Chapters Another day, another sucker.
"Come one, come all! Come on everypony don't be shy! Another wonderful product made by yours truly is available for your testing today!" Mendax yelled at the top of his lungs, his voice carrying over the growing crowd of curious ponies as if his voice was being amplified. He was in his element. The increasing crowd looked up at the the dark-gray earth-pony standing so proudly and surely on top of his hastily made make-shift stage. Mendax smiled slightly at the awed faces of the ponies below, he could already tell how eager they were to see his wares. "Everypony, if you've come over to me today to see something that will surely blow you right off of your hooves, you shan't be dissapointed today because what I have here under this drape will surely change your lives forever!" He waved a hoof over to a small box covered by a red drape. The sea of ponies standing beneath the stage began to chatter and stomp their hooves in anticipation, which only put Mendax in the zone even more.
Mendax nonchalantly meandered over to the covered box and slowly put a hoof on the drape. He chuckled as he thought to himself, "Heh, I could cut the tension with a knife." He grasped onto the drape and swiftly pulled it off from the box. Mendax reached in to one of the boxes and pulled out what appeared to be a bottle of green liquid. The onlooking ponies below stopped murmuring and seemed to finally be more interested in what the host had to say instead of the contents of the box. "This," said Mendax, rubbing a showcasing hoof over the bottle, "is a tonic that I made especially for you good folks of Canterlot." Mendax thought to himself with a sly grin, "That's right, give these idiots a little compliment to soften them up, then they're yours." The residents of Canterlot began to mumble in approval. Everypony was aware of how much those egotistic ponies in Canterlot liked to be complimented. A white pony sporting an umbrella asked in a snobbish voice, "Please get on with it, boy. What IS that little concoction you have there?" Mendax held out the bottle towards the inquisiting mare, and said, "This 'little concoction' is a tonic that I made myself. See, what it does, is it gives whoever drinks it the ability to become whatever type of pony the consumer wishes."
"Now to get the crowd involved," Mendax whispered to himself, scanning the mass of spectators. He quickly picked out a pony who suited the situation perfectly. A young earth-pony who didn't look too confident, the perfect example! "You there!" Mendax yelled out suddenly while thrusting a pointing hoof at the earth-pony. The unwilling volunteer jumped up and looked around at the rest of the spectators, most likely hoping the loud-mouthed salespony was talking to one of them. When all of the eyes of the other onlookers were on him, he stammered, "M-me?"
"That's right, you!" Mendax didn't have any plans for this poor pony, but it was always important to get the crowd involved, makes the whole situation that much more believable. Mendax continued, making eye contact with the young stallion. "Tell me, my fine friend, even a strong stallion like you has to wonder what it's like to have the wings of a pegasus, or to be able to move objects at will with magic, am I correct?" The nervous stallion kicked a rock and said, "Well, yeah, I guess."
"Well, my fellow ponies, now you don't have to wonder! With this wonderful remedy for the curious, you can be whatever type of pony you want! Imagine it, a unicorn that can summon pegasus wings without having to do any difficult spells or studying hours on end finding out how to do it! It's almost unimaginable!" Just then a firey-red stallion stood out above the crowd. He yelled out to Mendax, "That's exactly what I think! Unimaginable! You say that junk of yours will make everypony whatever they want to be, well I think you're full of it!" When the rabble-rouser had finished, the entire ensemble fell deathly quiet. Some ponies were nodding their approval of what was just said, and others were simply staring at the salesman, waiting for his rebuttal. Mendax simply stood there as hundered of eyes gazed up at him. The red stallion continued to push. "Well? Where's your fancy talk now?" Mendax couldn't help but notice that this particular stallion was in no way a part of the usual Canterlot crowd, but it just so happened that Mendax DID take a precaution just for this occasion.
Mendax finally spoke up, instantly capturing the attention of everypony and effectively silencing the trouble making stallion. "Well, sir, I suppose the only way to prove to you that this tonic is as great as I say it is is to give all you good folks a quick demonstration! Now who will it be?" Nopony raised their hoofs, just like Mendax expected. Not even the angry stallion stepped forward. This worked to Mendax's advantage. He quickly looked through the crowd of ponies for the face he recognized. He continued to scan, knowing that if he took too long to find the right mare, the crowd would get suspicious. He saw every kind of pony in the crowd looking back at him, but not who he was looking for. His eyes darted passed all shades of blue, pink, red, green. Manes of all different kinds of styles and clothes that only Canterlot ponies would bother dressing themselves in were assaulting Mendax's vision as he desperately looked for her. The ponies below began to mumble and look about, either waiting for that next volunteer or questioning why the salesman looked so darn nervous. Just then, a purposeful cough came from the middle of the crowd, and Mendax spotted her!
"You there, ma'am! Yes, how about you!" Mendax slyly wiped a bead of sweat from his muzzle as he pointed out the mare he was so desperately looking for. "You mean, me?" she asked, feigning surprise. "Yes, deary, how about you come up here and show all of these ponies the wonders of my wonder tonic!" Mendax had to admit, she was quite convincing as the light green mare nervously trotted up to the stage. She stepped up and Mendax put a hoof on her shoulder, turning her to face the crowd, a new surge of interest emitting from them. "What's your name, deary?" asked Mendax, knowing perfectly well what it was. She quickly responded, "My name is Honeydew, Mister." Mendax simply smiled and continued, "Now ma'am, I'm going to ask you, what kind of pony have you always wanted to be?"
"I've always wondered what it would be like to fly, mister." she said with a sweet, shy voice. "You see, I had a friend who was a pegasus and... well, I don't know. She always looked like she was having a real good time flying around, lounging on clouds like they were the most comfortable things in Equestria, I always wanted to join her up there." She stopped and looked down at her hooves to make sure nopony could see her expression as a mischevious grin played across her face. Mendax put a gentle hoof on her shoulder, while stifling a laugh, he said, "Well, hun, now is your day to show everyone that even a simple earth pony like yourself can, at the blink of an eye, sprout wings so wonderful that even the Wonderbolts will be envious!" The red stallion in the crowd guffawed at Mendax's words, but he paid them no mind. They'll ALL be believers soon enough.
Mendax hoofed the bottle of tonic over to the "volunteer" and she took it as nervously as she could possibly act. The crowd, once again, had fallen so silent that any passerby would think this was a memorial ceremony. She popped the lid off of the bottle and looked up at the crowd, letting the tension sink in. Mendax couldn't help but appreciate what a pro this girl was, considering he hired her straight off of the streets. She let her gaze shift slowly from the wide eyes of the onlookers back down to the bottle of green liquid, and she probably repeated this action four or five times before she gingerly moved the bottle up to her lips. The crowd leaned in towards the stage, as if they thought leaning closer would allow them a taste of the mystery tonic. Honeydew's lips finally met the bottle and she took a small sip, as if sampling it. Many of the ponies in the crowd didn't even bother to keep their mouths from hanging agape at this point. Honeydew then took a somewhat aggressive swig of the tonic and downed it all in one.
The watching ponies continued to gaze at her with rapt attention. Honeydew dropped the bottle to the floor and stood completely still, a stoic look upon her. Mendax began to feel slightly nervous as he realized how sensitive this part of the plan was. If she messed up here, it was over for the both of them, and he'd definitely have to switch towns again! Honeydew began to sway back and forth, as if she had spent the whole day chugging cider. She then stumbled backwards and fell off the back of the stage! All of the onlookers began mumbling in excitement, confusion, and fear. One elderly pony yelled out, "That witch doctor killed that poor filly with his death potions!" The red stallion began to walk up to the front of the crowd with the obvious intentions of confronting the waiting salesman. All the ponies were in turmoil, some were backing up and trying to leave the scene, while others were trying to move behind the stage to see what became of the poor mare who had been foolish enough to try the evil stallion's death beverage. Mendax tried to maintain his composure as he wondered what was taking Honeydew so long! The crowd moved in on him as he tried to calm down the crowd, "Now, now everypony, let's stay calm here, I'm sure the young mare is more than okay, I assure you." He raised up his hooves in defense and began to back up as the crowd got closer to the stage. The elderly pony was now leading some of Princess Celestia's guards over to the stage. "Oh geez," thought Mendax, "If I get arrested, I can kiss my career goodbye, oh please hurry!" The red stallion raged out, "You think you can meddle with us? Thought we were stupid didn't ya?" Mendax didn't have any clever lines for this kind of situation. There was no more room to back up so Mendax simply closed his eyes, gritted his teeth, and braced himself.
Just then, Honeydew sprang back onto the stage, stopping all of the potentially rioting ponies in their tracks. She was staring dramatically down at her hooves with her eyes closed. Mendax couldn't help but let out a sigh as he saw a slight smile dance across her lips. The confused ponies all stared at her. The usually hot-headed stallion nervously asked, "Hey, miss, a-are you okay there?" He moved closer to the stage, but almost instantly began to back peddle when Honeydew allowed her beautiful pegasus wings to spring forth to the amazement of the onlookers! She allowed her wings to stretch to their full length, then she flapped as quickly as she could, going airborne almost at once and shooting like a star across the sky, carving the very air as she flew. She spun clouds, like she had seen a particular mare do at a certain flying competition, she then kicked them away like a kung-fu star and flew back towards the center of the sea of awed ponies. They hurriedly cleared an area for her to land, and she did so gracefully, not even stirring the loose soil beneath them. After she landed, she was once again dramtically staring down at her hooves, then she looked up at the shocked ponies. She winked.
