A yellow unicorn stallion with deep red hair and beard was sitting by the window of a busy cafe, alone. The waitress noticed him nervously fiddling with his hooves, and thought it was odd he was wearing a suit; but she wasn’t paid enough to give a shit. After all: in Crystalia, formerly called the Crystal Empire, unions are… very limited in their reach and power here, if they’re even allowed to exist at all.

“Hi there! Can I start ya’ off with anything?” But she forced herself to smile regardless, hoping that this one would tip well. She approached from behind; he jumped when she spoke, and she had to suppress a chuckle.

“O-Oh, uh, j-just a coffee and toast, please. I’m waiting for another to arrive.” She grimaced internally- Great, now I gotta check back in… Not like I’m fucked as it is.

“Be right back for ya’!” As soon as she turned around, the forced smile sank like a rock; the people all around her chatting with their friends easily masked her sigh of resignation.

This was her life, after all. Smile and deal with it- ‘for the Princesses!’ as her mother always said, ‘They freed us from Sombra’s chains!’

‘Fuck ‘em. We’re still in chains, just velvety ones.’ about sums up the waitresses thoughts on the matter.

She blinked, and realised she was once again approaching the table with the odd yellow stallion. Snapped out of autopilot, she took a deep breath and forced that smile. Despite being only 25 years old, she knew from looking in the mirror that she had been developing premature crow’s feet; possibly as a result of all the forced smiles.

“Still waiting?” She asked, and she definitely didn’t do it on purpose to startle him. As his body once again jerked from surprise, she found her smile to be a little less forced. “I just brought the whole pot and another mug, just in case your friend wants some!” A medium sized platter of thick-cut toast was placed on the centre, garnished with small cups of butter and various jams around the edges. Two small plates were set to the side for later use, and the waitress pulled two bundles of silverware wrapped in napkins out of her apron, setting them on the table.

“Oh, thank you!” He said, and she nodded.

“Anything else, just call for me. I’ll swing back around!” She said, her smile once again fading as she walked away. ‘Jagoff,’ she muttered silently under her breath. She looked around the cafe floor wearily before once again making her rounds across the room. Once again, she was reverting to that autopilot mindset.

It was all the same shit- ‘just checkin’ in! Anything I can get ya’s?’ And it was always the same nonsense, too. I didn’t get enough strawberry jelly! This food isn’t hot enough! My straw has a hole in it! Needy fuckers. The diner’s clientele consists mainly of rich tourists from Equestria and Griffonia, who brought with them their frankly insignificant problems. Even collecting tips needs to be a task! Sometimes they tip well, sometimes they don't, and every time she had to clear off the table. Ever since the bus-boy quit, it’s fallen on the shoulders of the servers and the cooks to bring back and clean dishes.

It wasn’t a great loss when the old busboy left, though. He was always high on opium the first half of his shift, and dope-sick for the second half. One time she even made a joke- ‘Seeing how this place is run, I can’t blame the kid!’ which her fellow employees got a kick out of. Then when the joke made it back to the boss, she threatened to write them all up for insubordination.

A wide tray helped carry the not-insignificant stack of empty dishes on her back; combined with her woefully long years of experience at that diner, she was able to skillfully slide it onto the counter by the sink… next to the mountain of dishes that still needed done. She literally growled in anger, once again surveying the pandemonium around her.

Despite the fact that pretty much all of the cooks were stoned, they did their jobs pretty well; maybe ponies cook better when they’re stoned?

“Yo, Hair-do!” She grabbed one of the cooks as he ran by, him huffing in annoyance.

“What? What d’ya want?” He was pissed off too, being part of the same sinking ship. “Jo never showed up and we’re up to our asses in orders!” He didn’t even have to finish his sentence as she turned and resigned herself to blowing through these dishes before she had to make her rounds again, the musty rubber gloves making her arms chafe.

Grab the dish, hose it down, dab of soap on the sponge, scrub scrub scrub, rinse, inspect for spots, dry, move on. No dish-washing machines here; Just good old-fashioned exploitative labour. Five times of doing this over and over again made her realise; Fuck it, half these plates are basically spotless already. A glance over her shoulder confirmed that no-one paid her any mind.

