Soul's Poison: Into the Dark World

Two of them have been following those mares till they reach the edge of the forest. Twilight have been thinking that those mares were from Ponyville, and mares have confirmed her guesses. Another question is what have those mares doing in the southern part of Everfree forest. Something tells her that, it wasn't quite... lawful.

Some of the information, they give were useful. They mostly spoke about common and useless stuff, but a portion of their personal information except the names were being told from time to time. And from time to time they spoke about Ponyville's residents.

There wasn't a word about that Flutter, an earth pony had mentioned, but they've talked a bit about somepony called Rarity. Based on their words, that pony is a dealer, and have contacts in several cities of Equestria. It's obvious that her clients aren't the most... honest ponies in Equestria.

There is also somepony called Pinkie. She was a dealer like Rarity, but unlike her, Pinkie have a certain reputation in the town. Twilight had no idea what reputation they were speaking about, but definitely not the good one. A quick mental note in Twilight mind said that, it would be better to be cautious when she would meet that Pinkie.

Their ways have gone apart, when they reached the edge of the forest, so now Twilight and Spike were heading to the village. The other two mares have quickly run through an empty plain, toward an apple orchard that could be seen from Twilight's spot.

The village was to the left not that much faraway. It took them several minutes to get into town's boundary. The village was rather typical, unless it was quite big for a village. Also, her eye got a glance on the architecture. There wasn't anything about houses in general, but several of them were quite catchy.

They have chosen the circular route when they started to walk through the city. They started from the eastern part and go from there to the north and from the north to the west. The ponies they met on their way were rather calm about a new folks in town. Maybe, a bit welcoming.

On their way, they went past the huge tree in the middle of the road, and bakery that looked like one big pastry.

Practically at the end of their walk, when they've been walking through the market, they had met, probably, the most weirdest resident of a town. Met in a rather close meaning of a word.

They've been walking past the many trading booths that's situated to the south, when something pink have crushed into her side. Twilight didn't keep herself on her two feet, and fall to the ground, with all the sudden extra weight.

"Whopsie, didn't see you there, sorry," pink earth pony apologized, while getting on her feet. Soon, she looked down and lend her hand to Twilight. "Here, take my hand."

When Twilight have rised from the ground, a pink pony continued to speak in a rather rapid manner, "hey, you're a new in a town. I've never seen your faces before, and believe me, I know everyone in this town. And, you know," she said, while taking a quick glance at Twilight and Spike. "Something just tells me that you need a proper party so that you can become acquainted with the town and it's residents... Yeah, I believe that's what I'm gonna do, so get to go, bye."

"That was... weird," Spike said, while watching the back of a pink pony fading into crowd. When the pink pony was nowhere to be seen, he turned his head towards Twilight. "Hey, Twilight, are you fine there?"

"Yes, Spike, I... I'm fine," Twilight answered, while dusting herself. "If that is Pinkie, then I understand why those mares didn't want to have a business with her. She, probably, have unsuccessful deals, or..." She paused, while quickly checking pockets of her outfit. "Or, her clients are walking off with empty pockets..."

"Wait, did she robbed you?!" Spike was amazed with such insolence. How was she having her deals if everypony's being robbed by her. And no one, cares about her thievery?"How?"

"I don't know, but don't worry," Twilight said. "There is only holes in my pockets, and my purse is gone, but there wasn't much in it."

"How much?" Spike asked.

"Actually, there was nothing. That purse was completely empty..." Twilight answered. "That purse was more like a memory. I didn't use it much. It's more about my pockets. It's highly likely that I will find where to use them, so, let's find somewhere to fix them," Twilight said to Spike. Then, she turned around and went down the street. Not for too long, though, since she asked the first pony about the way.

"Hey there, we are new to this town, so we don't know the place yet, and I have kind of trouble." Twilight asked a cream colored earth pony mare with dual colored mane, that have been wandering about. When the mare turned her head, she continued, "Is there someone who can patch up my clothes?"

The mare chuckled, but answered, "Well, then you'd better go to the Rarity's Carousel boutique. It's in the end of this street down this road. Don't worry about missing the building. It's quite memorable."

"Oh, fine, we will go then, thank you" Twilight thanked the mare.

"You're welcome," the mare said.

And now they've been standing at a front door of a boutique. The mare was truthful in her words. The Carousel boutique wasn't a building to miss. A master in the architecture from a big city wouldn't call a building stylish, but for Ponyville's level, it would be absolutely fine. A round shape of a building combined really good with showcases' locations all around the building. Watching the dresses on the mannequins makes head dizzy since one must go around the building to see them all. Also, the purple and white colors of the building combined with each other pretty well.

A voice of a mare come from behind the door, when Twilight knocked on it. "Yes, I'm coming, darling or darlings." Then a unicorn mare opened a door. "Come in, my dear customers. What can I offer you."

"Well, uh, you are Rarity, yes?" After a nod from Rarity, she continued. "My cloak have pockets here, here and here, and as you can see, there is holes in each one of them. I would like you to sew them up." She said, while showing her black cloak to Rarity. "So how much does it cost?"

"Three bits for one pocket, so nine bits in total..." But then she stared at her more precisely. "But you know, I will do that for free, if you get a certain package to one of my friends. So, what do you say?"

