Game of Circumstances

Chapter twelve: Reunion

‘’ Sergeant.’’ I said. ‘’ I knew you were in this town, but I didn’t know I would meet you that early!’’

‘’ Well, the council is in two days, so we wander in town, joke with some acquaintances, and drink a glass at this tavern tend to help things.’’ Raveus replied. ‘’ Even if I find that most of the guards and the rangers don’t get along so well, I try and break the ice with some of them to have some good reviews of the rangers in town. When I saw your friends coming in town without you yesterday, I feared the worst.’’ He paused. ‘’ After all, you saved my part-metallic rump back in these school ruins, and I didn’t really returned you the favor.’’

What? Bring me to Sirius wasn’t considered like saving my life?

‘’ While I was there with my teammates, I asked here and there if somepony knew something about some Sun.INC factory in this part of the Canterlot’s waste. And I found this… Gibbs…’’ He paused as I stifled a sigh. Gibbs. This pony’s everywhere. ‘’ He said that he knew you and your friends, and that he was the one that had asked you to come in Happiness. There’s something odd with this guy…’’

‘’ You don’t say…’’ I finished my cider.

‘’ Anyway, I’m happy to know that you’re alive, but I think your friends will be much happier than me, especially the smiling one.’’ He finished his whiskey and paid the barman. ‘’ Plus, I have a meeting with the town guard’s chief. Keep you in one piece.’’ And he got up, leaving me alone. I got up myself soon after: I had friends to meet up with.

I passed in the Inn part of the building, still very stylish in the interior. A pleasant flavor glided. I quickly climbed the bad-shaped stairs –eh, not all can be perfect- , stopping when I reached the second floor.

Third door, uh?

I stopped in front of a wooden door sporting a big, incrusted three on it, and knocked. Yeah, being a wanderer didn’t prevent my parents from teaching me good manners.

‘’ Yeah, who’s there?’’ A well-known voice answered. Sirius.

‘’ It’s me, Callixus!’’

‘’ Ooh! Ooh! Lemme open the door, Sirius!’’ I smiled.

Happy Pie…

‘’ Calm down, Pie!’’ Another voice shouted. Was that…? Yes, you guessed well. Gibbs! I knew he was the one, who had asked us to come here, and I died to ask him why, and mostly, how the fuck did he know about Hap’.

‘’ Hmmm.’’ Somepony should open this door, no?’’ Another voice asked. Dark Hawk?!

Wat.

Suddenly, the door opened, and…

I found myself buried under a cream-colored pony, which was squeezing my neck in a strong embrace.

‘’ CALIE! I’M SO HAPPY! They didn’t kill you to change you into food! I was sooooo worried I couldn’t eat because I feared that you were in my food!’’

I won’t make any comment.

‘’ Happy… I’m… happy to… see you too… but could you… just let me breath?’’ I suffocated.

‘’ Okie-dokie!’’ She sang, letting me go. ‘’ Ooh! Are you ill? Doc! Doc! She’s ill! Look, her face is green!’’ Everypony –apart her- in the room facehoofed at the same time. ‘’ Ooh! It’s a new game?’’ She facehoofed too. ‘’ Hey! This is fun!’’

‘’ By Celestia…’’ I mumbled.

‘’ Why did everypony stop? I was beating my record! Look! Three, four, five…’’ She whined, knocking her head with her foreleg.

‘’ Somepony stop her, please…’’ Sirius said.

‘’ Happy Pie, would you just stop, sit, and listen to me?’’ Gibbs said. ‘’ I have got something interesting to say…. Hey!’’ He yelped as I took him by the collar of his suit, nearly knocking off his fedora. ‘’ What the hell?!’’

‘’ I think you owe me an explanation …’’ I said. Everypony had stopped moving to look at us two. Oh, by Celestia, I wanted to hit him, to make his sufficient look goes off his face, but I still wasn’t the one that hit before asking.

‘’ Well, if you started by putting me down, would you?’’ He asked I let him go, and the other ponies continued to talk between them, even if I’m pretty sure they were listening. ‘’ Alright… what do you want to know?’’ I rolled my eyes.

‘’ Well… maybe, to start, how did you know for Hap’ in this raiders basement?’’

‘’ Hmmm… I-I heard about her, but nopony wanted to save her, and I’m pretty sure you’d have refused if I had let you know that I wanted you to save a crazy pony from a raider’s basement.’’ Well, I can’t say that he’s wrong for that. But when you wander, it’s you before the others, it always worked that way.

‘’ Okay…. Two: how the buck did you know that I would return alive from that basement?’’

‘’ Hmm… I-I… I don’t know.’’ He answered.

‘’ You’re a bad liar, Gibbs.’’ I replied, withering him. He began to sweat.

‘’ I- I mean… I let the message in case you returned to New Hope.’’ He said.

‘’ Well…’’ If he didn’t want to tell the truth, I wouldn’t force him to do so. I caught the whole ‘I knock, you speak’ thing later. ‘’ But about Happiness?’’

