Broken, but Still Standing

So, without boring you all to death with things of little importance, the next week was a combination of me and Derpy going out to look for work, usually splitting ways, as I was looking for DJ gigs while Derpy was looking for...Well...Work...? Now that I think about it, that cute gray pegasus never mentions what kind of work she was looking for.

Not like it mattered very much, am I right? I mean, she could work at a flower shop, cafe or a grocery store for all I cared. But the more I put thought in it, I couldn't really see her doing any of those kind of jobs, which made me wonder even more what was she doing before for bits? With a sign, I came home to see her, crying, at the stove.

Personally, I didn't mind the fact that mare was prego. I mean, can I bucking judge? I'm an alcoholic, sex addict that would bone a pony for no other reason than I still had some time before my eyes closed on their own due to the combination of exhaustion and distilled liquor that made any and all decisions either stupid or dumb. It's a miracle I don't have STDs really.

So, as I walk in on my mare, that is my roommate, she tried to dry her tears.

“H-hi Vinyl. H-how was the s-search for work?”

She wouldn't look at me, which I just shrugged off. Guess she was just having a rough day. Truth is, every day must be rough. Manehatten didn't really have prejudices, but single, pregnant mares had it harder to find any decent paying jobs.

“Actually found a gig.” I cracked my neck. “An old friend of mine opened up a new club in the industrial side of town, Clogged Cogg or something like that. I start tomorrow night, actually. Not the best paying thing, but he promised me if I can bring in the ponies, I'll get a percent of the door price.”

Truth is, he was being way too generous, and part of me said I should turn the offer down, but he was a friend who knew I was running low on bits. I'd have to kick my shit into high gear to make that percent pay anything, but if I did, he'd win, I'd win and we'd all walk away with some bits.

“T-that's n-n-nice.” Was her only reply.

“Hey, are you okay?” I almost rolled my eyes. You okay? Really? This pony is practically balling her mother bucking eyes out and all I can ask is 'are you okay?' Wow, I am smoother than the dirt road to stupidville.

“Y-y-eah.” She sniffed, before straightening up and turning to show me a teary eyed smile, with  the biggest black eye I'd ever seen. I mean, the bucking thing was a shiner you'd rarely see at street match of hoofsies. I'm sure she said something else, but I couldn't hear it over the blood rushing to my face that any pony, dirt bag or not, would ever touch an angel such as Derpy, let alone slug her in the eye.

“Two questions.” I asked stoically, trying hard not to rage quit right there in the kitchen slash dinning room. “Who and where can I find him.”

“Vinyl I-”

“Who?”

She bit her lip, her ears folding down in a look of shame and pain. “He-he was my...o-old, e-empl...”

“Who?” I repeated firmly. She flinched, as if I made a move, but I didn't pay much attention. First thing was first, and the name of the son of a bitch who did this came first.

“...D-Diamond Bright..”

It was like so many things clicked into place all at once. I could feel my blood drain from my face before running back up, probably making me look like a silly cartoon character who got scared and hot at the same time.

Diamond Bright was old money of the richest kind. His wife had died several years ago, after the birth of his only daughter, Rarity, I think her name is. He seemed to only have a doting eye for his daughter, but some rumors have spread that he would require his maids to preform in some 'extra' chores outside of their original contract. A big stallion like him wouldn't take no for an answer either. Fact is, he could have gone to any of the Ivory League schools on a hoofball scholarship, like his brother, Karl, but chose to stay at home and receive special tutoring at home on how to carry on the family business of securing small, no name companies and turning a profit, underhoofidly I bet.

But what made my blood boil the most was the fact that the mother bucker, and yes I do mean that in the most literal sense, was literally and figuratively untouchable. There wasn't a bucking thing I could do to smear that plotwhipe's face in the shit he is. It was times like this I blamed my dad for ever rutting my mother to give birth to me, because despite any of this, I was going to try. Kill myself in the process? Most likely. Take as many down with me in the process? You better believe it!

Poor Derpy must have seen my resolute face. “Vinyl no!” It was then I noticed she was hugging me from behind, keeping me on my hind legs to keep from going through the door.

