Any Way the Air Flowsby Nukepony360ChaptersPrologueChapter 1Chapter 2MotionChapter 3PrologueApril 26th, 1013 ANMM1 The single, oversized CRT television hummed to life with a weighty click. Light buzzing of static filled the otherwise deathly quiet room as the signal was carefully tuned to the proper frequency. "-ould be yours for just three easy payments of 49.99B! Call toda-" A light click, a KZZRT, and the next channel cycled forward. "-cast. Clear skies in Ponyville scheduled through Wednesday, with cloud cover getting thicker as the weekend approach-" KZZRT "-VER LOVED ME!" "Minty, I can explain!" "Explain WHAT?! That you having a secret herd is all just a misunder-" KZZRT "-ial guest this afternoon is a top-tier mailmare, who isn't so happy about her fan-popular nickname! Please give a warm welcome to Shitfu-" KZZRT "-teen dead. Tragedy struck Manehattan's industrial district at approximately 10:54 ECE2 this morning, just a few hours ago. A violent chemical leak from the 'Natural Process Chemical Plant' flooded its interior with caustic gasses, leaving many herds and families to mourn their beloveds," a tan newsmare stated seriously. The camera flipped to a different newspony. "Yes, a terrible day for Manehattan and its ponies, Soapbox," a lime-green stallion continued. "First responders were left scrambling for their protective gear as the chemicals began to breach the plant's exterior, mandating an evacuation and subsequent quarantine of the immediate area. As of now, it is unknown how long it will take for the hazard crews to decontaminate the affected blocks and buildings, leaving many hard working ponies without homes for the time being." "That's right, Vox. Here in a moment we'll get word from our reporter on the scene, Wide Aperture." The view changed to a light-grey mare with bright yellow eyes. "Afternoon, Soapbox, Vox Populi." "What's the situation looking like, Aperture?" "Uhuh. Things aren't pretty just outside of the chemical quarantine," the reporter started. She gestured to a hastily-erected series of structures, bearing various medical and emergency personnel badges. "Several of Manehattan's finest fireponies have received injuries from the substances eating right through their equipment, requiring more specialized hazard teams to search the scene and begin decontamination." "Wow, that's quite frightening! You certainly can't tell at first glance exactly how dangerous it is. Vox?" "Well said. And what- Did uh, any of the hazard teams find anything of interest during their searches, Aperture?" "Yes, actually! Oilspill, the Hazard Chief, has informed us that the search teams were able to recover a single lucky survivor. A 52-year-old batpony ventilation technician, whose identity remains a mystery until more information is found. She is unable to speak and is hanging on by a thread due to the horrible injuries sustained by being so close to the spill. Its uncertain if she will survive the hospital stay, but we can only hope to Celestia that's the case. That's all I have for now, I'll keep HQ posted. Back to you, Soapbox." The channel focused on both newsponies once again. "Thank you, Aperture. Incredible news, a survivor! What a truly lucky soul to have come out of such a disaster alive." "Or unlucky, depending on your view. We all hope she makes it through the night, but only time will tell how her life will look a few years from now. Surely stuff that can eat through firepony gear is no good for somepony's lungs." "Right you are, Vox. Coming up next, hear how some theorize that the chemical accident... was no accident! More at 2 p.m. ECE with-" Click KZT Two silhouettes reflected off of the now dark TV screen, silence once again having taken hold. The stallion turned to his assistant. The mare returned his gaze. "Too coincidental," the mare mused. "Agreed," the stallion replied. "Who do they supply?" "Foresight Natural Remedies. Pharmaceutical company. Mostly snake oil, head office changes address every two months." "They even have the same acronym..." the stallion growled, turning away. "We should see to it that we find whoever that survivor was before they do," she suggested. "No doubt they won't be happy about a loose end." "Right then," He mumbled, tapping his chin with a red-furred hoof. "Hmm..." "Sir?" He turned back to her with a wide grin. "I think it's time we expand to Manehattan!" he nearly shouted, and draped a foreleg over her shoulder. "Let's give this new medical branch a test run. After all, we already have our first patient!" The stallion gleefully gestured at the TV. The mare swiveled to face her reflection. The powered-off CRT stared back at her stark-white visage grimly. "It seems we do." Author's Note 1 - After Nightmare Moon 2 - Eastern Coast Equestria timezone Chapter 1July 18th, 1023 ANNM The dim light of Celestia's early morning sun gently filtered into a bedroom, falling upon its lone sleeping occupant. As the dawn slowly heralded a new day, a drowsy pony began to stir from beneath her thin, silk-woven sheet. Wiping the sleep from her eyes, the pony was greeted by walls and ceiling of solid off-white. It was an exceptionally bare room. With a stretch and a raspy yawn, she turned her attention to the only other piece of furniture, a perfectly spotless plastic nightstand. The digital clock sitting atop it read 5:45 a.m. in big, easy numbers. She was precisely on time, as expected. The mare carefully stretched her aging joints as her light purple hooves landed on the floor below. Legs on solid ground, she spread her wings and shivered away the lingering sleep. Hooves and wings worked in tandem to remake the bed exactly as it should be. Not a single wrinkle visible on the lone sheet, she wheezed a pleased sigh, trotting off to begin her routine. BEEP BEEP BEEP An alarm clock shouted into the abyss of a pitch-black room, failing to awaken its owner. The sleeping pony lay motionless and ignorant to the urgent calls of their dutiful device. BEEP BEEP BEEP Another attempt, this time met with annoyed grunts and mumbled sleeptalk. A breakthrough? BEEP BEEP BEEP A single, pink hoof breached the cocoon of blankets, and lazily swatted at the general area beside the bed. BEEP BEEP BEEP "Mrgrph..." a mare groaned, swatting away with more vigor. So much vigor, that she had knocked down the cheap stool currently being used as a makeshift nightstand. The clock, her glasses, and an empty can of "Partybolt" branded energy drink clattered to the floor. BEEP BEEP BEEP The alarm clock screamed in protest. It was not in vain, however, as it had finally found success in its purpose. The pony swaddled in several thick blankets angrily tossed them away, fumbling to the edge of her bed. "UGH. It's Saturday!" she shouted in frustration, "I don't have work today, you idiot clock!" BEEP BEEP BEEP The clock countered. Having had enough, the mare finally dropped onto her hooves out of bed. With a quick smack, she silenced the alarm. She wordlessly righted the stool.. erm, the nightstand, and slid it back into place. Setting her glasses on her muzzle, she paused a moment before collecting the clock. Wait.. why did I set an alarm for a Saturday, again? As she stood still in the dark bedroom, she looked back and forth between the clock and her window, currently draped with a blackout curtain. The time on its face read 5:58 a.m. Her mouth was dry. Staring at the display, she could physically feel her blood turn to ice as the memory clicked. "I'M LATE!" she screeched, scrambling over her bed to open the blinds and start her day. Gentle steam rose up from the shower's tiles, as hot water pittered onto the winged mare from the shower head above. She took slow deep breaths as the heat relaxed her muscles. Eyes closed, she sat on her haunches and began to lather away the last bits of shampoo. The water itself would be enough to clear away the residual wing-wash. She gave herself a thorough once-over, making sure no spot was missed. Satisfied, she turned off the shower. With a shudder and a flutter, she shook away most of the excess water that had soaked in. Turning a different knob along the wall, the steam was quickly replaced by lukewarm air blown in through several vents. The air-dry system wicked away the moisture much faster than anypony could by hoof; so long as one knew the proper angles. The mare turned this way and that with a practiced grace, and within a minute her body was dry and clean. Making her way to the bathroom's full-body mirror, she grabbed an assortment of brushes and set to work on her coat, tail, and mane. A light blue stallion brushed his teeth in front of a slightly cracked mirror. The tell-tale turquoise glow of his magic enveloped the rusty shower handle nearby, setting the perfect temperature. He spat and rinsed, wiping his mouth. He took a moment to admire his silver-streaked mane, smiling to himself. "No bedhead this morning, first to shower, hot date?" he chuckled, "It's gonna be a good day for-" "STEEEEEEEL!" a mare screamed down the (admittedly very short) hall, loud and panicked hoofsteps rapidly approaching. "Fffffffuck," he sighed, hanging his head. "STEELGETOUTOFTHEBATHROOMYOUSINGLECELLEDMOOKI'MLATE" the mare yelled, knocking fervently at the thin plywood. "I got dibs fair and square this morning, the shower is MINE!" he replied, getting closer to the door for emphasis. "STEEL YOU- UH, SHOWER-STEALING.... NONCE!" Silence from the other side, before the lock clicked and the door creaked open just enough for Steel's muzzle to poke out. "What in Equestria is a 'nonce'?" "I dunno! I just heard some old-timey pony on TV use it as an insult! Anyway-" She lurched forward, slamming her entire body into the door, knocking Steel away and opening it wide. "AGH" "OUT OUT OUT! I AM LATE!" she shouted, pushing Steel through the frame. "Oh hey, the water's already running! Thaaaanks!~" "RUDE! You can't just push me out, I had first dibs! It's in the roommate agreement!" "Dire situations overwrite that! Says that on the agreement, too!" She slammed the door in his face. A soft 'click' announced that she had locked it. Pulling himself up off the floor, Steel scoffed. "Right, and what's soooo dire for you to chance that clause?!" "I'm late to meet with her!" she shot back. "Now shoo, I'm wasting time!" She opened the cabinet under the sink, and hastily grabbed her set of towels. "Ah, that's fair." He smirked to himself as the sounds of his roommate clambering into the tub echoed into the hall. "Hey, watch the water, I like my showers-" "EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!" "-cold! PFFAHAHAHA!" "I wager she'll be tardy today.." the mare whispered to herself. Her silvery white mane was pristine, tied at its two ends with dark blue bands. She tightened a set of straps around her barrel, and wiggled to ensure the complex device attached to them didn't shimmy or sway. The purple mare rotated her wings and forelegs around, seeing if they bumped into it at any point. Now fastened properly, she walked to her bedroom door, and gave the panel beside it a tap. It lit up a dim blue, and some machinery could be heard whirring through the adjacent walls. Finally, it flashed to green, and the mechanism unlocked with a 'hiss' and a 'thunk'. She smiled, opening the heavy door with only the littlest trouble; she left her sparsely furnished room cleaner than when she had awoken. After shutting the weighty thing behind her, it 'thunked' back into place. She stood still, soaking in the quiet hum of her unique home. Contrary to her sealed away bedroom and guest hall, most of the remainder of the apartment had an open floor-plan; the hallway led into a wide living space, furnished with several hypoallergenic faux leather chairs surrounding a mostly-glass coffee table; it was framed of identical custom plastic as her nightstand, imitating mahogany with silver inlay. The rest was more of the same. She thrived on consistency, and as such, what little other furniture she had followed a theme. Barely separated by short half-walls, the dining area was opposite the living room, and the kitchen was to her immediate right. Both were plainly visible. Another room, however, sat locked away in the final corner, as far from any food source as possible; but still within reach. Entering the kitchen, she slid out a bench-like stool from its island, and warily clambered atop it. The large digital timepiece sitting above the electric stove read a clear 6:15 a.m. Once again, she was precisely on time. Gambling on having to wait a tad for her companion today, she smiled with delight as she removed her breakfast from the fruit basket. She licked her lips as she stared hungrily at the large, perfectly ripe mango in her hooves. Mane damp and horrendously unkempt, the pink mare struggled valiantly to smooth out the tangles. Despite her immense displeasure (and her roommate Steel's schadenfreude), the cold water had guaranteed that she was wide awake. Already late enough, she simply tied her mane up into a crude ponytail. The truly antique scrunchy barely held it together. With little time to waste, she hastily scoured her closet for a clean uniform. "Come on come on come ooonnnn..." she grumbled, "I've gotta have one in here!" Frustrated, she decided it best to dig out yesterday's uniform from the laundry pile. Uncrumpling it, she attempted to smooth out a few of its wrinkles with her hoof. Stainless, mostly wrinkle free... She gave it a cursory sniff. Meh. Good enough for laundry day. The mare quickly slipped her hooves through the uniform's long sleeves, barely taking the time to correctly button it. Gathering her saddlebag, I.D. badge, and bitpouch, she scampered out of her room and into the incredibly cramped kitchenette. Steel entered right after, towel wrapped tightly around his mane. He pulled out a rickety chair, hopping up into it. "So," he began, "what's for breakfast?" "HAH!" she laughed involuntarily. Saying nothing more, she gave him a halfhearted wave and sped out the front door, slamming it behind her. "Yeesh, and the mares say stallions get ornery in the mornings?" He dropped out of his chair and opened the refrigerator. Its meager offerings soured his mood a little more. "Grocery run for Steel, yaaaay.." The older mare waited patiently by her apartment's front entryway. Having eaten, washed up, and even had time to check over her checklist multiple times, she started to become concerned at exactly how late her companion was. For the mean time at least, she savored every unlabored breath that she could take while home. She stretched her wings to their full span, and rechecked the straps of the small satchels wrapped at their base. Pleased, she folded them back and settled down again. She took a glance at the kitchen's clock. 6:42 a.m., far later than the 'usual late'. Which was unusual, given that they lived in the same building. "Maybe I should check up on her..?" Almost on cue, the 'buzz' of her doorbell snapped her out of her thoughts. She chuckled to herself at the timing. Taking one final deep breath, she unclipped a full-muzzle mask from the device upon her chest. She brushed her mane aside carefully to make way for the mask's straps, tightening them firmly as it closed around her snout. Breath still held, she removed a small wired status readout also attached to the device; holding a button to activate it, it briefly pulsed blue as it calibrated to its desired settings. The screen then flashed to a solid green, and it let out a positive chirp. Reattaching it to the base, the mare opened a safety cover, and flipped a switch to activate the main functions of the device. With several hums, whirs, and hisses, she was finally free to release the air she'd been holding. She took another deep breath, this time of the extremely filtered air the machine produced. It simply wasn't the same. Now ready for the world beyond, she trotted up to her front door. Setting her hoof on a scanner, she waited for the complicated equipment to work through its process. After about a minute, the seal broke on the airlock with a drawn-out 'hiss', allowing her to gingerly step in. She closed it behind herself, and pressed a large floor button by the door that led outside. She casually removed her status block again, awaiting its results. It took very little time for it to change from comforting green, to a much more common deep red. It made several low-toned warning beeps to alert her of the unsafe atmosphere. Wracked with anxiety and guilt for being so late, the pink mare was practically rattling. She decided it best to take deep slow breaths to try and prevent herself from hyperventilating, knowing the complex-as-Tartarus door would give her a moment of respite. She tried in vain to straighten out her day-old uniform, opting instead to adjust her purple mane. Now in a much more respectable state (the electric-blue streaks in her mane were now proper streaks, rather than vague splatters), she finally calmed down enough to notice that the door was in its final stage. She could hear the tell-tale alert tones of her charge's breathing device, meaning she would emerge very soon. Readying a (hopefully) disarming smile, she straightened her posture. EERRR click click click clickclickclick THUNK FTSSSSS The light purple pony slowly pushed the door out of her way, as the beams of incandescent light poured in from her floor's hall through the outer frame. After