Tales of the Sapphire Carousel: Beyond the Bordello

by Undome Tinwe

Praxis, Part 2: Friends In Low Places

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The address on the business card took Fluttershy to an old building in the Dragon District.

From the looks of it, the building had once been a warehouse of some sort, but had been taken over and converted into a martial arts academy, if the sign on the front was correct. Fluttershy supposed it made sense, though she wasn't sure how much help it would be.

Fluttershy wasn't a fighter, and would never be. Even if she learned the moves, she'd never be brave enough to fight back against someone attacking her.

Still, she'd made it this far, and she was so tired of being scared, so she was willing to give Fleur's idea a try, at least.

Fluttershy pushed open the front door. The schedule outside indicated that classes wouldn't start for another hour, but this was the time Fleur had given her to arrive at. The door chimed as she stepped inside a large lobby area.

"Hello," the receptionist said from her desk. "Can I help you?"

"Umm, I think I'm supposed to meet someone here," Fluttershy said, staring down awkwardly at her shoes. "Fleur de Lis?"

"Oh." A guarded expression immediately covered the receptionist's face. She turned around and called down one of the hallways. "Fleur, there's someone here to see you!" She turned back to face Fluttershy again. "She'll be down soon. I don't even wanna know what she's gotten herself into this time."

With that rather ominous pronouncement, the two of them lapsed into silence, Fluttershy not really feeling up to eye contact or social interaction and the receptionist fortunately in the same mood.

The silence only lasted a few seconds before the sound of light footsteps announced the arrival of Fleur.

"Bienvenue, mon amie!" the foriegn noblewoman called out as she approached. Today, she wore simple clothes that most nobles wouldn't be caught dead with, a worn tunic and pants that looked very comfortable but not very fashionable.

"Hi Fleur," Fluttershy replied, waving shyly. "I'm, uhh, here now."

"Wonderful! I am glad you had the courage to come here." Fleur grinned widely before turning to the receptionist. "Miss Grace, would you kindly tell Mister Will that I will be making use of the backroom until lunch time, please?"

Grace sighed. "Sure thing, Fleur."

"Come," Fleur said, gesturing down one of the hallways. "Let us begin your lesson."

Fluttershy followed Fleur deep into the building, her heart pounding with nervousness. What exactly was Fleur going to teach her? She had no interest in learning how to harm someone else, no matter how much danger she might be in.

The backrooms were musty and smelled of damp wooden furniture, almost like the break rooms at the zoo. It was comforting, in a way.

There was a clearing on one side of the room, with a bunch of training dummies set up. Fleur walked over towards one of them. "Thank you for coming, Fluttershy."

"It was my pleasure," Fluttershy responded automatically, falling back on social conventions by default. "So, what are we doing here?"

"Why, is it not clear?" Fleur asked with a smile. "I shall be giving you lessons in self-defense. I am not so good a teacher as the others who work here, but I believe I may be more suited to teaching you, considering our similarities."

Fluttershy's head tilted in confusion. "Similarities?"

"Mais oui!" Fleur's grin widened. "I too chose not to walk the path my family decided for me, and had to learn many things for myself. Though, I am fortunate that my parents had me tutored in the art of the blade, as we travelled frequently for our family's business. Still, a rapier is of little use in many situations, and I had to learn other martial styles myself."

Oh dear. Fluttershy had been afraid of this. "I..." She took a deep breath, steeling her courage. "I don't think I could hurt anyone," she said truthfully.

Fleur nodded. "That is good. The first lessons they teach here is that in a fight, there are no winners, only those who suffer the lesser loss. Too many learn to fight here and think themselves invincible. No, I am here to teach you how to avoid having to fight, both by teaching you how to travel safely in this city, and how to use your wits to escape to safety should the worst happen." She patted the dummy. "Though, should all these methods fail, you should also know where to strike to give yourself the best chance of running away."

"Okay. That sounds okay." There was a lot that Fluttershy needed to learn, and her other friends had tried to teach her some of this, but Fleur seemed to know where Fluttershy had come from more than the others.

"In that case, shall we begin?" At Fluttershy's nod, Fleur walked over towards one of the tables, where a map of the city lay spread out. "There are many places in the city where the police do not dare step foot, and places where they are more dangerous than any thug you may run into. This map shows which gangs claim which parts of Canterlot for themselves."

Despite the dire nature of the lesson, Fluttershy found her heartbeat finally calming down as Fleur outlined which districts in the city were safe, and what to do in order to avoid notice from the gangs in different districts.

