Author's Note

Enjoy the chapter!

2. Change of Business

TOOT, TOOT

Shrub Pot snapped himself awake, the loud ring of the train waking him, and from what it looked like, the other passengers from their stupor. He looked out the window and, to his dismay, the train wasn't even at the destination. Shrub grumbled and got comfortable in his seat, hoping it wouldn't be long until he arrived. Trains in Equestria were fast, but Shrub felt like he was on this ride for a day already, despite him entering the train early in the morning. He looked around to survey the passengers around him. Ponies were reading newspapers, talking to each other, or just looking out the window.

"Attention passengers," A feminine voice rang from the intercom in the cart, "We will arrive in Ponyville in 20 minutes. Repeat, we will arrive in Ponyville in 20 minutes."

Shrub Pot sighed and decided to read a book he brought with him, titled "A Guide to Magical Herb Components". As he read up, his mind wondered about the town he was moving to. Ponyville was known as a simple rural town in the outskirts of Canterlot. However, a lot of major events in recent times has made Ponyville a bright tourist attraction. Ponyville was also the home of Equestria's heroes, the bearers of the Elements of Harmony. This group included the newest princess of the nation, Twilight Sparkle.

Shrub sighed and put his book down, far too distracted about his new life. Despite his confidence, trying to deal his drugs in Ponyville would be a challenge. He would need to get the word spread, which would no doubt cause the guards there to be alert. Not only that, he would need to find out where he could go to make his Purple Dream.

Purple Dream was Shrub's own creation, taking an already existing drug and using some magic to make it different. The popular gateway drug was called "Thorns", a plant that's been grounded up and smoked. Shrub used to be addicted to this drug, thus leading to his gravelly voice. One day he snapped, realized the stuff he was using and dealing was killing him and possibly his customers. Being a Magi-Herbalist, an Herbalist that deals specifically with magical plants and their benefits, Shrub devised that he could make Thorns... Better. Using some homemade machinery and some food coloring, Shrub created a type of Thorns that had less of the addictive and negative elements and more of the "positive" effect.

Shrub had a bag of all of his belongings, but he also smuggled a bag filled with Purple Dream, enough to last for a month at the most. He knew that eventually he would need to ask Sawbones to deliver his machines. He couldn't do that now, he had to worry about finding a place to make his drug. On the other hand was the plant in question, Equis Eanibis, and how he could make more. Along with his drug, he also smuggled a packet of seeds, but again, he needed to find an area to plant and take care of them.

With every thought of confidence, there were two thoughts of doubt. However, Shrub couldn't afford to think badly. He had to push forward and make due. Despite the fact that he was really dealing drugs to get paid, he did have a cause, a cause that he barely had out of the woodwork.

Shrub Pot grunted, he decided he wasn't going to stress too much on this and pulled out a note. It was the last note he got from his pen pal in Ponyville, congratulating him on moving.

Dear Shrub Pot,

Words do not describe the excitement I feel knowing that you're coming over to Ponyville next week. Let me be the first one to say how great it's going to be to have you working in our shop. Even though you don't know them, Roseluck and Daisy (My roommates, remember?) are also pretty excited to have a new friend. Especially since you're a stallion (wink wink).

I must say, it was pretty noble of you to offer your services to us for free. I mean, I understand that you're crashing in our house, but we're not total prudes! Just kidding, we're all glad that you're going to work here. But it's not just us, when we told the principal (he buys our flower) that he may have a new teacher, he was thrilled! I'd say you got a real shot at that teaching position, though really, they're just about looking for anypony at this point.

Anyway, I can't make this letter long, this time of year is pretty busy for us. I'll meet up with you at the station, so just send me a letter of when you're arriving and I'll be there to escort you.

From, Lily Valley.

