, and I saw you communicate with a green light miles away! Now tell me: WHO WERE YOU TALKING TOO?!? ANSWER ME!!! YOU CAN'T FOOL ME WITH YOUR BULLSHIT LIES AND YOUR COVER UPS JUST SO YOU CAN GETAWAY FREE WITHOUT ANY CRIMINAL CHARGE!”

Daryl stood up from his desk, placed his hands on the desk and looks at me in the face as he props himself forward. His expression of confusion now changed to a face of anger.

“First of all, Frank Archer,” Daryl said with his voice nearly at the edge of booming. “Who...are you...to question me like that!?!?! AND...WHY...will you barge into my office labeling me as a criminal?!? I can call securit...”

“You ain't calling nobody!” I stormed back at him as I got around his desk to meet him face to face near chest range. “I will tell Princess Celestia that you're breaking the Human/Equine Law and you're hiding something that I don't know! You were outside, talking to something in the mountains, and you're lying to me, everypony, and everyone around you!”

“I was communicating...with my lantern...to my employee...at MacIntosh Hills to grab some ice crystals!”

I looked at him puzzled. “...What?”

“Ice crystals! I told my employee to go to MacIntosh Hills and ask the Ice Trolls for some because I need them as a gift for my marefriend, Aloe.”

Hearing those words out of his mouth had me unconvinced. His so called explanation had too many questions for me to ask: how can he ask his “employee” to go to MacIntosh Hills at this time of night? What “employee” of his could disappear in a flash and not even come down to where Daryl was standing when I saw him out there? Plus, why was “the employee” responding with a green light? Is he a unicorn? Is it some unknown creature I don't know? A lot of this does not add up.

The 61st human goes to the right dresser of his desk and pulls out a scroll. He unrolls it and unveils a written document that was authorized and stamped by the Equestrian Royal Family. The document read about granting anyone or anypony access to a restricted area upon a signature. When I got to the point of reading said signature, my mind was blown away as to read out the name: Princess Cadance! So that explains what happened earlier when I argued with the Princess of Love about Daryl!

“See?” Daryl told me as he continued to hold the scroll in front of me. “What do you have to say for yourself?

I looked at the scroll and then back at him. Then the scroll and right back at him again. “May I see that?”

I extended my right hand and opened my palm as to gesture him to hand over the scroll. Sure enough, Daryl rolled up the scroll and placed in my hand. I grabbed it and lowered my right arm to my side with the scroll in tact. I brought the scroll up to my face, unrolled it, and, in an instant, tore the thing in two and threw it on the ground.

“I don't buy it!” I said to Daryl.

Daryl shook his head in disappointment. “That was very unprofessional, Frank.”

“Shut your mouth!”

Suddenly, the anger inside my body reached it's full maximum and I lunged at him by grabbing his shirt and slamming him his back to a file cabinet next to the desk.

“WHAT ARE YOU HIDING!?!” I interrogated. “TALK TO ME!”

Darly didn't respond but he gave me an alternative answer by pushing me off with sheer force and having me lose my footing that sent me to the floor. I got up and was ready to throw a punch with my right but unexpectedly, he counters by underhooking my right arm, grabs my neck with his left hand, and does a 180 swing to slam me on his desk with a loud thud, nearly knocking his office materials off. My god, this dude is well trained! Daryl had me pinned down with all his might as I try to kick out from his choke hold but it was no use. I struggled and struggled and hoping for a miracle to happen.

“ENOUGH!!!” A recognizable voice boomed in the room that caught both the attention of Daryl and myself. “GUARDS, SEPERATE THEM!!!”

Daryl looks up at the door to see who gave the call, gasped in a shocked way, and releases his grip on my neck. Getting off the table by sitting up and catching air, I turned my body around to the doorway to see Princess Twilight Sparkle, the two Canterlot Guards that chauffered the two of us to see Daryl, Night Watch, and Miss  Jubilee. One of the guards came to me but instead of offering aid, he yanks me off the table by locking onto my shirt with his teeth and pins me towards the right wall. Good thing he didn't ripped it off cause I would've lost it on the spot. The other guard barricaded Daryl for anycase of interference from either Daryl or me.

“Frank!” Twilight Sparkle confronted. “What has gotten into you?!?”