All at once, the newly inspired ponies casted their attention from her to the dark-grey coated salespony standing proudly by his tonics. They immediately swarmed him, brandishing their bags of bits in the air for the salespony's taking. Mendax grinned brightly and yelled out, "Now, now, everypony! I have more than enough for all of you! Just hand me your bits and you will all have your wishes fulfilled! Easy now! Single file, how about that?" Mendax looked up over the crowd of customers and saw his accomplice, Honeydew smiling up at him. He quickly winked over to her, and she returned it. "I think this may be a start of a beautiful friendship," thought Mendax as he continued piling the ponies hard-earned money into his greedy pockets. Little by little the insane line began to wittle down and only the last pony remained. Mendax stood, once again, face to face with the ill-tempered red stallion.
The stallion stared menacingly at Mendax, who tried to keep an emotionless face while he suppressed a gulp. Suddenly, the stallion softened and an embarassed grin invaded his features. He apologized, "Look, pal. I'm sorry for being such a mule earlier. I just can't believe that a tonic this helpful could exist. You know, I've always wanted to fly like a pegasus." Mendax simply nodded and waved a unworried hoof, "Don't sweat it, it IS hard to believe, but hey, I'm a genius."
"No argument there," agreed the red stallion, laughing slightly as he hoofed over the bits to the salespony. "I'll see you around then?" asked the now friendly stallion. "You can count on it." said Mendax, winking at him while trying to give the friendliest smile he could muster. He thought to himself, "This guy is a real creepazoid." The stallion waved a friendly hoof and began sauntering away with his new treasure.
When she was sure everypony was gone, Honeydew trotted up to Mendax, who was hurriedly gathering his things to begin traveling home so he could begin counting his earnings. She slightly brushed up against him, and he acknowledged her by saying, "Eh, hello there, Zoan." She put a silencing hoof to her lips, "Shh, my name is Honeydew, remember?"
"I'm more than sure that all those 'fine folk' are in their homes right now trying out my 'miracle tonic.' laughed Mendax, rolling his eyes. Zoan, the light green mare, shiftily looked at all of the bits that Mendax now had with him. He had bags upon bags full of Equestrian currency. Needless to say, he would be well off for a good while. Her thoughts were interrupted by Mendax's intruding voice. "What in Equestria took you so long to get back on stage?"
"I couldn't undo the saddle, you strapped it too tight! You're lucky I was able to get back up on stage at all. After all that panicking I did, I was sure that I wouldn't be able to put on a good performance for those good ponies." she laughed and said dramatically, "Perish the thought!" Mendax was hardly listening. He recalled putting the saddle on Zoan. The saddle wasn't anything particularly special. It was large enough to keep her wings hidden but discreet enough to go unnoticed if it was the same color as her coat, which of course, he made absolutely sure of. Now it was Zoans turn to interrupt a thought process. "So what was that stuff you sold to everypony, really?"
"Oh, I don't really know. I just smashed up some berries, plants, grass. It looked real legit, so I figured it would pass for tonic, even if it didn't taste too good." Zoan's face scrunched up as she recalled the taste, "I can't believe you made me drink that." Mendax, who had finally finished gathering his goods, began to trot away. He said over his shoulder, "If you didn't drink it, our lovely customers wouldn't be so convinced." He quickly added, "Perish the thought!" She caught up to him and inquired, "Where are you going to, Mister? What about my cut?" Mendax stopped trotting and said nonchalantly, "You know, I was thinking. We made quite the pair back there." Zoan's eyes widened as she began to imagine what he was about to impose. Mendax continued, "I think you and I should travel together for a while, it's always nice for me to have an extra hoof around."
"You mean, we should be partners?" Zoan asked, the excitement in her voice building. "More like travel companions." Mendax corrected. He had a "partner" once, and he wasn't going to allow another pony to get that close to him again. "The moment Zoan's uses are exhausted, I'll ditch her." thought Mendax to himself. Mendax continued walking to his home while Zoan followed. She practically bounced circles around him as they meandered home. "GOSH!" she squeeled, "We're like partners in crime! Swindling the stupid out of their money so we can get by! Just like the characters of some kind of novel or something!" She continued babbling about somepony who robbed banks with his marefriend and how we were alike.
As the sun began to set over Canterlot, Mendax finally approached his tiny shack of a home. Zoan stopped her ecstatic chatter and her face sank slightly. "THIS is where you live?" Mendax trotted nonchalantly passed her and opened the door to his tiny one-room shack. "It's not a matter of where I live, really." he said cooly. "It's more of where I am at the moment, and this place meets my needs until I have to move on to another town. " Zoan still looked unimpressed so Mandex simply stated, "If you don't like it, you can leave and go back to begging for bits on the streets." Zoan straightened up quickly and threw a saluting hoof to her head. "No, sir! This is fine with me."
Mendax chuckled at the energetic con-artist of a mare he's found and looked out the window at the fully lowered sun. "We should get some sleep now," he began to yawn halfway through his sentence, causing Zoan to giggle slightly. Mendax ignored her and said, "I think tomorrow we just lay-low, spend some of our money on the east-side of Canterlot, where we probably won't run into any of our 'clientelle,' then we'll worry about our next scheme." He then planted his plot down against the shack wall and began to fall asleep sitting up.
Zoan smiled softly as she watched Mendax sleep. She had a partner in crime. Well, a travel companion, but that's all the same, really! It was at that exact moment, as she watched him lull himself to sleep, that she made a promise to do whatever it takes to make sure Mandex and her spent the rest of their lives swindling people! Though she had only done it "professionally" this one time, it felt right. It was her place, beside this odd, smooth-talking earth-pony. Besides, anything was better than her previous situation. Sleeping under whatever she could find, begging for bits as the snobby Canterlot ponies mocked and guffawed at her. "Mendax may be the one to save me from that life," she thought to herself affectionately. She then closed her eyes, leaning against the opposite wall and began to let herself fall asleep as images of the days ahead danced through her imagination.
--
"Yessir, he was really something!" the red stallion exclaimed. "His product was completely bogus, anyone with two eyes could see it! But here's the thing, boss, everyone bought it! I swear, it was like he had them entranced or something!" The red pony quieted down to gauge the reaction of his boss, a dark green pony wearing sunglasses. (Even though it was well passed midnight.) The "boss" spoke in a raspy, deep voice, "I see, did this pony have anyone with him? An accomplice?"
"I'm not exactly for sure, but I think he had this mare working with him. I can't be too sure, she was a much better actor than him, in my opinion, jabbered the stallion. The boss held up a silencing hoof, and the red-stallion sat back in his chair. The boss didn't say anything, but continued to look down at a map of Ponyville he had placed neatly across his desk. What a fine mess of a town it was, Ponyville. So close to Canterlot, yet it's main use to anyone is the surplus of apples they send. "Butch," the boss finally said, staring menacingly up at the red stallion, "Are you sure this...salespony can get me what I want?"
Butch, the red stallion, rapidly nodded his head. "Yessir, without a doubt! Like I said, he practically had them eating out of his hoof!" The boss chuckled to himself and growled, "Good, then I want you to gather a few of our men," he spoke slowly and clearly, "then I want you to go collect the two con-artists, then I want you to deliver them back to me." The boss sat back in his seat and and touched the tips of his front hoofs together. Butch jumped up and called out, "You can count on me, sir!" Before Butch could run out to begin his task like the loyal pony he was, the boss stopped him, "Butch," he hissed, "I don't want any of you to harm one hair on their manes. If you do, I swear..." He ended that sentence by slamming his hoof down on his own desk, the sounds of splintering wood pervaded the air.
Butch gulped and stammered, "S-sir, before I go, can I ask you one last question?"
"Yes, make it quick."
"What makes you so sure that they'll accept to help us?"
The boss leaned up onto his desk, and looked down at the map of Ponyville and growled, "I'll make them an offer they can't refuse." He then slapped his hoof across the desk, sending the map of Ponyville onto the ground.
Mendax was galloping as fast as his four legs could carry him through the city of Canterlot. "Where did I go wrong?" he thought to himself desperately, not allowing himself a moment of rest. Sweat poured down his muzzle and it made his dark mane fall, matted, over his face as he attempted to bolt as fast as he could from the now hostile city. Mendax looked behind himself as he ran and noticed that he no longer had any pursuers trying to ensnare him. He stopped running, letting his head sink towards the ground while gasping desperately for breath.
Just then, a familiar voice rang out from behind him. "There you are, you swindling crook!" Mendax swiftly turned around to face a mob of ponies staring hostily at him. Mendax gaped at how large the crowd was. Surely that many ponies weren't at his presentation! He could have sworn there were only about thirty or so ponies at the time he revealed his latest scam! The familiar red stallion casually trotted to the front of the mob, running a nonchalant hoof through his mane. He didn't look sweaty or fatigued at all, nor did any of his fellow rioting ponies. The red stallion taunted, "You thought that sham of a product was going to get by us? Do you really think we're all THAT dense?"
