Convalescence

It turns out, getting most of your sleep by unwillingly blacking out does not provide a feeling of being well-rested. Quite the opposite, actually.

I came to with my head pressed up against the window glass, cheeks covered in uneaten carrot cake. It didn't make for a very good pillow. Of course that was just a dream. Or hallucination. Or both. I made a mental note to check Rafflesia's records later to see if the long-term side effects of inhaling her breath included ominously symbolic hallucinations and other chemically-induced nightmares. Hopefully D.E.F.E.R. would have an extra copy to borrow.

"At attention pretty passengers! Runaway Railway has heartily arrived at our ordinarily delightful destination: one wonderful capital Canterlot!" The train announcer sure had a knack for a little alliteration.

Wiping vanilla icing out of my mane, I spotted Grape Vine waiting on the platform. She looked about ready to jump out of her hide, she was so excited. In fact, it seemed like she was telling all the others waiting on the platform just how excited she was. Somepony had to stop her, and that somepony was me.

Massaging my face, I began to steel my nerves for social interaction. Normally it isn't that difficult, but in light of recent mental escapades, I felt there might be a need to re-center things. No cosmic anomalies, no imaginary figures from the past, and no clocks. Just a reformed blackmail artist that could socially pressure a lump of coal into diamonds. Just act normal. Don't be a bother.

Stepping out of the train car, I took a breath as Grape Vine pushed her way to the front of the crowd, her vibrant green mane bobbing up and down as the ponies in her path dispersed. Before long, she was all over me, a ball of energy that feeds on dark thoughts and scandal. A great friend to have.

"Lily! How was your ride? This new perfume you're wearing smells absolutely tasty! I hope you got plenty of rest, because you have so much to tell me about everything." There was a glint in her eyes, and I could already feel the secrets being yanked from my inner consciousness. Thankfully, a sticky slurry of lethargy kept me from spilling all my darkest secrets right there on the spot. Nobody needs to know about the thing with the fireworks and the hot air balloon. Or the prison break.

"The ride was good. Really good. As good as a really goofy good... thing?" I said, my eyes drawn to a tiny metal ring around the base of her horn.

"What was that? You're mumbling." She pushed right up against me, eyes wide and prying. She was probably doing the thing she does with the micro expressions and breathing pattern analysis, but I wasn't having any of it.

"Was I? I'm just a little tired, that's all." I scrunched my face into a grin that was more of a grimace, then shivered. "Brr, it sure is cold out here. Let's hurry inside someplace." The train's whistle blew, shocking me awake, sort of.

"Dearly departing! Now, next stop: sleepy, peaceful Ponyville!" The train announcer said saliently.

"Going now!" I said, trotting off in a random direction. Random, but conveniently, away.

Grape Vine raised an eyebrow, suspicion painting her features. "Okay. Hey, Lily, wait a sec!" She called out.

"Hmm? What is it?" I called back.

"Didn't you bring anything with you? You can use my stuff all you want, but it's kind of weird to bring nothing," Grape Vine pointed at my empty back.

"Oh. I did bring some luggage, didn't I?" I said, looking back at an equally empty train platform. The train chugged and whistled far off in the distance, as I lamented the loss of a toothbrush, some winter clothes, and maybe just a few official D.E.F.E.R. documents that I was supposed to keep private.

Oh, ponyfeathers.

It took some convincing, but after a quick phone call to Ponyville to ensure the luggage would be secured and mailed to me, I told Grape Vine to head home while I stopped by my old place to get some essentials, which may or may not have included some sleep. Besides, the vivid colors in her wardrobe would clash heavily with my own muted color scheme. Not that I care about that stuff... much. Thankfully, the spare saddlebags she lent me were a nice neutral beige.

I was halfway up the steps to by old home on Orion Avenue when I heard a voice, barely audible.

"Excuse me, but are you s...spa...the... filly? Um..."

It took a bit to comprehend that. "Yes, I think that's me. You can call me 'Lily' though." I said, with trepidation. How long had she been there? I had to do a double take to make sure I hadn't imagined her.

"Oh, that's... good. I'm s...Sun d-down... Err..." She tried to speak, long hair covering most of her face.

I ran through the catalog of paint swatches in my mind. Dusky violet body, carmine-red mane. Watery orange eyes that never seemed to meet my own. "Sun Downer, right? We've met before, in a training program a few years back." I said, biting my tongue. Hopefully I didn't come off too strong.

"Oh, I'm so, so sorry about that. Forgetting you, that is." She said, keeping her head bowed low to the ground. I thought she was going to cry right then and there, the way her voice trembled.