a little strain, her slitted eyes adjusted to the brightness considered by most of Equestria to be 'normal'. She smiled again as her seafoam green eyes locked on to her exceptionally late escort, a pink unicorn who, upon closer inspection, seemed like she was about to explode. "Good morning, Ovocon Logistics Officer Pixelle," she greeted with a smirk. She turned back towards her apartment to close and re-seal the hulking airlock door; the exterior of which, was fashioned out of real mahogany, with real silver inlay. OH SWEET MERCIFUL CELESTIA SHE USED MY FULL NAME AND TITLE. Rather than immediately break into a fit of hyperventilation, Pixelle instead decided to simply... not breathe. She tried to hold concentration onto a single object, and the first things to catch her eye were her charge's leathery wings. She's not even facing me! She hates my guts for being late AGAIN, I am SO fired... Unfortunately, as many doctors would tell you, not getting oxygen is a surefire way to become lightheaded and delirious. I'mdeadI'mdeadI'mdeadI'mdeadI'mdea- Concerned at not hearing a reply, the batpony turned back around to see what was up. As it turns out, Pixelle's face was very quickly changing color to match the dark purple of her mane. Eyes fixed to a point in space, it was clear she was not having a good time, and that her own inner monologue was probably not helping. Trotting to her side, she gave the unicorn a heavy slap on her back, hoping it would help release the breath she was holding. "Oh calm your fat teats, sugarcone!" she chuckled with a wheeze. "I was just foolin' with you!" With a heaving gasp, Pixelle's face returned to almost normal - instead changing to form a light blush. After taking a moment to gather her bearings, she gasped again, this time in shock. "Miss Airflow! Language!" she chided. "Bah, so colty about colorful language and so mareish about waking up on time," Airflow replied. "Come on now, dear! We have a lot of goodies to collect today, and you've got the saddlebags!" She started trotting down the hall, making her way towards the building's elevator. She giggled internally when she heard a distant sigh of exasperation. "Right away, Miss Airflow!" Pixelle called, galloping to catch up. Chapter 2The Citrine high-rise was one of Manehattan's taller buildings, easily picked out in the skyline by it's golden-capped silhouette and honey-yellow columns. Despite its striking appearance, what makes it truly special is its construction; it's the first of Manehattan's many towers to be built from the ground up with crystal-current electrical infrastructure. For its age, The Citrine is exceptionally modular. Due to this inherent design, it was also the first tower to include several elevator systems upon its grand opening, rather than install them retroactively. One of which, had just reached the ground floor. As its gold-leafed doors slid open, two mares locked in an argument stepped out into the expansive lobby. "No, it's okay," a tall pink unicorn defended. "Really, I'll be fine!" The senior batpony she was walking with gave her a stern, motherly glare. "Nopony is fine skipping breakfast, Pixelle. If you won't make sure you stay fed, then I will!" "M-Miss Airflow, please-" "Nope! I am dead-set now, sure as Luna's moon. Errand number one, we're going to a bakery!" Pixelle sighed in defeat. "Yes, Miss Airflow..." Reaching the front entrance, she opened and held the tall door for her client. The pair walked in relative silence (and the silence was very relative, being in central Manehattan) through the crowded streets. Celestia's summer sun slowly filled in the paths below. The night shops pushed out their last few customers, while the day dwellers were eagerly opening their doors. With every restaurant and cafe they passed, Airflow would catch her escort stare wistfully at the food in the window displays. While she wouldn't intentionally lead anypony on like that, it worked in her favor. There was no doubt in her mind that she would succeed in getting Pixelle a proper meal to start the day. She silently hoped this wasn't a habit of hers. Pixelle was in a tiny hell of her own making. Having had nothing for breakfast but cheap oat bars for months, the sights and smells of coffee and hot food only worsened the pangs of her empty stomach. Of course, they simply had to be passing by all of the best cafes, off to some bakery she's never heard of. Airflow had never mentioned anything of the sort to her before; she posited that with all the other special-order things she required, it made sense for that to extend to her food. Crossing roads, turning corners, and weaving through the hustle and bustle, the duo finally stopped in front of what looked like a secret entrance to some underground maintenance shaft. The stairs leading down were steep, and the door at the bottom was made of aging rusted metal. A hoof-painted sign above the frame simply read 'La Panaderia Antigua' in big red letters, and in parenthesis under it, '(The Ancient Bakery)'. Pixelle swallowed nervously. She'd watched enough horror films to know that doors like that likely led to the deaths of the curious. Airflow simply smiled, starting her cautious descent. She spread her wings a little to help keep balance. Pixelle had also watched enough horror films to know that murderers really like it when the party splits up. She hastily followed. For the safety of her charge, of course. Upon reaching the landing, the purple batpony reached for the handle, and struggled to pull it open. "Oh dear," she wheezed, "they really should fix this old thing!" "N-no worries Miss, I'll... I'll open it for you!" Pixelle stuttered. Not wanting to get anywhere near it, her horn lit up and she tugged at the door gently. It barely creaked. "Wuh?" She tried again, with more force. The hinges made a few rusty screeches, but otherwise it remained unmoving. Pixelle silently thanked Celestia. "Oh well, I guess they're c-closed!" she started. "I guess we won't have to go in anymore, aw shucks! Well Miss Airflow, I'm sorr-" "Ah! Silly me, I forgot it's a push door!" The handle clicked, and the door swung inward with comical ease. "Push.. door.. oh." She tried her best to hide her grimace as she stared into the dark corridor. A single sliver of orange light was shining from another closed door further down the hall. "Oh..." Airflow rolled her eyes. Draping a wing across her back, she led her inside. "Sweetie, aren't you supposed to be the one helping me along?" she chuckled. "Come now, a little bread never hurt anypony!" Pixelle flinched at the sound of the door slamming itself closed behind her. "Clearly you haven't seen 'Baguette Basher: World of Pain'," she mumbled, adjusting her glasses with her magic. Her eyes darted around the concrete hall, looking for any other possible escape route. Approaching the second entryway, Airflow gestured for Pixelle to go first. Anxiously, she put her hoof on this new handle, and pushed it the rest of the way open, ringing a little bell. They were both instantly hit with the mouth-watering aroma of freshly baked breads and pastries. The light from the bakery's interior was warm and inviting, a stark contrast to the hall it parallels. Rows upon rows of goods lined the counter, each looking more appetizing than the last. Eyes turning wide as dinner plates, Pixelle could do little else but stare in awe. Airflow slowly but surely nudged the stupefied mare inside. Past the structure's horrid exterior lay a quaint bakery decorated with artifacts, pictures, and trinkets common in one of the cultures at Equestria's Southern end. Golden idols, knitted tapestries, clay statuettes, and a picture of a mare standing in some ruins with a few alpacas. "Quien carajo viene tan temprano?!" a distant voice shouted around a corner. Angry stomps could be heard making their way to the front end of the shop, and a short mare came into view (barely). She was a light orange earth pony, sporting a striking magenta and violet mane. Two long braids draped her shoulders, falling over a very colorful, hoof-knitted lliclla. "Hola? Is too early, we are still- Ay! Airecita, mi preciosa anciana! How are yoouuu?" "Good morning, Grano!" she chimed, trotting up and giving the mare a hug. "And you know, the only one here who has 'anciana' in their name is you!" The mare threw her head back in a hearty laugh, taking a step backwards to give her space. "Siempre bueno ver my best batpony customer!" "Grano, with how late you open and how early you close, I think I'm your only batpony customer," Airflow panned, amused. "Pah. No seas tan amarga, yegua," Grano complained. She looked past Airflow for just a second, noticing Pixelle awkwardly sitting just behind her. "Oh, you bring a friend! Introduce me!" Airflow shimmied out of the way of her view, gesturing between the two. "This is my caretaker today, Pixelle. She works with the company that makes my breathing device. Pixelle, this is Grano Anciano, or Ancient Grain, the best baker in Manehattan!" "No hay panaderia mejor este lado de las montañas!" She beamed, offering a hoof. "Uh, nice to meet you!" Pixelle met her hoof with a respectful bump. "Sorry I don't speak.. um, that.." "No problem! I can say in Equestrian. But she needs to practice!" she accused, pointing a hoof at Airflow. "Relajate pata, I haven't forgotten everything yet!" the batpony defended. "Anyway, I know I usually make the pickups in the afternoons, and I apologize for the surprise visit. Esta zanahoria aquí no tiene ni michi en casa. So I brought her here for breakfast." "Ahhh, entiendo eso. Lucumita forgets always too! I bring menus and start your order, ya?" she nodded, trotting back towards the kitchen. "Toman asiento! Get comfortable, I be right back!" The two settled in at a table against the far wall. Little light from the sun outside made its way through the tiny rectangular windows just above them, adding to the dining room's warm atmosphere. Although, being a bakery, it would have been warm regardless; with most of the ovens still burning, it was actually quite hot. Airflow gently fanned her wings. Pixelle uncomfortably tugged her collar. While cozy, The Ancient Bakery's location did it no favors during Equestria's hotter months. Small windows, no doors to fresh air, and a basement-level concrete room ensured that whatever heat those ovens made, stayed trapped within the walls. As Grano walked back with the menus in her teeth, Pixelle took note of her lliclla. "How can you wear that poncho-thing in here? It's sweltering!" She practically spat the menus onto the table, face twisting into annoyance. "No no no, no es un poncho," she huffed, "es una lliclla! Much more useful. Make into.. like.. bah. Como se dice?" She raised an eyebrow at Airflow, vaguely gesturing to Pixelle's bags. "Oh, saddlebags?" the bat suggested. "Si! Eso, saddlebag!" she nodded. "Can wrap different to hold things." "Ah. But um, how are you wearing it in here?" Pixelle asked again. "Aren't you uncomfortable with all this heat?" The short mare giggled, waving a hoof. "No no! I am used to it," she dismissed. "I am not stranger to hot rooms. Have been baking most of my life, and before, helping in forges. Papa was a... a brightsmith! Yes. He made things from plata, silver." "Well either way yegua, with the upcoming summer your bakery needs some ventilation!" Airflow interjected. "Hace mucho calor, gotta have some fresh air." "You promise me no more maquinas, Airflow! Plenty of fresh air afuera. Adentro? Fresh bread!" she grinned, sliding them their menus. Panicked clicking and clacking reverberated off of the pristine hardwood floors as somepony's very light hooves galloped across them. Heavier clops (and some vulgar shouts) could be heard not far behind the escapee. Speeding through the hall in a blur, the lithe mystery figure ducked left into a bedroom. Whipping their head around the room, they stopped entirely as the Prench balcony doors caught their eye. The small pony smiled mischievously, a plan forming in their head. They reared up and bucked the doors open with a crash, hoping to draw as much attention as possible. With the voices and hooves approaching fast, they quickly squeezed their tiny frame under the chamber's ornate bed. Several mares and stallions in full black suits barged into the room, looking around frantically. Another stallion, clearly of an upper-class upbringing, strode in furiously. He dusted his baby blue pinstripe vest and aligned his navy-hued bowtie. The black-suited ponies merely stared at him, awaiting direction. "Well?" he asked expectantly. "Where's that bird-brained brat? Don't just look at m- AUGH!! MY IMPORTED PRENCH DOORS!" The fancy stallion pushed the guards aside to inspect the crime scene. "She's probably long-gone by now, you fools! Did none of you see the doors shattered?!" "We were waitin' on ya orders, boss!" one of the ponies saluted. "My ORDERS were to CATCH THE THIEF!" he fumed. "Not one of you thought to check the balcony?!" "S-sir we just-" "No! I'm not having it. Outsmarted by a filly!" he scoffed, kicking some of the glass shards. "I expected more from Manehattan's finest in security. You're lucky this would embarrass ME, too, otherwise I'd tell the whole city to avoid your 'services'." He spat on the balcony for effect, and stomped out of the room. The guards exchanged glances. "We uh... we don't gotta clean this up, do we?" a skinny unicorn asked. "I ain't fuckin' doin' it," a pegasus snorted. "We guard and we look good in suits, that's our schtick. Let's break for coffee. We ain't no maids." The well-dressed security ponies filed out, mumbling and arguing about which cafe to visit. Just a few moments later, the well-hidden filly shimmied her way out from under the low bed. Hopping up on her hooves, she straightened out her green and grey fur; her ash-colored mane was normally fairly unkempt, so she left it alone. Giddy at her success, she reached into her wing-pouch and gingerly removed her prize. In her small hooves, she cradled a pair of earrings of exceptional quality. Pure silver frames encased the most perfectly cut emeralds she had ever seen, shaped like crescent moons. The second half of the piece filled the remaining space with equally stunning black opal, shimmering like a galaxy in the night sky. "She's going to love these!" the lanky teen squeed, eyes sparkling. "I can finally pay her back!" Hurriedly stowing them back in the pouch, she carefully stepped around the broken glass on the balcony. Clambering up onto the rampart, she spread her multi-colored wings and hopped off gently; mixing into the rest of the city, she glided away unnoticed. "Grano, I'm not taking no for an answer," a batpony wheezily huffed. "And I am not taking your bits!" a short earth pony shot back. "I tell you, you don't have to pay. No seas terca, Airecita!" "Mare, 'stubborn' is my middle name, we can sit here all day." "Um, it's okay Miss Airflow, I-I can cover for it," a shy unicorn offered, "I mean.. I was the only pony who ordered food, and I can cover your drink, too!" "What? No no, Pixelle. I told you I would be taking you to breakfast, and that means I pay for the order." "Yes Airflow, and I tell you the same thing!" Grano stomped her hoof. "I didn't want to have to do this, Grano, but you leave me no choice," Airflow said sternly. She fixed her diminutive friend with a steely glare. "I'll install my next invention in here while you're on vacation if you won't take my money." The orange mare let out a shocked gasp. "You- you would not! Prometiste, no maquinas!" "I know where you hide the spare key, and if you won't let me pay with bits, then I suppose I'll just have to pay you with a favor..." she sighed with an exaggerated sadness. "After all, being such a good friend, I must pay you back! What better way than my incredible, and absolutely very functional new.. machine?" Grano Anciano cringed at the emphasis Airflow put on that word, and hung her head in defeat. "Eres un diablo, sabes? Dame la maldita plata." She thrust out her hoof. Smiling with victory, Airflow sat on her haunches and unlatched the wing-pouch on her right. She started counting the bits owed with a an intentional 'clink' of every coin. "No preciosa, soy un angel," she said sarcastically. She dropped the payment into Grano's waiting hoof, chuckling quietly. She couldn't keep her angry facade for very long, and shortly the earth pony's face broke into a smile. "La proxima, ya?" "Fine, fine, I promise. huff.. Next time!" "Good! You won't be coming later, no? I'll go and get your usual pickup prepared." "Oh, speaking of next time!" Pixelle piped up, "Before we head out, could I have another order of those donut things to-go?" "Picarones? Of course! I bring you a little cup for the syrup too," she nodded, trotting off to the kitchen. As the duo sat in silence waiting for Grano, Pixelle looked around the little shop, taking in more details. All of the artifacts along the walls were very clearly hoof-crafted, and made with exceptional skill. She wondered to herself if Grano's artisan persuasion branched out to other crafts. Airflow merely sat still, eyes closed, performing a breathing exercise. As she turned an ear towards her client, she noticed that her breathing had become heavy and labored. Turning to look at her, it was clear she was in a touch of distress. Pixelle gently placed a hoof on her shoulder. "Is