Shrub smiled as he read and reread the letter over and over, getting himself more thrilled to meet his pen-pal. A year ago, Shrub Pot wrote a letter introducing himself to whoever and sent it out by carrier pigeon. Granted, Shrub felt the idea was stupid, but Sawbones insisted that Shrub communicate with somepony that wasn't related to the drug trade. Fortunately, the letter arrived to Lily, another pony who signed up with the same program. Shrub also got her introduction letter and was fascinated by what seemed to be a plucky mare with simple interests. Quickly, the two began writing each other frequently, becoming what some would say good friends, even if it was on paper.

The train finally came to a stop and the voice came back. "Attention, we have arrived at Ponyville."

Everypony got up and picked up their luggage. Shrub stood up as well and reached to lift up the compartments that held his two bags. He struggled to keep a hold of the bag filled with his belongings, not working out much does that to a pony. He was, however, able to lift the messenger bag filled with his illegal contraband. A packet of seeds and months worth of Purple Dream didn't weigh as much as clothes and personal items.

Before leaving, Shrub looked into his luggage bag to grab one of his patches. He sighed in relief as he found his stash of magic patches. Due to his voice, Shrub could easily be suspected as a user, so he regularly buys patches that are instilled with magic. Applying a patch anywhere near his neck change his voice to one that was akin to what he use to sound like. They were pretty small, so Shrub Pot usually applied a patch to the back of his lower neck.

Once applying his patch, Shrub Pot was ready to venture out. Throwing the messenger bag over his shoulder and lifting the handle out of his luggage bag, Shrub proceeded to exit the train. He shuffled his way through the crowd, getting from cart to cart without a worry. Finally, he managed to make it to the exit and nodded his head to the employee heading it.

Once he got out, he took a deep breath and appreciated the fresh air that Ponyville had. Baltimare was an industrial town, smoke polluting the air there a long time ago. Within a second, Shrub could tell Ponyville was a truly wonderful town, and there he was, ready to corrupt such a place. He frowned at that thought, but he knew it was the truth. He might have the view that the government was the bad guy for the restrictions, but he could see the bigger picture. The bigger picture was that he was the bad guy, a virus about to enter an innocent town to corrupt it with drugs.

"Hey!" Shrub pondered no further as he heard a call from his right. He looked around and saw a pony approach him. The pony was a mare, a very pretty Earth Pony with a pinkish coat and an amber mane. She wore a blue short sleeved V-neck with gray pants and had some sandals on. Her golden eyes looked at the green stallion and surveyed him. She smiled after a while and held out her hand. "Are you, perhaps, the infamous Shrub Pot?" She asked with a refined tone, her smile turning into a smirk.

Shrub Pot recognized the features the mare had and smiled warmly, taking her hand and shaking it firmly. "Why, yes, I am the infamous Shrub Pot, and you must be the beautiful Lily Valley." He smirked back as the mare blushed slightly. She lightly slapped his shoulder and stuck her tongue at him. Shrub chuckled at the cute display. Lily calmed herself and looked over Shrub one more time.

"Jeez, you really dressed up, huh?" Lily said impressed, though Shrub didn't really think it was much. He wore a brown suit with pants to match. Underneath, he had a white collared shirt and a blue tie that was hidden under a gray vest. "You even got glasses!" Lily gasped and stared at the square frames that were held by his muzzle.

"What's so great about glasses?" Shrub wondered while adjusting his frames.

"Well, I thought you were just making up having glasses, since stallions with glasses are hot," She looked at Shrub and gulped, "Not saying you wouldn't be hot without the glasses, and not saying you're hot, b-but I'm not saying you're not!" Lily then continued to stammer over herself for quite sometime. Shrub contemplated letting her go on, but he really wanted to get out of the station. He placed his hand on her shoulder and shook her, getting her attention.

"I understand what you mean, Lily. Thank you... And, not thank you, I guess." He laughed a bit, Lily joined as well.

"Heh heh, okay, I guess we should bring you back to the shop." Lily said as she slowly began to walk out.