"No, no! It's all right, don't apologize, really. It was a short meeting, even I barely remember." I said. I tried an awkward laugh, but Sun Downer didn't respond at all, rubbing her hoof distractedly on the sidewalk. Talking to Sun Downer was like trying to balance an egg on your nose while walking a hundred yards. One slip and you've got an awful mess on your hooves.

"Well, this is my house." I said. "I would invite you in, but it's probably a... an awful mess right now." I chose to withhold the fact that I wasn't actually going to be staying there.

"No, it's okay. I wouldn't want to. I'm just here to verify that you arrived safely, without any problems. Y-you know, because I'm your m-minder. I guess I'll leave now," she said.

"Okay. See you around, Sun Downer." I said, waving. She didn't look back, flapping her wings with the force of thunderclaps. Fast as a bullet, she rocketed up into the sky until she was a tiny speck in the distance. Probably to a "safety cloud," to defuse the stress of having a social interaction. There was a period of time when I used those, several years ago, but it took me far longer to reach them with my weak wings. I had to manually lift my jaw from its hanging position after that spectacle of flying prowess, though. The term "wing-envy" came barreling into mind. My own were feeling particularly flaccid and puny at that moment.

"What in Equestria was that?" Standing in my doorway was a pretty white unicorn with a curly mane. She still had a bit of a voice crack when speaking, despite being all grown up. "Oh hey there, Lily! What are you doing here all of a sudden?"

"Hi Sweetie Belle, I was just stopping by to pick up a couple things. Don't worry, I'll be out of your way before you know it."

I didn't know Sweetie incredibly well, but I was aware of her breathtaking singing talent, as well as a certain prominent sister she had. That whole world was far outside my scope of affairs, though. If there is ever a world-threatening danger out there, let me be the last to know.

"You can stay as long as you want, you know. It's kind of your own house," she said, opening the door wider with her light green magic.

"Oh, and Lily," Sweetie Belle said with a wink, "I think you'll be glad to see it's not an 'awful mess' in here at all. Just a tiny one."

I think by "tiny mess," Sweetie Belle meant that my home was tiny, and also a mess. Walking around was like navigating a hedge maze, only instead of hedges there were low-lying stacks of packed boxes. Still, it didn't take long to find a spare toothbrush and some other things that I didn't want to "owe" Grape Vine. It was already bad enough I had to stay at her place.

We sat down and made small talk before I explained the reason for my visit in more detail, leaving out the whole prison break part. Sweetie looked on in concern as I tried not to let my eyes be drawn to the bed, or the sofa, or the floor. Anywhere I could sleep, really.

"You sure that me staying here isn't a problem for you? I could always go back to my parents," she said.

"It's completely fine," I said. "You've already paid for the month and Grape Vine's place is much closer to the D.E.F.E.R. building where I'll be doing my training. Besides, this is your first time living alone, isn't it?"

"That's right, you remembered!" She was beaming. "Now that I'm eighteen, my parents finally decided to let me have my own place. Big sis is super proud of me!" She beamed, before contemplating. "At least, I think she is. It's hard to tell because she's so busy with all the clothes business stuff. She thought I should find a place that was more refined, but I think it's just right, and- hey, are you okay?"

"Hmm?" I hadn't noticed until then, but I found myself suddenly breathless. "I'm okay. Just a little... motion sick from the train ride, you know?" Forcing out a yawn, I took some time to steady my racing heart.

"I totally get that. There was this one time Apple Bloom, Scoots, and I were going to Appleloosa-"

"Sorry, but I really have to get going." For some reason, I felt off in a way I did not appreciate. Maybe it was sleep deprivation, but I wasn't about to deny my sense of paranoia its pleasure.

"Would you like some tea to help get rid of the nausea? Or a quick nap, even? I can move all the... stuff off of the bed for you." Bless Celestia, what a sweet girl. There was a lot of stuff on that bed.

It was tempting, but I bit the inside of my lip. "No, that's all right. Grape Vine will probably be calling in favors from news reporters with access to air chariots if I don't get back to her soon." I said. "I'll be sure to visit sometime while I'm still in Canterlot, though. Maybe I'll even catch a show, if you can send me a ticket."

Sweetie Belle perked up, not seeming to notice my strain, then suddenly shifted into a dramatic, haughty demeanor. "Who says 'The Great and Beautiful Belle' will even have a single ticket to spare for her nationally-acclaimed performances?"

"I'll just buy one then. It might be a couple month's salary, but-"

"No no no! I'm just kidding!" She squeaked, covering her mouth. "Gosh. You must be the meanest-nicest pony I know," she said, pretend-pouting.

"Sorry?"

"Ugh!" She said, laughing in spite of herself.

What can I say? It was contagious.