‘’ I was going to tell you why I called you and the others there before you interrupt me!’’ He defended himself, looking half-offended. ‘’ Now that this… different is resolved…’’ He stopped, cleared his throat and shouted: ‘’ Please Everypony! Listen to me!’’ As smiled slightly as all the ponies in the room faced him. ‘’ Alright. Take a seat, and open your ears wide, because it’s important.’’ I sat down next to him. He cleared his throat again. ‘’ I’m sure each one of you wonders why I called you here, or how I know some things that nopony else knows.’’

‘’ Well, I can answer to a part of your questions. Each one of you has his personal reasons to be here, and I have, of course, a reason myself.’’ He tipped his fedora. ‘’ I came with a proposal, that will satisfice my reason, and yours too.’’ I was puzzled, and visibly, no other ponies in the room, except Gibbs, seemed to understand more than me where he was going. ‘’ I, not too long ago, found out about a secret fabric, near of the Royal Castle. A Sun.INC laboratory, apparently. Of course, you knew about this, Hawk, but nopony else knows here.’’ The blind pony nodded. ‘’ As most of you know, Sun.INC was the biggest corporation before the catastrophe. They produced guns, healing materials…’’

‘’ But I’m sure that except Hawk, nopony here knows that they were also working on prototypes ordered by the Alicorn Princesses. I, personally, knew about that for long, but it stayed a secret project. Each one of you can refuse, but in this fabrics is the solution to your problems, and I… we can’t do this without you.’’

‘’ Now, for the part staying in Happiness, it’s because I’m currently expecting another pony to join, and we have to wait a bit for him to get a reason to tag along with us to our target. Any other questions?’’

I basically don’t like Gibbs: too self-centered, mysterious, and he’s got something odd with his fedora. I mean, even when he sleep, he keeps this on his head! But I can’t deny it: he’s got a good speech skill.

Nopony seemed to speak out, so I took the floor.

‘’ I’ll do this, if it can help me to know how I ended up like this…’’

‘’ I don’t think I’ve got a reason, but it seems funny so I’ll join!’’ Hap’ shouted.

‘’ I’ll do this.’’ Sirius said. ‘’ You’ll need a medic for a dangerous trip like that.’’

‘’ I am not disposed to reveal my own reasons for now, but you can count on me.’’ Dark Hawk finished.

‘’ Perfect!’’ Gibbs’ face lit up. ‘’ I wasn’t expecting any less of you four. But for now, I have to put on a little show so the Inn will pay me. Have a good night!’’ On these words, he lowered his fedora on his head, and exited the room.

‘’ I let you three fest your reunion.’’ Dark Hawk said. ‘’ Have a good night.’’ And in the usual purple flash, he disappeared. Pfff… Typical to the gifted unicorns, if you want to know. Too powerful to take the stairs, I guess. Tssk. Nothing’s better than to feel ground under your hooves.

‘’ Well,’’ Sirius said. ‘’ I’m happy to know that you’re alive, Cal.’’ We both smiled.

‘’ Me too, doc.’’ I replied. ‘’ And you too, of course, Hap’!’’ I laughed, punching slightly her shoulder, the party pony having started to pout, being forgotten like that.

She smiled too, and tried to hug me again, but I knew better than to let her do, this time. I dodged, and proposed:

‘’ What about a meal together to ‘fest our reunion’, to paraphrase the old wizard?’’ I snickered.

‘’ Okay.’’ Sirius nodded.

‘’ Ooh! Ooh! Can I throw us a ‘we’re-together-again’ party?’’ Hap’ squealed.

‘’ Hap’…’’ I started. ‘’ Ugh… I’ll regret it, but… okay.’’

‘’ YES!’’ She literally jumped to the ceiling, got down, and forced both me and Sirius in an iron embrace. ‘’ GROUP HUG!’’

Ouch.

At least, she didn’t break our neck or suffocated us to death.

Eventually, she let us go, and I proposed to eat at the tavern, given that it was in the same building, it seemed nice, and that I hadn’t intended to drag myself into town for the day. They accepted. We fixed some conditions with Hap’ about the party she wanted to host too, and got out of the room.

We chose a table at the bottom of the tavern, where nopony was.

‘’ Hm.’’ Sirius said. ‘’ That’s nice here.’’

‘’ Yeah.’’ I replied. ‘’ Surprising to see that they can make an interior looking that good when the exterior looks the same as any other scrap-metal built houses in this town.’’

‘’ They’re good!’’ Hap’ said. ‘’ Maybe I should ask them how, for when I’ll have my house!’’

‘’ Anyway.’’ I replied. The waitress, that I recognized being the one that the barman was seducing, came to us.

‘’ What it’ll it be?’’ She asked.

‘’ An old apple cider for me, please.’’ I said.

‘’ whiskey.’’ Sirius said simply.

‘’ Ooh! Ooh! Everything you have!’’ Hap’ squealed.

‘’ Wh-what? Are you crazy?’’ I asked, dumbfounded.

‘’ Well, yes!’’ She answered. ‘’ I thought I had already told it to you it this sinister cell? Bah, you can be a really silly pony sometimes, Calie!’’ She patted my head.

If she’s right on ONE thing, that’s that she’s crazy. Celestia, she’s really a Pie clan member.