"That would be nice, I'd rather not sleep on the floor here." Shrub Pot joked and followed Lily and soon they were out of the station and wandering the streets. Ponyville was much smaller than Baltimare, but there were still roads for motorized carriages. Though as they continued to walk through the town, it seemed that a lot of families didn't really own any motorized carriages.

"As you can see, there isn't much industrial buildings here." Lily commented as they walked.

"Thank Celestia, I don't know if I could handle another industrial town." Shrub Pot spoke as his eyes wandered every direction, taking in every detail the town has to offer.

"You say you were born a rural colt?" Lily joked and nudged Shrub's side.

"I might be, haven't had the test though," He smiled at the mare. "For a rural town, the folks here are very presentable." He noted as he looked at some of the townsfolk. They did appear to be more prim and proper than what word of mouth led the stallion to believe. He even saw one Unicorn mare out and about with what appeared to be a designer dress.

"Yeah, well, when your town is home to a Princess of Equestria, you tend to keep up appearances," Lily chuckled, "Especially when it's Princess Twilight."

Shrub kept his grimace hidden from Lily, hearing the name of the figurehead behind the EAD laws sent a shiver down his spine. Being a drug dealer certainly puts him in against the law, but in these times, being a drug dealer made him the same as a terrorist, hell, maybe even Tirek. "Princess Sparkle has gotten a lot of attention recently, hasn't she?" He prodded, hoping to gain any inside info as he possibly could, even if it was just from a citizen.

"Yeah, I mean, she use to just be a Unicorn managing a library, but now she's a Princess fighting off illegal drugs!" Lily exclaimed, waving her hands in exaggeration.

"That does seem to be the only thing the press associated her with, even though she has saved the world countless times.”

"Mmhmm, especially nowadays, I just don't understand what ponies get out of using that stuff!"

"Well, the evidence shows that there are some addictive qualities to most illegal drugs, prompting the ponies that abuse them to seek ways to obtain them."

"Glad to know the technical jargon from your letters translate to real life as well."

"Jargon? That was a pretty simple explanation thou-"

"I'm only kidding!" Lily elbowed Shrub's side one again, a bit harder this time.

Shrub held his side and laughed, "Your playfulness certainly wasn't a word only trait!"

"That's right!" She smiled brightly, showing off her glistening teeth. "Now that I think about it though," Lily pondered suddenly, "Did you ever have to go through any inspections?"

"What," Shrub coughed, "No, I don't think so, I probably needed to be, but Baltimare is pretty loose on this stuff."

"Hmm, lucky you, the flower shop gets inspections twice a month." Lily looked to the sky with a frown. "I agree that the Equestrian Anti-Drug Laws are helping combat drugs, especially when they're so prominent now. On the other hand, the restrictions we face are so demanding, but Twilight keeps saying 'we must sacrifice to keep Equestria healthy'." She sighed. Shrub smiled in remorse, knowing a few more ponies that suffer way worse for "keeping Equestria healthy".

"Don't worry too much about it Lily, hopefully we'll get to the point where these laws won't be needed." He beamed at her, trying to entice a smile from her muzzle. She looked back at him and gave him what he wanted, a nice, clean smile. She looked ahead and gasped as she spotted the flower shop. She went into a sprint and yelled out to a pony in front of the store. Shrub contemplated running to them, but he'd rather not go to this interview smelling of sweat.

The pony that Lily ran to was another Earth Pony mare. She had a pale yellow coat and a red mane with light streaks. The mare wore a strapless green shirt with white pants and red flats. It appeared that the mare was watering some plants for display outside the shop. She turned around as Lily got her attention and the two mares began to converse. Shrub Pot neared the two, firmly gripping his bags for dear life.

The new mare looked towards Shrub and smirked with half-lidded green eyes. "Jeez, Lily, you didn't say your coltfriend was so handsome!" She marveled, giggling at the now embarrassed Lily Valley. Shrub smiled at the scene and let go of his luggage bag once near.