everything alright, Miss Airflow?" Through raspy breaths, the batpony mustered a reply. "Yes dear.. huff... I'm fine." She cracked a small smile to reassure her. "Just been... huff... talking too much.." She spread her wings a bit to help cool herself off. "Air's little.. huff.. heavy. Hot... huff... in here." Now especially concerned, the unicorn turned to face her. "Miss Airflow, do you know any place nearby we can go that's cooler?" She glanced at the small windows. "Somewhere close. It's not going to be much better outside." The older mare merely nodded her head, focusing once more on pacing her breaths. Airflow's lungs and throat burned. Not from lacking air quality, her mask and apparatus had that covered. It did nothing for the thickness of the air however, and it struggled with humidity. In the end, second-to-none filtration is also ineffective if the wearer simply talks too much. Uncomfortable with the possibility of being forced to go non-verbal for the rest of the day, she vastly preferred keeping quiet for a while as a preventative measure. Going non-verbal would also mean it would be more difficult to get what she needed today. Though the places she frequented knew her by now, Manehattan wasn't very accommodating to a pony that couldn't speak. Most ponies simply didn't know sign language, after all. She would be visiting several places that were unfamiliar with her and her condition. Grano Anciano came trotting back into the dining area, breaking up her train of thoughts. She had their orders wrapped up in two paper bags, which she carried with her mouth. Locking eyes with both of her guests, she stopped mid-step to assess the situation. She approached slowly, and set the bags down in front of them. "Todo bien, Airecita?" she inquired. Airflow merely nodded her head, smile returning. "She's been talking too much, so she's saving her energy," PIxelle explained. "She said she knows a place that'll have some cooler air, make it easier for her to catch her breath." Grano looked to Airflow for confirmation, to which she nodded. Airflow pointed at Pixelle. She then angled her left hoof sideways, pointing straight forward; her right hoof also sideways, pointed off to the side; she dropped the right hoof on top of the left one, and nodded again. "She's right!" she signed. "Ah! Entiendo." the short mare got back to her hooves, and passed the bags to Pixelle. "Here is extra order of picarones, and Airflow's loafs!" Grinning, she turned to her friend. "The special this week es pan de camote! I also got you one extra, like you asked!" The batpony closed her right eye, and drooped her right ear; she put her hoof to her lips, and gestured outwards to the right. "Delicious!" Airflow then reset her expression, put a hoof to her lips again, and extended the foreleg out, hoof up, towards the earth pony. "Thank you." "Naaahh no hay problema chica!" Grano pulled Airflow into a tight hug, while being mindful of the sensitive equipment she wore. "Cuidate ya? Te quiero ver aquí la proxima semana, y te quiero ver sana!" After being released from the hug, she held her left hoof flat, and closed both eyes; with her right hoof, she made a 'C' shape in the air (from Grano's perspective), ending it atop the left. "Of course!" Waving goodbye, Airflow and Pixelle started making their way towards the exit. A surprisingly strong hoof pulled Pixelle back. Grano Anciano locked eyes with her, wearing a serious expression. "Other pony that comes with her, he has different color uniform," she started. "Your stripe green. His stripe red. I know you are not medical. Keep. Her. Healthy." The small earth pony tapped her chest with each word for emphasis, before letting go. "I-I will!" Pixelle stammered. "I promise I will. She's my friend too." It was not a temperate day in Manehattan. Hazel brown eyes scanned the streets below, watching as ponies struggled with the heat. She was thankful for the building's shade. The skinny filly kept her wings spread, holding her balance atop a thin flagpole. It surely would have bent or broken under the weight of a fully-grown pegasus, but she was light even for her size. As she peered on, a pair of mares stepping up and out from a basement caught her attention. She watched them like a hawk, taking in as many details as she could. The purple one adjusted a pair of leathery wings, and her breath hitched. Anxious for a second sign of confirmation, she kept her eyes locked to the duo. The purple batpony sat down, and moved her hooves in a clearly communicative way. The pink companion nodded understanding, and they continued on their way. The filly grinned a predatory smile. Exactly who she was looking for. Author's Note I'll preface this by saying I don't actually know a lot about ASL - but in my research I've found that several (if not most) words are spoken with very specific finger placement! Ponies don't have fingers. So, I devised a matchup, since horses communicate with their ears a lot; eyes, ears, and tongue will act as the fingers on the hand! Left eye for index, right eye for middle, right ear for ring, left ear for pinky, and finally the tongue as the thumb. A teensy bit arbitrary, and I hope I'm getting these gestures correct. A hoof with no changes in expression will simply count as a closed fist. A drooped ear or a close eye will be considered as the corresponding finger extended. If you actually speak ASL, feel free to correct any mistakes! I'll do my due diligence to ensure any caught errors are fixed. Translation time! Note: This part is a little long, and entirely optional. I do hope it offers more context than the basics of certain web translators though! Note 2: I am SO bad at placing the tildes. Please forgive me for missing some! Quien carajo viene tan temprano?! "Who the fuck is coming in so early?!" A "lliclla" (pronounced 'yee-see-yuh') is a traditional Incan cover similar to a poncho. It's mostly worn by the Quechua people these days, and is used to keep warm, carry young children, or carry cargo. Airecita, mi preciosa anciana! "Little Airflow, my precious old lady!" It may not be universal, but for my family at least, we say "aire" or "airecita" for air that's blowing, like a small fan or the AC. In this case, Grano uses it the same way. Siempre bueno ver (...) "Always good to see (...)" No seas tan amarga, yegua. "Don't be so bitter, mare." No hay panaderia mejor este lado de las montañas! "There's no better bakery this side of the mountains!" Relajate pata (...) "Relax buddy (...)" 'Pata,' in this context, specifically refers to a close and well-trusted friend. There's no direct translation. Esta zanahoria aquí no tiene ni michi en casa. "This carrot here doesn't have any food at home." 'Zanahoria,' carrot, when referring to a person means "innocent". 'Ni michi' is Peruvian slang for "no food". Ahhh, entiendo eso. "Ahh, I understand that." Toman asiento! "Take a seat!" (...) no es un poncho, es una lliclla! "(...) it's not a poncho, it's a lliclla!" Si! Eso, saddlebag! "Yes! That, saddlebag!" Hace mucho calor, (...) "It's too hot, (...) Maquinas means "machines". Afuera means "outside". Adentro means "inside". No seas terca, Airecita! "Don't be stubborn, Little Airflow!" Prometiste, no maquinas! "You promised, no machines!" Eres un diablo, sabes? Dame la maldita plata. "You're a devil, you know that? Give me the damn money." No preciosa, soy un angel, (...) "No precious, I'm an angel, (...)" La proxima, ya? "Next time, yeah?" Picarones are Peruvian-style donuts, not nearly as thick as the ones most folks know. They're hoops of dough dropped directly into a shallow pan of frying oil, and are pretty hard to get right. They're almost always served with a side of (usually homemade) syrup. Sometimes they're dusted with powdered sugar too! Todo bien, Airecita? "Everything alright, Little Airflow?" Entiendo. "I understand." Pan is bread. Camote is sweet potato. Naaahh no hay problema chica! "Naaahh no problem girl!" Cuidate ya? Te quiero ver aquí la proxima semana, y te quiero ver sana! "Take care of yourself, yeah? I want to see you here next week, and I want to see you healthy!" MotionTwo figures sat across from each other in a darkened room. One a diminutive, slender unicorn mare, the other a towering, dense earth pony stallion. "Why haven't they shown their faces yet?" the unicorn hissed. "They're in the center of the public eye these days, is that not face enough?" the earth pony replied. "No. Puppets on a stage," she hummed. "The strings are so clearly visible, and yet, neither the bars nor their holder ever appear." "Puppets controlling puppets, maybe?" he meekly suggested. "Cannot be, not with their insipid little logo plastered to everything they touch." "Right, including ponies." "Yes, including... Hmph." She put her hooves together in thought. She sat stock still as the gears turned in her head. "Something the matter, ma'am?" the brute inquired. "I'll admit I'm feeling the green hues of envy." She did not turn to look at him. "Your total lack of wit actually managed an ingenious idea." "Thank... you?" "Don't let it get to your head," she snapped. "Like infinite monkeys on typewriters, anypony would have eventually reached this conclusion." "But my monkey hit all the right keys, yeah?" She stared at him with such palpable contempt, his early warning implant alerted him to life-threatening danger. "Apologies, ma'am," he rushed, scrambling into a salute. "Gear yourself and your little squad for extra training," the shadowy mare mused. "It's time to dig up an old project, and I need no distractions while I research." "Yes ma'am!" With a quick twist, the hulking stallion clomped his way out of the office. Turning to face the screens behind her, she hit a few keys in a very particular order. The machine sprang to life, bathing the dark room in a hazy glow. Each of the wall's many monitors contained a different snippet of information; pictures, articles, personnel files, and news reports. "Coals are lit, Ovocon," she said to herself. "The wheels are in motion. It's all but a matter of time." She typed a few more commands, bringing up a different set of information across all screens. Many different newspapers and their headlines popped up, but what took center stage was her true focus. Spread across the four central monitors, was the picture of a batpony mare sitting upright in a hospital bed. Despite all of the tubing and machinery surrounding her, she wore a bright, if weary smile. The unicorn's eyes flicked to the image's headline. Miracle Mare: Lone Survivor of Manehattan Chemical Disaster Pulls Through Successful Surgery! "Not to mention..." she started through grit teeth. Her gaze hardened as she stared at the wall of her publicized failure. "...you still have one of my loose ends." Author's Note Howdy! Been a while, aye? Hopefully this interim chapter will suffice while I finalize Chapter 3! I wasn't planning on revealing anything about FNR so soon, but they won't be popping up again for a while, so I figured it wouldn't hurt to add a little bonus intrigue. Both this AND the third chapter were supposed to be ready last week, but unfortunately the release of Remnant 2 has consumed me. Worry not though! It is on the way. See y'all soon! -Nuke Chapter 3Pixelle couldn't say she was surprised at the sight before her. Nestled tightly between two of the city's many massive towers sat a darkened alleyway with a seedy aura like no other. Uncollected garbage lay strewn about, and she swore she could feel somepony hidden watching from the shadows. Worst of all, it was a dead end! "M-Miss Airflow, are- ahem, are you absolutely sure there's a pharmacy... here?" the unicorn gulped, gesturing vaguely forward. Airflow just let out a quiet chuckle, and patted her on the withers before trotting in deeper. Having opened her wings behind her to help spread away excess body heat, the older mare was relieved to be out of direct sunlight. Feeling the already cooler air of the shadowed alley, she gently folded her wings back to her sides. Continuing on, the batpony confidently walked towards the dead end wall. Pixelle however, was not keeping good pace. She moved far more cautiously, checking every nook and cranny for potential dangers. Looking forward to check on her charge, she saw the mare quickly disappear behind a dumpster at the far end. "Miss Airflow?" she called, anxious. No reply. "Miss Airflow?!" Breaking into a sprint, Pixelle sped forward. As she approached, a dubious green glow emanated from around the corner. Her horn ignited almost on instinct, readying a counterspell. While it wouldn't do much to a non-unicorn assailant, it still held enough impact to knock somepony off-balance. Skidding to a halt as she rounded the dumpster, she screamed a fear-inducing war cry. (Her voice did not crack, that was totally part of it. On purpose! Yeah.) Airflow, halfway down a set of stairs leading to a basement-level shop, merely looked at her with concern. She started climbing back up to check on her. "M-Miss Airflow! You're.. fine??" she sputtered. "What about that green magic?! Who was that?!" The batpony merely pointed above the stairway. Looking past her, Pixelle saw a large neon sign. Bathing that corner of the alley in a soft green, it was shaped like a large medical cross. Confused at the layout of it all, she quickly realized the alley was not actually a dead end; it turned a corner, and continued back out to a neighboring street. "Oh. I uh.. oh. cough So! Phar- um.. pharmacy, huh?" she blushed. Airflow took her hoof, and patted it in reassurance. She smiled warmly, before looking up at her forehead, and giggling a little. The bat gave her a light tap on her horn, and the counterspell she still had charged fizzled out. "Hah.. whoops.." Hazel irises peered down into the darkness below, following the small scene as it unfolded. The eyes observed the way this new mare acted, and the mystery figure kept mental notes. Flighty. Paranoid. Easily tunnel visioned. Rapid caster, though. The unicorn's voice crack pierced her thoughts. The figure snorted and covered her muzzle, barely suppressing laughter. High priority: terrible war cry. We can work on that. She scanned the rest of the alleyway. Just like before they arrived, both branches of the little pathway were devoid of other ponies. Bar the occasional pedestrian noticing the shop's neon sign, little of note appeared. Satisfied at the lack of suspicious activity, she returned her attention to the odd duo. You're supposed to be looking out for her, not the other way around. She watched them like a bird of prey as they made their way down the stairs of the entrance. Stock still, she would easily be mistaken for a gargoyle at a glance. Her ear twitched as she heard the jingle of the doors. She maintained her posture for a few moments after they made their way inside, just to make sure. The older filly released the breath she'd been holding, and unfurled her wings. She leaned over the railing she was perched on, gauging the height. With a sharp nod and a short hop, she glided her way down. A small cluster of silver bells jingled as the door was opened. They were hit with a sudden, sharp cold that nipped through the duo's fur. Airflow stood just past the doorway, content to simply absorb the chilly air of the magically-cooled shop. Her companion shivered through her uniform as she stepped in behind her, and the bells jingled again as the door swung closed. As they walked the rest of the way in, they were greeted by rows and rows of shelves. Medication, hygiene supplies, supplements, and more laid before them with an almost obsessive neatness. The batpony smiled to herself as she appreciated the exceptional organization of products. The sight had been familiar for a long time, and always put her at ease. Taking deep, slow breaths, she folded her wings back up. Looking around the rest of the pharmacy, she found that she and Pixelle were alone. It seemed even the shopkeep was absent. It wouldn't matter until she needed to pay, but it was still an inconvenience to get him to show up. Pixelle stood next to her, having dismissed her fears. Though some ponies may find the harsh whites of the floor, walls, ceiling, racks.. of everything in the shop, really - a little unsettling, and almost too sanitized, Pixelle was simply reminded of her workplace. Ovocon's offices, regardless of location or department, seemed to always be rather lacking in decorative flair. Another rush of cold air interrupted her thoughts, and she tried to sink deeper into her uniform's coat. "How are you doing, Miss Airflow?" she asked, looking down at her. "Feeling better?" The batpony nodded absentmindedly, attention focused on the medicine lining that particular aisle. "I have a few prescriptions to pick up, but I'm running low on the over-the-counter stuff too," she replied hoarsely. "Oh! You're speaking again!" Airflow stopped, suddenly reminded of one of the reasons they were here. Right, throat. Ask for forgiveness, not permission. Sorry in advance, Ducky. She turned back to the unicorn and put up a hoof to say 'one moment'. Pixelle tilted her head in confusion. She trotted off, trying to remember the specific aisle she needed. Weaving back and forth between rows, a shimmer by one of the endcaps caught her attention. Studying the display of bottles, she brightened and happily walked over. She picked up a