“Sorry Derp.” I relaxed, showing I wasn't going to preform my suicide mission. Not yet at least. “Sorta lost my head.”

Derpy sniffed. “Promise me. Promise me you won't do anything stupid. Don't go after him.”

“Derp, the last thing I want to do is the stupid. Go after him? With what? The best I could do is go to his gate and yell at him, but he'd never hear it in his mansion. No, I couldn't do anything if I really wanted.”

As I said it all, admitting it to myself, I felt the fight fade out of me, but not my hate. I'd get that bastard. Somehow, I'd get him.

Derpy, once again, brought me to my senses. “Vinyl...I don't know what I'd do if you got hurt...”

“Hey,” I managed a smile back while craning my neck to see her tear streaked face, trying hard not to take that statement the way that my hormones were telling me it meant. “That's what friends are for, am I right?”

She didn't reply. She just held me a few moments longer before letting go and walking back to the stove to finishing dinner, which turned out to be a fish soup.

“Uuuhhh, fish?”

Derpy nodded. “Yes. It is common knowledge that unicorns burn a lot of calories using magic on a daily basis. Proteins are necessary to help replenish the needed calories, and fish is an excellent way to get it, not to mention that it's not red meat, so it's not against the law.”

That surprised me. “How do you know that? I'll be honest, that's all true, but how does a pegasus know that when most unicorns these days don't know that. Even more, it's kinda an old practice.” Waaaaaaait. “Hang on a mo, how the Tartus did you get your hooves on fish in this market? It's expensive.”

Derpy smiled, her eyes all cutesy as she opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. Her eyes snapped opened and her hooves flew to her face.

“Oh Celestia!” She whispered. “Well...ummm...”

I resisted the urge to facehoof. This better not be what I think it is. “Diamond?”

She nodded. “I was going back into maid mode.” She whimpered, as if ashamed. “I started making his favorite foods.”

I sipped the hot broth. “...If this is his favorite, I have to hoof it to him. He's got good taste.”

She relaxed a little at that, but still was up tight, not even touching her own food now.

“Something wrong?” I asked, sipping again.

“N-no.” She looked away. Okay this was starting to get weird. My horn twinged and I knew there was more to that black eye than who gave it.

I leaned back in my chair and folded my forelegs. “Okay, spill.”

“What?” Derpy looked perplexed, which would have been cute had it not been that the topic was about the hoof shadow over her left eye.

“Derpy, how did you get the black eye? You told me who gave it, but not why or how. Either say it or I don't take another bite.”

Okay, that may have sounded a bajillion times better in my head, but it got the desired results. She hung her head and told me the story.

“I was out by the docks, and couldn't find any work. I was feeling down, so I thought I'd make you something to cheer me up. I like cooking and all, and I had made a few friends with some of the fisherponies there, so I was able to get a fish for three bits. It was then I bumped into Diamond Bright. He was out with his daughter. She recognized me and started talking to me. Rarity, despite her father and his heavy hoofed ways with us maids, is rather a nice mare.

“She asked how I was doing and where I disappeared too. I tried to politely end the conversation, before Diamond Bright noticed me. He seemed preoccupied with some of the fisherponies to notice me at first. When he did notice me, he said something to one of the bodyguard ponies, who lead Rarity, discreetly, back the way they came.”

She took a pause, as if debating telling me the truth. I guess I couldn't blame her, considering how I nearly when all rambo without a plan. A simple nod, however, was enough to nudge her on.

“He...He demanded me to tell where I had been, and I told him that it didn't matter since he kicked me out. He hit me with a hoof and yelled that I was nothing but a shameless slut that would never find a place here in Manehatten.” She started tearing up again. “He also told me that he'd have his unborn baby from me, even if he had to rip it out with his own teeth.”

Now the shit has hit the fan, but I forced a smile. How could I do this? How could I help this mare? As promised to take care of her, I took another sip of my soup, tasting every spice that melded into it's savory flavor. What I also tasted, what most ponies would have missed, is the kindness and love that it was made with. I'd find a way to help. Some how, I'd find a way.