After all, if the plate’s already basically spotless, why bother with the soap? Who’s gonna know? For what I’m being paid, cocksuckers oughta be grateful I’m at least rinsing them off. Not like they’re grateful for fucking anything else.

Having made a noticeable gouge in the pile of dishes, she threw the gloves off. The insides stunk of rubber and sweat, and even after scrubbing with the dish soap, left a faint smell on her hooves that only she could notice.

They’ll air off. She muttered, half-running out of the kitchen to her tables. A light yellow unicorn mare wearing a spring dress with a wide floral hat and sunglasses joined the table at some point. Upon closer inspection, it was noted that she had a blue mane with black streaks.

“Apologies for the wait!” She said, scrambling to pull her notepad out. “Welcome! Can I get ya’ started with anything?” They said some pleasantries with her that would’ve gone in one ear and out the other if she didn’t have to give back generic responses.

Yes, it is nice outside. Just like the weatherpony on the radio said first thing this morning.

All that really mattered to her was the order, she barely had time for pleasantries. Just say whatever will get them to stop talking. It’s why she’s wary of approaching senior citizens; after all, they love to talk. And talk. And talk. Oblivious to the world around them and the fact that they indirectly caused the problems they often ranted about. Sometimes they had the audacity to complain about not enough employees working, and she just wanted to throw them through the window. And of course, who could forget the ubiquitous “Pick yourself up by the shoe tacks!”

Hope they slip in the shower… she thought to herself, making her smile just a little more genuine.

“Alright! I’ll bring that out as soon as it’s done!” She couldn’t even remember what they ordered, but that was fine. The cooks can read.

“Excuse me, Miss… Cassie, is it?” She actually read my name tag? She turned around and hummed, wondering what do they want now?

“You have some soap bubbles stuck to your chin.” She said kindly, turning back towards the yellow stallion.

“O-Oh, uh, thank you!” She said, genuinely feeling grateful. “Bus-boy quit, so we gotta pick up the slack. You know how it is!” She grabbed one of the many napkins she carried in her pocket to wipe her chin as she walked away.

“That doesn’t have to be the case. I know a lot of the foodservice union contracts specifically forbid that.” She froze mid-step. Having read the works of Cutie Mark’s, she knew full well what unions were. But then she just resumed walking like she didn’t hear anything; She wasn’t gonna risk her employment over a pipe dream.

Ding… Ding… The noon bell, though muffled, could definitely be heard from inside the restaurant.

“Oy!” She said to another waitress who was just walking in. She was a cunt, but seeing her arriving here to finally cover her unpaid ‘lunch break,’ just… made her hate that bitch a little less. For now.

“Heyyy, biiiiatch!” She’s drunk again. Of course. Hate her again already. But despite this, she was half way through her ten hour shift. It’s the little things, Cassie. Count your blessings.

“I’m gonna go smoke heavily.” She spent her whole life swearing off smoking, knowing full-well it’s what gave her cousin lung cancer. Nine outta ten doctors recommend smoking, but that’s because the tenth one never got paid off. But quick smoke breaks, peppered throughout the day whenever she could sneak away, were the only thing keeping her sane. “Keep an eye on my tables, please.”

Now that she finally had a moment- she stopped, surveying the room. Tables were starting to empty, and they weren’t being refilled immediately. On one hoof, it brought her relief realising that they’d finally be able to catch up a little; It’s like you force yourself to weather the hurricane, only to come home and find that looters took all your money. After all- less customers, less tips going around. Some of the worst days here, she spent all morning running like a headless chicken, only for business to die out because of a sportsball game in the afternoon.

The break room was at the end of the hallway, thankfully next to the bathroom she needed. She checked her watch to take note of the time, door-lock syndrome forcing her to half-run into the stall. Ridiculous… She muttered to herself as she did her business. A quote she read ran through her mind; she saw it while reading Marks for the first time, and it’s resonated ever since. The way even essential service workers are treated is appalling! It’s undignified when they’re forced to dash to the restroom, start smoking because it’s the only time they get a break, or work for dirt-poor wages!