bottle, and read the label: 'Wunderwasser - Medicated ale to cure what ails you!' Pfff, Germanes and their brews. It'd be silly if it didn't work so well. At least they're smart enough to make it non-alcoholic. She popped the cap on the drink and started trotting back to where she left her friend. Taking a deep breath, she held it, pulled her mask away with a wing, and took a long swig. She sealed her mask back on and let it settle before breathing again. The lukewarm brew's mix of herbs and honey did wonders to soothe her throat. "Oh, that's much better," she said to nopony in particular, rounding the corner back to Pixelle. "You sound better! Hopefully you won't have to have anymore long conversations like that today," her friend commented as she came into view. "Hah! We'll see. Like I said, lots of errands to run, ponies to see." She lifted her mask and took another drink. "Oh, where did you get that? If they've got Partybolt I might get me one. Or maybe a cider..." she thought for a second, looking over the shelving to the checkout counter, seeing it empty. Her brow furrowed, puzzled. "Hey, when did the shopkeep come back? And where did he go?" "He didn't," the bat flatly replied. "Wait, how did you pay for that then?" Airflow merely chuckled to herself, and moved on to the next aisle she needed to see. When Pixelle finally connected the dots, she blanched like she had just witnessed a murder. "Miss Airflow!! You can't-" she nervously glanced around, before lowering her voice to a harsh whisper. "You can't steal!" "Oh settle down, sugarcone! It's not stealing if I still pay for it!" "Well- I mean.. but-!" Clingaling Both mares' heads snapped to the front door, just in time to see it close. Either somepony had made a mistake, or was too short for them to see them from there. And yet, the bells only rang out once... and quieter than usual. Somepony didn't want them to ring at all, and had made a slip. The pair looked at each other for a second, and Pixelle's horn once again ignited with a counterspell. She stared down the aisle, head lowered. Just behind her, the batpony's sharp ears were tracking the pitter-patter clicks of very quiet hooves. She looked down at the bottle in her hoof, and for just a moment had considered breaking it open to use as a weapon. Wouldn't be the first time. Ugh, too messy. But maybe that mess would trigger... As the plan formed in her head, Airflow looked around at the floor tiles, hoping to catch the shimmer of a specific rune the pharmacist liked to use. There, on the darkest tile in the pattern, she spied an unnatural glitter. The hoofsteps were nearing the other end of the aisle. She quickly whispered her plan to Pixelle, who nodded firmly and slowly made her way back towards the front door. The hoofsteps stopped. Airflow took aim. Bottle, shattered. Drink, spilled. Rune, triggered. An alarm rang out from the stockroom, just audible enough to be heard by the ponies in the otherwise dead-quiet store. Whoever had been stalking them no longer cared about stealth, and their panicked and skittery gallop was easily heard by Pixelle. The older mare turned around just in time to watch her unicorn companion jump out in front of the next aisle, and ignite her telekinesis on the intruder. "Aha! Gottem!" the taller mare shouted. "Celestia, you're a shorty, huh? Miss Airflow! The plan worked! I caught the little scamp!" "I ain't no scamp, you overgrown stalactite!" a squeaky, distinctly Manehattan-accented voice cried back. "I'm surprised you know what those are!" Pixelle mused, having come back into view, prisoner in magical tow. "Though you're almost right - since my horn goes from the base upwards, the accurate insult would be 'stalagmite'!" "I'll show you accurate insults, you technicolor ass!" the filly raged, harmlessly punching the air next to the unicorn. "Hey! Language!" Pixelle took a moment to size up their stalker. She was a lanky pegasus filly, approaching or in her teens. It wasn't easy to tell - the unicorn wasn't the best at dealing with foals, and her captive seemed small for her age. Taking in her appearance, her fur was a striking combination of green and grey, and her feathers were almost pearlescent. Her head was topped with an unkempt ash-grey mane, the same as her short tail. "Airflow can ya tell your mutant giraffe bodyguard to PUT ME DOWN?" The batpony clicked her tongue in disappointment. "Nina, what did I tell you about stalking me and my caretakers? And so rude to her, too! I thought I taught you better manners." "But she's holding me in her magic like I'm a doooog!" 'Nina' whined, looking down. "Wha- huh? Miss Airflow, you know her?" "I do, and have for a long time. Go, introduce yourself to Pixelle!" Airflow said, before giving the filly a stern glare. "Politely, Nina." "Uuggghh... Hello, Miss Pixelle... my name is Mezzanine, it's nice to meet you.." she sighed, defeated. She held out a hoof to bump. Pixelle cautiously reached over and bumped her hoof in greeting, not quite trusting the little pegasus yet. Mezzanine gave her no trouble, though she didn't put much effort into the greeting, either. They both looked back at the elder, waiting to see what to do next. "Good! You can put her down now," she nodded. "Yeah, please. And mind the glass! I've had to hooftip around enough of that today already!" the small one demanded. "Oh! Right, we really should clean this all up before the owner comes to yell at us. That alarm is still going..." Pixelle gently set the filly down, making sure that part of the floor was clean. "Yes, Ducky will... wait. Already? What do you mean, Nina? What did you do?" "Uh! Um, n-nothing! Nothing immoral, Airflow!" the filly stammered. "Immoral and illegal are not the same, Nina. What. Did. You. Do?" Between the choice of a unicorn thrice her height and the stone-cold, 'just disappointed your mother' stare directed at her from the bat, Mezzanine chose the former. She skittered behind the pink mare, barely peeking out. "O-okay! B-but I'm staying behind your meatshield, and you can't be mad!" "Meatshield?! Oh you would not be the final girl, you little brat!" Pixelle scoffed. She stepped to the side, refusing to get in between her charge and her business. To her dismay, the feather-light pegasus had already wrapped herself around her back leg, and was hell-bent on staying put. She stared down at her, and in return met her pleading puppy eyes. Her resolve wavered. Mezzanine's lip quivered like she was about to burst into tears, and Pixelle broke. "Fine! Agh! Okay, fine. Just do as Miss Airflow says, at least?" The filly broke her facade instantly, and smiled with a heart-melting 'squee!'. "Are you done, missy? Ready to fess up now?" "Yes! Are you ready to 'fess up' as she says? Says." a fourth voice piped up. From the other end of the pharmacy, a bright yellow changeling with orange markings strode up to them, carrying a broom, dustpan, and a packet of some kind of cleaning powder in his magic. "Ohhhhh, that's why his name is 'Ducky'," Pixelle concluded. "Great timing as usual," Airflow quipped. "I was just about to get to the bottom of this little troublemaker's antics!" "My name is Pupil, actually. Actually." he clarified. "The ponies, they call me 'Ducky' because I named myself 'Ducks-In-A-Row', after the expression I like very much. My colors are just coincidence. Coincidence. So, the little one is who made the mess here, yes? Yes. I'll see that she does not bother you while you browse, Missus Airflow. Airflow." "That was me, actually," she replied quickly, adjusting her device a little. "I thought somepony dangerous was stalking me and my caretaker here, so we made a mess to trigger one of those runes you love so much." "Hah, yeah, sorry about all of this. To be fair, it was a very cool plan..." Pixelle added. "That worked! By the way." Ducky just stared at her deadpan. "Really well. It worked really... cough Yeah, uh, nevermind." "Well. I supposed the matter is settled. Settled. I will fill your prescription and check you out after cleaning, Missus Airflow. So, if you all don't mind... Mind." the bright changeling shooed them away from the glass and spilt tonic, tearing open the powder packet and shaking it over as much of the liquid as possible. From the looks of it, he managed to get every drop, and it quickly dried into easily-sweepable clumps. Airflow watched as the substance absorbed the moisture, fixated on it. She wondered if it would have any applications for her project, but quickly dismissed it. The resulting mess would hinder its performance, and make it a nightmare to clean. She would simply have to make the machine's more sensitive parts water resistant, or at the very least their enclosures. She swallowed, cleared her raspy throat, and was again reminded why she was here. "C'mon kids, lets leave our gracious host to his work," she said, shuffling the group along to the far end of the store. "Kid?! Maybe an ursa's kid!" Mezzanine guffawed, "That unicorn's a monstrosity!" "Ugh, please, I'm not that much taller than other mares!" she defended. "Nina, be nice. Pixelle, what's in the next aisle?" the bat asked her innocently. "Oh, yes ma'am!" Pixelle hardly had to stretch, peeking over the shelf into the next row. Its shelves were lined (perfectly, mind you) with vitamin supplements. "Buncha vitamins! Not seeing anything on your list from here, though." As she turned back, she was met with two stifled giggles, as neither Airflow, and especially not Mezzanine, were any close to being able to see over the top. "Oh..." "Ah, don't fret dear, there's nothing wrong with being tall," the elder mare wheezed in comfort. "Now, as for being short... Nina, aren't you short an explanation? What did you do that had you hooftipping around glass this morning?" The filly froze as the mirth left her face. "Uh..!" She glanced around nervously. "Um..." She looked back up at Pixelle, who had busied herself with the shopping list Airflow had given her. "You promised, Nina." "Agh! Okay!" she squeaked. She ruffled her feathers and shook away the fear. Taking in a big breath, she began. "ISNUCKINTOLORDBIZMUTH'SHIGHRISEFLOORBECAUSEHEGOTTHELASTOFALIMITEDPAIROFEARRINGSIWANTEDTOGETFORYOUSOICOULDPAYYOUBACKFORBEINGSONICETOMEBUTHISSTUPIDJEWELRYCASEHADANALARMONITANDIHADTOESCAPESOIDODGEDALLHISIDIOTGUARDSANDMADEADISTRACTIONBYKICKINGOPENAPAIROFGLASSDOORSLEADINGTOABALCONYSOTHEYTHOUGHTIESCAPEDANDWOULDGIVEUPANDITWORKEDANDIGOTOUTFROMUNDERTHEBEDIWASUSINGTOHIDEANDTHENHADTOHOOFTIPAROUNDTHEGLASSSHARDSFROMTHEFANCYDOORSANDTHENFLEWAWAYTOFINDYOU!" Once it was over she gasped, heaving in lungfuls of air as if she had just finished a marathon. "Uhhh... what?" Pixelle stared, confused. "You broke into Lord Bizmuth's penthouse?! For a silly pair of earrings?!" "UH, WHAT? How did you get any of that?! Lord Bizmuth?!" "Wait wait wait! I snuck in, I didn't break in! Plus his security is dumb as rocks," she corrected. "No, scratch that, I heard of a geolo-whatever mare with a pet rock that actually did some important shit, so they're dumber than rocks." "Language!" "Dumb isn't a swear, asshole!" "Nina!" Airflow hissed, "You can't do things like that! Especially not to ponies like that. You're not some daring Robin Hoof, you're a streetrat filly one misstep away from getting 'disappeared'. Those ponies will find out that you don't have any big connections and will take advantage of that!" "But I-I, I escaped! I got away! Nopony even knows which direction I flew!" "Mezzanine." The filly flinched at Airflow's use of her full name, and her ears snap flat on her head. "You are missing the point. If you keep thinking you're uncatchable you'll stop being careful. I won't be around to bail you out forever, and especially not from a pony like Bizmuth. You need to stop. Understand?" The diminutive pegasus lowers her head, looking smaller than ever. She solemnly nods. "Yes ma'am..." "Miss Airflow's right," Pixelle adds. "Lord Bizmuth isn't known to be the most rational guy, even for a high-class stallion. Definitely not a pony you wanna be making mad. What was so important that you needed to rob him, anyway?" "Not robbed, burglerered... burngle.. fuckin, whatever the right version of that word is. Pilfered! That works, same thing." "Oh, sure, you know 'pilfered' but can't pronounce 'burgled'?" "Fuck off! Words are hard. I've been skipping Ponish, I hate book reports. But uh... I explained before. A pair of earrings. For.. for Airflow. To pay her back." "Whatever would you need to pay me back for, Nina? You've never owed me anything. It's not like I charge you for saving your butt, hah!" the bat asked, leaning in a bit. Her expression was nonchalant as always, but her perked ears betrayed her anticipation. "I- uh.. y-you're.. um.. you uh.. fuck. How do I...? No, no, n-nevermind! This is gettin way too sappy for me. Here! Take em. And um... thank you.." she stammers, reaching into the small pouch under her wing. As she takes out the stolen jewelry, she looks away, embarrassed. Unable to make eye contact, the little pegasus holds them out for Airflow to take. Shimmering in the harsh white light of Ducky's pharmacy, the emerald and black opal earrings were a striking sight to behold. The green crescent moons practically glowed, and the colored splatter of the opal backdrop sparkled as bright as the stars themselves. Both mares are stunned at the prize the filly held, and one could hear the batpony's device hiccup as her breath hitched. The longer they stared, the deeper Mezzanine's blush got. As easy as it would be to tease her about it, Airflow knew it would ruin the little moment, and opted instead to very gently take the earrings into her hooves. Using the hooked thumb of her wing to hold one up to the light, she continued to marvel at them. "Nina... they're beautiful!" she finally said. She looked back down at the pegasus, who still couldn't look her in the eyes. "You said you wanted to buy them, before Bizmuth took the last pair? How much were you going to spend?" "Um.. 200 bits..." she mumbled, shuffling her hooves. "Oh! Wow, that's not so bad! I've remember emeralds going for way more," Pixelled chimed. "Not so bad for a working mare, yes. But a filly on the streets? That's a lot of money!" "I-I know, but! They were cheaper because they're lab gems! It was reachable! I could get it! I did get it!" She looked back at Airflow, whose eyebrow was raised in concern. "Ugh, yeah, legally!" Airflow looked down at the jewelry in her hoof. After a moment of thought, she sighed. "Ah, what to do with you, little one?" She put the earrings into her own wing-pouch, and ruffled Mezzanine's mane. "I know I've told you a million damn times, but try to be more careful!" She smiled warmly at her. "Well, what's done is done. Thank you, Nina. I love your gift!" Without warning, the elderly mare pulled the filly into a strong hug, being careful to avoid the equipment on her own chest. "Hrgk! Air... flow... please!" Mezzanine choked. "Hmm.. just a few more seconds!" the bat pleaded, tightening her embrace. "Strangled by Airflow, oh the irony!" Pixelle giggled. She turned away from the scene for a moment, and saw that both the mess on the floor and Ducky had disappeared. Despite the interruption, it seemed like they would still have plenty of time to get through Airflow's list. She nodded to herself. "Looks like the shopkeep's all done over there, he probably has your prescriptions ready!" "Oh!" She gently let go of the little pegasus, who took an exaggerated breath. "We forgot we were buying things, didn't we?" "Whatcha gettin' here? Well, besides your meds," the filly asked. "Some supplements, a tonic, and a few bulk boxes of muzzle masks. Now, which aisle does he stock those again...?" "Full boxes? What for? Isn't the OMBA enough?" the unicorn questioned. "Oh no, not for me, haha! For my project," she explained. "It needs an air filter, and one that isn't the size of my mattress. So I figured I would try and build one myself! I'm going to sew a lot of them together and then staple it to a fitted frame." She idly picked up and inspected a bottle of pills. "Ain't there a tailor in your building? Why not some cheaper fabric? Also, what's an 'ohmba'?" Mezzanine asked. "Its my little breathing machine," the bat wheezed, still scanning the rack in front of her. "Some acronym I keep ignoring. As for regular fabric, tried that, didn't work right." "Ovocon Mobile Breathing Assistant!" Pixelle confirmed. "Thanks, dear," she smiled, passing her a pair of the bottles. "Well, that just about wraps things up here. Let's get those masks and my prescriptions and we can get moving along!" "Yes ma'am!" her companions said in unison. They looked at each other for a moment. "Jinx!" they said, again, at the same time. They scowled at each other, Pixelle standing tall looking down, Mezzanine stretching her height as much as possible, staring back up. Before long, Pixelle snorted a short laugh, and the trio burst into a fit of giggles, continuing on their errands. Author's Note Heya folks! Long time no see, huh? Motivation sure is a bitch! I'm happy to inform y'all that at the same time I was writing this (and that other story), I've gotten a few hundred words written down for the next three chapters: 4, 5, and the second named interim chapter, which is currently going by "Observation". With some creative juices flowing again, here's hoping I can drop Ch.4 before the end of the year! Thanks for sticking around!