"Hello, my name's Shrub Pot, it's very nice to meet you." He held out his hand.

"Ooh, and polite, he's a keeper, girl! My name's Roseluck, I work and live here." Roseluck shook Shrub's hand, all while Lily's face became more and more flushed. Lily, deciding to help her new roommate in, went to grab his bag. With a swift hand, Shrub grabbed the bag and pulled closer to him, maintaining the same polite smile.

"Please, no need to strain yourself." He said, paying no mind to the two confused mares. Despite the confidence he holds on to, Shrub understood that he was in the heart of the EAD laws. A pony like him had a pretty deep hand in the drug business, though he didn't truly know what his reputation was.

"Hmm, pretty sketchy, you aren't hiding anything perverted in there, are you?" Roseluck tried to bring back the mood, earning a giggle from Lily and a gulp from Shrub. Lily got behind Shrub and proceeded to move him into the house. Shrub didn't hesitate and moved to where Lily wanted him to go. Roseluck merely smirked at the two and went back to her activity.

As the two entered the house, Shrub immediately noted the pristine look of the place. Everything was shiny, from the green walls, the wooden floor tiles, and even the furniture. Looking to his left, he saw another mare lying down under blankets on a chocolate brown couch. He only saw her head, as the rest of her body was covered in a lime green blanket. The mare had a pink coat and a curly green mane and was currently sleeping.

"That's Daisy," Lily explained in a hushed tone, "She's been working hard in the garden all week, so we're letting her rest up."

"That's good." Shrub whispered back. Lily tapped his shoulder and went up the stairs, the green stallion following close behind. It was a bit of a struggle lifting his heavy luggage bag so the mare on the couch wasn't awoken by the noise of the wheels against the stairs. Lily ran up ahead and went all they way to Shrub's room, waiting at the door for the stallion. After managing through the hurdle of walking up the stairs, Shrub sighed and went over to Lily.

With a turn and a smile, Lily opened the door to reveal a room of a considerable small area. The walls and floor were both gray, and the only furniture available was a desk with a chair and a bed. "This is all we could do before you got here, sorry if you don't like it." Lily said, her expression remorseful.

"No, it's perfectly fine, I'm only staying here for the time being until I can get the bits for a house." Shrub stated as he entered the room. He plopped his bags down and surveyed the space he was in. There was no way he could make Purple Dream with this kind of area, but where could he? He saw in the corner of his eye that Lily was looking worried, so he quickly stopped and smiled. "It's great, really."

Lily smiled and stepped away from the door, her nervous expression leaving. "Okay, I'm gonna head downstairs and tend to the flowers." She started walking away, but popped her head in the door to say one more thing. "Oh, and Shrub, it's great that you're here, really!" With that, she went along her way, leaving Shrub to tend to his bags with a smile.

'Those mares might be the death of me...' Shrub sighed internally. He was currently looking down at a map that Lily gave him so he could find his way to the school building. The three mares, known around town as the "Flower Trio", were certainly unique. Daisy, who had woken up to introduce herself, was very friendly, though had that sort of "valley mare" personality to her. He didn't like to label ponies, but Daisy certainly had all the traits that Sawbones described. She was nice, but had a very limited vocabulary and seemed, well, airheaded.

Roseluck was the mischievous one, constantly poking fun at her friends whenever she could, including Lily's demeanor towards their new roommate. She always had this permanent smirk whenever Shrub was in a room. His arrival had clearly brought out something that lay dormant in Roseluck for quite sometime. All that could be inferred was that life with Roseluck would be the most difficult.

Lily seemed to be the only normal mare amongst the trio, despite her very active personality. The mare was very friendly and hyper from what Shrub Pot could tell. He also noticed how Lily acted towards him whenever they were near. The two had written for many months to each other and had grown, what Shrub felt, was a standing friendship. Although, Lily seemed pretty flustered whenever she was near him, especially when Roseluck would make a joke about them. She practically pushed him out of the door when Roseluck's jokes got a bit frisky.