Sweetie Belle ended up giving me a VIP pass to any one of her shows, which she convinced me to take by saying that I didn't have to use it if I didn't want to. After all, it's rude to refuse a gift.

I was halfway to Grape Vine's house when I stumbled over a fire hydrant, falling into a drift of dirty snow. I swear, it came out of nowhere.

It wasn't very late in the day, but thanks to winter weather, the darkness and cold were eager to arrive. Darkness and cold make me tired. I was playing a little game with myself, where I would close my eyes and pretend like I was sleepwalking for a while, then open them and muse over the distance I'd traveled. Maybe it wasn't really a game. It was fun, though.

Maybe some coffee was in order. Thank Celestia for Donut Joe's.

Even from blocks away, the heavenly smells of coffee and doughnuts could be found snaking through the streets like tentacles eager to snag unwitting Canterlot patrons by their upturned noses. Sure, coffee and doughnuts are a bit strange to have to an early dinner, but for me it was more of a "first meal in a day and a half." Nothing is weird for that meal.

I had just sat myself down at the bar with a plate of strawberry-glazed with sprinkles and a steaming mug of black coffee when I noticed someone taking a seat right next to me. I was content to keep them in my peripheral vision, but they seemed intent on inching closer and closer to me, to the point where they were outright nudging me in the side.

"Can I help you?" I said, burning my mouth with the coffee. Even sudden pain didn't help wake me up at this point.

"You already have."

Setting down a doughnut in mid-bite, I slowly turned to look at my new dinner guest. A big, bruised peach, trying yet failing to be inconspicuous in a hood and trench coat.

"R-raff-"

"Shh!" She hastily shoved a doughnut in my mouth. I couldn't even savor the sugary goodness as I readied myself for... something. I'm not much of a fighter- actually, I'm not even remotely a fighter. If I thought something violent was going to happen, I'd probably curl up into a little ball. So that's probably what I tried to do just then. Considering how exhausted I was, I mostly just laid my head down on the counter and put my hooves on my head.

Rafflesia must have noticed my mental egress, because she gave me a gentle nudge and shook her head. "Let's keep our voices down. I'm not here for any kind of trouble. I'm here to thank you."

I finished chewing up the pastry and looked at her again, prefacing my response with a comically large gulp. "You're welcome?" I said, spraying some sweet strawberry sprinkles.

"For letting me out of that awful place. It was- urgh-" Something caught in her throat, and I reeled back, covering my nose.

"Sorry about that," she said, with a raspy voice. "It's just been rough lately, is all." She seemed to drift into thought. It was a look I was all too familiar with.

Calming down, I took a sip and a bite, analyzing her disheveled state: shrunken pupils, a smearing of dirt and dust, teeth clenched in stress. She was more of a mess than myself, somehow. More than anything else, she seemed frightened, and in need of help.

"Hey, how come everyone in this diner isn't passing out in their cereal bowls right now? Not that anypony is eating cereal for dinner." I asked. It took some time for the words to come to her, but they did.

"I control it. Barely." She reassured, though it wasn't reassuring at all.

"Ooookay then." I said. "Joe! Can I please get another half-dozen doughnuts and a coffee?" I called out.

"Sure thing, ma'am." Joe said, picking up some tongs with his mouth.

There was a slight wheeze from Rafflesia that almost could have passed for a laugh. "You sure can eat, Lily. My family'd like you," she said, the ghost of a smile on her lips.

"Thanks, but the order's not for me. It's for you. I doubt you've eaten more than a bite of grass in the past day and a half. You're getting drool all over your costume."

She paused, blinking, as a plate and cup were placed in front of her.

"You don't seem like you have any experience being undercover," I said, gesturing at her costume. "You look like you're playing a suspicious character in a movie or something. Wearing sunglasses at night, indoors, just makes you stand out."

I half-expected some kind of retort, but instead I heard a faint sniffling. To my shock, Rafflesia seemed to be crying, as quietly as she could. Streams of tears trickled down her face as she gently hiccuped.

"Whoa, I wasn't trying to be that mean!" I rested an arm over her, drawing her slightly closer. I wasn't keen on being too close to that mouth of hers, but she seemed to be suppressing the death-breath well enough. "Tell me, what's wrong?"

"It's just, I'm real grateful for all this that you're doing." She said, the slightest hint of an accent peeking through, though I couldn't determine what it was. "I don't know how, but you know I'm innocent right?" She took off the sunglasses, staring into me with those huge eyes of hers. They were so pure, so clear. Desperation glistened in that expression.

"I... don't know." I said. "But whatever it is that you did or didn't do doesn't matter to me. You seem like a good pony at heart, and that's what matters." At that, her demeanor seemed to brighten up, though an obvious sadness still lingered. My eyes were drawn to her beaten up face and body again.