“Nothing is wrong with me, Twilight!” I said as I sounded to plea for mercy. “Daryl is lying to you and me! He said that that an employee of his went to MacIntosh Hills to get some crystals and he ask Cadance for permission! I know for the fact there was no employee up there getting crys...”

“You mean this employee?” Miss Jubilee presented as she, Night Watch, and Twilight stood aside to let somepony in. Coming in from the left of the doorway was...the employee with the bag of crystals! Oh crap! He was real this whole time!?!?

The employee turned out to be a lime colored pegasus with a cutie mark of three fireflies. He had a short, crew cut mane that is covered by a yellow hard hat and his eyes were goldish, yellow. On the side of his body wear two saddle bags strapped to his side with the right bag revealing the crystals and a lantern. Plus, his neck is wrapped with a green scarf with a bit of snowflakes on it like the rest of his gear. In other words, Daryl was right along! This pegasus was at MacIntosh Hills!

“I'm sorry I'm late, boss!” The pegasus apologized. “I got caught up in some high winds. I got the crystals you asked for.”

The employee reached into his right saddle bag, takes the ball of crystals out with his mouth, and sets it on the table where the guard kept Daryl away from me. The #61st human motioned the guard to let him through and he could check the bag. Inspecting it for a few seconds, a warm smile forms on his face and he closes the bag tightly.

“Thanks, Glow Light.” Daryl said as he got in his chair and sat in front of his desk again while taking a look at me. “See Frank? I told you I was telling the truth.”

I am a lost of words right now. Looks like there is no other way to describe this situation but I can only say that I tried to apprehend a fool for breaking the rules but I end up being the fool for false accusations.

“Now that you know, Frank.” Twilight Sparkle said. “Don't you think you owe Daryl, Miss Jubilee, Night Watch, and Glow Light an apology?”

I look at Twilight's face to see if she is serious about this? The only response from her facial expression was her eyebrows slanting down and her left forehoof tapping patiently on the floor. I moved my eyes away from the Princess of Friendship and observe everyone else's faces. Pretty much, their own expression came as close to Twilight's face. Everypony and Daryl are blaming me for this nonsense that I caused and for any damage I have to pay for. Realizing that I have nothing to defend myself, I shook my head to get rid of any random thought of hurting the 61st human, motioned the first guard that barricaded me to step aside, and took a step forward to meet the brute being held by the other Canterlot guard.

“I'm...sorry.” I carelessly said without looking at Daryl's face, rather diverting my eyes to the floor.

Once my words were let out, I walked out of the room while avoiding contact with anypony as I entered the hall and towards the exit of this facility. This has been a rough and terrible night for me and I just want to go home and go to bed.

The ride back home to Canterlot wasn't all that special if you ask me. All I did after I left Daryl's office was get on the chariot, waited until Twilight Sparkle and her pegasi guards to show up; and have them escort me back to the train station in Canterlot. Pretty much, neither of us said anything during the trip since the alicorn princess was very disappointed at me and the pegasi guards kept their muzzles closed. Once we got the station, Twilight bid me farewell and told me to stay me out of trouble and don't go to MacIntosh Hills for anything. More so, she told me to leave Daryl Blackburn alone and stay out of his relationship with Aloe. I wanted to argue back on how I just want to take a small look at MacIntosh Hills and to see if there were such things as Ice Trolls, ice crystals, and what that assclown Daryl said was true. Though if I did, it will make things for worse Twilight and we could be outside the castle grounds making a huge ruckus that the whole city will gather to hear the screaming match is all about. Therefore, I will just let it go for now until I think of something that will put my mind ease.

That's pretty much what happened awhile ago. As of now, I made it back into Ponyville before midnight struck while carrying my journal with me. Most of the shops around Ponyville were closed, with the exception of a few 24/7 convience stores. I would like to go and grab a candy bar and a soda but I'm not in the mood for that now. My next objective is to find the only Earth Brother I knew that understands Morse Code since he had a background of being in the boy scouts – Richard! Leaving the train station and into the quiet streets, I took the trip to Richard's house that is a three blocks up north from City Hall on Hallow Blvd. As I remembered, he lives in a two floor cottage with four bedrooms and a small garden in the back. As for the front lawn of his home, it is decorated with typical lawn gnomes that he asked Princess Celestia to bring to Equestria once his family reports him missing and that they send his stuff away for charity.

When I got to his home, I ran up to the front door and knocked on it real loud.