“You said it.” She muttered as she washed her hooves in the sink. She looked up, and the bags under her tired eyes were a window lazily covered by the drapes of a false smile. “Smoke break!” A real, genuine smile broke through when she said that.

The break-room, being little more than a small room with a smaller table, surrounded by uncomfortable folding chairs. Countertops were filled with cleaning supplies, the top part being covered in coffee stains originating from the single coffee machine. The pot was empty- but even if she could be bothered to make more, the shared sugar container had been collecting more dust than sugar. She grabbed the smokes and a lighter out of her miniscule locker, situated next to the fridge that contained her sack lunch and was only cold about half the time.

“Ten minutes…” She muttered, throwing her stuff on the table in a mad dash to get ready. “Where the fuck is the ashtray!?” Not here, not now! … Fuck it. There was a small metal lunchbox that had been sitting empty in one of the cupboards for ages now, the owner long having walked out after not being able to take it anymore here. It was quite plain; light blue, with a generic design of a fruit bowl stamped into the metal and painted. Well, now it’s an ashtray.

Her watch said eight minutes left until she had to return, and she mentally congratulated her own quick thinking. She sat on the uncomfortable folding chair, finally having the smoke that she so desperately needed. The flame from her lighter danced energetically as it was drawn towards the tobacco. She gently drew the smoke in her mouth, and the acrid fumes of the cheap cigarette were quickly pulled into her lungs. She leaned back, throwing her arm on the chair next to her as a smile of genuine contentment crossed her lips. She looked up as she exhaled, watching the smoke roll gently towards the tile ceiling with a sigh of relief.

“Casanova! What are you doing!?” Her boss yelled, making her jump in surprise. She could see that her boss had finally decided to use the spending account corporate provided. She repressed the urge to glare at the prick as she said,

“I’m on break, what d’ya want?” Cassie’s boss just gave her a flat look as she pointed to the pinboard of corporate bullshit. No smoking? NO SMOKING!? “Oh, my apologies. I didn’t see it.”

“You’re supposed to check the board every day! What the fuck, were you just standing around when you got here this morning?” He forced a smile and a laugh, trying to play the insult off as casual banter. “Seriously, put that thing out. I’m not asking again.” He said as he was putting bottles of some cheap off-brand soda into the fridge that wouldn’t even survive the night.

She wanted to cry as she crushed the cigarette; her watch told her she didn’t have a whole lot of time left, only six minutes.

“As soon as I got here, I was on the floor taking orders. I had to carry my lunch on my back for a half hour before I got a second to put it away.” Her eyes were still fixated on the crushed cigarette within the now-useless lunch box.

“You couldn’t have read the board then?” He asked smugly, the fake laugh making Cassie want to crack one of those bottles over his skull. ‘NO ONE READS THE FUCKING BOARD EXCEPT FOR A LAUGH!’ “Customer’s have been complaining, their waitresses smell like a pack of smokes!” He shrugged, grabbing a soda and popping it on the fridge's opener. He took a couple sips, and left it on the counter to go flat. ‘Wasteful Equestrian mutt…’

“By the way, I’m gonna need you to work tonight. Maple called off.” Cassie blinked, snapping out of her crushed-cigarette trance.

“Wait wait wait, what!?” It was outrageous, and she knew it. Her boss just gave her an odd look, feigning confusion.

“I need you back at eight tonight. You’ll have four hours to yourself between shifts, what’s the big deal?” Cassie’s eye twitched, her voice sounding flat and deadened when she spoke.

“What about… tomorrow?” She worked tomorrow. Eight to four, same as today. But the night shift is twelve hours- a skeleton crew turns the place from a busy restaurant to a twenty-four hour coffee shop.

Her boss chuckled, looking back with a smug grin. “Save you from having to walk here in the morning!” Then, he had the fucking audacity to tell her, “You should be thankful you’ve got a steady job! Lot’s of poor bastards don’t.”

She wanted to scream, but kept it all in her head. ‘IF YOU NEED ME SO FUCKING BADLY, WHY THE FUCK SHOULD I THANK YOU FOR ANYTHING YOU BOOT-LEATHER BREATH PIECE OF SH-’

“And get back to work! You’ve been in here for the past twenty minutes now!” She sighed dejectedly, not even sparing her watch a glance. Her packed sandwich and bottle of soda never even made it out of the bag.