A mare from inside the mob of ponies spoke out, "Come on everypony! I say we hoof deliver him to Celestia and have her banish him to the sun!" The ponies yelled and stomped their hooves in agreement. All of the ponies were fueled with anger at being double-crossed and adrenaline. Mendax knew that he was hardly a match to stand up against one pony, let alone a whole towns worth! Mendax yelled out with obvious fear in his voice, "I'm sorry! Look, I can give you all back your money, just don't do anything we'll all regret later!" He scanned his surroundings for an escape route, but there was none. It seemed talking was, once again, his only chance out of a tight situation. The red stallion wore an evil grin, showing crooked teeth and laughed, "Oh, we won't regret one bit of this! Everypony, get him" Mendax turned away and attempted to begin his gallop at top-speed, but was almost instantly stopped by a smaller pony attempting to jump onto his back! Mendax bucked the interfering stallion off but was caught by even more ponies who easily grounded him. The mob of ponies closed in on Mendax as his captors pinned all four of his hoofs to the ground. The mob made a tight circle around them, staring down at his helpless body with emotionless eyes. Mendax struggled against his captors but it was no use, they were simply too strong. The red stallion sauntered up to Mendax, looking down at him with a victorious sneer. He leaned down towards the struggling salespony, slowly, as if to say something. His muzzle was a mere few inches away from Mendax. The red stallions eyes widened, he opened his mouth wide and let out an ear-splitting, "COCKLE-DOODLE-DOOOO!!!"
--
Mendax awoke with a start and quickly looked around his shabby shack of a home. He was almost instantly blinded by the sun as it shone harshly through the open window, easily illuminating the whole tiny cabin. Mendax peered out the window and quickly noticed a proud rooster perched upon a nearby wooden fence. "Dang rooster," Mendax laughed to himself, "I haven't had such an exciting dream in an age." He chuckled at his own dialogue and looked over his shoulder, smiling as he noticed a mare that he had almost forgotten about. Zoan was balled up in the far corner of the shack, her bright red mane hung down her face, easily veiling the emotional features of the light-green mare. "How in Equestria could she sleep through that chickens obnoxious noise?" Mendax wondered to himself, running a hoof through his mane. His mane was drenched with sweat.
The stallion certainly couldn't go through the whole day with a dirty coat and smelly mane! The salespony figured he would simply go out and visit a discreet lake that he had happened across when he first decided to take refuge in the shack. As he made to begin his small travel to the lake, a sudden glint of gold caught his eye. Mendax looked over to it and noticed the bags of Equestrian currency that he had piled up. Why didn't he think of it earlier? There was certainly enough bits there to get him into a nice establishment where he could take a proper bath and get spiffied up! Suddenly, his thoughts of getting cleaned were interrupted by the sound of Zoan stirring in her sleep. "Oh yeah, I forgot about her again." Mendax thought to himself. Whatever the reason was, Mendax didn't exactly feel like having her jabber at him the whole walk to Canterlot, besides, he needed to keep a low profile for a couple of days at least. Mendax grabbed a hoof-full of bits and turned away from the sleeping mare. As he opened the door, he heard her talk in her sleep. "Just one bit, mister. Please, I'm starving..." Mendax stared at her for a long while, already knowing that his sympathy was kicking in. He sighed deeply and trotted over to Zoan and gave her a slightly aggravated shove with his hoof.
Zoan swiped a bothered hoof at Mendax and grumbled, "I don't even own a hovercraft." Mendax gave her a more forceful kick, sending Zoan into a frenzy! She jumped up at super speed and her wings sprang open in surprise. Her right wing gave the con-artist a swift slap across the face, toppling him over and spilling his bits. Zoan looked around in confusion, trying to regain her bearings. She slowly took in everything she saw. Dirt, wooden walls, sun shining through the window, a dark-grey stallion sprawled across the floor... She instantly remembered everything that had happened the previous day. "Hey there, Mendax! Wake up! I swear I don't know how anypony can sleep this late," she chattered, already in the mood for coversation. Mendax simply laid on the floor thinking, "Why?" He slowly got up and began collecting all of the bits Zoan had slapped from his hoofs. He looked over to see the pegasus beaming at him. He gave her an annoyed look and said, "I wasn't sleeping." The light-green mare looked confused and put a hoof to her chin saying, "Sure you weren't. ALL ponies lay on the ground with their eyes closed when they are wide awake!"
Mendax looked up at her and opened his mouth to begin an argument with her that he would surely win. Perhaps insult her intelligence? Shouldn't be too hard. Of course, being the gentlestallion he was, he decided against it. He stood up and looked at her with a stoic look on his face. "Forget it," he said." He brandished the small pouch of bits to Zoan and allowed one small insult to escape his lips. "Zoan," he started calmly. "You stink, bad. I think we should spend some of our money over in Canterlot to get us both freshened up. We have the money, you know?" As Mendax finished his sentence, he happily bounced the pouch in his hoof, letting the chingling of the bits ring through the shack. Zoan listened to him talk intently, then her eyes lit up and she let out a high-pitched squeel. "Ohmigosh! That sounds like a lot of fun, partner!" Mendax couldn't help but wince at the title of "partner," but he once again kept his smooth talking mouth shut. He simply mumbled under his breath, "Travel companion." Zoan, of course, didn't hear the aggravated stallion as she bounced around the sad excuse for a home, anxious to get on the road. Mendax sounded fatherly as he reopened the door and said, "Well, let's get a move on then!" He stood by the open door as Zoan bounced passed him with an ecastic look on her. Her smile was easily infectious and Mendax quickly found himself smiling warmly too as he shut the shack door and began following the happy mare to Canterlot.
Mendax caught up to Zoan, who was still happily bouncing towards their destination. They kept at a steady pace, taking in the scenery that was present on the outskirts of Canterlot. Zoan suddenly stopped skipping and a worried look quickly invaded the once ecstatic face of the mare. Mendax kept trotting a few steps more, then stopped and looked at her. "Something wrong?" he inquired, even though the answer was obvious. "Well, you said we were going to get cleaned up in Canterlot, right?" Mendax nodded, confirming what she had just said. Zoan continued, "So what if we run into some of the ponies we bamboozled yesterday?" Mendax started sauntering ahead again as Zoan began to follow, still looking bothered. "Yeah, we're going to Canterlot but we'll stick to the east side. Trust me, the ponies that we were entertaining yesterday wouldn't be caught dead on the east side of Canterlot."
"Oh, that's right. You mentioned that. Well, that's okay then!" Zoan's face quickly returned back to its normal cheerful appearance and they continued, side-by-side on their voyage to Canterlot.
--
Butch looked down at the collapsed messenger pony at his hooves. He had collapsed from exhaustion after having galloped at full speed all the way from where Mendax's shack was all the way back to the center of Canterlot. The tired pony continued taking sharp breaths as he tried to tell the firey red stallion the important information he had recieved while eavesdropping on Mendax and Zoan. "Well?" asked Butch, his impatience growing as the poor earth-pony beneath him tried to regain his stamina. "Where are they? Have you found them yet?" The messenger shakily moved his way back up onto all fours and looked at Butch as if he was a general in charge. The messenger moved in close and whispered as if this message was very sensitive, "The two ponies you're looking for will be on the east side of Canterlot in about twenty minutes, I believe. Apparently, the stallion wants to get cleaned up so he'll probably be heading for the salon or something." Butch smiled at the young pony and said approvingly, "Well, very good work. If you're right about this, I'll make sure you get all the bits I promised you."
The messenger pony's face began to fall as he took in those last few words. He whined, "But, you said that if I got you the information you wanted, you'd pay me up front!" The red stallion looked down at the younger, tinier, feebler earth pony and laughed, "Well there's been a change of plans. You got me the information I wanted, and I'll get you your bits when I get around to it. That's life, filly." The messenger stood up as tall as he could muster, yet he was nowhere near matching the size of the superior red stallion. "Look," he began, "I need that money NOW!" Butch was unimpressed and rose a threatening hoof. The younger stallion flinched, making Butch chuckle slightly. "Don't make me have to hurt you. Now get along, I have bussiness to take care of." The young pony recovered from his cowardly position and tried to reason, "You WILL get back to me, right?" Butch waved an assuring hoof around, causing the messenger to recoil once more. "Yeah, yeah, you have my word as a gentlestallion!" The young earth-pony still seemed unsure but deemed it a much better idea to not provoke the ill-tempered stallion anymore. He simply nodded and began to canter away quickly, leaving Butch alone with his task.
"Now to get to work", Butch said to himself as he lazily began to trot over to the local cafe. He couldn't help but feel a tad worried about the work ahead. Butch simply tried to push any negative thoughts from his mind as he meandered to his destination. Of course, his brain simply would not let up and continued to bombard him with negative images and scenarios. What if the two ponies wouldn't listen to him? What if they catch on to his little scheme and try to escape? That would definitely attract a lot of unwanted attention. Butch once again tried to simply push those thoughts from his head as he closed in on the cafe. It was a simple "grab and go" mission. How hard could it be? The boss DID entrust this job to him, so he must at least think that the red stallion could handle it. Butch walked into the cafe and quickly noticed that it was entirely empty except for one lone, white unicorn sporting an odd handlebar moustache.