"The Griffons and the Minotaurs owe me favours as well," Fleur explained after her initial rundown. "Should you meet them, you may use my name to avoid being troubled."

Fluttershy refrained from asking what kind of favours Fleur had done for them.

After that, it was time for martial training. Fleur guided Fluttershy through some basic exercises, as well as basic forms for blocks, punches, and kicks. She was careful to inform her that these wouldn't be useful in a real fight, though Fluttershy had no desire to test them anyways.

Admittedly, Fleur was right about not being the best teacher. Despite her best efforts, Fluttershy sometimes had trouble understanding exactly what Fleur wanted, and she could tell it made the foriegn noble frustrated, but Fleur made an effort to remain calm and kind with Fluttershy, which she greatly appreciated.

"I think that is enough for today," Fleur said after a couple hours.

Panting lightly, Fluttershy sat down on one of the chairs. "Oh, good," she said.

"You are stronger and more resilient than most of your peers," Fleur said approvingly.

Fluttershy blushed at the praise. "Thanks. I guess working at the zoo helped out with that a little."

"Spring Breeze and her husband are not in the business of working with animals." A curious glint lit up in Fleur's eyes as she walked over to the jug in the corner and poured out two glasses of water. "How did you come to have such a passion for them?" she asked as she handed one to Fluttershy.

No one had ever asked her that before, and it took Fluttershy a moment to think through her answer, slowly sipping away at her water as she did. "I used to hide in the gardens when I needed to be alone," she eventually said. "Which was a lot of the time. The little critters there started to get used to me, and they were always willing to listen when I talked."

A fond smile crossed her lips at the reminiscence. "I was only ever happy in that garden, I think. And one day, there were these kids outside shooting off fireworks in the streets. The loud noises made the animals so scared, so I tried to tell them all that it was safe. That's when I realized that all I ever wanted to do was take care of them, to show them they were loved." Like she wasn't, Fluttershy didn't add, but she knew Fleur could see it in her eyes.

Fleur smiled back. "You are truly more noble than any others in the Solar District that I have ever met, except perhaps for the Lady of the Night. Though I suppose that is not difficult to achieve."

Fluttershy couldn't help the giggle that escaped from her lips. "You really don't like the other nobles, huh?"

Fleur snorted. "I have seen the excesses of privilege, enough to hate myself for having it. And yet, noblesse oblige, and so I try to do what I can with what I am given. Fortunately, my husband feels much the same way."

Before they could say any more, the thunderous sound of footsteps sounded from the door. "Ah, the old bull is here," Fleur said, standing up. "Shall I escort you out?"

"Oh, thank you," Fluttershy replied gratefully just as the door slammed open to reveal a large, burly man who strutted into the room like he owned the place.

"Iron Will is here for a nutritious lunch!" the man announced as he opened up one of the cupboards with far too much force and grabbed a sandwich from it. He glanced around the room before his eyes fixated on Fluttershy. "Did we hire a new teacher without telling Iron Will?"

"This is my friend Fluttershy, monsieur Will," Fleur replied. "I am giving her some private lessons."

"Oh, did our Majesty pick up another stray?" Another woman walked into the room, running her hand through her slick, orange hair as her eyes narrowed on the pair. "Huh, she looks way too pretty to be another street rat," she commented.

"Bonjour to you as well, Miss Dust," Fleur's tone was much more icy this time.

The woman shrugged. "Whatever, just don't get us in trouble and I don't give a shit. Don't want Fiddle yelling my ears off again if we get the cops on our asses another time."

Fluttershy shrunk further on herself as Fleur gently nudged her towards the door. "So long as you are not foolish, that won't be a problem. Au revoir, mes amis." With that, they took their leave, Fluttershy not making eye contact with anyone as they left.

"My apologies for the others," Fleur said. "They are good people, but... rough around the edges."

"That's okay," Fluttershy replied. "At least they're honest about it."

That got a smile from Fleur. "I would not trust them, but they are honest in their lies." She led Fluttershy back to the entrance, which now had a variety of people milling about, waiting for their lessons to begin. "I will be free on Sunday, if you wish to continue your education."

For a moment, Fluttershy thought about her answer. She wasn't ever planning on learning how to hurt someone, but she couldn't deny that the knowledge she'd gained today made her just a little less scared of this new world she now found herself in. Was it worth wasting more of Fleur's time? Well, for now, she was going to do something for herself. "I would love that. Thank you, Fleur."

"You are very welcome, Fluttershy. Please enjoy the rest of your day."