"Let me get my... Wait, what did you say?" Twilight already move her hand forward, so bits may fall in her open palm from a dimensional pocket, but when she heard her offer she put it back. She wasn't greedy, but nine bits is nine bits. She for herself have two hundred of them, and based on prices even in such a remote place like Ponyville, every bit was very valuable, and that if not taking into the account all the bribes and other... investments.

"What you heard," she answered while keeping her eyes on a Twilight's cloak, as if she was curious about material, but Twilight understand that it wasn't like that. "So, It's money then, Darling."

"No, no, I don't meant it, I..." She panicked a bit, but quickly take herself in her hands. "I... Let me take some time. I would like to discuss things with Spike."

"Spike? Who is him?" Rarity asked.

"Oh, Spike is my son," Twilight answered.

"Son?.. Oh, fine, I will wait for you," Rarity said and went to the back of boutique, while Twilight exited the place. She immediately found Spike, and told him to look after Rarity and her cloak, while she was going to someplace else. She also told him that Dusk will be there either, having his eye on him.

Spike becomes strained in a moment, but gets more relaxed when he heard that Dusk's going to look after him. "So, Dusk will be there if she try something to do to me?"

"Yes, he will..." Twilight answered, while looking all around. "If only I find that feathered meat bag." Then, she closed her eyes. She stood like that for some time, while making Spike uneasy again.

Spike's worries gone quite fast when he heard familiar voice. Twilight's familiar's voice. "Hey, Spike, what's up, friend?!" The voice in Spike's head ranged.

"Hi Dusk. All's fine. So, how are you?.. And, where are you?" Spike's mentally said, while he was turning his head from one side to other.

"Over here. No, not there. Turn your head and... Oh, Twilight's awake." Dusk's hoarse voice have been ringing in Spike's head as he have been trying to find where's Dusk.

"Spike! I go to that Rarity's friend. Stay here with her. Dusk will be here for you, so don't worry about yourself."Twilight told Spike what to do. "Now... I missed something... Oh, yes. The package! Now, Spike, I will go get that package to this friend. Find a thing to enjoy yourself, and remember, don't highlight your true self." And with these words she walked in the boutique, making sign for a Spike to come in.

"Rarity, where is the package? I will get it to that friend's of yours," She shouted into the depth of a boutique. Rarity for herself walk in from somewhere behind the stage. The sealed package in her hands.

"It's here, darling. You need get this to the small cottage on the other side of the village. My friend, Fluttershy, is living in that cottage. I couldn't find time to go to her myself, so I asking you to do the flavor. Also, darling, you probably understand that it wouldn't be good, if that package would be lost on your way to Fluttershy's." Rarity dropped a hint.

"Yes. I do understand," Twilight said, not showing any sign of worry. "Spike, stay here, I will come back in a moment."

"Oh, that's Spike?" Rarity looked at little drake that's hidden under a materials of his own cloak. "Wow, you look cute in that outfit."

"Oh... Umm, Yo-ou... Uh, you look t-too, m-miss Rarity," he stuttered a bit, so he'd become even more cute for Rarity.

"Such a manners," Rarity said.

Twilight only smirked at that, and when Rarity's attention was completely drawn to Spike, she opened the window's latch and sent a mental thought to her familiar about it.

It took her a good ten minutes to find the house of that Fluttershy, thanks to the town folks. A little cottage that looked like a hill, with door and several windows gouged in it. So, what do you have in stock for me, Fluttershy? She stood before the little cottage, making sure everything is fine with Spike. Dusk answers her that all's fine.

She got closer to the door, but saw something in the window. That get her attention, so this took her some time before she knocked on the door.

But when she put her fist up and was ready to knock on the door, the door was opened by yellow pegasus.

"Oh, hello there. What can I do for you?" she said, while eyeing her completely from the feet to the tip of her horn.

"Uh, I'm from Rarity with a package," Twilight answered.

"Rarity? I didn't order anything from her," Fluttershy replied, instantly becoming cautious, but Twilight raised her palm and a gap in reality appeared. From there, Rarity's package falls. Fluttershy tried to close the door, but when she saw what Twilight had in her hand, she'd become quite shocked. She immediately ducked into the depths of her house with Twilight. She then quickly closed her door.

"Are you mad?! You cannot just be walking the streets with that thing! Not right now, at least," she exclaimed in a hushed tone, while quickly getting a look into the closest window. She got calmer, when she saw that no one was in the area of her sight.

"Why not? I have the package in my dimensional pocket," She said, while watching how Fluttershy attend some of her attention to her pets. Twilight knew that dimensional pocket doesn't save things, hidden in there, from those unicorn guards since they have special spell for that. does that pegasus know that guards have such a spell? If yes, then how? In that moment, she understand that pets were everywhere. She saw how animals quickly got into a little hole in the wall.

"Cause there'll be a certain event in the town. Amount of guards is increased," She said, while watching out of her window.

"I've seen none of them... And which event?" Twilight asked.

"You're new, yes?" Fluttershy responded with another question. After receiving a confirming nod, she continued, "Tomorrow, there'll be Summer Sun Celebration. Celestia's going to be in town herself. That's why there are more guards in town, then it should be."

"Summer Sun Celebration?! And, Celestia's going to be here?!" She shouted in utter shock.

Wrong place was picked... And, the wrong time too.