The unicorn looked up, noticing Butch as he entered. He grumbled, "About time you showed up! You're lucky your boss is such a scary fellow or there would be absolutely no way I'd even consider closing up my cafe today!" Butch casually trotted up to the manager of the establishment, who wore an increasingly worried expression as the large stallion moved closer to him. The unicorn winced as Butch dropped a hefty pouch of bits at his hooves. "There," Butch said simply, "That should make up for the money you lose while I take care of my little job. Now you just wait there, be good, and do as I say when my guests arrive, got it?" he added that last part with a bit more force than was necessary with this timid unicorn. He stammered, "Y-yeah, I got it, pal. I'll do what you say, no worries." He grinned nervously. Butch seemed satisfied and slowly marched on out to the front of the cafe. As soon as he was outside, he galloped as quickly as his thick legs could carry him to the east-side of Canterlot.
--
"Will you slow down?" complained Mendax as he tried to keep up with the bouncy pegasus. She openly giggled and teased, "Will you speed up? I swear, by the time we make it to the salon they'll have to dye our manes to get the gray out!" Zoan laughed at her own cleverness, but slowed down for Mendax all the same. The salespony finally began to catch up to her and they both trotted at a steady pace as they took the less traveled roads of Canterlot to reach the east-side. They kept to the alleyways, moving quietly and discreetly so as to not attract any unwanted attention. Especially from anypony that they had met yesterday. "What a fine mess that would lead to," thought Mendax, flinching slightly as he recalled the dream he had awoken from this same morning.
"Oooooh, I see it! I see the salon!" yelled out Zoan suddenly, pulling the earth-pony from his trance-like state. They had arrived safely on the east-side of Canterlot. Mendax and Zoan made a bee-line for the salon but a sudden, familiar voice caught their attention.
"Hey! You two! Remember me?" yelled the familar red stallion, quickly galloping up to meet them. Mendax was in a quick panic! He felt sweat form on the back of his neck and looked over to Zoan to see the red-maned mare looking back at him with obvious worry in her eyes. Mendax considered hoofing it, they'd have to skip town, especially if they were being tailed by one of the ponies he's swindled! Mendax considered having a physical altercation with the stallion. Sure, he was bigger, stronger, and probably faster, but Mendax was feeling hopeful. As the red stallion closed in on them, Mendax readied himself and tried to put on his most fearsome face, which was quickly wiped off when he saw that the large pony's face seemed warm and friendly. The red-stallion skidded to a stop in front of them, still grinning as if Mendax and Zoan were his most favorite ponies in the world!
Mendax's mouth was slightly agape as he tried to put the pieces together. He stuttered, "Uh, w-well hey there! Yes, I do believe I remember you..." he gulped, "from yesterday." Mendax expected the stallion to be upsetted by those words but was yet again surprised to see that he continued to smile. Zoan was being unusually quiet, simply watching the scene play out with curiousity sparkling in her eyes. "That's right, buddy!" the red pony laughed. "I'm sorry to say though, that I didn't have time to try out your special tonic yet! When I got home it was really late, so I went to bed, when I woke up I had to work and well, I had forgotten about it."
"Well," thought Mendax, "That definitely explains why he isn't trying to tear me limb from limb." The red pony continued, "I promise that I'll test out that tonic of yours as soon as I get home tonight though!" Mendax grinned assuredly and coughed out, "Oh yeah, I guarantee that you'll be one-hundred and ten percent satisfied," then he added slyly, "like all my customers."
"I don't doubt you one bit," said the friendly, red stallion. His eyes widened slightly and he talked, addressing both of the ponies in front of him, "Hey! How about I treat the two of you to a drink? It's the least I could do for the greatest salespony around!" Mendax stared at the stallion suspiciously, trying to weed out any hidden intentions. He couldn't make any out as he stared at the foolishly grinning stallion. "Well, that's very generous of you, Mr. --?" Mendax stopped. The stallion threw a thick hoof out at Mendax and said proudly, "The name's Butch!" As Mendax put his hoof against Butch's, he could have sworn that he saw the stallion make a face as if he said something he shouldn't have. Mendax waved it off as Butch kicked himself for revealing his real name so soon. Butch pressed, "So how 'bout it? A quick drink at the cafe down the way?" He put on a smile that even the strongest willed pony would have a hard time turning down.
Mendax was successfully crushed under the pressure. He looked over to Zoan, who gave him a look that said, "May as well." Mendax returned his gaze to Butch and gave in, "Alright, lead the way then. One drink and we have to go, I'm afraid." Butch turned away from the two con-artists and smiled wickedly, "One drink is more than enough. More than enough."
The two ponies ignorantly trotted into the cafe after Butch. Both Mendax and Zoan noticed that this particular cafe was completely deserted. Well, all except for an odd unicorn with a wicked moustache! Butch took a seat in the far corner of the cafe, which was odd considering every seat was vacant. Mendax and Zoan both cautiously followed him and took a seat with him. The unicorn quickly approached, giving Mendax no time to question Butch further, and insisted on taking their orders. Butch quickly rang out, "The best for my friends, please!" The manager winked at Butch, who nodded back at him, with an oddly serious look upon his face. The unicorn went off into the back of the cafe to get the drinks, leaving the trio of ponies alone.
Mendax broke the silence, "So... this place is pretty lonely, huh?" Butch knew that this would be the first thing that was brought up and had prepared a very educated response. "Yup." he said. Zoan was fidgeting over in her seat like a filly waiting for her dessert. She spoke up, "So, mister, what do you do? Like for a job? You said you had to go to work early in the morning and that was why you couldn't try out Mendax's tonic." The red stallion's eyes darted back and forth and he shifted in his seat, buying time. As the large pony began to speak again, the manager returned with two fizzing glasses. The manager put the fizzing beverages on the table in front of the two con-artists. Mendax eyed his drink suspiciously for a moment, then looked over to Zoan, who already had her head thrown back as she chugged the drink down greedily. She slammed her glass down as if she just took a shot of cider and said, "Wow, that was awesome!" Butch smiled and said, "Uh, yeah. It's a special mix, kind of like that tonic of yours." Mendax was watching Zoan, and saw that the drink didn't seem to be having any effects on her. He shrugged and chugged the drink down at a speed that rivaled Zoans, while Butch grinned wickedly at them both.
"So," continued Mendax, wiping the liquid from his lips with a quick hoof, "You were telling us about your occupa-"
--
Mendax was laying on something very soft. His eyes were still shut very tightly but he could sense, without opening his eyes, that he wasn't on the floor of his shack. Mendax groggily opened his eyes, and found himself staring up at a very high ceiling, complete with a steel fan that was sending a comfortable breeze over the fatigued stallion. The salespony slowly sat up and stretched out, letting his back pop back into place. He threw his hind-legs over the side of his comfortable bed and hopped off, turning around to see what he had been sleeping so soundly on. He was shocked to see that he was sleeping on a cloud! This shocked Mendax particularly because only pegasus ponies could use a cloud as solid ground! Before Mendax could further question this perplexing situation, memories of what happened at the cafe instantly flooded his mind! "ZOAN!" he yelled out, turning desperately around his large, red-walled bedroom, looking for his accomplice. Mendax located the exit and quickly made for it, hoping to find Zoan and unravel the mystery of where he was. He pushed on the door with his hoof, but it was tighly locked! Mendax yelled out and began kicking the door with both his hind-legs!
Just then, he heard the door click. Mendax quickly turned around, ready to bolt passed anypony in his way. However, when he saw who opened his door, he let down his defenses. It was a young unicorn mare. She had a chocolate brown coat and a very friendly smile. She laughed at the confused face the salespony stared at her with. She said soothingly, "Calm down, dear. I know you have many questions but-" Mendax cut her off with a threatening growl. "Where am I and where is Zoan?" he hissed at the mare. She seemed frazzled by the rude tone of the stallion, but tried to pay him no mind and continued softly, "I understand you're confused, but allow me to explain. You are at the HQ of Canterlot's famous 'Mane Vein Super Center.' Your marefriend, Zoan, is in the dining hall right now, where she's been all day," she added with a light chuckle. Mendax was fully calmed by now and inquired, "All day? How long have I been out?" The mare put a thoughtful hoof to her chin and said, "I think for about two days now." Mendax ran a disbelieving hoof through his mane and let out a strong gust of breath. He asked, "Can you lead me to Zoan, please?" He almost half expected her to tell him, "No," and that he was being held prisoner here for his crimes against pony-kind, but she simply nodded and signaled with her hoof for him to follow.
As Mendax followed the chocolate mare, he took in his surroundings. They were currently walking down a large hallway. Like his bedroom, it was decorated with red walls and a matching red carpet. A really fancy place, if you were to ask the salespony. While they trotted along, Mendax happened by a window and noticed that they were high up. Mendax estimated they were at least five or so floors up. The chocolate mare finally came to a stop by a pair of double doors and pointed a hoof towards it. "Your little friend is in there, hun." she said sweetly. "I swear I've never seen a mare her size eat so much." She laughed as she began to canter away. Mendax pushed through the doors and quickly spotted the red-maned pony. She was gobbling up food as if she had been starved for days! Which, all things considered, she probably was, if she'd been asleep for a few days. He cooly moved over to her, looking around at his surroundings. This appeared to be a cafeteria of some kind. Mendax chuckled as he noticed how shocked the chefs were while watching the small mare tear through a weeks worth of apples and carrots.