With that, Fluttershy made her way out in the streets, heading towards her apartment with renewed energy and a slight spring in her steps.

The world was still big and dangerous, but it wasn't quite as scary anymore.


Eventually, they settled into a rhythm.

Fleur's schedule was unpredictable, but she made time at least twice a week to give lessons to Fluttershy. Slowly but surely, the young woman was learning how to navigate this city and avoid trouble, and what to do if anyone did trouble her despite her best efforts. It was a great boon to her confidence, and she found herself walking with more energy every day.

She'd never be truly comfortable out on the streets, but then again, from what Fleur had told her, that was a good thing. Complacency was dangerous in this city.

The lessons had also given Fluttershy a chance to see more of the people who actually worked at the school, as well as their close friends who stopped by and hung out in the back while they waited for one of the instructors to be done with work.

Iron Will, for all his yelling, didn't have much bite behind his bark, and while Fluttershy didn't agree with some of his business practices, she stopped feeling threatened around him by the second week. The same couldn't be said of Gilda, who fortunately didn't work at the school but was friends with Lightning Dust and occasionally showed up in the backrooms to wait for her. After the first time Fluttershy had accidentally grabbed the coffee pot first when she had reached for it, she'd learned to stay far away from the woman who carried way too many knives on her body.

As for Fleur, Fluttershy had warmed up to her significantly. She actually found herself enjoying chit-chatting with the noblewoman, sharing gossip and discussing the failures of the aristocracy. Fleur had also provided some very... interesting history about her homeland, as well as some practical advice for conducting a revolution that Fluttershy would probably never use.

Other times, their discussions were a bit more personal.

"The night we met, you intended to sleep at the Sapphire," Fleur said one day as they sparred. "Did the thought not make you nervous?" She lashed out with a right hook as she asked the question.

Fluttershy raised her arm to block, wincing slightly at the force. "A little," she admitted, retaliating with her own punch, which her opponent easily deflected. "Some of the clients there are... well, you know how they can be."

"Unfortunately, I do." Another hook from Fleur, this time from the left. "C'est dommage. They could do so much good, but instead they choose to abuse their power. Though, that was not what I meant to ask. Most women who grew up in the Solar District would not dream of setting foot in a brothel, let alone sleeping in one."

"Oh." Fluttershy nearly missed the next block as Fleur's question sunk in. "No, of course not. The people who work there are wonderful. Well, most of them are, most of the time." She smiled. "They're still human, after all."

"Vraiment." Fleur paused for a moment. "And the business they ply, what do you think of it?" It seemed she was done being coy.

Fluttershy shrugged. "It's just sex. I see my animals do it all the time. Humans are the only ones that put some kind of higher meaning to it."

"An interesting perspective." Fleur resumed her assault, and Fluttershy focused on keeping up until the next question came. "So, does that mean you would not hold back from seeking out their services if you wanted them?" There was a playful note in her voice.

"Honestly, I'm not really interested in sex," Fluttershy replied truthfully. "I thought I'd have to do it to get an heir, but now I guess it doesn't matter anymore. If there's anything I want to know about the subject, I can just observe the animals whenever I want."

Fleur laughed. "I would not use them as tutors, but we all have our ways to learn."

"How about you?" Fluttershy asked, feeling comfortable enough to indulge her curiosity. "Were you already friends with Rarity before she joined the Sapphire or...?"

"Raise your right arm higher," Fleur instructed, waiting for Fluttershy to comply before continuing. "No, I first met mon petit diamant at the Lady's establishment. Fancy and I had recently moved to Canterlot, and we had heard whisperings of the trade that Lady Celestia's sister plied." Fleur smirked. "I thought I might have found another kindred spirit, so my husband and I decided to investigate and enjoy ourselves while we were there."

"Luna doesn't like you," Fluttershy pointed out, kneeing the leather pad that Fleur held out in front of her.

"We are too similar, unfortunately," Fleur replied. "You know what happens when there are two queen bees in the same hive."

"One of them kills the other." Fluttershy winced. "You, uhh, didn't...?"

Fleur shook her head. "Non, bien sûr que non! Not yet, at least. We are far too useful to one another for that. But, we are hardly inviting each other over for tea. It's better this way."

"I guess." It was sad that her two new mentors didn't see eye to eye, but then again, it was way better than Rarity and Twilight's situation.

"That's enough talk," Fleur said, sensing Fluttershy's melancholy. "Let's continue your practice." And that had been the end of that conversation.