It was the afternoon and Shrub was finding his way to the local school. The trio had made it apparent that they, being the principal and staff, were looking for just about anypony. Shrub was confident, as he usually was, since he might have been the only MagiHerbalist in the town. On top of that, his current residence had all the lesson plan materials he ever needed, provided he worked of course. His only real concern was the kids he would be teaching, but even then, there was no way they could pose a problem.

A red and white building came into view once Shrub found his path. It was large and flat, covering many acres from as far as the eye could see. From the right side of the building was a plethora of equipment for a playground. Shrub stopped walking to observe, his neutral expression growing into a frown. The equipment was worn out from age and practically covered in mold. Shrub sighed, knowing that even a town with such a prestigious reputation like Ponyville had its blemishes.

Shrub Pot jogged up the front entrance and pushed a bright green button near the left door. In a few minutes, he heard a click and pushed the doors open. He entered into a long hallway and began his walk to the principal's office. Thankfully, every wall had a map of the schools interior, so Shrub found his way easily. Eventually, he stood in front a brown door with a plaque on the middle that read "Headmaster".

With a knock, the door illuminated with a brown glow and opened. Sitting behind a large mahogany desk was a pudgy Unicorn Stallion. Shrub thought he was sickly at first, but it hit him quickly that it was his olive colored coat that made it look that way. He had only a few strands of maroon mane on his head, which was clearly balding. The Unicorn looked up from his paperwork and smiled warmly. "Hello, come in, I've been expecting you!" He cheered and pulled out a chair with his magic.

Shrub closed the door behind and slowly sat down, adjusting himself accordingly. "Thank you very much, Mr.-"

"Please," The Unicorn interjected, "Just call me 'Principal', my real name is, well, embarrassing." He chuckled. Principal took out a handkerchief from his shirt pocket and wiped his forehead, which had noticeable sweat pouring down.

"Would you like me to crack open a window, Mr... Principal?" Shrub asked, slightly worried for the Unicorn's health.

"Oh, no, I just start to sweat when I'm doing paperwork." Principal chuckled again. Shrub followed along and chuckled as well, noticing Principal's smile beam. So far, this interview was weird, but Shrub could handle that, his usual line of work was always weird. "Anywho," Principal went on, grabbing a file from one of the desk's shelves, "You must be Shrub Pot, I presume?"

"Yes, that is correct." Shrub responded firmly, his posture still and his eyes firmly locked on Principal and the folder he held.

"Ah, that's good, for a second I was wondering if you wouldn't show up. Now, I did get your files via mail, and I must say, you might just be overqualified for this job." Principal looked over to Shrub, who was staying silent, so he carried on. "I expected a pony with at least some knowledge of magical plants, but not a full on scholar of MagiHerbology!"

"Thank you, sir, though I am far from a scholar." Shrub admitted as he ran his hand through his mane.

"Oh, nonsense," Principal made a motion with his hand, "In Ponyville, you might as well be, since nopony really has any knowledge of magiflora. Well, I suppose that trio who manage the local flower shop do, but only a small bit. Speaking of them, I believe a little bird told me you were living under their roof?"

"Yes, but only temporary, I plan to buy a house closer to the school sooner or later." Shrub spoke, adjusting himself in his seat for what felt like the millionth time.

"Hmm, that's good, very good indeed. Well, you'll have your own dedicated classroom, come back tomorrow and I'll have-"

"Wait!" Shrub interrupted with a perplexed expression. "Do-do I have the job?"

"Of course, we've got nopony else, my staff will help you out tomorrow, come by after school and we can get started." Principal smiled at the young stallion across from him, who was shocked at how easy he had gotten the job. A small part of him thought to question this decision, but another part, his brain to be precise, told him to shut up and nut up.

"T-Thank you Principal, I'll come back tomo-"

"Up Up Up," Principal held up his hand, "Not so fast young colt, there is one important matter we must discuss." The Unicorn suddenly had the serious tone that Shrub expected in the first place. Shrub calmed himself and adjusted himself one more time as Principal began.