PrologueApril 26th, 1013 ANMM1 The single, oversized CRT television hummed to life with a weighty click. Light buzzing of static filled the otherwise deathly quiet room as the signal was carefully tuned to the proper frequency. "-ould be yours for just three easy payments of 49.99B! Call toda-" A light click, a KZZRT, and the next channel cycled forward. "-cast. Clear skies in Ponyville scheduled through Wednesday, with cloud cover getting thicker as the weekend approach-" KZZRT "-VER LOVED ME!" "Minty, I can explain!" "Explain WHAT?! That you having a secret herd is all just a misunder-" KZZRT "-ial guest this afternoon is a top-tier mailmare, who isn't so happy about her fan-popular nickname! Please give a warm welcome to Shitfu-" KZZRT "-teen dead. Tragedy struck Manehattan's industrial district at approximately 10:54 ECE2 this morning, just a few hours ago. A violent chemical leak from the 'Natural Process Chemical Plant' flooded its interior with caustic gasses, leaving many herds and families to mourn their beloveds," a tan newsmare stated seriously. The camera flipped to a different newspony. "Yes, a terrible day for Manehattan and its ponies, Soapbox," a lime-green stallion continued. "First responders were left scrambling for their protective gear as the chemicals began to breach the plant's exterior, mandating an evacuation and subsequent quarantine of the immediate area. As of now, it is unknown how long it will take for the hazard crews to decontaminate the affected blocks and buildings, leaving many hard working ponies without homes for the time being." "That's right, Vox. Here in a moment we'll get word from our reporter on the scene, Wide Aperture." The view changed to a light-grey mare with bright yellow eyes. "Afternoon, Soapbox, Vox Populi." "What's the situation looking like, Aperture?" "Uhuh. Things aren't pretty just outside of the chemical quarantine," the reporter started. She gestured to a hastily-erected series of structures, bearing various medical and emergency personnel badges. "Several of Manehattan's finest fireponies have received injuries from the substances eating right through their equipment, requiring more specialized hazard teams to search the scene and begin decontamination." "Wow, that's quite frightening! You certainly can't tell at first glance exactly how dangerous it is. Vox?" "Well said. And what- Did uh, any of the hazard teams find anything of interest during their searches, Aperture?" "Yes, actually! Oilspill, the Hazard Chief, has informed us that the search teams were able to recover a single lucky survivor. A 52-year-old batpony ventilation technician, whose identity remains a mystery until more information is found. She is unable to speak and is hanging on by a thread due to the horrible injuries sustained by being so close to the spill. Its uncertain if she will survive the hospital stay, but we can only hope to Celestia that's the case. That's all I have for now, I'll keep HQ posted. Back to you, Soapbox." The channel focused on both newsponies once again. "Thank you, Aperture. Incredible news, a survivor! What a truly lucky soul to have come out of such a disaster alive." "Or unlucky, depending on your view. We all hope she makes it through the night, but only time will tell how her life will look a few years from now. Surely stuff that can eat through firepony gear is no good for somepony's lungs." "Right you are, Vox. Coming up next, hear how some theorize that the chemical accident... was no accident! More at 2 p.m. ECE with-" Click KZT Two silhouettes reflected off of the now dark TV screen, silence once again having taken hold. The stallion turned to his assistant. The mare returned his gaze. "Too coincidental," the mare mused. "Agreed," the stallion replied. "Who do they supply?" "Foresight Natural Remedies. Pharmaceutical company. Mostly snake oil, head office changes address every two months." "They even have the same acronym..." the stallion growled, turning away. "We should see to it that we find whoever that survivor was before they do," she suggested. "No doubt they won't be happy about a loose end." "Right then," He mumbled, tapping his chin with a red-furred hoof. "Hmm..." "Sir?" He turned back to her with a wide grin. "I think it's time we expand to Manehattan!" he nearly shouted, and draped a foreleg over her shoulder. "Let's give this new medical branch a test run. After all, we already have our first patient!" The stallion gleefully gestured at the TV. The mare swiveled to face her reflection. The powered-off CRT stared back at her stark-white visage grimly. "It seems we do." Author's Note 1 - After Nightmare Moon 2 - Eastern Coast Equestria timezone
Chapter 1July 18th, 1023 ANNM The dim light of Celestia's early morning sun gently filtered into a bedroom, falling upon its lone sleeping occupant. As the dawn slowly heralded a new day, a drowsy pony began to stir from beneath her thin, silk-woven sheet. Wiping the sleep from her eyes, the pony was greeted by walls and ceiling of solid off-white. It was an exceptionally bare room. With a stretch and a raspy yawn, she turned her attention to the only other piece of furniture, a perfectly spotless plastic nightstand. The digital clock sitting atop it read 5:45 a.m. in big, easy numbers. She was precisely on time, as expected. The mare carefully stretched her aging joints as her light purple hooves landed on the floor below. Legs on solid ground, she spread her wings and shivered away the lingering sleep. Hooves and wings worked in tandem to remake the bed exactly as it should be. Not a single wrinkle visible on the lone sheet, she wheezed a pleased sigh, trotting off to begin her routine. BEEP BEEP BEEP An alarm clock shouted into the abyss of a pitch-black room, failing to awaken its owner. The sleeping pony lay motionless and ignorant to the urgent calls of their dutiful device. BEEP BEEP BEEP Another attempt, this time met with annoyed grunts and mumbled sleeptalk. A breakthrough? BEEP BEEP BEEP A single, pink hoof breached the cocoon of blankets, and lazily swatted at the general area beside the bed. BEEP BEEP BEEP "Mrgrph..." a mare groaned, swatting away with more vigor. So much vigor, that she had knocked down the cheap stool currently being used as a makeshift nightstand. The clock, her glasses, and an empty can of "Partybolt" branded energy drink clattered to the floor. BEEP BEEP BEEP The alarm clock screamed in protest. It was not in vain, however, as it had finally found success in its purpose. The pony swaddled in several thick blankets angrily tossed them away, fumbling to the edge of her bed. "UGH. It's Saturday!" she shouted in frustration, "I don't have work today, you idiot clock!" BEEP BEEP BEEP The clock countered. Having had enough, the mare finally dropped onto her hooves out of bed. With a quick smack, she silenced the alarm. She wordlessly righted the stool.. erm, the nightstand, and slid it back into place. Setting her glasses on her muzzle, she paused a moment before collecting the clock. Wait.. why did I set an alarm for a Saturday, again? As she stood still in the dark bedroom, she looked back and forth between the clock and her window, currently draped with a blackout curtain. The time on its face read 5:58 a.m. Her mouth was dry. Staring at the display, she could physically feel her blood turn to ice as the memory clicked. "I'M LATE!" she screeched, scrambling over her bed to open the blinds and start her day. Gentle steam rose up from the shower's tiles, as hot water pittered onto the winged mare from the shower head above. She took slow deep breaths as the heat relaxed her muscles. Eyes closed, she sat on her haunches and began to lather away the last bits of shampoo. The water itself would be enough to clear away the residual wing-wash. She gave herself a thorough once-over, making sure no spot was missed. Satisfied, she turned off the shower. With a shudder and a flutter, she shook away most of the excess water that had soaked in. Turning a different knob along the wall, the steam was quickly replaced by lukewarm air blown in through several vents. The air-dry system wicked away the moisture much faster than anypony could by hoof; so long as one knew the proper angles. The mare turned this way and that with a practiced grace, and within a minute her body was dry and clean. Making her way to the bathroom's full-body mirror, she grabbed an assortment of brushes and set to work on her coat, tail, and mane. A light blue stallion brushed his teeth in front of a slightly cracked mirror. The tell-tale turquoise glow of his magic enveloped the rusty shower handle nearby, setting the perfect temperature. He spat and rinsed, wiping his mouth. He took a moment to admire his silver-streaked mane, smiling to himself. "No bedhead this morning, first to shower, hot date?" he chuckled, "It's gonna be a good day for-" "STEEEEEEEL!" a mare screamed down the (admittedly very short) hall, loud and panicked hoofsteps rapidly approaching. "Fffffffuck," he sighed, hanging his head. "STEELGETOUTOFTHEBATHROOMYOUSINGLECELLEDMOOKI'MLATE" the mare yelled, knocking fervently at the thin plywood. "I got dibs fair and square this morning, the shower is MINE!" he replied, getting closer to the door for emphasis. "STEEL YOU- UH, SHOWER-STEALING.... NONCE!" Silence from the other side, before the lock clicked and the door creaked open just enough for Steel's muzzle to poke out. "What in Equestria is a 'nonce'?" "I dunno! I just heard some old-timey pony on TV use it as an insult! Anyway-" She lurched forward, slamming her entire body into the door, knocking Steel away and opening it wide. "AGH" "OUT OUT OUT! I AM LATE!" she shouted, pushing Steel through the frame. "Oh hey, the water's already running! Thaaaanks!~" "RUDE! You can't just push me out, I had first dibs! It's in the roommate agreement!" "Dire situations overwrite that! Says that on the agreement, too!" She slammed the door in his face. A soft 'click' announced that she had locked it. Pulling himself up off the floor, Steel scoffed. "Right, and what's soooo dire for you to chance that clause?!" "I'm late to meet with her!" she shot back. "Now shoo, I'm wasting time!" She opened the cabinet under the sink, and hastily grabbed her set of towels. "Ah, that's fair." He smirked to himself as the sounds of his roommate clambering into the tub echoed into the hall. "Hey, watch the water, I like my showers-" "EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!" "-cold! PFFAHAHAHA!" "I wager she'll be tardy today.." the mare whispered to herself. Her silvery white mane was pristine, tied at its two ends with dark blue bands. She tightened a set of straps around her barrel, and wiggled to ensure the complex device attached to them didn't shimmy or sway. The purple mare rotated her wings and forelegs around, seeing if they bumped into it at any point. Now fastened properly, she walked to her bedroom door, and gave the panel beside it a tap. It lit up a dim blue, and some machinery could be heard whirring through the adjacent walls. Finally, it flashed to green, and the mechanism unlocked with a 'hiss' and a 'thunk'. She smiled, opening the heavy door with only the littlest trouble; she left her sparsely furnished room cleaner than when she had awoken. After shutting the weighty thing behind her, it 'thunked' back into place. She stood still, soaking in the quiet hum of her unique home. Contrary to her sealed away bedroom and guest hall, most of the remainder of the apartment had an open floor-plan; the hallway led into a wide living space, furnished with several hypoallergenic faux leather chairs surrounding a mostly-glass coffee table; it was framed of identical custom plastic as her nightstand, imitating mahogany with silver inlay. The rest was more of the same. She thrived on consistency, and as such, what little other furniture she had followed a theme. Barely separated by short half-walls, the dining area was opposite the living room, and the kitchen was to her immediate right. Both were plainly visible. Another room, however, sat locked away in the final corner, as far from any food source as possible; but still within reach. Entering the kitchen, she slid out a bench-like stool from its island, and warily clambered atop it. The large digital timepiece sitting above the electric stove read a clear 6:15 a.m. Once again, she was precisely on time. Gambling on having to wait a tad for her companion today, she smiled with delight as she removed her breakfast from the fruit basket. She licked her lips as she stared hungrily at the large, perfectly ripe mango in her hooves. Mane damp and horrendously unkempt, the pink mare struggled valiantly to smooth out the tangles. Despite her immense displeasure (and her roommate Steel's schadenfreude), the cold water had guaranteed that she was wide awake. Already late enough, she simply tied her mane up into a crude ponytail. The truly antique scrunchy barely held it together. With little time to waste, she hastily scoured her closet for a clean uniform. "Come on come on come ooonnnn..." she grumbled, "I've gotta have one in here!" Frustrated, she decided it best to dig out yesterday's uniform from the laundry pile. Uncrumpling it, she attempted to smooth out a few of its wrinkles with her hoof. Stainless, mostly wrinkle free... She gave it a cursory sniff. Meh. Good enough for laundry day. The mare quickly slipped her hooves through the uniform's long sleeves, barely taking the time to correctly button it. Gathering her saddlebag, I.D. badge, and bitpouch, she scampered out of her room and into the incredibly cramped kitchenette. Steel entered right after, towel wrapped tightly around his mane. He pulled out a rickety chair, hopping up into it. "So," he began, "what's for breakfast?" "HAH!" she laughed involuntarily. Saying nothing more, she gave him a halfhearted wave and sped out the front door, slamming it behind her. "Yeesh, and the mares say stallions get ornery in the mornings?" He dropped out of his chair and opened the refrigerator. Its meager offerings soured his mood a little more. "Grocery run for Steel, yaaaay.." The older mare waited patiently by her apartment's front entryway. Having eaten, washed up, and even had time to check over her checklist multiple times, she started to become concerned at exactly how late her companion was. For the mean time at least, she savored every unlabored breath that she could take while home. She stretched her wings to their full span, and rechecked the straps of the small satchels wrapped at their base. Pleased, she folded them back and settled down again. She took a glance at the kitchen's clock. 6:42 a.m., far later than the 'usual late'. Which was unusual, given that they lived in the same building. "Maybe I should check up on her..?" Almost on cue, the 'buzz' of her doorbell snapped her out of her thoughts. She chuckled to herself at the timing. Taking one final deep breath, she unclipped a full-muzzle mask from the device upon her chest. She brushed her mane aside carefully to make way for the mask's straps, tightening them firmly as it closed around her snout. Breath still held, she removed a small wired status readout also attached to the device; holding a button to activate it, it briefly pulsed blue as it calibrated to its desired settings. The screen then flashed to a solid green, and it let out a positive chirp. Reattaching it to the base, the mare opened a safety cover, and flipped a switch to activate the main functions of the device. With several hums, whirs, and hisses, she was finally free to release the air she'd been holding. She took another deep breath, this time of the extremely filtered air the machine produced. It simply wasn't the same. Now ready for the world beyond, she trotted up to her front door. Setting her hoof on a scanner, she waited for the complicated equipment to work through its process. After about a minute, the seal broke on the airlock with a drawn-out 'hiss', allowing her to gingerly step in. She closed it behind herself, and pressed a large floor button by the door that led outside. She casually removed her status block again, awaiting its results. It took very little time for it to change from comforting green, to a much more common deep red. It made several low-toned warning beeps to alert her of the unsafe atmosphere. Wracked with anxiety and guilt for being so late, the pink mare was practically rattling. She decided it best to take deep slow breaths to try and prevent herself from hyperventilating, knowing the complex-as-Tartarus door would give her a moment of respite. She tried in vain to straighten out her day-old uniform, opting instead to adjust her purple mane. Now in a much more respectable state (the electric-blue streaks in her mane were now proper streaks, rather than vague splatters), she finally calmed down enough to notice that the door was in its final stage. She could hear the tell-tale alert tones of her charge's breathing device, meaning she would emerge very soon. Readying a (hopefully) disarming smile, she straightened her posture. EERRR click click click clickclickclick THUNK FTSSSSS The light purple pony slowly pushed the door out of her way, as the beams of incandescent light poured in from her floor's hall through the outer frame. After a little strain, her slitted eyes adjusted to the brightness considered by most of Equestria to be 'normal'. She smiled again as her seafoam green eyes locked on to her exceptionally late escort, a pink unicorn who, upon closer inspection, seemed like she was about to explode. "Good morning, Ovocon Logistics Officer Pixelle," she greeted with a smirk. She turned back towards her apartment to close and re-seal the hulking airlock door; the exterior of which, was fashioned out of real mahogany, with real silver inlay. OH SWEET MERCIFUL CELESTIA SHE USED MY FULL NAME AND TITLE. Rather than immediately break into a fit of hyperventilation, Pixelle instead decided to simply... not breathe. She tried to hold concentration onto a single object, and the first things to catch her eye were her charge's leathery wings. She's not even facing me! She hates my guts for being late AGAIN, I am SO fired... Unfortunately, as many doctors would tell you, not getting oxygen is a surefire way to become lightheaded and delirious. I'mdeadI'mdeadI'mdeadI'mdeadI'mdea- Concerned at not hearing a reply, the batpony turned back around to see what was up. As it turns out, Pixelle's face was very quickly changing color to match the dark purple of her mane. Eyes fixed to a point in space, it was clear she was not having a good time, and that her own inner monologue was probably not helping. Trotting to her side, she gave the unicorn a heavy slap on her back, hoping it would help release the breath she was holding. "Oh calm your fat teats, sugarcone!" she chuckled with a wheeze. "I was just foolin' with you!" With a heaving gasp, Pixelle's face returned to almost normal - instead changing to form a light blush. After taking a moment to gather her bearings, she gasped again, this time in shock. "Miss Airflow! Language!" she chided. "Bah, so colty about colorful language and so mareish about waking up on time," Airflow replied. "Come on now, dear! We have a lot of goodies to collect today, and you've got the saddlebags!" She started trotting down the hall, making her way towards the building's elevator. She giggled internally when she heard a distant sigh of exasperation. "Right away, Miss Airflow!" Pixelle called, galloping to catch up.