All in all, Fluttershy was enjoying her time with Fleur, and Fleur in turn seemed not to mind mentoring Fluttershy. Days turned into weeks, and weeks became a full month, and all seemed to be going well.

And then, one day, almost two months into their arrangement, Fluttershy walked into the backroom to find that Fleur wasn't there waiting for her.

That was a first, but Fluttershy wasn't too worried. Fleur was a busy woman, and was probably just dealing with some business meeting that had lasted a little longer than expected. Luckily, Fluttershy had brought a book to read to pass the time.

She was halfway through the riveting tale of a hotel in the afterlife when she heard a lot of panicked shouting from the hallway. Her education from Fleur kicked in as she tensed up into a defensive stance and moved towards the other exit to the room.

A moment later, the door burst open to reveal Fleur, Gilda, and a couple others that Fluttershy had never seen before. They were carrying Lightning Dust between them, and Fluttershy quickly noted the blood staining her clothes and the bloody rag that she was holding against her abdomen.

"Allez, allez!" Fleur shouted as she ran in. "Clear the table!"

Fluttershy froze as Gilda and Fleur quickly swept away all the papers on one of the tables to allow the other two to set Lightning down on it.

"Ow, fuck!" Lightning swore. "Careful, will ya?"

"Should've thought of that before you got yourself shot, dumbass," one of the new visitors replied.

Meanwhile, Fleur had run over to one of the cabinets and pulled out a first aid kit, swearing colourfully in her native tongue the whole time. At one point, she looked up, saw Fluttershy cowering in the corner, and swore again. "Fluttershy," she said, her voice calm but steely. "You should leave now, and tell no one of what you have seen."

"She needs to go to a hospital." Despite her terror, Fluttershy's training at the zoo had kicked in, and her brain was immediately assessing the situation. "She's lost a lot of blood already, it looks like, and you can't just wrap that up and expect it to heal." It didn't matter how scared she was, a life was at stake, and she had to speak out.

Fleur shook her head. "No hospitals. They ask too many questions."

Fluttershy watched as Gilda lifted up Lightning's shirt, revealing the extent of the damage. "She'll die if you don't." Her whole body was shaking as she stood up to Fleur, but this was too important to let slide.

"I'm as good as— ahhh!— as good as dead if I go," Lightning grunted, letting out another pained yelp as the one standing next to her began wiping the wound with a cloth. "Did the others get away, Rolling?"

The woman— Rolling— snorted. "Those cowards all fucked off the moment the cops came. Cowards, all of 'em. At least they didn't get caught, so we don't have to worry about snitches."

"That's something, at least." Lightning was panting now, struggling to get words out.

Fleur unwrapped some cloth and began winding it around the wound. Fluttershy shook her head at the sight, "It won't work," she said, speaking from experience. "She's still going to bleed out."

"We have to try something," the man on Lightning's right snapped. "Better than standing around complaining like you."

"Fluttershy," Fleur said again, and this time the steel in her voice was unsheathed. "You should leave, right now. Forget all of this, and return to your home. This doesn't concern you."

"Someone is dying," Fluttershy insisted. "I can't just walk away." She took a deep breath, her decision made, and tried to keep her voice steady as she spoke. "I have some supplies in my apartment from work. They're designed for animals, but if you can't go to a hospital it's better than this."

The five of them all shared suspicious looks with each other for a few moments. Finally, Fleur turned to face Fluttershy. "I will come with you to help carry the supplies," she said, and Fluttershy almost rolled her eyes at how obvious she was being.

"I won't go to the police, but okay." Every minute they spent arguing was another minute that Lightning Dust was bleeding out. "Keep pressure on the wound until I get back," she commanded the other two as she made her way to the exit, not looking back.

The surge of adrenaline continued to drive her forward as she all but ran down the streets, Fleur keeping pace beside her. "You are a good woman," the noblewoman said approvingly.

"I'm just trying to save a life that the rest of you seem to be fine with losing," Fluttershy said with more bite than she expected.

"I know you think little of us, but Lightning Dust would rather die than lose her freedom." Fleur sighed. "I trust you will keep our secret?"

"I don't even know what secrets I'm keeping," Fluttershy replied. They were getting close now, and she was mentally reviewing what supplies she'd need to collect. "Are you all criminals or something? Did you rob someone?"

"We like to think of ourselves as la résistance." There was a pause before Fleur continued, her tone turning wry. "Though not so grand as those from my homeland."

Racking her brains to try to remember her lessons on foreign history, Fluttershy finally asked, "You're trying to overthrow the government?"