She approached the order-window, hoping that nothing had arrived earlier than expected and got cold. The timing was perfect-

“Table seventeen!” the unseen cook yelled from the other side as Cassie slid the tray onto her back.

“Appreciate your patience!” she said, fake smile and all. The odd unicorn couple nodded as she grabbed the tray and sat on her haunches. She genuinely couldn’t remember what their order actually was, so she was just going off whatever was on the plate. You could also tell who ordered what by paying attention to their eyes when you went to grab the plate.

“Looks like I got the scrambled egg salad…” The yellow guy’s eyes lit up, telling her who’s meal it was. “With Romane lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, no croutons, and extra cheese?” She guessed correctly as she sat the plate down, turning to the blue mare. “And you get the… Sunflower pod hoagie! On Fertilian style bread with daffodils, daisies, tomato, mayo, and ketchup.”

“Thanks so much!” The lady said, and the waitress was glad she didn’t miss anything. Sometimes it’s hard to tell with those sandwiches.

“If you need anything else, let me know!” Back to the mad-dash. Table to table, pony to pony, all blending together like a cacophonic symphony. Normally, a couple like those unicorns would be completely forgotten by her; just another set of faces she’d probably never see again… but she couldn’t. Her mind kept wandering back to what that woman said about unions… ‘Oh… They’re done… how long has it been?’

The waitress took the check to the table, where the mare was holding an envelope in her magic. An Equestrian 20-bit bill was handed to her. ‘Not bad…’ and of course, she was quite grateful for the invention of paper money and the convenience it brought. One of the few good things to come from that rogue state the griffons built.

“That’s for the bill.” She said coolly, making Cassie pause. She was about to turn to walk away, but she couldn’t complain about money.

Her magic opened the thick envelope, a literal wad of cash was stuffed into her apron. She thought she could cry! “I-I-I…”

“My advice?” She said as the two rose. “Move to the Syndicate. There’s plenty of union work to be found.” She gave her a smile, saying “You’re too good for this dump.” Upon closer inspection, there was a small slip of paper tied to the wad.

C.M. Will return.

She nodded to herself, calmly watching the couple leave and turning towards the break room. The opened soda was still there, and she couldn’t even be bothered to collect her lunch. Her money was quickly stashed into her purse, cigarette in her mouth even quicker. She made sure to light it just before she entered the money office where her boss was hiding.

She approached his desk, blowing smoke into his face.

“Woah, woah, what-” His outrage turned to utter shock as she took the soda and dumped it all over the expensive mechanical calculator on his desk.

“Whoops.” She said, dropping the empty glass over the machine before turning around.

“Casanova! Get back here and clean this up!” She smiled, totally ignoring the prick. “That’s it! Go! If I see you here again, I-”

Thud!

That was the sound of the door slamming behind her. She could always find another job for shit pay under the same conditions, but she refused. She utterly refused to work for the Equestrian mutts, and she despised the vultures from Griffonia equally. That’s why she gave herself a task:

Track down Cutie Marks’ and ask why she sold out to the Slave Queen of Griffonia.

On the way out the door, she looked to her alcoholic coworker and asked, “That blue and black maned mare I waited on, with the yellow unicorn stallion- which way?” But she just blinked in confusion.

“Tha fuu… No, her mane was white, with gold streaks!” She said, almost falling against the podium.

Cassie growled as she stormed out the door, muttering under her breath about the ‘complacent drunk piece of’-

“You there!” She got the attention of a couple sitting on a bench. “That mare, with the blue and black mane that just walked out, which way?”

“She went that way.” pointing down the main street.

“Thanks!” She said, heading in that direction. But she faintly heard behind her- Wait, wasn’t her mane white? “No time…” She muttered.

The bright yellow unicorn was easy to spot, as the two had simply been moseying their way to wherever. Making sure her purse was shut tight and held close, she stalked them from a distance.