‘’ hey, Cal?’’ Sirius asked.

‘’ Yes?’’

‘’ You didn’t told us how was your trip and why you knew that blind freak.’’

‘’ Uh… well, after I had escaped Hellhole…’’ I must mention that it match well its name. ‘’ … I fell on a Mutants’ nest. They wanted to cook me, but I a bit killed the cook – tentacles, brrr!- But then I walked in a bear trap that nearly ripped one of my hind legs off…’’ I leaned my crippled hind leg for show them the makeshift splint. Sirius winced. ‘’ I lost too much blood that I passed out, but then I was saved by Hawk, or the ‘blind wizard’, that is a zombie overloaded with magic since the Breath, and then we headed to Happiness, where I caught up with you.’’

‘’Wooooooooow…’’ Hap’ said. ‘’ Soo cooooool…’’

The waitress came back with our drinks. I looked at the amount of glasses at Happy’s place.

‘’ You sure you can handle that on your own?’’ I asked.

‘’ Of course!’’ She shouted, throwing back her old apple cider. I took, myself, a sip of mine.

Sirius, him, had his eyes closed and savored his whiskey.

‘’ Aah!’’ He said, smiling. ‘’ Nothing’s better than that after a hard day.’’

‘’ Hmm.’’ I chuckled. ‘’ I believe you didn’t tell me how the two of you reached Happiness?’’

‘’ Well…’’ He started, Hap’ finishing her own whiskey. ‘’ … it’s not as interesting as your story. We escaped Hellhole thinking that they might had already killed you, thank to Happy, because she killed all our attackers with her fork and table knife. Although it was incredibly gore, she saved my life –and hers too- and then we ran off, and I finished the trip with a despaired party pony. Strangely, her hair had gone flat and straight till Dark Hawk came by to meet Gibbs and telling us that you were alive.’’

For the hair things, I saw it a couple of time, I think. Seems to be happening to all the Pie clan members. Strange thing, a pony with a haircut reflecting her emotions, uh? Hey, what do you want? I’m only telling what I saw.

‘’ Hmm…’’ I said. ‘’ Quite interesting.’’ While the doc was telling me that, Hap’ had finished all her brews except the worst one: the actual apple cider.

Seriously, don’t drink that, never, ever. One: it’s so dosed in alcohol it can be used to cauterize wounds. Two: it’s disgusting. Seriously! It tastes like actual apple. No, nothing’s better than old apple cider.

She focused on the tiny glass – only 5 cl pro glass-, both eyes locked on it like a griffin with his prey, licking her lips. She rubbed her hooves against each other. Suddenly, her took the glass and threw back the tiny glass, before putting it back soundly on the table.

‘’ Hey! That’s good! All of you must try!’’ She shouted. ‘’ Waitress! Waitreeesssssss!’’

The waitress came back, looking both annoyed and surprised. Surprised because she was as surprised as me that the cream-colored pony had survived all this booze without being at least tipsy –or, at least, she didn’t look so.-, and annoyed because I’m pretty sure she was missing a certain stallion.

‘’ What?’’ She asked.

‘’ Another actual apple thingy for me, and for my friends!’’

‘’Three actual apple ciders, incoming.’’ She noted, and then got back to the bar. Several minutes later, she came back with three apples and three of these blasted ciders.

‘’ Uh?’’ Sirius said. ‘’ We didn’t ordered apples, miss.’’

‘’ You wanted to eat here, didn’t you?’’ She asked, putting an apple and a cider in front of each other.

‘’ Hmm, yes, but…’’ I started.

‘’ The caravan are not arrived for now, so all we have is apple.’’ And she left us three alone with our mutated apple products. Again, apples. APPLES. WHY ALWAYS APPLES?!

Sigh… I must be cursed…

Accepting my fate, I began to eat the hated fruit.

‘’ I hate my life…’’ I mumbled, much to my friend’s amusement.

Finally, I put my half-eaten apple back on the table and took a look of the cider. It was totally opaque, and amber-colored.

Have my soul, Celestia…

I took a sip of the deadly brew. Instantly, my throat caught fire. ‘’ Ack! Ack! Oh… my… water… I need… water…’’ I coughed, squeezing my shattered throat between my hooves. Finally, the fire passed. ‘’ I’m gonna have one of these headaches tomorrow…’’ I said.

‘’ Ohhhh… Stop faking Calie!’’ Hap’ said, smacking my back hard with a hoof and gulping the whole liquid horror like it was water. ‘’ You want yours?’’ She asked Sirius, who had cleverly waited for me to start to see the effect on a normal pony.

He shook his head, and she swallowed this one too.

I finished my apple, my throat itching now, and found out that the real apple is far better than this horror that could make a safe door melt simply by spraying with it.

Then, the evening continued with me and Sirius drinking less dangerous alcohol –iced  water for me- and Hap’ drinking half the bar’s reserve of cider, after that, we came back to their room, where Hap’ managed to found out a bed and install it, allowing me to sleep in the same room. I slept late, because one of the neighbors was whining something about his bed.

But, if you want to know, the next day was much more exciting.