Mendax prodded her on the shoulder and said slyly, "Any room for me here, Miss?" Zoan, recognizing the cool voice, spun like a top to face her partner in crime! She let out a high-pitched squeel of delight and threw her front hooves over him, pulling him into a lung crushing hug. She began jabbering at mach speed, "About time you woke up! I missed you a bunch. I was worried that you were dead for a while, but they just said that you were a real deep sleeper and that the white unicorn spiked your drink too heavily!" She paused for a breath and Mendax took advantage, saying, "So, they admitted to spiking our drinks, huh?" Zoan raised an eyebrow and breathed, "Well, duh. It doesn't take an egghead to figure that out! It's actually cool, though! Everypony here is really nice and they keep letting me eat all their food! It's SO delicious, you have to try some before your interview!" Mendax, once again, was confused as he questioned, "Interview? What interview?"
"Your interview with," she stopped for dramatic effect, narrowing her eyes and deepening her voice as she said, "the boss." Mendax half expected a lightning strike to blast behind her. Of course, it didn't. "Well, what does he want with me?" Mendax asked. Zoan shrugged and said, "Nopony will tell me, says it's between you and him. He's okay though, once you get passed his scary voice. Like I said though, you should gobble down these goodies with me before you go talking to big-shots!" Mendax hadn't realized it before, what with his panic and worry, but he was actually starving! His stomach let out a low grumble as if to confirm what he was already feeling. "You're right, I'll eat up with you, then I'll see what this 'big-shot' wants." Zoan and Mendax began to ravenously dig into their food like starving foals while the boss readied himself in his office.
--
"Two days I've been waiting," the dark-green pony with sunglasses spoke quietly to himself. "Now it's time to see if this smooth-talking pony has what it takes to get the job done." He was, once again, studying the map he owned of Ponyville. He scanned every bit of the map, imagining how much better the land that Ponyville occupied would look with one of his Mane Vein Super Centers on top of it. With all of the land he planned to acquire from Ponyville, he would be able to make the largest, most grand-scale shopping center in all of Equestria. Ponies from all over would come to line his pockets with their hard-earned bits. Now, all he has to do is convince this stallion to take the job. Of course he would, especially with the special offer that he planned to impose.
A jet black pony slowly opened the door to his office. "Sir, your client is ready to see you? Are you ready?"
"Yes, show him in." growled the intimidating figure as he leaned up to his desk and put his front hooves together, ready for bussiness. The black pony slowly exited, shutting the door behind him. Almost as soon as the office door shut, it reopened and an arrogant looking dark-grey earth-pony trotted in, casually taking a seat in the chair across from the boss. The boss was the first to speak, in his usual low growl, "So, you are Mendax, correct?" The earth-pony waved a nonchalant hoof and scoffed, "Well, look at me, I'm getting so famous now that ponies are going so far as to kidnap me for an autograph!" Mendax laughed at his own taunt. The boss' expression didn't budge a bit, although it was clear that he was gritting his teeth. The boss continued, "Let's cut to the chase, shall we? I know what you do," he said cooly. "You steal and swindle the more simple minded into buying your garbage. You, my friend, are a con-artist. A smooth talker. A liar. Am I correct?"
Mendax hadn't been expecting this, not only for him to be able to pin his career so perfectly, but he was also shocked by how straight-forward he was. Mendax tried to keep his usual cool composure, even in the face of such an intimidating pony. What was he hiding behind those sun-glasses anyway? Mendax continued to prod, "Wow, you really ARE my biggest fan, aren't you?" he stifled a laugh and looked hopefully at the boss. "Any emotion yet?" thought Mendax to himself. Nope. The dark-green pony had had quite enough. He opened a drawer in his desk and pulled out an incredibly sharp knife. Without casting his gaze from Mendax, he swiftly threw the knife at Mendax! Mendax froze in place as the knife sailed over his shoulder and stuck in the far door behind him. The boss finally cracked a smile at the terrified face of the smart mouthed con-artist. "Now that I've effectively shut you up," the boss began, "allow me to continue." The boss sat back comfortably in his chair as he readied himself to explain the situation as Mendax still sat with the same pained expression and posture that he had when the knife whizzed by him.
The boss began again, his deep voice, though quiet, was still very audible, as if the atmosphere around him didn't dare defy him by making his voice go unheard. "We've established what you are, Mendax," he began. "Here's the deal. I have a matter of the upmost importance that I need completed by an individual that I can trust. You ARE a pony I can trust, correct?" Mendax said nothing, but gulped heavily and nodded in rapid succession. "Good. Tell me, are you familiar with a town near here called Ponyville?" Once again, Mendax simply nodded. "Good, then you know what a small and insignificant town it is then? You see, I am a pony of bussiness, and when I look at Ponyville, I see a lot of potential bussiness, you see?" Mendax regained his composure and choked out a quick, "What are you asking me to do?"
The boss looked back down at his map of Ponyville, he picked it up in his hooves, presenting it to Mendax. He then swiftly ripped the map into tiny pieces and swiped them off of his desk onto the floor. The forceful pony leaned back onto his desk. Even though his eyes were hidden, Mendax could tell that the dark-green pony was staring very deeply into his eyes. The boss hissed, "Get the picture?" Mendax nodded again and asked, "But how?" The boss got up from his chair and sauntered over to a nearby window, looking down at the Canterlot ponies going about their days. The boss rasped, "Ponyville's property rights are very fragile, you see. In fact, the only thing that promises that land to the ponies currently living there is a contract between the mayor of Ponyville and Princess Celestia. If the current mayor was to, say, unknowingly sign a contract giving the rights of Ponyville to somepony else, well then that pony could do whatever he wanted with it."
Mendax absorbed every word the boss said. The boss showed no sign of speaking again, so Mendax broke the silence. "You want the rights to Ponyville? Why?" The pony in sunglasses chuckled and droned, "No, I don't care for Ponyville. In fact, all I want is the land Ponyville is occupying. With the land signed over to me, I can legally level Ponyville, and make way for the grandest shopping center that Equestria has ever known." Once again, the boss fell silent. Mendax listened with rapt attention. "But aren't there a pretty good number of ponies already living there? What would happen to them?" questioned Mendax, still trying to sound respectful of the possibly murderous pony. At this, the boss laughed, his deep, villainous voice pervading the air. "Those ponies will be fine, I'm sure. The world's a big place, I'm sure they will relocate," said the unconcerned pony. Mendax wasn't going to lie, he didn't really care what happened to those ponies either. He was more concerned about what was going to happen to himself! Mendax stood up from his chair and built up the guts to ask the most important question on his mind, the question that will decide what he does next.
"If I complete this task," Mendax began, "If I can get the mayor to sign the land over to you unknowingly, what will you do for me?" The boss turned to face the bold salespony, and wandered back to his chair, sitting down slowly. He put his hooves back up to his chin and growled, "If you complete the task, I will provide you with enough money to make sure that you never have to work....or swindle ponies for another minute of your life. Everything you want, I will provide you. The same goes for that gorgeous mare outside the door waiting for you." Mendax fell back into his chair, looking up at the ceiling, his heart beating insanely in his chest while his brain tried to cope with what it just processed. A whole lifetime of luxury? No more lying, cheating, stealing, or worse, working. Then again, the thoughts of the young fillies and families living in Ponyville danced through his mind. Mendax looked up towards the dark-green pony, who was still looking at him straight in the eyes. Or, at least, Mendax thought. "W-what if I refuse?"
The boss folded his hooves on the desk and looked meaningfully at Mendax. He said cooly and clearly, "If you do not accept my overly gracious offer, I will have my right-hand stallion, Butch, you've met Butch, right?" Mendax nodded, confirming what he asked. The boss continued, "Well, I'll have Butch round up everypony you swindled those few days back, and I'll have him lead them here to you, where you will be held captive so that those cheated ponies can do whatever they please with you." Mendax felt his face flush as he imagined his nightmare actually coming true. His nightmare, that seemed like so long ago, since he woke up in his shack, his biggest worry being whether or not to take Zoan to the salon with him. What was happening?
"I imagine you realize you have very little say in the matter, my smooth-talking friend. So what do you say?" Mendax shook his head, and ran a hoof over his sweating forehead and muzzle. "Like you said, Boss. I have no say in the matter. I accept. I'll do the job and get the mayor to sign the land over to you." The boss smiled wickedly and hissed, "There's a good pony. I've already arranged for your transport to Ponyville. We're sending both you and your cute little marefriend to Ponyville tonight by carriage. My fastest pegasus ponies will take you there, so you'll arrive in no time at all. Well, get a move on." Mendax stood up and quickly made for the exit to the office. Before he opened the door, Mendax looked back at the menacing pony and stated, "Hey, I woke up on a cloud today. How was that?" The boss genuinely smiled, yet his voice was still a growl. "I had some of my unicorns cast a little spell on you to let you walk, or sleep on clouds for a few days," he finished his sentence, then added, "Only the best for my friends." He waved a dismissing hoof at Mendax, so he exited the office, his brain swimming with all of the things he just heard, and so many questions still swarmed his mind about what lied ahead. Zoan was leaning up against the wall near the office, and she cantered over in her usual cheerful mood.