KNOCKKNOCKKNOCKKNOCK!

“RICHARD!” I yelled as loud as my knocks were. “RICHARD, ARE YOU THERE?!?”

KNOCKKNOCKKNOCKKNOCK!

I knocked at the door again. Just then, a light inside came on that caught the attention of my right eye. It could be that Richard heard my pounding on the door. I turned my sideways to the left and placed my  left ear to the door to hear any sounds from the inside. The sound of footsteps and a soft sniff from the inside confirmed that someone was approaching. I took a step back, heard the sound of a latch being unlocked, the door handle turning from the inside, and finally seeing the door opening. Standing in the doorway was, of course, Richard wearing a light green bathrobe. He stood there all bushed while trying to keep his eyes opened and leaned against the door frame on the right to keep himself balanced. I'm going to take it that he was in a deep sleep before I awoken him.

“Mmm...Frank, what do you want?” The Earth brother groaned with a mixture of yawning. “It's almost 11PM! Why are you here?”

“I need to talk to you.” I spoke. “It's very important but I'll make it quick!”

Richard held his head with his right hand and listened carefully while resting his eyes. “Ehhh...fine...just hurry up.”

“Richie!” A female worried voice coming upstairs said outloud. “What's going on down there? Is everything okay?”

“Nothing's wrong, Fleetfoot. Just go back to bed, darling.”

Fleetfoot?!? One of the Wonderbolt's best flyers?!? In Richard's house and...they're together?!? I thought they were just friends the last time I saw them four months ago.

“You and Fleetfoot are...a couple?” I asked Richard with a surprised look on my face. “Since when?”

“I'm not just her coltfriend, Frank,” The 30th human assured me. “I'm her chosen mate. Fleetfoot chose me because she at once declined my feelings towards her because she would never date nerds. However, I guess somewhere down the line, somepony knocked some common sense into her and Fleetfoot decided to give me a chance to prove how much I care about her. In the end, I won her affections when she suffered a crippled wing during Wonderbolt practice and was sent to the hospital. I showed up and I gave her a stuffed Elmer Eagle plush from Whinnyland with a gift bag saying 'Happy Birthday!' Why? Because it was her birthday and she couldn't be any happier for the fact that I remembered and Elmer Eagle is her favorite character from Whinnyland's Theatrical Shorts.”

“Well...congrats.” I softly applauded for him.

“OKAY, ENOUGH!” Richard boomed a bit. “Why are you here? What's this all about now?”

“Oh...right, yeah! You see...*ahem*...I went to see Cadance about solving the issue with Dar...”

“YOU WENT TO SEE CADANCE?!?” Richard interrupted. “WHAT THE HELL?!? DIDN'T DEAN, JEROME. AND I TOLD YOU ABOUT TH...”

“The E.V.A.N. Incident?” I finished his sentence for him. “YES! I know that! Dean told me not to go but I had to for the sake of it but...”

“...Congratulations! We're screwed because of you!”

“Nononono. Listen, Richard! This is what happened next: After Princess Cadance's denial, Twilight Sparkle took me to see Daryl, we talked, he confessed it was jealously, I went to go use the bathroom at the guest house, and then something out of the ordinary happened.”

The exhausted 30th human yawned. “What?”

“Daryl stood outside with a lantern...and...communicated to this glint, which happened to be this...employee of his named Glow Light, in the distance in Morse Code at MacIntosh hills!”

“...Huh? I don't...what?”

“I went up to Daryl's office, questioned him, he says it was an employee getting crystals for Aloe, we have a scuffle, I leave with Twilight, and I'm here for your help!”

Richard folded his arms as he leaned on the door frame. “Help on what?”

“You have a background on Boy Scouts, right?” I curiously said.

Richard nodded.

“Well,” I continued. “Do you know what these strange messages were that Daryl sent? Here, let me act it out for you with my journal.”

I held my journal out by extending my left arm and using my right hand, began to mimic the same hand signals that Daryl did with his lantern earlier to that glint.

Daryl's message:

Tap Hold Hold Tap Tap Hold Tap Tap Tap Hold Hold Tap [Pause] Hold Tap Tap Tap.

After seeing my recreation, Richard ponders and came up with an answer. “Umm...pl...plan...b? 'Plan B!'”

“'Plan B?'” I asked.

“Yeah. That is what the first message is.”