Being a light blue Crystalian pony with a black mane helped her blend into the background amongst the beautiful Crystal Empire architecture; consisting of crystals, grown by skilled unicorn Crystalians and masterfully carved by artisans into the famous structures and bedecked by jewellery and large columns. Sadly, though- the art of making these buildings died out with the Crystalian Unicorn race, as well as the secrets of the prehistoric gem in the heart of their city.

It’s a tragedy that Crystalia will never forget, so long as the Crystalian Ponies walk on Equus.

“Bingo.” Cassie muttered to herself as she watched the stallion open the door for the woman. It was a decent sized townhouse, carved out thousands of years ago by dedicated, hard-working Crystalians and retrofitted by the Equestrians for their purposes. A hole was drilled somewhere near the roof, fed by an electrical powerline.

“Make’s me sick…” She muttered, taking a mental note of the location for later and heading back home; she wanted to drop the money off first, then she’d do that other thing.

Her apartment was tiny- Two bedroom, one bathroom, eight fucking occupants. And there was no easy way to get to it either, so she had to walk from one end of the city to the other. Compared to the beauty of Crystalia Plaza, the Equestrian-built rookeries and adjacent industrial park looked hideous in comparison; but for the ever-growing population, cheap housing was necessary to prevent the masses from freezing to death outside the Bubble.

All her money was stuffed into a lock-box under her bed as she threw a brown duster coat on. Thankfully, no one was home to ask questions- they’ll assume she had to pull another fuck-you shift. Before she left, she checked her pockets.

“Few bits, photo…” She muttered- she left the majority of the money under the bed, in case she never made it back. “Where is it…” She rummaged through her personal drawer, looking for-

“There!” The handle was black, with a plain button on the front.

Click!

The blade was sharp and the steel glinted off the single oil lamp in the room. A Fertilian-style stiletto knife, gifted to her as a tip by a patron visiting from Griffonia. Being so far north, it’d be getting dark soon… but that was fine by her.

—

Fweeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

Sunburst was in the kitchen preparing tea, his close friend in the other room dispelling the illusion magic for what was the first time in a couple weeks. In the restaurant, she explained how she’d been travelling from Griffonia clandestinely; He was mentally kicking himself, because when he got a letter in the mail about some secret admirer who wanted a blind date he fell for it pretty quickly.

As soon as she sat down at that diner, a single ‘It’s me, Starlight!’ dashed his hopes. Still, he was more than happy to see his childhood best friend after all these years, even if she did have to come in disguise.

His magic levitated the pot, two cups, and sugar into the living room; at the same time, telekinesis was used to quickly remove the stuffy shirt suit, tossing it in a corner. Sitting on the couch, he poured a cup and passed it off to Starlight, sitting on the recliner opposite the coffee table.

“So… what the heck happened to this place?” She asked, throwing two sugar cubes into her tea. “Last time I was here, things seemed… okay, I guess!” granted, that was a long time ago.

Sunburst chuckled. “Yeah, the economy is uhh…”

“Based around overexploitation?” Needless to say, she was a little disappointed in the direction Equestria took this place. A look of worry flashed across his features,

“It’s not like that! It’s-” but her outburst of laughter made him pause.

“No, no, look- It’s none of my business how others make a living. Equestria is my concern.” Something about her demeanour and tone felt different to Sunburst, and he wasn’t sure why. “And I’m concerned Equestria might fall apart before somepony competent can prevent that.” He blinked, totally unsure what to make of this new Starlight.

“You seem… different. Is… is everything alright? Really?” She just gave a shallow shrug and a faint smile.

“Dunno. Let me be honest- I’d love it if this were just a social call, but it’s not.” She let that information sink in, taking a sip of tea. “The Don requests a favour.” he was mid-sip, almost choking on his tea when he heard that.

“You’re… you’re working FOR the Griffons!? Have you gone mad!?” She didn’t even need to look up to know he had a look of disgust and betrayal on his face.

Clink.

Was the sound of her glass being set gently down on the table, causing Sunburst to startle.

“Give to those around you if you have the means to. Do you know who told me that?” She asked rhetorically, and Sunburst cocked an eyebrow. “Leona did. That’s why I gave that poor waitress more money than she’d see working there for ten years!”