"So what did Boss-Pony say?" she asked, giggling at the nickname she just came up with. Mendax was still lost in thought. He looked over to her with a blank look on his face, his eyes clouded with thought. She asked, "Is everything okay? Did he, like, eat your soul or something?" Mendax tried to smile at her obvious attempt at being funny, but couldn't will a muscle in his face to move. He simply said, "Follow me out to the front of the HQ, the 'Boss-Pony' (she laughed as Mendax said the name she made up) has arranged for us to go to Ponyville." Her eyes lit up with excitement and wonder as she had a new added bounce to her step. "Oh! I've always wanted to go to Ponyville! I hear they have the best apple orchard, and a boutique!" Zoan noticed that Mendax didn't look at all excited for the amazing oppurtunity ahead.
They continued trotting at a faster than necessary pace out the doors of the HQ. Both Mendax and Zoan immediately noticed a comfortable looking chariot waiting for them, ready to be pulled by two very strong looking pegasus stallions. The red stallion, Butch, was holding the doors open for them with a haughty grin on his face. The sun was setting on the horzion as the two ponies settled themselves into the carraige, with Zoan sitting, snug, across from Mendax. Butch looked at the two before shutting the door. He taunted, "Have fun at Ponyville, you two," he laughed, then added, "While you can." He slammed the door of the chariot shut and slapped the side, sending the pegasus into the air as they cut through the sky at a very high speed.
Zoan looked curiously over to Mendax and asked, "What did he mean by that? While we can?" Mendax said nothing for a long while, and Zoan waited patiently. He finally let out a large sigh and said, "Okay, so this is what's happening, Zoan."
So, Mandex continued to explain exactly what they were meant to do upon arriving in Ponyville, as there chariot zoomed through the orange sky towards their destination. Mendax couldn't help but picture the ponies in Ponyville getting snugged in their beds as their doom raced towards them. "No turning back now," Mendax thought to himself.
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Getting To Know You. (The ride to Ponyville.)
"So, that's how it is, huh?" Zoan looked thoughtfully out of the chariot window, taking in the night sky as the pegasi pulling them tore through the air. Mendax looked out of the same window and muttered, "Yeah, that's exactly how it is." Mendax had just finished telling his accomplice what Boss-Pony had assigned them to do. He also told her how little choice he was given. Neither of them talked for a long while as they both reflected on the task and worried about how it would get done. Zoan looked away from the window and shifted her eyes to Mendax, who was still lost in deep thought.
"Did the Boss-Pony say what our reward for giving him the rights to Ponyville is going to be?" Her eyes sparkled at the thought of some obvious theatrical treasure chest bearing jewels and gold coins. Mendax had forgotten to mention the exuberant reward for the completion of their task. "Well," began Mendax, "If we do what we're told, he promised to pretty much give us so much money that we would never have to work another day in our lives. We would pretty much have it made." Zoan's eyes lit up and excitement flooded her face. She began to bounce in her seat, causing the chariot to rock and throwing the pegasus ponies off of their path. One of them yelled out, "Easy back there, or we'll drop you in a lake!" The pegasi laughed and continued flying towards their destination as Mendax tried to calm down the light-green mare.
Zoan squeeled and her mouth began to run at top-speed. "Can you imagine it? All we have to do is get a simple signature and then we'll be set for life! We'll have all the money in the world and we'll never have to work again and I'll never have to worry about begging anymore! Can you believe it, Mendax? This is our chance!" Mendax couldn't help but allow his face to crack into a solid grin. She was right, why was he worrying about the ponies in Ponyville? What did they mean to him? This was his big break, the kind of chance he'd been waiting for. Why did he even consider letting his emotions cloud what was really important? Himself! Mendax was trying to stay reasonable. "It's not as simple as getting a signature though, Zoan," he said to the mare sitting across from him. "We need to be sure the mayor doesn't know what he or she is agreeing to, or the mayor probably won't sign it. Then we'll be in trouble." Zoan didn't seem at all bothered.
"It'll be easy! With your smooth-talking and my," she ran a hoof through her mane, "skills as an actress, we'll be able to pull this off with no problem!" Mendax didn't seem all too sure, himself, but he was sure she wouldn't listen. Something about what Zoan was saying was slightly beginning to bother Mendax. She didn't seem to be worried at all about the ponies who were currently occupying Ponyville..
"Zoan, don't you kind of care about the ponies in Ponyville?" Zoan's face dropped and a serious air was about her. She said coldly, "No, I don't. Nopony cared about me when I was begging on the streets of Canterlot. I'm sure these ponies are no different. They're cold and greedy. To make it, we have do be the same. This is our chance, Mendax. We can't let it pass us by because we feel bad." Zoan added that "feel bad" with a condescending tone and rolled her eyes. Mendax was purely surprised by how logical his usual air-headed travel companion was being. Perhaps their was more to her than he initially thought. Mendax felt thoroughly reassured, for some reason. He put up a powerful hoof and yelled out, "You're right, Zoan! This is it! This is, in all aspects, the ultimate scam! We'll steal Ponyville right out from under their noses and WE'LL reap the rewards!" Zoan stomped her hooves in applause and wooped. With smiles on both of their faces, they returned their gazes out of their windows, letting the thoughts of what they'd do with their reward money fill their imaginations.
--
It had been a silent fifteen or so minutes when Mendax caught Zoan looking at him. He glanced back over to her, and she quickly averted her eyes. Mendax smiled and asked, "You want to ask me something, Zoan?" She looked back over to him, blushing slightly and let her thoughts be known. "Your cutie-mark," she began, "what is it?" Mendax looked down at his own flank and smiled slightly. "It's a bar of silver, I think."
"What does it represent, you think?" Zoan asked, unabashedly staring at Mendax's flank. Mendax moved his eyes back up to her and explained, "Well, I'm not too sure. If I was to make a guess, I would imagine it represents my love for wealth. Though, I imagine it makes more sense to say that it's because I'm silver tounged." Zoan's face scrunched up a tad and she yelled out, "You're WHAT?" Mendax laughed heavily at the ignorance of his accomplice and cleared things up. "Silver tongued," he explained. "It means that I have a way with words." Zoan rubbed a thoughtful hoof over her chin and said, "Oh, okay then," she laughed a bit and started to look back out her window. Mendax wasn't about to let her off the hook that easy, and was ready to ask Zoan a little bit about herself.
"So," Mendax sighed, "How about YOUR cutie-mark then?" Zoan glanced down at her own flank, as did Mendax. She ever so slightly rotated her plot around so Mendax could get a proper view of her flank. Mendax noticed that Zoan was blushing again, but he couldn't imagine why. "I don't understand," Mendax raised an eyebrow as he tried to decipher the meaning behind Zoan's cutie-mark. "Rain drops?" What Mendax saw were three drops of water, but they didn't look like fresh-water drops. There were white speckles within them that reminded Mendax slightly of salt.
Zoan stopped staring at her own flank and looked back up to Mendax. She shared a heavy explanation. "My cutie-mark is a trio of tear-drops," she explained. Mendax seemed confused. When did THIS mare ever cry? Zoan saw that the stallion didn't understand so she continued. "For a good portion of my life, I've been begging on the streets of Canterlot. In fact, that was what I was doing when you hired me to help you on your gig."
"I remember," Mendax recounted, "Go on." Mendax could tell that she had already come up with a logical explanation as to why tear drops were her cutie-mark, and that she was now simply trying to put her explanation into words. Zoan began, "I've always had a knack for making people feel sorry for me. It was like a gift, I suppose. Whenever I wanted bits or some food, I could just put on a frowny face and tell a sad story about how starving I was. I guess that my cutie-mark represents how easily I can make people feel bad for me. Hence the tears." Mendax was, once again, shocked by the mare. How could an air-head like her be so deep? In fact, since when was an explanation for a cutie-mark so philisophical? Mendax racked his brains.
"So, your special talent is... making people feel bad for you?" He put both his hooves to the sides of his head and massaged lightly. "It's still confusing. That's not much of a talent." Zoan gave him a stoic look and Mendax quickly added, "I mean, yours is much better than mine! Psh, a silver bar, doesn't even make sense!" Zoan cracked a smile at how simply silly her partner was acting. Mendax let out a nervous gust of breath of quickly shifted his attention out the window and towards the ground, watching the trees and wild-life pass under him. "I can't believe we're not there yet!" Zoan complained, slouching in her seat. "We'll get there when we get there," Mendax said simply, once again noticing that fatherly air to his tone. Fatherly? Mendax moved his attention back to Zoan. Was it okay to ask the question that just nipped at his brain? Maybe it would upset her. Well, he would never know unless he tried.
"Zoan?" he began softly. Zoan could tell something was up, but went along with it. "Yes?" she asked, smiling with an inquisitive brow. "You said that you have been begging for most of your life." Zoan nodded and replied, "Yep, that's right. Ever since I was a filly." Mendax noticed she still had a chipper tone to her voice, meaning that she was still unaware of the question he was about to bring up. Mendax continued slowly, "Ever since you were a filly? What happened to your family?" Zoan was startled by the personal question. She jumped slightly in her seat and quickly looked back out the window, clearly taking a moment to think of how to answer the slightly rude question. She gave Mendax an offensive glance and stammered, "W-well, where's your partner? Don't think that I don't know! That night in the shed, you were talking in your sleep! Something about your partner! Is that why you're so unwilling to call me your partner?" Zoan finished strongly.