"We are trying to oppose the corruption that rules this land," Fleur clarified. "I know you are not blind to the injustices that plague this city, Fluttershy. We only want to bring justice where there is none."

"So you're vigilantes," Fluttershy said flatly as they reached her apartment.

Fleur didn't try to prevaricate. "Oui. I do what I can with my privilege, but sometimes I am forced to take drastic measures to make this world a better place."

"What were you doing today that got Lightning Dust shot?" In for a penny, in for a pound. If she was going to help treat the woman, Fluttershy might as well learn why she was there in the first place.

"Lord Jet Set recently took control of a charity Fancy and I have an interest in," Fleur replied as they rushed into Fluttershy's home. Fluttershy began collecting antiseptics, needle, thread, and whatever else she could think of that might help. "We know he is embezzling money from it, taking valuable funds away from those most in need, but we needed proof. So we broke into his home."

"Oh." Fluttershy went through her mental checklist one more time as she processed what Fleur said. "Did you find anything?"

"No. After Lightning was shot, we fled."

"I'm... sorry?" That seemed like the right response. "Also, I have everything we need."

"Let us go, then." There was no time to waste, and the two of them set off back to the school.

"So what are you going to do now?" Fluttershy asked, her curiosity getting the better of her once again. "Will you try to break into his house again?"

Fleur shook her head. "He is suspicious now. No, we will have to try something more extreme if we are to get our answers. I know which bars some of his associates like to visit, where we can... confront them."

The ice in her voice sent a chill down Fluttershy's spine. "You're going to hurt them."

"Only if they do not give us the information we need," Fleur replied with a terrifying casualness. "Once I have the evidence, I can ply my trade and ensure that he goes to jail, allowing Fancy and I to take control again and ensure that the money goes to a good cause."

Fluttershy refrained from pointing out that this scheme seemed to have a lot of benefits for Fleur. The noblewoman was very, very scary right now, and Fluttershy didn't want to poke that bee's nest anymore.

The rest of the trip passed by in silence, and when Fluttershy returned to the backroom, she saw that Rolling and the other man had followed her instructions and was trying her best to stem Lightning's bleeding.

The three of them looked up at Fluttershy with visible relief. "Oh, good, I can stop trying not to die now," Lightning said faintly, grimacing and coughing into a bloody handkerchief.

"Lie her down on the table, with her arms here and her legs over there," Fluttershy instructed, trying her best to ignore her pounding heart and focus on saving a life. She'd done this before, had the training, even if it was only on animals.

The world faded away as Fluttershy cleaned the wound, going through the procedures she'd studied with far more fervor than anything to do with balance sheets or dining etiquette.

All the while, Fleur and the others helped hold Lightning down as Fluttershy did what she had to do to save her life, despite the screams. The sounds would haunt her until her dying day, but after an hour of grueling work, she was done.

Her stitches weren't clean, and it'd taken longer and been more painful than what a trained surgeon could have achieved, but at the end, Fluttershy was reasonably certain that Lightning would live, especially since she knew Fleur would be able pay for a mage to cast some spells to prevent infection.

As for Lightning herself, she'd passed out at some point during the operation, which was likely for the best. Rolling helped wrap a bandage tightly around the wounded part of her abdomen before Fluttershy considered her work to be done.

At which point she became very aware that she'd just spent the past sixty minutes bossing around some very dangerous people, who were all staring at her with a mixture of emotions.

Fleur was the first to speak. "Merci beaucoup, Fluttershy," she said softly. "You've done very well today."

"If she lives, I'll buy you a beer at the Dreamland," Rolling said, walking over to slap Fluttershy across the back. "Hell, I'll buy you a hundred beers if you want."

Fluttershy cringed. "Umm, thanks."

Fortunately, Fleur seemed to notice her discomfort. "You're covered in blood," she said. "I have some spare clothing in the locker room that may fit you, if you wish." Fluttershy nodded, and Fleur took her out of the room so that they were just the two of them again.

"I truly am grateful," Fleur said. "You are right that Lightning would likely not have lived if you did not step in. You are truly a brave and remarkable woman."

Fluttershy nodded mutely as she took the clothes Fleur offered her and changed into them.

"I am also sorry that you had to see this side of me," Fleur added. "I hope you will not think too poorly of me."

"You told me on my first day here to avoid people and places that were obviously dangerous," Fluttershy said coolly as she made her way towards the exit. "I think you and this place count as that now. Thank you for everything, but I don't think I'll be coming back."

With that, she walked out of the locker room, leaving Fleur alone as she made her way back home.

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