“True, but that doesn’t excuse-” He still seemed unsure, and Starlight continued-

“And I’m not working for her, I’m working with her!” Sunburst leaned back on his couch, sighing in defeat. “She and I are planning on how to save Equestria, in essence!”

“What about the Diamond Dog slave caste? Do they not matter?” He deadpanned, making Starlight huff and roll her eyes.

“What about them?” she crossed her arms, and Sunburst was utterly floored.

“It’s wrong! You want to fight for workers rights and be backed up by fucking slavers!?” She just crossed her arms and did an exaggerated shrug.

“So then do something about it.” She locked eyes with him, “End the enslavement of the mutts, I’m sure Leona would really appreciate that- get real!” Almost losing her temper, she stopped to take a breath.

“I’m sorry for raising my voice. But what I’m getting at is that Equestria is the bottom line. I’m worried about the affairs of Equestria, not where Leona sources coal!” He crossed his hooves, turning away from Starlight. “Don’t be like that!” she said, joining her friend on the couch.

“What do you mean, don’t be like that?” He huffed indignantly, “I can’t believe-!”

“And what’s going on out there is right?” She interrupted, using her telekinesis to make him look at her. “The mutts are practically treated the same anyway!” His look softened, and she added- “Face it- the Equestrian Crown has been using the media to shift people’s focus on the Syndicate to distract them from the fact that their own nation is going to shit!”

“Star-” But she wasn’t done yet.

“So are we to just sit around and wait for Equestria to shatter or fade into irrelevance? Or are you going to help me to expose the cancerous underbelly of the Aristocracy?” His look finally softened, a faint smile on Starlight’s lips. “You’re gonna use your access to Canterlot Library for me; because that’s what the aristocracy is! They’re a cancer that grows, and grows, and grows, until the organs get the life choked out of them!”

Sunburst just sat there, stock still- and sighed, looking to the side. “I can’t…” the awkward silence continued, until he slowly looked back up to Starlight.

“I understand.” She said, that same disarming smile on her face as she put an arm around his back. “You don’t want to do a favour for Leona… But could you do it for me?” she leaned in, her cheek nuzzling his shoulder. “You’re my best friend! Have been, ever since we were foals!” she stared forward, her expression unchanging. “If you won’t do Leona a favour, why not for me?”

The silence continued, until he shook his head slowly. “I-I can’t!” being so close to him, she could just barely perceive his heart beating faster. “What if I get caught? You said it yourself, Gallus has been getting more and more extreme ever since… Ugh, I can’t! I just can’t, I’m sorry!”

Glimmer let out a sigh, barely perceptible.

“Gallus has been getting more and more… difficult.” She giggled faintly, staring ever forward. “You’ve heard of the spell, Blissful Ignorance, right?” Of course, Sunburst knew what it was. As a high-ranking wizard, despite not being a great spellcaster, had a multitude of knowledge on spellwork; and he knew full well that the spell was colloquially known as the interrogation spell.

“A-are you threatening me?” He asked, eyes widening as he trembled faintly.

“No, no!” She said with a giggle, “Of course not! I just didn’t know if you heard the news!” She squeezed tight, making sure he couldn’t get off the couch. “Word out of Canterlot is they’ve approved the use of that spell, combined with… advanced interrogation. Yeah, I’d hate to be caught!”

“Tha-that’s why I won’t do it!” She just shrugged, remaining silent.

“You know what’d be messed up, though?” she said coolly, sitting up and leaning against the other arm of the couch. He glanced back at her, humming cautiously. “Imagine if an anonymous tip got sent to Gallus’ desk. You know- with dates, information-”

“You wouldn’t!” She just shrugged, leaning against the arm with a smug grin.

“Maybe, maybe not. But regardless, you can count on me to do the right thing.” She playfully put a hoof on his shoulder, making his back stiffen. “Come on, Sunny! We’re doing it for Equestria!” She leaned in and said, “We’re doing the right thing. Please.” after a few moments, he crossed his hooves.

“Alright, just… Can you promise my safety?” He asked, and Glimmer nodded.