Chapter 2The Citrine high-rise was one of Manehattan's taller buildings, easily picked out in the skyline by it's golden-capped silhouette and honey-yellow columns. Despite its striking appearance, what makes it truly special is its construction; it's the first of Manehattan's many towers to be built from the ground up with crystal-current electrical infrastructure. For its age, The Citrine is exceptionally modular. Due to this inherent design, it was also the first tower to include several elevator systems upon its grand opening, rather than install them retroactively. One of which, had just reached the ground floor. As its gold-leafed doors slid open, two mares locked in an argument stepped out into the expansive lobby. "No, it's okay," a tall pink unicorn defended. "Really, I'll be fine!" The senior batpony she was walking with gave her a stern, motherly glare. "Nopony is fine skipping breakfast, Pixelle. If you won't make sure you stay fed, then I will!" "M-Miss Airflow, please-" "Nope! I am dead-set now, sure as Luna's moon. Errand number one, we're going to a bakery!" Pixelle sighed in defeat. "Yes, Miss Airflow..." Reaching the front entrance, she opened and held the tall door for her client. The pair walked in relative silence (and the silence was very relative, being in central Manehattan) through the crowded streets. Celestia's summer sun slowly filled in the paths below. The night shops pushed out their last few customers, while the day dwellers were eagerly opening their doors. With every restaurant and cafe they passed, Airflow would catch her escort stare wistfully at the food in the window displays. While she wouldn't intentionally lead anypony on like that, it worked in her favor. There was no doubt in her mind that she would succeed in getting Pixelle a proper meal to start the day. She silently hoped this wasn't a habit of hers. Pixelle was in a tiny hell of her own making. Having had nothing for breakfast but cheap oat bars for months, the sights and smells of coffee and hot food only worsened the pangs of her empty stomach. Of course, they simply had to be passing by all of the best cafes, off to some bakery she's never heard of. Airflow had never mentioned anything of the sort to her before; she posited that with all the other special-order things she required, it made sense for that to extend to her food. Crossing roads, turning corners, and weaving through the hustle and bustle, the duo finally stopped in front of what looked like a secret entrance to some underground maintenance shaft. The stairs leading down were steep, and the door at the bottom was made of aging rusted metal. A hoof-painted sign above the frame simply read 'La Panaderia Antigua' in big red letters, and in parenthesis under it, '(The Ancient Bakery)'. Pixelle swallowed nervously. She'd watched enough horror films to know that doors like that likely led to the deaths of the curious. Airflow simply smiled, starting her cautious descent. She spread her wings a little to help keep balance. Pixelle had also watched enough horror films to know that murderers really like it when the party splits up. She hastily followed. For the safety of her charge, of course. Upon reaching the landing, the purple batpony reached for the handle, and struggled to pull it open. "Oh dear," she wheezed, "they really should fix this old thing!" "N-no worries Miss, I'll... I'll open it for you!" Pixelle stuttered. Not wanting to get anywhere near it, her horn lit up and she tugged at the door gently. It barely creaked. "Wuh?" She tried again, with more force. The hinges made a few rusty screeches, but otherwise it remained unmoving. Pixelle silently thanked Celestia. "Oh well, I guess they're c-closed!" she started. "I guess we won't have to go in anymore, aw shucks! Well Miss Airflow, I'm sorr-" "Ah! Silly me, I forgot it's a push door!" The handle clicked, and the door swung inward with comical ease. "Push.. door.. oh." She tried her best to hide her grimace as she stared into the dark corridor. A single sliver of orange light was shining from another closed door further down the hall. "Oh..." Airflow rolled her eyes. Draping a wing across her back, she led her inside. "Sweetie, aren't you supposed to be the one helping me along?" she chuckled. "Come now, a little bread never hurt anypony!" Pixelle flinched at the sound of the door slamming itself closed behind her. "Clearly you haven't seen 'Baguette Basher: World of Pain'," she mumbled, adjusting her glasses with her magic. Her eyes darted around the concrete hall, looking for any other possible escape route. Approaching the second entryway, Airflow gestured for Pixelle to go first. Anxiously, she put her hoof on this new handle, and pushed it the rest of the way open, ringing a little bell. They were both instantly hit with the mouth-watering aroma of freshly baked breads and pastries. The light from the bakery's interior was warm and inviting, a stark contrast to the hall it parallels. Rows upon rows of goods lined the counter, each looking more appetizing than the last. Eyes turning wide as dinner plates, Pixelle could do little else but stare in awe. Airflow slowly but surely nudged the stupefied mare inside. Past the structure's horrid exterior lay a quaint bakery decorated with artifacts, pictures, and trinkets common in one of the cultures at Equestria's Southern end. Golden idols, knitted tapestries, clay statuettes, and a picture of a mare standing in some ruins with a few alpacas. "Quien carajo viene tan temprano?!" a distant voice shouted around a corner. Angry stomps could be heard making their way to the front end of the shop, and a short mare came into view (barely). She was a light orange earth pony, sporting a striking magenta and violet mane. Two long braids draped her shoulders, falling over a very colorful, hoof-knitted lliclla. "Hola? Is too early, we are still- Ay! Airecita, mi preciosa anciana! How are yoouuu?" "Good morning, Grano!" she chimed, trotting up and giving the mare a hug. "And you know, the only one here who has 'anciana' in their name is you!" The mare threw her head back in a hearty laugh, taking a step backwards to give her space. "Siempre bueno ver my best batpony customer!" "Grano, with how late you open and how early you close, I think I'm your only batpony customer," Airflow panned, amused. "Pah. No seas tan amarga, yegua," Grano complained. She looked past Airflow for just a second, noticing Pixelle awkwardly sitting just behind her. "Oh, you bring a friend! Introduce me!" Airflow shimmied out of the way of her view, gesturing between the two. "This is my caretaker today, Pixelle. She works with the company that makes my breathing device. Pixelle, this is Grano Anciano, or Ancient Grain, the best baker in Manehattan!" "No hay panaderia mejor este lado de las montañas!" She beamed, offering a hoof. "Uh, nice to meet you!" Pixelle met her hoof with a respectful bump. "Sorry I don't speak.. um, that.." "No problem! I can say in Equestrian. But she needs to practice!" she accused, pointing a hoof at Airflow. "Relajate pata, I haven't forgotten everything yet!" the batpony defended. "Anyway, I know I usually make the pickups in the afternoons, and I apologize for the surprise visit. Esta zanahoria aquí no tiene ni michi en casa. So I brought her here for breakfast." "Ahhh, entiendo eso. Lucumita forgets always too! I bring menus and start your order, ya?" she nodded, trotting back towards the kitchen. "Toman asiento! Get comfortable, I be right back!" The two settled in at a table against the far wall. Little light from the sun outside made its way through the tiny rectangular windows just above them, adding to the dining room's warm atmosphere. Although, being a bakery, it would have been warm regardless; with most of the ovens still burning, it was actually quite hot. Airflow gently fanned her wings. Pixelle uncomfortably tugged her collar. While cozy, The Ancient Bakery's location did it no favors during Equestria's hotter months. Small windows, no doors to fresh air, and a basement-level concrete room ensured that whatever heat those ovens made, stayed trapped within the walls. As Grano walked back with the menus in her teeth, Pixelle took note of her lliclla. "How can you wear that poncho-thing in here? It's sweltering!" She practically spat the menus onto the table, face twisting into annoyance. "No no no, no es un poncho," she huffed, "es una lliclla! Much more useful. Make into.. like.. bah. Como se dice?" She raised an eyebrow at Airflow, vaguely gesturing to Pixelle's bags. "Oh, saddlebags?" the bat suggested. "Si! Eso, saddlebag!" she nodded. "Can wrap different to hold things." "Ah. But um, how are you wearing it in here?" Pixelle asked again. "Aren't you uncomfortable with all this heat?" The short mare giggled, waving a hoof. "No no! I am used to it," she dismissed. "I am not stranger to hot rooms. Have been baking most of my life, and before, helping in forges. Papa was a... a brightsmith! Yes. He made things from plata, silver." "Well either way yegua, with the upcoming summer your bakery needs some ventilation!" Airflow interjected. "Hace mucho calor, gotta have some fresh air." "You promise me no more maquinas, Airflow! Plenty of fresh air afuera. Adentro? Fresh bread!" she grinned, sliding them their menus. Panicked clicking and clacking reverberated off of the pristine hardwood floors as somepony's very light hooves galloped across them. Heavier clops (and some vulgar shouts) could be heard not far behind the escapee. Speeding through the hall in a blur, the lithe mystery figure ducked left into a bedroom. Whipping their head around the room, they stopped entirely as the Prench balcony doors caught their eye. The small pony smiled mischievously, a plan forming in their head. They reared up and bucked the doors open with a crash, hoping to draw as much attention as possible. With the voices and hooves approaching fast, they quickly squeezed their tiny frame under the chamber's ornate bed. Several mares and stallions in full black suits barged into the room, looking around frantically. Another stallion, clearly of an upper-class upbringing, strode in furiously. He dusted his baby blue pinstripe vest and aligned his navy-hued bowtie. The black-suited ponies merely stared at him, awaiting direction. "Well?" he asked expectantly. "Where's that bird-brained brat? Don't just look at m- AUGH!! MY IMPORTED PRENCH DOORS!" The fancy stallion pushed the guards aside to inspect the crime scene. "She's probably long-gone by now, you fools! Did none of you see the doors shattered?!" "We were waitin' on ya orders, boss!" one of the ponies saluted. "My ORDERS were to CATCH THE THIEF!" he fumed. "Not one of you thought to check the balcony?!" "S-sir we just-" "No! I'm not having it. Outsmarted by a filly!" he scoffed, kicking some of the glass shards. "I expected more from Manehattan's finest in security. You're lucky this would embarrass ME, too, otherwise I'd tell the whole city to avoid your 'services'." He spat on the balcony for effect, and stomped out of the room. The guards exchanged glances. "We uh... we don't gotta clean this up, do we?" a skinny unicorn asked. "I ain't fuckin' doin' it," a pegasus snorted. "We guard and we look good in suits, that's our schtick. Let's break for coffee. We ain't no maids." The well-dressed security ponies filed out, mumbling and arguing about which cafe to visit. Just a few moments later, the well-hidden filly shimmied her way out from under the low bed. Hopping up on her hooves, she straightened out her green and grey fur; her ash-colored mane was normally fairly unkempt, so she left it alone. Giddy at her success, she reached into her wing-pouch and gingerly removed her prize. In her small hooves, she cradled a pair of earrings of exceptional quality. Pure silver frames encased the most perfectly cut emeralds she had ever seen, shaped like crescent moons. The second half of the piece filled the remaining space with equally stunning black opal, shimmering like a galaxy in the night sky. "She's going to love these!" the lanky teen squeed, eyes sparkling. "I can finally pay her back!" Hurriedly stowing them back in the pouch, she carefully stepped around the broken glass on the balcony. Clambering up onto the rampart, she spread her multi-colored wings and hopped off gently; mixing into the rest of the city, she glided away unnoticed. "Grano, I'm not taking no for an answer," a batpony wheezily huffed. "And I am not taking your bits!" a short earth pony shot back. "I tell you, you don't have to pay. No seas terca, Airecita!" "Mare, 'stubborn' is my middle name, we can sit here all day." "Um, it's okay Miss Airflow, I-I can cover for it," a shy unicorn offered, "I mean.. I was the only pony who ordered food, and I can cover your drink, too!" "What? No no, Pixelle. I told you I would be taking you to breakfast, and that means I pay for the order." "Yes Airflow, and I tell you the same thing!" Grano stomped her hoof. "I didn't want to have to do this, Grano, but you leave me no choice," Airflow said sternly. She fixed her diminutive friend with a steely glare. "I'll install my next invention in here while you're on vacation if you won't take my money." The orange mare let out a shocked gasp. "You- you would not! Prometiste, no maquinas!" "I know where you hide the spare key, and if you won't let me pay with bits, then I suppose I'll just have to pay you with a favor..." she sighed with an exaggerated sadness. "After all, being such a good friend, I must pay you back! What better way than my incredible, and absolutely very functional new.. machine?" Grano Anciano cringed at the emphasis Airflow put on that word, and hung her head in defeat. "Eres un diablo, sabes? Dame la maldita plata." She thrust out her hoof. Smiling with victory, Airflow sat on her haunches and unlatched the wing-pouch on her right. She started counting the bits owed with a an intentional 'clink' of every coin. "No preciosa, soy un angel," she said sarcastically. She dropped the payment into Grano's waiting hoof, chuckling quietly. She couldn't keep her angry facade for very long, and shortly the earth pony's face broke into a smile. "La proxima, ya?" "Fine, fine, I promise. huff.. Next time!" "Good! You won't be coming later, no? I'll go and get your usual pickup prepared." "Oh, speaking of next time!" Pixelle piped up, "Before we head out, could I have another order of those donut things to-go?" "Picarones? Of course! I bring you a little cup for the syrup too," she nodded, trotting off to the kitchen. As the duo sat in silence waiting for Grano, Pixelle looked around the little shop, taking in more details. All of the artifacts along the walls were very clearly hoof-crafted, and made with exceptional skill. She wondered to herself if Grano's artisan persuasion branched out to other crafts. Airflow merely sat still, eyes closed, performing a breathing exercise. As she turned an ear towards her client, she noticed that her breathing had become heavy and labored. Turning to look at her, it was clear she was in a touch of distress. Pixelle gently placed a hoof on her shoulder. "Is everything alright, Miss Airflow?" Through