"Would you mind explaining all the injuries?" I asked, cautiously. "Seeing how you aren't criminally inclined, do you play contact sports or have some other job involving physical altercations?" I smiled, as I caught myself falling into the old D.E.F.E.R. vernacular. Basically, it's just the use of lots of proper-sounding words.

Rafflesia looked down at her body, examining the damages.

"I'm a gardener, through and through. The jungle where I do my cultivating is home to a whole host of ornery critters. Sometimes I got to show them who's the boss."

"The biggest threat my garden ever faced was a bunny." I said. She laughed at that.

"Another thing. How did you manage to track me down here? I'm assuming this meeting isn't a coincidence." I said.

"Oh, that there is easy to explain. You outright told me just about exactly where you lived before I... y'know. I didn't mean to do it, honest! It's just, I was so excited that you were letting me go that I forgot for a second." Rafflesia blushed before continuing. I guess having bad breath was embarrassing, even if it was hyperbolic as that. She waited until Donut Joe went into the back room before continuing, speaking as low as possible.

"Once it happened, the guards got real angry and came after me with weapons, so I just breathed on them too. I was so scared, you know I had to do it to 'em. I found out pretty quick that their hooves had the dis-band removal counterspells. I tried to leave quietly, but then the other prisoners started threatening to scream and shout if I didn't let them out too, so I got a couple out and they made a big fuss. I escaped first, before too many others did." She stopped to sip the coffee, fumbling with the cup.

"And then I figured I couldn't go back home until things got cleared up some more, and I thought that since you're somepony who can really accept and understand all kinds of ponies, you would be all sympathetic-like and help me clear up my case. I was waiting outside your place for a while, and so was this other pegasus. She seemed real uncomfortable and jittery, so I just kept my head low until I saw you come over and talk to her. After that, I stayed in the alley until you left and started stumbling around in the street."

"Now we're here." I said, sipping the last remainder of my coffee. A layer of fog lifted from my mind. From what I overheard from the officers at Baltimare Penitentiary, the APB they put out didn't reach far outside of Baltimare. The warden seemed certain that the escapees were not worth that much trouble, based on reports. That being said, it would be a bad look to be seen with Rafflesia. That was an unfortunate puzzle that could be pieced together.

"You aren't from Canterlot, are you? Your accent doesn't fit. It's all over the place." I said.

"That's right. I was just visiting my Baltimare hothouse when things started falling apart. I was born in Sumaretra, south of the Hayseed Swamps, along the coast." She said. "Though, I did spend a lot of years growing up in Manehattan and Appleloosa. So I don't know what I sound like. I do a lot of travelling, and nopony can guess where I'm really from. Guess it's cause I'm not really from anywhere."

"I know how that feels."

"You do?"

Oops. "Um. Yeah, I do. We can talk about that later." I got up from my seat, leaving some bits on the counter.

"Where are you going?" Rafflesia said. She started to follow me, abandoning her dinner and donning her full disguise again. "I'll come with you."

"No, you can't!" I said, surprised at myself for the intensity of the outburst. "Trust me, the mare I'm living with will make you very uncomfortable. Especially with you being as interesting as you are. She has ways of getting ponies to talk."

A wave of guilt washed over me as I saw her spirits sink. Surely, I was the one thing she had her hopes riding on. How could I let down a stranger in her time of need?

Digging in my pockets again, I gathered up a decent portion of bits.

"Here. Take these, and find an inn or hotel to stay in. I can help you out, but you have to keep a low profile." It felt cool to say something like that, but there wasn't any time to revel in it.

Rafflesia just stared, wide eyed from behind her sunglasses.

"No, this is way too kind. How can I take this and not hate myself?"

"Don't think anything of it, really. I feel like it's my fault you're in a mess this big because of what I did." I pushed the money harder at her. "Take it. Please. We can meet again soon, and sort things out."

Rafflesia stood there for a few agonizing seconds. The decision seemed to tear at her ethics and morals far more than I could have anticipated. I was almost tempted to wave a hoof in front of her face to be certain she was still conscious. Finally, she took the bits from me, like a foal reluctantly eating a brussels sprout off their parent's fork.

"Fine. How will I know where to reach you?" She said, putting the bag away in her trench coat pocket.

I took out a napkin and pen, writing down an address.

"Meet me at this location six days from now, around this same time. If I'm not alone, do not make contact, and we'll organize a different meeting. See you then." I opened the door to leave, when my stomach grumbled. My attention turned back to the counter top, where Rafflesia's half-finished doughnuts still sat. Rafflesia noticed my distraction, smiling warmly.

"Maybe I can stay just a minute longer."