"I'm sure you know this, but others may not due to poor explanation, Equestria is in a time of confusion. Without rhyme nor reason, drug abuse within this country has gone rampant in the last couple of years. Frankly, I've never been one to understand the need for drugs such as thorns, yet it clearly has affected a large majority of the populace. This problem would have probably grown out of hand, if not for the efforts of our very own Princess Twilight Sparkle. Thanks to her and the combine efforts of the Canterlot Day Court, the EAD laws were formed to stunt the drug culture growth.

"The EAD laws, in case you need a reminder, are a collection of bills made by the day court and her majesty that are fully legal and offendable. Some of these include the ban on contraband, the ban of outside prescription medication, the ban on several medications in use here, etc. These laws were formed and made legal so that the continuation of drug culture within Equestria would cease the damage it does to our country.

"Now, I'm sure you must be wondering why I am telling you all of this. You see, your position as a MagiHerbalist is complicated because, while you have the most authority on magiflora, the country would like control over the source of the drugs. As such, a MagiHerbalist such as yourself may come under... 'Scrutiny' by the law for possessing a magiflora that might be-"

"You want me to keep drug related plants out of the classroom." Shrub deadpanned as he looked over the Principal, who nodded in confirmation.

"If you could, I would be very appreciative. Ponyville is the center of anti-drug customs, so I want to make sure this school follows suit. I will allow you to teach the students about any of the many magiflora that exist, I will condemn any and all attempts by the staff, not just you, for any nods towards recent events." Principal stood up and held his hand out to Shrub. "Do we have a deal, Shrub Pot?"

Shrub considered his options carefully. On one hand, it wasn't right to keep kids in the dark when it came to current events. Even if the topic was as heavy as drugs, Shrub felt that his position could help educate colts and fillies alike on the dangers of drug abuse. While this thought was nice and all, cold reality made Shrub look on the other side of the problem. He was a drug dealer, he had no reason to want to educate kids on not doing drugs. Did he think doing them was wrong, of course (to some extent), but facts were facts. Besides, if he did go and tell his class about this, not only would he lose his job, but he would gather more suspicion once some unprecedented activities on Ponyville soil.

With a clear mind, Shrub Pot stood up and shook Principal's hand firmly. "Of course, sir, you can count on me."

"And that's pretty much what happened." Shrub said as he took another bite of his salad. It was now noon and he and the flower trio were at the kitchen table, enjoying a salad prepared by Roseluck.

"Wow, I can't believe the principal would be that frank." Lily mused, her hand holding up her head as she poked her fork through her salad.

"It's not that surprising, where we live, in these times, I would probably want to uphold some reputation too." Roseluck said as dipped a crouton in a bowl of ranch dressing.

"But our kids should know what's going on out there, even if they're protected here!"

"It's not that simple, Lily, any form of hypocrisy that the press can find would shatter Twilight and the EAD laws credibility."

"Ugh, what do you think Daisy?" Lily turned her head towards Daisy, who was innocently eating her salad. She looked up and surveyed the table, noticing the three pairs of eyes looking at her. She gulped her mouthful of salad and placed her fork on a napkin.

"...Wha?" She asked with the voice of a scholar. The two mares sighed at the question while Shrub chortled.

"Ooookay... What about you, Shrub? You must have some opinion on this matter." Lily asked as she gazed at Shrub Pot.

"Hmm, well," Shrub began, "I do agree that children should be fully aware and informed about the current events of this nation. But, as Roseluck pointed out, considering we're in Ponyville, there is a standard that is expected."

"Exactly." Roseluck smirked in triumph at Lily.

Lily sighed in an exasperated manner. "Is this really how we have to look at things, Pot?" She asked.