“Alright...so...here's the one with the glint.”

Repeating my arms and hands again, I began to mirror the Glow Light's response to Daryl's message.

Glow Light's message:

Tap Tap Tap Tap Tap Tap Tap Hold Hold Hold Tap Tap Hold Tap Hold Tap Tap Hold Tap Tap [Pause] Tap Tap [Pause] Hold Tap Tap Hold Tap Tap Tap Hold Tap Tap [Pause] Tap Tap Tap Tap Tap Tap Hold Tap.

Richard cocked an eyebrow and was a bit baffled but knowing his morse code, he gave it a shot. “Uhh...s...h...ou...ld...Should...I...t...ell...Should I tell...h..er...her...'Should I tell her'.”

“Plan B...Should I tell her?” I said as I put those two messages together. “Oh god...that does not sound right.”

“What do you mean?”

“Wait there's one more message, Richard. Decode this one for me.”

Repeating the final time, I recreated Daryl's last message.

Daryl's last message:

Hold Tap Hold Hold Tap Tap Tap Tap [Pause] Hold Hold Tap Hold Hold Tap Hold Tap [Pause] Tap Tap Hold [Pause] Hold Hold Tap Hold Tap Tap Hold Tap Tap Hold Tap Hold Tap Hold Tap Hold.

“What's the message?” I asked Richard.

“...This...doesn't make any sense.” He replied by shaking his head in confusion. “umm...'Yes, make it quick' is the last message.”

“'Plan B...Should I tell her...Yes. Make It Quick.' You're right, none of this makes sense...and who is 'her'?”

Richard groans in frustation. “Frank, I don't have time for this. I have to g...”

“No, look. Wait! There's gotta to be more to this story. Perhaps 'her' means...probably...Green Envy, the prostitute pony that Daryl slept with at the birthday party and that...that Glow Light could be an accomplice. They must be plotting something or it coul...”

“Or it could be for the fact I have to go to bed!” Richard interrupted by nearly raising his voice. “Frank, I would love to help you but I have to go! Why don't you drop this whole entire thing and forget it. There's no way I'm going to risk my life to solve whatever you're doing and end up going back to Earth and having Fleetfoot witness my suicide. JUST FORGET IT!”

I stood there speechless without saying anything to him. However, calming myself down and preventing another argument, I decide to just nod my head slowly. “Okay...fine. Sorry, I disturbed you.”

I backed up away from him and was about to depart to the streets of Ponyville that leads to my apartment.

“HEY FRANK!” Richard called.

I stopped in my tracks before taking another step and listened to what the 60th human had to say.

“Are you still going to the bowling game tomorrow?”

Without turning my head and seeing his face, I replied back. “...Maybe.”

“Frank...Yes...or No?”

“...I'll be there. Just save me some shoes and my ball. Night, Rich.”

I continued my walk again as I heard Richard go inside his home and closing the door and shutting off the light.

I reached my apartment door and went inside, feeling the cold air within thanks to the A/C I left on. I didn't feel like eating anything as I ventured towards my room and pulled out my sleeping clothes and bathroom towel from my dresser. I threw the journal I carried all day on top of my nightstand and headed towards the bathroom. Like always, I took a hot shower and washed my body and hair for tomorrow I have another day at work at Equestrian Gem and Loan. As I was taking a bath, I kept thinking about the mysterious conversation between Daryl and Glow Light. I know that something ain't right about the words 'Plan B, Should I tell her,' and 'Yes, make it quick' because earlier Daryl told Glow Light to get some crystals for Aloe. Question is: why would Glow Light tell Aloe in a flash when he could've kept it a secret in order for Daryl to surprise her? And does Aloe know about it? I need to put the pieces together and found out exactly from the only one that knows the answer...and that alone...is Aloe!

After finishing my shower, I got out of the tub, dried myself off, and put on my sleeping clothes. Securing the apartment, shutting off the lights, and setting my alarm clock for tomorrow, I finally went to bed. I know I made somewhat of a promise to Richard about the bowling game tomorrow...but...looks like I have to change plans after work. Aside from thinking about confronting Aloe, another thing came to mind: MacIntosh Hills. Something tells me that I should check it out but my conscious is telling me 'Don't do it!' I don't know what to do but hopefully tomorrow, maybe my mind will be made up and I can make the right choice. I shut my eyes off and drifted off to sleep.