raspy breaths, the batpony mustered a reply. "Yes dear.. huff... I'm fine." She cracked a small smile to reassure her. "Just been... huff... talking too much.." She spread her wings a bit to help cool herself off. "Air's little.. huff.. heavy. Hot... huff... in here." Now especially concerned, the unicorn turned to face her. "Miss Airflow, do you know any place nearby we can go that's cooler?" She glanced at the small windows. "Somewhere close. It's not going to be much better outside." The older mare merely nodded her head, focusing once more on pacing her breaths. Airflow's lungs and throat burned. Not from lacking air quality, her mask and apparatus had that covered. It did nothing for the thickness of the air however, and it struggled with humidity. In the end, second-to-none filtration is also ineffective if the wearer simply talks too much. Uncomfortable with the possibility of being forced to go non-verbal for the rest of the day, she vastly preferred keeping quiet for a while as a preventative measure. Going non-verbal would also mean it would be more difficult to get what she needed today. Though the places she frequented knew her by now, Manehattan wasn't very accommodating to a pony that couldn't speak. Most ponies simply didn't know sign language, after all. She would be visiting several places that were unfamiliar with her and her condition. Grano Anciano came trotting back into the dining area, breaking up her train of thoughts. She had their orders wrapped up in two paper bags, which she carried with her mouth. Locking eyes with both of her guests, she stopped mid-step to assess the situation. She approached slowly, and set the bags down in front of them. "Todo bien, Airecita?" she inquired. Airflow merely nodded her head, smile returning. "She's been talking too much, so she's saving her energy," PIxelle explained. "She said she knows a place that'll have some cooler air, make it easier for her to catch her breath." Grano looked to Airflow for confirmation, to which she nodded. Airflow pointed at Pixelle. She then angled her left hoof sideways, pointing straight forward; her right hoof also sideways, pointed off to the side; she dropped the right hoof on top of the left one, and nodded again. "She's right!" she signed. "Ah! Entiendo." the short mare got back to her hooves, and passed the bags to Pixelle. "Here is extra order of picarones, and Airflow's loafs!" Grinning, she turned to her friend. "The special this week es pan de camote! I also got you one extra, like you asked!" The batpony closed her right eye, and drooped her right ear; she put her hoof to her lips, and gestured outwards to the right. "Delicious!" Airflow then reset her expression, put a hoof to her lips again, and extended the foreleg out, hoof up, towards the earth pony. "Thank you." "Naaahh no hay problema chica!" Grano pulled Airflow into a tight hug, while being mindful of the sensitive equipment she wore. "Cuidate ya? Te quiero ver aquí la proxima semana, y te quiero ver sana!" After being released from the hug, she held her left hoof flat, and closed both eyes; with her right hoof, she made a 'C' shape in the air (from Grano's perspective), ending it atop the left. "Of course!" Waving goodbye, Airflow and Pixelle started making their way towards the exit. A surprisingly strong hoof pulled Pixelle back. Grano Anciano locked eyes with her, wearing a serious expression. "Other pony that comes with her, he has different color uniform," she started. "Your stripe green. His stripe red. I know you are not medical. Keep. Her. Healthy." The small earth pony tapped her chest with each word for emphasis, before letting go. "I-I will!" Pixelle stammered. "I promise I will. She's my friend too." It was not a temperate day in Manehattan. Hazel brown eyes scanned the streets below, watching as ponies struggled with the heat. She was thankful for the building's shade. The skinny filly kept her wings spread, holding her balance atop a thin flagpole. It surely would have bent or broken under the weight of a fully-grown pegasus, but she was light even for her size. As she peered on, a pair of mares stepping up and out from a basement caught her attention. She watched them like a hawk, taking in as many details as she could. The purple one adjusted a pair of leathery wings, and her breath hitched. Anxious for a second sign of confirmation, she kept her eyes locked to the duo. The purple batpony sat down, and moved her hooves in a clearly communicative way. The pink companion nodded understanding, and they continued on their way. The filly grinned a predatory smile. Exactly who she was looking for. Author's Note I'll preface this by saying I don't actually know a lot about ASL - but in my research I've found that several (if not most) words are spoken with very specific finger placement! Ponies don't have fingers. So, I devised a matchup, since horses communicate with their ears a lot; eyes, ears, and tongue will act as the fingers on the hand! Left eye for index, right eye for middle, right ear for ring, left ear for pinky, and finally the tongue as the thumb. A teensy bit arbitrary, and I hope I'm getting these gestures correct. A hoof with no changes in expression will simply count as a closed fist. A drooped ear or a close eye will be considered as the corresponding finger extended. If you actually speak ASL, feel free to correct any mistakes! I'll do my due diligence to ensure any caught errors are fixed. Translation time! Note: This part is a little long, and entirely optional. I do hope it offers more context than the basics of certain web translators though! Note 2: I am SO bad at placing the tildes. Please forgive me for missing some! Quien carajo viene tan temprano?! "Who the fuck is coming in so early?!" A "lliclla" (pronounced 'yee-see-yuh') is a traditional Incan cover similar to a poncho. It's mostly worn by the Quechua people these days, and is used to keep warm, carry young children, or carry cargo. Airecita, mi preciosa anciana! "Little Airflow, my precious old lady!" It may not be universal, but for my family at least, we say "aire" or "airecita" for air that's blowing, like a small fan or the AC. In this case, Grano uses it the same way. Siempre bueno ver (...) "Always good to see (...)" No seas tan amarga, yegua. "Don't be so bitter, mare." No hay panaderia mejor este lado de las montañas! "There's no better bakery this side of the mountains!" Relajate pata (...) "Relax buddy (...)" 'Pata,' in this context, specifically refers to a close and well-trusted friend. There's no direct translation. Esta zanahoria aquí no tiene ni michi en casa. "This carrot here doesn't have any food at home." 'Zanahoria,' carrot, when referring to a person means "innocent". 'Ni michi' is Peruvian slang for "no food". Ahhh, entiendo eso. "Ahh, I understand that." Toman asiento! "Take a seat!" (...) no es un poncho, es una lliclla! "(...) it's not a poncho, it's a lliclla!" Si! Eso, saddlebag! "Yes! That, saddlebag!" Hace mucho calor, (...) "It's too hot, (...) Maquinas means "machines". Afuera means "outside". Adentro means "inside". No seas terca, Airecita! "Don't be stubborn, Little Airflow!" Prometiste, no maquinas! "You promised, no machines!" Eres un diablo, sabes? Dame la maldita plata. "You're a devil, you know that? Give me the damn money." No preciosa, soy un angel, (...) "No precious, I'm an angel, (...)" La proxima, ya? "Next time, yeah?" Picarones are Peruvian-style donuts, not nearly as thick as the ones most folks know. They're hoops of dough dropped directly into a shallow pan of frying oil, and are pretty hard to get right. They're almost always served with a side of (usually homemade) syrup. Sometimes they're dusted with powdered sugar too! Todo bien, Airecita? "Everything alright, Little Airflow?" Entiendo. "I understand." Pan is bread. Camote is sweet potato. Naaahh no hay problema chica! "Naaahh no problem girl!" Cuidate ya? Te quiero ver aquí la proxima semana, y te quiero ver sana! "Take care of yourself, yeah? I want to see you here next week, and I want to see you healthy!"
MotionTwo figures sat across from each other in a darkened room. One a diminutive, slender unicorn mare, the other a towering, dense earth pony stallion. "Why haven't they shown their faces yet?" the unicorn hissed. "They're in the center of the public eye these days, is that not face enough?" the earth pony replied. "No. Puppets on a stage," she hummed. "The strings are so clearly visible, and yet, neither the bars nor their holder ever appear." "Puppets controlling puppets, maybe?" he meekly suggested. "Cannot be, not with their insipid little logo plastered to everything they touch." "Right, including ponies." "Yes, including... Hmph." She put her hooves together in thought. She sat stock still as the gears turned in her head. "Something the matter, ma'am?" the brute inquired. "I'll admit I'm feeling the green hues of envy." She did not turn to look at him. "Your total lack of wit actually managed an ingenious idea." "Thank... you?" "Don't let it get to your head," she snapped. "Like infinite monkeys on typewriters, anypony would have eventually reached this conclusion." "But my monkey hit all the right keys, yeah?" She stared at him with such palpable contempt, his early warning implant alerted him to life-threatening danger. "Apologies, ma'am," he rushed, scrambling into a salute. "Gear yourself and your little squad for extra training," the shadowy mare mused. "It's time to dig up an old project, and I need no distractions while I research." "Yes ma'am!" With a quick twist, the hulking stallion clomped his way out of the office. Turning to face the screens behind her, she hit a few keys in a very particular order. The machine sprang to life, bathing the dark room in a hazy glow. Each of the wall's many monitors contained a different snippet of information; pictures, articles, personnel files, and news reports. "Coals are lit, Ovocon," she said to herself. "The wheels are in motion. It's all but a matter of time." She typed a few more commands, bringing up a different set of information across all screens. Many different newspapers and their headlines popped up, but what took center stage was her true focus. Spread across the four central monitors, was the picture of a batpony mare sitting upright in a hospital bed. Despite all of the tubing and machinery surrounding her, she wore a bright, if weary smile. The unicorn's eyes flicked to the image's headline. Miracle Mare: Lone Survivor of Manehattan Chemical Disaster Pulls Through Successful Surgery! "Not to mention..." she started through grit teeth. Her gaze hardened as she stared at the wall of her publicized failure. "...you still have one of my loose ends." Author's Note Howdy! Been a while, aye? Hopefully this interim chapter will suffice while I finalize Chapter 3! I wasn't planning on revealing anything about FNR so soon, but they won't be popping up again for a while, so I figured it wouldn't hurt to add a little bonus intrigue. Both this AND the third chapter were supposed to be ready last week, but unfortunately the release of Remnant 2 has consumed me. Worry not though! It is on the way. See y'all soon! -Nuke
Chapter 3Pixelle couldn't say she was surprised at the sight before her. Nestled tightly between two of the city's many massive towers sat a darkened alleyway with a seedy aura like no other. Uncollected garbage lay strewn about, and she swore she could feel somepony hidden watching from the shadows. Worst of all, it was a dead end! "M-Miss Airflow, are- ahem, are you absolutely sure there's a pharmacy... here?" the unicorn gulped, gesturing vaguely forward. Airflow just let out a quiet chuckle, and patted her on the withers before trotting in deeper. Having opened her wings behind her to help spread away excess body heat, the older mare was relieved to be out of direct sunlight. Feeling the already cooler air of the shadowed alley, she gently folded her wings back to her sides. Continuing on, the batpony confidently walked towards the dead end wall. Pixelle however, was not keeping good pace. She moved far more cautiously, checking every nook and cranny for potential dangers. Looking forward to check on her charge, she saw the mare quickly disappear behind a dumpster at the far end. "Miss Airflow?" she called, anxious. No reply. "Miss Airflow?!" Breaking into a sprint, Pixelle sped forward. As she approached, a dubious green glow emanated from around the corner. Her horn ignited almost on instinct, readying a counterspell. While it wouldn't do much to a non-unicorn assailant, it still held enough impact to knock somepony off-balance. Skidding to a halt as she rounded the dumpster, she screamed a fear-inducing war cry. (Her voice did not crack, that was totally part of it. On purpose! Yeah.) Airflow, halfway down a set of stairs leading to a basement-level shop, merely looked at her with concern. She started climbing back up to check on her. "M-Miss Airflow! You're.. fine??" she sputtered. "What about that green magic?! Who was that?!" The batpony merely pointed above the stairway. Looking past her, Pixelle saw a large neon sign. Bathing that corner of the alley in a soft green, it was shaped like a large medical cross. Confused at the layout of it all, she quickly realized the alley was not actually a dead end; it turned a corner, and continued back out to a neighboring street. "Oh. I uh.. oh. cough So! Phar- um.. pharmacy, huh?" she blushed. Airflow took her hoof, and patted it in reassurance. She smiled warmly, before looking up at her forehead, and giggling a little. The bat gave her a light tap on her horn, and the counterspell she still had charged fizzled out. "Hah.. whoops.." Hazel irises peered down into the darkness below, following the small scene as it unfolded. The eyes observed the way this new mare acted, and the mystery figure kept mental notes. Flighty. Paranoid. Easily tunnel visioned. Rapid caster, though. The unicorn's voice crack pierced her thoughts. The figure snorted and covered her muzzle, barely suppressing laughter. High priority: terrible war cry. We can work on that. She scanned the rest of the alleyway. Just like before they arrived, both branches of the little pathway were devoid of other ponies. Bar the occasional pedestrian noticing the shop's neon sign, little of note appeared. Satisfied at the lack of suspicious activity, she returned her attention to the odd duo. You're supposed to be looking out for her, not the other way around. She watched them like a bird of prey as they made their way down the stairs of the entrance. Stock still, she would easily be mistaken for a gargoyle at a glance. Her ear twitched as she heard the jingle of the doors. She maintained her posture for a few moments after they made their way inside, just to make sure. The older filly released the breath she'd been holding, and unfurled her wings. She leaned over the railing she was perched on, gauging the height. With a sharp nod and a short hop, she glided her way down. A small cluster of silver bells jingled as the door was opened. They were hit with a sudden, sharp cold that nipped through the duo's fur. Airflow stood just past the doorway, content to simply absorb the chilly air of the magically-cooled shop. Her companion shivered through her uniform as she stepped in behind her, and the bells jingled again as the door swung closed. As they walked the rest of the way in, they were greeted by rows and rows of shelves. Medication, hygiene supplies, supplements, and more laid before them with an almost obsessive neatness. The batpony smiled to herself as she appreciated the exceptional organization of products. The sight had been familiar for a long time, and always put her at ease. Taking deep, slow breaths, she folded her wings back up. Looking around the rest of the pharmacy, she found that she and Pixelle were alone. It seemed even the shopkeep was absent. It wouldn't matter until she needed to pay, but it was still an inconvenience to get him to show up. Pixelle stood next to her, having dismissed her fears. Though some ponies may find the harsh whites of the floor, walls, ceiling, racks.. of everything in the shop, really - a little unsettling, and almost too sanitized, Pixelle was simply reminded of her workplace. Ovocon's offices, regardless of location or department, seemed to always be rather lacking in decorative flair. Another rush of cold air interrupted her thoughts, and she tried to sink deeper into her uniform's coat. "How are you doing, Miss Airflow?" she asked, looking down at her. "Feeling better?" The batpony nodded absentmindedly, attention focused on the medicine lining that particular aisle. "I have a few prescriptions to pick up, but I'm running low on the over-the-counter stuff too," she replied hoarsely. "Oh! You're speaking again!" Airflow stopped, suddenly reminded of one of the reasons they were here. Right, throat. Ask for forgiveness, not permission. Sorry in advance, Ducky. She turned back to the unicorn and put up a hoof to say 'one moment'. Pixelle tilted her head in confusion. She trotted off, trying to remember the specific aisle she needed. Weaving back and forth between rows, a shimmer by one of the endcaps caught her attention. Studying the display of bottles, she brightened and happily walked over. She picked up a bottle, and read the label: 'Wunderwasser - Medicated ale to cure what ails you!' Pfff, Germanes and their brews. It'd be silly if it didn't work so well. At least they're smart enough to make it non-alcoholic. She popped the cap on the drink and started trotting back to where she left her friend. Taking a deep breath, she held it, pulled her mask away with a wing, and took a long swig. She sealed her mask back on and let it settle before breathing again. The lukewarm brew's mix of herbs and honey did wonders to soothe her throat. "Oh, that's much better," she said to nopony in particular, rounding the corner back to Pixelle. "You sound better! Hopefully you won't have to have anymore long conversations like that today," her friend commented as she came into view. "Hah! We'll see. Like I said, lots of errands to run, ponies to see." She lifted her mask and took another drink. "Oh, where did you get that? If they've got Partybolt I might get me one. Or maybe a cider..." she thought for a second, looking over the shelving to the checkout counter, seeing it empty. Her brow furrowed, puzzled. "Hey, when did the shopkeep come back? And where did he go?" "He didn't," the bat flatly replied. "Wait, how did you pay for that then?" Airflow merely chuckled to herself, and moved on to the next aisle she needed to see. When Pixelle finally connected the dots, she blanched like she had just witnessed a murder. "Miss Airflow!! You can't-" she nervously glanced around, before lowering her voice to a harsh whisper. "You can't steal!" "Oh settle down, sugarcone! It's not stealing if I still pay for it!" "Well- I mean.. but-!" Clingaling Both mares' heads snapped to the front door, just in time to see it close. Either somepony had made a mistake, or was too short for them to see them from there. And yet, the bells only rang out once... and quieter than usual. Somepony didn't want them to ring at all, and had made a slip. The pair looked at each other for a second, and Pixelle's horn once again ignited with a counterspell. She stared down the aisle, head lowered. Just behind her, the batpony's sharp ears were tracking the pitter-patter clicks of very quiet hooves. She looked down at the bottle in her hoof, and for just a moment had considered breaking it open to use as a weapon. Wouldn't be the first time. Ugh, too messy. But maybe that mess would trigger... As the plan formed in her head, Airflow looked around at the floor tiles, hoping to catch the shimmer of a specific rune the pharmacist liked to use. There, on the darkest tile in the pattern, she spied an unnatural glitter. The hoofsteps were nearing the other end of the aisle. She quickly whispered her plan to Pixelle, who nodded firmly and slowly made her way back towards the front door. The hoofsteps stopped. Airflow took aim. Bottle, shattered. Drink, spilled. Rune, triggered. An alarm rang out from the stockroom, just audible enough to be heard by the ponies in the otherwise dead-quiet store. Whoever had been stalking them no longer cared about stealth, and their panicked and skittery gallop was easily heard by Pixelle. The older mare turned around just in time to watch her unicorn companion jump out in front of the next aisle, and ignite her telekinesis on the intruder. "Aha! Gottem!" the taller mare shouted. "Celestia, you're a shorty, huh? Miss Airflow! The plan worked! I caught the little scamp!" "I ain't no scamp, you overgrown stalactite!" a squeaky, distinctly Manehattan-accented voice cried back. "I'm surprised you know what those are!" Pixelle mused, having come back into view, prisoner in magical tow. "Though you're almost right - since my horn goes from the base upwards, the accurate insult would be 'stalagmite'!" "I'll show you accurate insults, you technicolor ass!" the filly raged, harmlessly punching the air next to the unicorn. "Hey! Language!" Pixelle took a moment to size up their stalker. She was a lanky pegasus filly, approaching or in her teens. It wasn't easy to tell - the unicorn wasn't the best at dealing with foals, and her captive seemed small for her age. Taking in her appearance, her fur was a striking combination of green and grey, and her feathers were almost pearlescent. Her head was topped with an unkempt ash-grey mane, the same as her short tail. "Airflow can ya tell your mutant giraffe bodyguard to PUT ME DOWN?" The batpony clicked her tongue in disappointment. "Nina, what did I tell you about stalking me and my caretakers? And so rude to her, too! I thought I taught you better manners." "But she's holding me in her magic like I'm a doooog!" 'Nina' whined, looking down. "Wha- huh? Miss Airflow, you know her?" "I do, and have for a long time. Go, introduce yourself to Pixelle!" Airflow said, before giving the filly a stern glare. "Politely, Nina." "Uuggghh... Hello, Miss Pixelle... my name is Mezzanine, it's nice to meet you.." she sighed, defeated. She held out a hoof to bump. Pixelle cautiously reached over and bumped her hoof in greeting, not quite trusting the little pegasus yet. Mezzanine gave her no trouble, though she didn't put much effort into the greeting, either. They both looked back at the elder, waiting to see what to do next. "Good! You can put her down now," she nodded. "Yeah, please. And mind the glass! I've had to hooftip around enough of that today already!" the small one demanded. "Oh! Right, we really should clean this all up before the owner comes to yell at us. That alarm is still going..." Pixelle gently set the filly down, making sure that part of the floor was clean. "Yes, Ducky will... wait. Already? What do you mean, Nina? What did you do?" "Uh! Um, n-nothing! Nothing immoral, Airflow!" the filly stammered. "Immoral and illegal are not the same, Nina. What. Did. You. Do?" Between the choice of a unicorn thrice her height and the stone-cold, 'just disappointed your mother' stare directed at her from the bat, Mezzanine chose the former. She skittered behind the pink mare, barely peeking out. "O-okay! B-but I'm staying behind your meatshield, and you can't be mad!" "Meatshield?! Oh you would not be the final girl, you little brat!" Pixelle scoffed. She stepped to the side, refusing to get in between her charge and her business. To her dismay, the feather-light pegasus had already wrapped herself around her back leg, and was hell-bent on staying put. She stared down at her, and in return met her pleading puppy eyes. Her resolve wavered. Mezzanine's lip quivered like she was about to burst into tears, and Pixelle broke. "Fine! Agh! Okay, fine. Just do as Miss Airflow says, at least?" The filly broke her facade instantly, and smiled with a heart-melting 'squee!'. "Are you done, missy? Ready to fess up now?" "Yes! Are you ready to 'fess up' as she says? Says." a fourth voice piped up. From the other end of the pharmacy, a bright yellow changeling with orange markings strode up to them, carrying a broom, dustpan, and a packet of some kind of cleaning powder in his magic. "Ohhhhh, that's why his name is 'Ducky'," Pixelle concluded. "Great timing as usual," Airflow quipped. "I was just about to get to the bottom of this little troublemaker's antics!" "My name is Pupil, actually. Actually." he clarified. "The ponies, they call me 'Ducky' because I named myself 'Ducks-In-A-Row', after the expression I like very much. My colors are just coincidence. Coincidence. So, the little one is who made the mess here, yes? Yes. I'll see that she does not bother you while you browse, Missus Airflow. Airflow." "That was me, actually," she replied quickly, adjusting her device a little. "I thought somepony dangerous was stalking me and my caretaker here, so we made a mess to trigger one of those runes you love so much." "Hah, yeah, sorry about all of this. To be fair, it was a very cool plan..." Pixelle added. "That worked! By the way." Ducky just stared at her deadpan. "Really well. It worked really... cough Yeah, uh, nevermind." "Well. I supposed the matter is settled. Settled. I will fill your prescription and check you out after cleaning, Missus Airflow. So, if you all don't mind... Mind." the bright changeling shooed them away from the glass and spilt tonic, tearing open the powder packet and shaking it over as much of the liquid as possible. From the looks of it, he managed to get every drop, and it quickly dried into easily-sweepable clumps. Airflow watched as the substance absorbed the moisture, fixated on it. She wondered if it would have any applications for her project, but quickly dismissed it. The resulting mess would hinder its performance, and make it a nightmare to clean. She would simply have to make the machine's more sensitive parts water resistant, or at the very least their enclosures. She swallowed, cleared her raspy throat, and was again reminded why she was here. "C'mon kids, lets leave our gracious host to his work," she said, shuffling the group along to the far end of the store. "Kid?! Maybe an ursa's kid!" Mezzanine guffawed, "That unicorn's a monstrosity!" "Ugh, please, I'm not that much taller than other mares!" she defended. "Nina, be nice. Pixelle, what's in the next aisle?" the bat asked her innocently. "Oh, yes ma'am!" Pixelle hardly had to stretch, peeking over the shelf into the next row. Its shelves were lined (perfectly, mind you) with vitamin supplements. "Buncha vitamins! Not seeing anything on your list from here, though." As she turned back, she was met with two stifled giggles, as neither Airflow, and especially not Mezzanine, were any close to being able to see over the top. "Oh..." "Ah, don't fret dear, there's nothing wrong with being tall," the elder mare wheezed in comfort. "Now, as for being short... Nina, aren't you short an explanation? What did you do that had you hooftipping around glass this morning?" The filly froze as the mirth left her face. "Uh..!" She glanced around nervously. "Um..." She looked back up at Pixelle, who had busied herself with the shopping list Airflow had given her. "You promised, Nina." "Agh! Okay!" she squeaked. She ruffled her feathers and shook away the fear. Taking in a big breath, she began. "ISNUCKINTOLORDBIZMUTH'SHIGHRISEFLOORBECAUSEHEGOTTHELASTOFALIMITEDPAIROFEARRINGSIWANTEDTOGETFORYOUSOICOULDPAYYOUBACKFORBEINGSONICETOMEBUTHISSTUPIDJEWELRYCASEHADANALARMONITANDIHADTOESCAPESOIDODGEDALLHISIDIOTGUARDSANDMADEADISTRACTIONBYKICKINGOPENAPAIROFGLASSDOORSLEADINGTOABALCONYSOTHEYTHOUGHTIESCAPEDANDWOULDGIVEUPANDITWORKEDANDIGOTOUTFROMUNDERTHEBEDIWASUSINGTOHIDEANDTHENHADTOHOOFTIPAROUNDTHEGLASSSHARDSFROMTHEFANCYDOORSANDTHENFLEWAWAYTOFINDYOU!" Once it was over she gasped, heaving in lungfuls of air as if she had just finished a marathon. "Uhhh... what?" Pixelle stared, confused. "You broke into Lord Bizmuth's penthouse?! For a silly pair of earrings?!" "UH, WHAT? How did you get any of that?! Lord Bizmuth?!" "Wait wait wait! I snuck in, I didn't break in! Plus his security is dumb as rocks," she corrected. "No, scratch that, I heard of a geolo-whatever mare with a pet rock that actually did some important shit, so they're dumber than rocks." "Language!" "Dumb isn't a swear, asshole!" "Nina!" Airflow hissed, "You can't do things like that! Especially not to ponies like that. You're not some daring Robin Hoof, you're a streetrat filly one misstep away from getting 'disappeared'. Those ponies will find out that you don't have any big connections and will take advantage of that!" "But I-I, I escaped! I got away! Nopony even knows which direction I flew!" "Mezzanine." The filly flinched at Airflow's use of her full name, and her ears snap flat on her head. "You are missing the point. If you keep thinking you're uncatchable you'll stop being careful. I won't be around to bail you out forever, and especially not from a pony like Bizmuth. You need to stop. Understand?" The diminutive pegasus lowers her head, looking smaller than ever. She solemnly nods. "Yes ma'am..." "Miss Airflow's right," Pixelle adds. "Lord Bizmuth isn't known to be the most rational guy, even for a high-class stallion. Definitely not a pony you wanna be making mad. What was so important that you needed to rob him, anyway?" "Not robbed, burglerered... burngle.. fuckin, whatever the right version of that word is. Pilfered! That works, same thing." "Oh, sure, you know 'pilfered' but can't pronounce 'burgled'?" "Fuck off! Words are hard. I've been skipping Ponish, I hate book reports. But uh... I explained before. A pair of earrings. For.. for Airflow. To pay her back." "Whatever would you need to pay me back for, Nina? You've never owed me anything. It's not like I charge you for saving your butt, hah!" the bat asked, leaning in a bit. Her expression was nonchalant as always, but her perked ears betrayed her anticipation. "I- uh.. y-you're.. um.. you uh.. fuck. How do I...? No, no, n-nevermind! This is gettin way too sappy for me. Here! Take em. And um... thank you.." she stammers, reaching into the small pouch under her wing. As she takes out the stolen jewelry, she looks away, embarrassed. Unable to make eye contact, the little pegasus holds them out for Airflow to take. Shimmering in the harsh white light of Ducky's pharmacy, the emerald and black opal earrings were a striking sight to behold. The green crescent moons practically glowed, and the colored splatter of the opal backdrop sparkled as bright as the stars themselves. Both mares are stunned at the prize the filly held, and one could hear the batpony's device hiccup as her breath hitched. The longer they stared, the deeper Mezzanine's blush got. As easy as it would be to tease her about it, Airflow knew it would ruin the little moment, and opted instead to very gently take the earrings into her hooves. Using the hooked thumb of her wing to hold one up to the light, she continued to marvel at them. "Nina... they're beautiful!" she finally said. She looked back down at the pegasus, who still couldn't look her in the eyes. "You said you wanted to buy them, before Bizmuth took the last pair? How much were you going to spend?" "Um.. 200 bits..." she mumbled, shuffling her hooves. "Oh! Wow, that's not so bad! I've remember emeralds going for way more," Pixelled chimed. "Not so bad for a working mare, yes. But a filly on the streets? That's a lot of money!" "I-I know, but! They were cheaper because they're lab gems! It was reachable! I could get it! I did get it!" She looked back at Airflow, whose eyebrow was raised in concern. "Ugh, yeah, legally!" Airflow looked down at the jewelry in her hoof. After a moment of thought, she sighed. "Ah, what to do with you, little one?" She put the earrings into her own wing-pouch, and ruffled Mezzanine's mane. "I know I've told you a million damn times, but try to be more careful!" She smiled warmly at her. "Well, what's done is done. Thank you, Nina. I love your gift!" Without warning, the elderly mare pulled the filly into a strong hug, being careful to avoid the equipment on her own chest. "Hrgk! Air... flow... please!" Mezzanine choked. "Hmm.. just a few more seconds!" the bat pleaded, tightening her embrace. "Strangled by Airflow, oh the irony!" Pixelle giggled. She turned away from the scene for a moment, and saw that both the mess on the floor and Ducky had disappeared. Despite the interruption, it seemed like they would still have plenty of time to get through Airflow's list. She nodded to herself. "Looks like the shopkeep's all done over there, he probably has your prescriptions ready!" "Oh!" She gently let go of the little pegasus, who took an exaggerated breath. "We forgot we were buying things, didn't we?" "Whatcha gettin' here? Well, besides your meds," the filly asked. "Some supplements, a tonic, and a few bulk boxes of muzzle masks. Now, which aisle does he stock those again...?" "Full boxes? What for? Isn't the OMBA enough?" the unicorn questioned. "Oh no, not for me, haha! For my project," she explained. "It needs an air filter, and one that isn't the size of my mattress. So I figured I would try and build one myself! I'm going to sew a lot of them together and then staple it to a fitted frame." She idly picked up and inspected a bottle of pills. "Ain't there a tailor in your building? Why not some cheaper fabric? Also, what's an 'ohmba'?" Mezzanine asked. "Its my little breathing machine," the bat wheezed, still scanning the rack in front of her. "Some acronym I keep ignoring. As for regular fabric, tried that, didn't work right." "Ovocon Mobile Breathing Assistant!" Pixelle confirmed. "Thanks, dear," she smiled, passing her a pair of the bottles. "Well, that just about wraps things up here. Let's get those masks and my prescriptions and we can get moving along!" "Yes ma'am!" her companions said in unison. They looked at each other for a moment. "Jinx!" they said, again, at the same time. They scowled at each other, Pixelle standing tall looking down, Mezzanine stretching her height as much as possible, staring back up. Before long, Pixelle snorted a short laugh, and the trio burst into a fit of giggles, continuing on their errands. Author's Note Heya folks! Long time no see, huh? Motivation sure is a bitch! I'm happy to inform y'all that at the same time I was writing this (and that other story), I've gotten a few hundred words written down for the next three chapters: 4, 5, and the second named interim chapter, which is currently going by "Observation". With some creative juices flowing again, here's hoping I can drop Ch.4 before the end of the year! Thanks for sticking around!