"I would say so," He took another bite of his salad, "Not everything about this is black and white Lily, though it's not entirely gray either. I stand by the idea that life has black and white sides with gray blots in each." Shrub stood up and began to clean his bowl. After his bowl was squeaky clean, Shrub Pot zipped up the gray hoodie he was wearing and went to the front door.

"Moonlight stroll?" Roseluck said as she ate more salad. "Why not take Lily with you, get some alone time~." She laughed, Lily practically hiding her head in the salad she was eating. Daisy also laughed, though Shrub was convinced she didn't know why she was.

"I'm just going to roam around for a bit, get a sense of the town, you know?" Shrub went on as he slipped on some sandals.

"Nice, rocking the socks and sandals look! Oh, by the way, you should probably expect a pink visitor sometime tomorrow." Roseluck smiled as she went to clean her bowl. Shrub shrugged in confusion and opened the front door, a chorus of goodbye's following behind.

The cold wind of the night soared through Shrub Pot. He was shivering, almost to the point of freezing, if not for the clothes he was wearing. Shrub could not go back though, it was important for him to map out all of Ponyville. If he was going to sell Purple Dream, he felt, with good reason, that he needs to know everything. He needs to know ponies, locations, customs, anything he could find to wrap Ponyville around his finger.

Baltimare was much simpler than it is now. Shrub grew up there, knowing every street corner and shop. He also didn't have to worry about any inspections in his old apartment. Therefore, he had the perfect area to cook his drug, provided nopony entered unannounced. Finally, Shrub had one thing he didn't have here, connections. He had ties with the Baltimare Mexicolt Cartel, Dr. Pills (who was his godfather, Sawbones), and even the New Lunar Church.

Things were new here, Shrub didn't like it one bit. 'No way I'll find any help in this place' He thought to himself as he observed a couple buildings. As if fate had heard his thoughts, Shrub Pot saw a figure near a house. The figure looked at Shrub with amber eyes and beckoned him to follow. Every fiber in Shrub's being told him not to go, but his body had other plans. He walked towards the shadow, which started walking to the edge of town. As the two were walking, Shrub realized he was now walking outside the perimeters of the town.

The plains outside were bland, a few peaks, but otherwise there wasn't anything remarkable. Shrub Pot was about to shout out to the figure, or even run away, but he saw something that shocked him. The figure kept walking, only to disappear, a ripple in the air being where it was. Shrub's eyes widen and he ran to where the figure was, looking frantically. Had he just imagined this figure? Was it a sign to start planting around here? Shrub didn't think so, the area was too open, anypony could wander and find the drug plants.

"Come." A soft, elderly voice spoke. Ears perking up, Shrub stumbled and fell down on the grass. He hadn't taken any intense drugs before or now, so where he was hearing this voice was a mystery. "Ugh, don't waste time, much to talk." A dark maroon hand popped out of thin air, another ripple appearing at the end of the hand. With great hesitation, Shrub grasped the hand and was pulled up and into the ripple.

His eyes were firmly shut, convinced that he was either dead or going to be dead. A tap on his shoulder made him have a knee-jerk reaction and his eyes opened fast. All around him were ponies who looked poverty-stricken. They were all colors of different shades, but one pony stood out amongst the rest. He was a dark maroon color, just like the hand, and had several other characteristics. Besides his coat color, his mane and beard were gray. They were both long, too, almost reaching down to the old pony's belly button. Finally, they were both styled in a ponytail, kept that way by some red bands.

"H-How... W-What is this place?" Shrub stuttered, focusing his attention on the maroon stallion. The old pony took off his turban, revealing a horn.

"This is... 'Outer Ponyville'. We are the section of the populace that were banned from the main town." The Unicorn spoke, his voice conveying wisdom and delicacy.

"Okay." Shrub breathed, clearly uncomfortable about his current situation.

"I am Clear Fortune," The old pony continued, unfazed by Shrub's unease, "I use to be the fortune teller back in Ponyville, but when the drug laws came about, I was one of the first removed."