"If you want to have the same title as the mare who cruelly ripped my heart out and stabbed me in the back, then you can have it!" Mendax countered. "All I did was ask you about your family!" Mendax continued pounding Zoan with his louder than necessary words. "What? Do you not trust me? You think that I'm not going to like what you have to say? If you want to truly be partners, then the first step to getting there is for us to trust each other! Understand!?" He finished yelling, his chest heaving with the typical sharp breaths of an angered stallion. Mendax didn't mean to get angry. In fact, he had no idea why he was so angered. She didn't trust him, that's why. That hurt him, because deep down...maybe he-
"I'm sorry, Zoan." Mendax said, his head bowed and his eyes closed. "I shouldn't have yelled at you. Just forget I ever asked you about your family." He was finally calmed down and his breathing had once again regulated. Just then, before the silence became unbearable, Zoan began speaking, causing Mendax's head to shoot up, his ears perked and ready to listen. "My father simply abandoned my mother before I was even born," she began softly. "After I was born, my mother couldn't raise me on her own, and she took to begging on the streets. When she thought I was old enough, she handed me a cup and told me, 'Zoan, go out there and make mommy proud.' Well, I did. I had a knack for it, begging." Zoan stopped a moment before continuing on.
"My mom noticed how good I was. In fact, I was so good at begging and making ponies feel bad for me, that I would sometimes go alone and make just enough bits to feed the both of us for the day." Once again, Zoan stopped. "What I didn't know, though, was that my mother was putting some of the money I made away. One morning, I woke up. I remember it so clearly. I woke up in a park, under a tree, where my mother and I had fallen asleep for the night. I looked around, and noticed that my mother was gone. The morning sun was shining so brightly that I couldn't make out anything more than a few inches from my eyes. When my eyes adjusted, I noticed a small piece of paper sitting where my head had once been under the tree. I trotted over to it and read it. The mouth-writing was my mother's. It said,
'I'm sorry I couldn't give you the life you deserved.'
My mother had taken all of the money I had earned for the both of us, and left in the night. I figure she took a train to Fillydelphia or something."
Zoan stopped talking. Mendax was blown away. What a tragic tale! Mendax's foalhood was actually pretty leisurely, all things considered. That's what probably lead to him living a life like he has. One of excitement! Mendax reached a hoof across the carraige and caringly let his hoof run through Zoan's red mane. She didn't flinch away, but simply stared at him. Mendax sighed, "I'm really sorry. I can easily relate when it comes to knowing how it feels to be betrayed." Mendax sat back in his seat and closed his eyes. Zoan hadn't forgotten what she wanted to know. "What happened between you and your former partner then?" she questioned, with a nervous smile. Mendax really didn't want to talk about it, but after that little speech he gave about trust, he had very little option. Mendax sat back in his seat, closing his eyes and letting the memories he's tried to repress flood his mind as he began to speak.
"My partner and I used to work our scams in Manehatten. She was a beautiful gray mare. In fact, her coat was just a shade or two lighter than mine. Her mane was a snow white. I remember how perfect she always seemed to me. Her voice was like velvet."
Zoan loudly interrupted, "Isn't that a kind of cake!?" Mendax opened one eye and grumbled, "Yes, red velvet. I'm talking about something entirely different, though.." Mendax couldn't help but feel slightly annoyed that Zoan had already returned back to her normal, annoying self. He closed his eye and continued. "One particular morning, I had set up my props for the day. I was planning on doing something very similar to what we did in Canterlot. I was going to wave and boast my product, then bring her on stage and demonstrate its effects." Mendax halted his story and his face contorted slightly, as if the memory brought him pain. "Something went wrong afterwards. I made the mistake of saying that the effects of my product were instantaneous. Right when I sold those ponies my wares, they tested them out and instantly knew we were both frauds.
Then I remember galloping. Both of us, as fast as we could. The ponies we'd attempted to scam were giving chase. I had all of their bits still and they had no intentions on letting me keep them. We ran through the streets of Manehatten as quickly as our hooves could carry us. knowing it was a lost cause. No matter where we ran, we couldn't get out of eye-shot of our pursuers. Eventually, the two of us began to gallop over a large bridge that went over a fairly calm river. When we were about half-way across the bridge, she stopped in front of me. I stopped too as she turned to look at me, with an apologetic look in her eyes. She turned again so that her plot was facing me, then planted a crushing kick with her hind-hoof to my muzzle. I heard my muzzle crack and its shape contort from the force as the large pouch of bits I'd earned fell from my mouth. I staggered from both the force of her kick and disorientation. My hooves tangled themselves and I found myself tripping and falling over the railing and in to the river below.
As I fell, I could hear the pursuing ponies yelling out, 'Stop, he fell in the river! Somepony save him, quick! Forget about that mare! Let's go!' Next thing I knew, I had hit the water. It's true what they say, water can be gentle as silk or as hard as a brick. On that day, it chose to be hard as a brick. I hit the water and was instantly submerged. The sound of water filled my ears as my lungs almost instantly began to burn and fill with the liquid death that was quickly pouring into my body. My lungs screamed for air, yet I did nothing to bring myself back up to the surface. I think I may have wanted to die. I had been betrayed, and by the only pony I felt was actually my friend. My partner."
Mendax wiped a hoof over his eyes as discreetly as possible. True gentlestallions don't cry with company around. It's unseemly. He continued, "The ponies I had swindled fished me out of the river, hollering and trying to return me from my oxygen deprived stupor. I woke up and they started laughing and insulting me. They called me an idiot for trying to scam them, like they were some kind of geniuses or something that couldn't be fooled. If I had the energy or will, I would have told them that they had already foolishly purchased my garbage. One of the ponies noticed my muzzle was broken and leaned his head down to me, saying, 'Your marefriend did you good, partner. She took all of our bits too.' He flicked his hoof over my muzzle, sending a sharp pain throughout my whole body and causing my brain to throb. The pony continued, 'I think she gave you punishment enough, bucko. Although...' The pony kicked a hoof straight into my ribs, forcing out the air that my lungs were so greedily trying to regain. 'There, a broken muzzle from your partner, a broken rib from the ponies you scammed, I think we're even now.'
My assailant left me there, on the side of the river, laughing with the other ponies as they cantered away. My body was in despair. The pain I was experiencing coupled with the lack of oxygen must've caused me to pass out. When I woke up, I felt well enough to walk. My ribs definitely weren't broken, but they were sore. My muzzle, on the other hand, probably needed to be looked at. I had a doctor look at it in town, and she painfully snapped it into place, telling me it would correct itself in time. After that, I knew I had to retreat from Manehatten. Since I no longer had any money, I simply hoofed it all the way to Canterlot. I spent about two years there and then I met you. The end," Mendax finished with a hefty sigh.
Zoan was listening intently to the personal story of her travel companion. She asked, "You never saw her again.?"
"Nope," Mendax replied cooly, "which is good for her. If I ever do see her again, I can't be held responsible for what happens to her." Zoan smiled and laughed, saying, "If you find her while I'm around, you can break her muzzle while I kick her in the ribs." They both roared with laughter at the thought. "I have no idea why that's so funny," Mendax laughed. "Exactly," said Zoan. "That makes it even funnier!" The two accomplices in crime continued to laugh and talk about trivialties as they neared Ponyville. Before they were even aware, the carraige had landed and was coming to an abrupt stop. So abrupt, in fact, that Mendax almost toppled over onto Zoan, causing them both to burst into laughter again.
Mendax flung the doors of the carraige open and stepped out, Zoan right behind him. They were in Ponyville. The pegasi instantly bolted off when Zoan had exited, leaving the two friends alone in the night. "Sugarcube Corner," Zoan read. Mendax knew she was addressing the large gingerbread looking house in front of them. They both took a moment to look around at their surroundings. It was a quaint town. Very simple, in fact. Mendax scanned and quickly located what appeared to be City Hall. That was definitely where the mayor would be in the morning. He made a mental note of it and turned back to Zoan, who was still gawking at the Sugarcube Corner.
He began, "Alright, our work begins tomorrow! Remember the plan?"
"Yessir!" Zoan said, slamming a saluting hoof to her head. Mendax continued, "Okay then! As for tonight, we need to get some sleep," Zoan nodded in agreement as Mendax added with a wink, "partner." Mendax began cantering away as Zoan stood, frozen in place, a bright smile taking over her shocked face. Mendax looked over his shoulder, "You coming?" Zoan squeeled in delight and followed her partner into Ponyville.
"Hurry up Zoan, let's get this over with!" Mendax ordered his newly accepted partner as they quickly trotted towards the City Hall of Ponyville. Zoan was actually moving slightly slower than the colt as she held her hoof over her painfully arched back. "Take it easy on me, would you? I guarantee you that this town has better places to sleep than those horrible park benches!" She was right, of course. The town was sure to have some place for travelers to stay, but currently all of their money was back in Canterlot. For all intents and purposes, they were completely broke! Mendax looked up towards the sun, squinting. "I know Zoan, but just think about it! Once we get this little job of ours done, we'll be sleeping on the most comfortable beds Equestria has to offer!"
Zoan perked up considerably and slowly caught up to Mendax, still over-dramatizing the pain in her back from sleeping on what she apparently considered to be the least comfortable bench ever crafted. The two ponies made their way towards their ultimate destination while curiously allowing their eyes to drift over all of the various ponies that were going on with their normal, everyday business. He watched intently as a bubblegum-pink mare lead a small group of school-foals through the town. They chattered excitedly as they cantered behind their teacher. It was apparent that they were on some field-trip. One of the fillies glanced over and saw Mendax staring at them. Mendax quickly looked away, pretending to be absorbed in something else, but could still barely hear the filly say to another, "Hey, look at those two ponies. They're new. They'd better hope that Pinkie Pie hasn't caught wind of them yet. She's been begging for a reason to throw a party!"
Mendax quickened his pace, to Zoan's dismay, as he tried to gain distance between the fillies and himself. "I wonder who Pinkie Pie is." Mendax thought to himself. I don't suppose it matters, really. I just need to be sure she doesn't meet me. Last thing I need is some high-profile party to make my presence known to everypony. They'll ask questions, I bet." Zoan suddenly moaned, "Oh look! There's that boutique again! I wonder what kind of dresses they have for sale!" Mendax shook his head at Zoan and stated simply, "Maybe we'll have a look around town after we finish our job, eh?" Zoan gave her companion a disheartened glare, but to no avail.
As the two continued their short journey to City Hall, Mendax couldn't help but stir up some conversation. He was a pony of many words, after all. "So Zoan," Mendax began, successfully capturing the mare's attention. "Are you nervous?" The dark-grey colt let a cool smile play across his lips. Zoan considered for a moment and answered with a shrug, "Not really. I know that we're like, the best ponies for the job, right? We'll be in and out in no time!" She finished her answer with an added flame to her voice. Mendax laughed warmly, "I hate to say it, but I agree with you. I hate to sound like I have a prejudice but, let's face it. Two Canterlot ponies like us against these small-time ponies? I think we have their number, right?" Mendax and Zoan both allowed themselves a good laugh at the expense of the citizens of Ponyville, who were too busy going about their day to even overhear what the two unfamiliar ponies were saying.
The sun was at its highest point in the cloudless sky as Mendax and Zoan finally made their way up the steps of City Hall. The two companions stopped their mindless chatter as they began to realize the gravity of what lied ahead. Mendax noticed that Zoan was absolutely quiet, as if she too was assessing the situation. Though he would never admit it to his friend, he was definitely nervous. Why shouldn't he be? This was a huge deal! If he screwed up, what would the Boss do to retaliate? Even worse, what would the ponies of Ponyville do to him if they figured out what he was planning to do? All that talk Mendax did to Zoan was just that, all talk! Zoan couldn't know he was nervous though, it could easily compromise her confidence. If anything was essential at this moment, the moment of truth, it was confidence.
Mendax gave Zoan a reassuring smile. She returned it, and quickly replaced it with a determined expression. "Do you have the contract?" Mendax inquired of his accomplice. She nodded importantly and turned her head to pull it from her saddlebag. She dropped it from her mouth and Mendax caught it with his hoof. "So, do we have a game plan?" Zoan asked, obviously feeling as unsettled as her partner. Mendax had a bright gleam in his eye as he chimed, "Game plan? Here it is. We talk, we flatter, we lie, we get the contract signed, we leave, we hit it rich!" He put up a hoof and Zoan energetically slammed hers against it. The two ponies walked in to the City Hall, side by side, ready to face whatever came their way!
--
The con-artists swung the front doors of the City Hall open and calmly trotted in, looks of determination flooding their features. They were currently in the waiting room, which consisted of a few chairs and a desk with an irritated, blue mare waiting behind it. As the two made their way in, the mare behind the desk coughed slightly, signaling them to come over to her desk. As they moved towards her, she began speaking in a bored, I-really-wish-I-weren't-here-right-now voice. "What are your names, please?" Mendax quickly signaled for Zoan to keep quiet, as she began to answer the secretary. Mendax smiled politely and said, "My name is Nocturn," he then gestured towards Zoan and finished, "and this is HoneyBloom." Zoan indiscreetly winked and giggled slightly, causing Mendax to roll his eyes as the secretary continued staring at them with her infinitely groggy expression. The blue mare looked down towards a small list that she had laid out on her desk and quickly ran a hoof down the names, scanning them. She looked back up to the two ponies.
"Neither of you have an appointment, she stated simply. "If you want to speak with the mayor, you have to make an appointment so that she can schedule a meeting with you. That is, if she considers you a priority."
"Okay, Mendax thought desperately, "I suppose it's time for me to try and work my charm." Mendax stood up on his hind-legs and leaned onto the desk so that he was mere inches from the mare's face. He sighed, "Look, I'm sure there is some way you can get me an appointment with the mayor, right? I mean, such a gorgeous mare like yourself has to have some kind of pull around here. I mean, in the end, I can see who the real brains behind the Ponyville political system is." Mendax tried to keep a smile on his face as he tried to flatter her, but even as the words escaped his lips, he knew that he had just fallen flat on his face.
"Ponyville political system?" the secretary repeated harshly. "What in Equestria are you blabbering about? Look, I'll put this in terms that even an idiot can understand! You," she roughly jolted her hoof against the stallion's chest, "need to make an appointment!" Mendax let himself fall back from the desk and slowly rubbed a hoof over where the mare assaulted him. He begged, "There's no other way that I could possibly-"
"NO!" the irritable mare interrupted. "Now if you're finished wasting my time, I have other things I'd like to get finished today! Good day to you both!" She finished her rant and began looking down at what appeared to be tedious paperwork. Zoan raised her eyebrows at Mendax, who was still shocked at the rudeness of this mare. She moved forward slowly, "Ma'am" she began, "When is the mayor's schedule opened up again?" Without looking up, the secretary answered gruffly, "I'd say in about a month." Mendax let out a loud cough and motioned for Zoan to move closer to him. As she did, he began whispering urgently, "We do NOT have a month to wait! We have to think of something quick! Come on, we'll leave and come up with another plan."
The two ponies, dissapointed and defeated, turned to exit the waiting room. Just then, the secretary blurted out, "So how bad do you want to see the mayor?" Mendax quickly spun around. "Excuse me, madam?" he responded politely. She rephrased, "Are you willing to help me a little bit? Maybe I could get you an earlier appointment if you help me out a little." Mendax considered. He chanced a quick glance over to Zoan, who shrugged when their eyes met.
"What would you have us do, if I may ask?" The secretary leaned on her desk and explained. "Look, the reason I'm being such a...donkey is because I have a lot on my mind. Though I'm mostly a secretary, I have other duties that I'm expected to carry out. Today, for instance, I've been tasked with checking on a certain situation with the Apple family in Apple Acres. Apparently, they are having a hard time getting ponies to buy their apples and the mayor expects ME to somehow magically help them increase their sales. I was thinking, if you could do this in my place, I MAY be able to slide you in for a meeting with the mayor very soon. Sound like a deal?"
Mendax considered this proposition. It was definitely appealing, and it currently seemed their only absolute option. With an approving nod presented from Zoan, Mendax stepped back up to the desk and announced, "Madam, you have a deal!" He put his hoof out and they sealed the pact. The secretary's face finally lit up and she squealed, "Oh, thank you so much, Nocturn!" Mendax faultered slightly, but then remembered that Nocturn was his temporary, Ponyville name.
"No problem, my dear!" Mendax laughed, "You can consider it done!" And with that, Mendax and Zoan quickly exited the City Hall. As they opened the doors back out into Ponyville, they felt the warm sun bathe them in its brilliant warmth.
As the two ponies began working their way down the steps of City Hall, Mendax noticed that Zoan was looking depressed. Not being the colt to allow such negative emotion to be in his company, he questioned her. "Is everything okay, Zoan?" Zoan looked up at her leader, "We really stunk in there, didn't we? We didn't do anything we went in to do. We didn't even get to see the mayor!" Mendax waved a dismissing hoof. "I never said it would be easy!"
"You did, actually. What about everything you said about us having their 'number' and what-not?" Mendax stopped at the bottom of the staircase and sat down on the final step. Zoan followed suit. "Look Zoan, sure things didn't go exactly as planned, but when do they? We haven't failed, we just get to have a little extra fun before we slam this whole eyesore to the ground, okay?" Zoan's eyes were still fogged up with worry and shame at having failed. She moaned, "But we're supposed to be the best, remember?" Mendax put up a reassuring hoof and placed it gently on her shoulder, giving her a coy wink. "We ARE the best, you'll see soon enough." Zoan smiled at the slick colt. "Okay," she said finally, "Where do we go next?"
Mendax stood up from the staircase and looked towards a large plot of land, dotted with apple trees. Even from their considerable distance, it was easy to tell where Apple Acres was located. "We're going to go help the Apples with their sales problem. If there's anything I know how to do, it's how to sell anything to anypony!" With a renewed vigour, Mendax bolted towards the labyrinth of trees at a dead gallop, with Zoan following close behind him, laughing as she chased her beloved friend.
(Next Chapter- Apples and Oranges.)