"Wait, wait," Shrub interjected, "What do you mean 'removed', 'banned', what are you talking about?"

"Isn't that obvious?" Clear Fortune said with a look of annoyance. "Once the EAD laws were put in place, the local guards went around and kicked out any undesirables that were under notice for drug possession before. So, me and a couple of other Unicorns made a barrier to hide the huts we were building near the town."

Shrub scanned the "houses" around him to see their condition. Calling them huts was an overstatement, shack was the more proper term. The poor excuse for houses were made crudely, with bits of sticks and some bricks making the exterior for most of them. "I had a vision," Shrub turned to Clear Fortune, who had put his turban back on his head, "That a pony of looks just like your own would come to us. It told me that you would make a difference, not just for us, but for all of Equestria as well."

"I don't-"

"Shhhh!" Clear Fortune held a finger to Shrub Pot's mouth. "Please, we are your friends here, no need for the deception." The Unicorn, with the speed of a cheetah, reached back and peeled off the patch on Shrub's neck. He winced and grasped where the pain was, glaring at the old Unicorn whilst doing so. Despite his initial anger, Shrub cleared his throat and returned to his sentence.

"I don't think I'm the stallion for the job." He resumed, his natural voice coming back to him.

"On the contrary, you have a plan to stir trouble, hmm?" Clear Fortune raised an eyebrow.

"To sell my product, sure, probably gonna cause a bit of a commotion, so I guess you're right." Shrub shrugged, getting creeped out by the homely ponies that were staring at him.

"Well, what if we were to help you?" The old Unicorn smiled.

"Hmph," Shrub rolled his eyes, "That's a likely story, what's the catch and how exactly can you help me."

"Follow." Clear Fortune made his way through the shacks, his entourage plus Shrub following behind. It was only a short distance, but Shrub could only imagine what these ponies had to "help". When the group came to a stop, Shrub moved his way through to see a greenhouse. Unlike the excuses for houses behind them, the greenhouse was in perfect condition. "When I saw your arrival in the cosmos, The ponies and I made this to assist. Your product is a plant, correct?" Clear Fortune looked at Shrub, who was marveling at this perfect opportunity.

He snapped out of his daze and got back to what was important. "Yes, but what are you ponies gonna what in return?"

"Is there not such a thing as a charitable act?" Clear Fortune asked gently.

"Not in Baltimare, pal. What's the sob story?" Shrub asserted as he folded his arms. Clear Fortune sighed and took a pipe out of his pants pocket.

"We would like a potion of your product, we all share a pipe, so we don't need much." Shrub's eyes stared at the pipe. It looked to be used, worn out from excessive smoking. He looked around at all the ponies, who viewed him with pleading eyes. Shrub sighed, if he was going to make a profit, he need that greenhouse. With a grunt, he took Clear Fortune's open hand and shook it firmly.

"Alright, I've got some preserved and plenty of seeds. I'll come back tomorrow to work to plant them, but I'm gonna need your help on this. I won't be here everyday, next week I'll have a job that'll take up most of my time. I can write down instructions on how to take care of them, but you're gonna need to give me time to get the stuff to perfect my recipe, capiche." Shrub studied the reactions of the homely ponies, who were all nodding their heads.

"We will work under your terms, we have to, if we want our homes back." Clear Fortune admitted, wiping the pipe with his torn sleeve. "Don't worry, we can handle it, trust me."

"... Alright, I'll be off, expect me here tomorrow." Shrub grunted and went off back to Ponyville.

Shrub's mind was in a frenzy. Had he really gained some allies already? It was too good to be true, though, perhaps the famous Ponyville hospitality was in effect. Yet, there were still the many possibilities of how this could all go wrong. It didn't matter to Shrub now, however. Time was the greatest ally, it would reveal anypony's intentions no matter how long the wait would be. With a sigh, Shrub continued his way back to the flower shop. If today was eventful, tomorrow would certainly be a mark on history.