“I made it here, didn’t I?” he nodded, and she added- “Just to be cautious, I had to travel all the way here from Southern Equestria! I never dispelled the Pallid Masque until I got here! As far as anyone’s concerned, that mare from the diner will no longer exist in a couple days!”

She laughed and continued, “Even my mane! The illusion was based off perception!” Sunburst nodded in understanding, asking-

“A Double Vision Masque? So, only some ponies saw your mane as blue and black?” He seemed confused, and she nodded in confirmation.

“About three quarters saw white and gold, the rest blue and black. Even if someone is looking for the Masque, any public reports of witnesses would get muddied up by conflicting information. Best case scenario, the whole thing would be dropped somewhere within the miles of red tape.” Being married to a master illusionist definitely came with advantages.

Finally, Sunburst grinned. “Fuck it.” her grin finally turned genuine, and she tackled him from the side with a hug.

“Thank you thank you thank youuuu!” She squeezed him, making him giggle nervously.

“Just uh… what if I get caught?” She just gave him a flat look.

“Then keep your mouth shut and remember who your real friends are. Let the red tape slow your fall, we’ll catch you.” She spoke with a sureness and confidence that put him at ease.

“Apologies for my knee-jerk reaction, earlier. For understandable reasons, Leona is not popular over here- especially in Crystalia.” He seemed much more relaxed, using his magic to lift his teacup. Starlight just snorted out laughter.

“Let me summarise!” She said mirthfully, “Some offshoot cult of Ponies migrated north to escape Equestrian persecution. Some crystal nonsense later, and the Crystal Heart was either made or discovered. They started growing and claiming territories on their own, but the first Crystal Empire ended when they tried to claim Equestrian territories. Then Sombra’s rebellion happened until he went mad and enslaved the Crystalians.” Despite her playful dismissal of the Crystalians' history, she couldn’t help but feel embarrassed when she saw the look Sunburst was giving her.

“Then Sombra murdered all the crystal pegasi because he thought they were plotting against him. Then he genocided the crystal unicorns, leaving him as the last unicorn alive with knowledge of the Crystal Hearts’ origins. Then he used his magic to turn the population into mindless husks trapped inside their own heads. The war happened, and the Equestrian army went from city to city, destroying their Heart Crystals and letting them be claimed by the snow.” He stopped briefly, taking a sip of tea and clearing his throat. “Then, Equestria defeated Sombra, played the role of selfless heroes for a while, and gave the corporations free reign to do whatever they pleased. Did you know, they’ve started expanding outside the bubble because of the increasing population density?” Glimmer blinked.

“I… I actually didn’t know that.” she admitted, trying to guess as to why. “Uhh… well, the baby boom’s a factor…” then Sunburst spoke up,

“When Sombra was defeated, so they say, many couples celebrated the event… in their bedrooms. If you catch my meaning.” She nodded in understanding and he said, “And, you know how the lower classes can get. Breed like rabbits, the lot!”

Starlight didn’t let her irritation show when he said that unicornist dogwhistle.

“Still, though- it’s a shame how they’re treated here.” He said, and she nodded as she stood up.

“Well, I have a tight schedule to keep.” Despite the fact that it’s only early evening, the sun was setting on that northern corner of Equus. Her horn lit up, preparing to put her Masque back on. He just watched bemusedly as her body itself changed form. Her coat changed rapidly like autumn leaves. The facial muscles grew tight as they changed their very form, subtly altering the shape of her eyes and nose like her bones and cartilages were wet clay. Her mouth and jawline even widened slightly, and it was finally time- her mane started shifting through a rapid rainbow of colours which seemed to spread from the root and cascade downward, before finally settling on the predetermined colour combination.

“If only it was like the movies.” Sunburst joked, “Poof! You’re different now!” she giggled, using her hooves to massage the sore facial muscles.

“Everything has a price, Sunburst. Even betrayal.” She glared at him as she lit her horn up, Sunburst nearly ducking under the table… until her hat and coat floated back to their owner. She pretended to ignore his reaction, instead gesturing out the window. “I saw the snowfields on my way here. The ruins of Quartzal were hauntingly beautiful, despite being the shattered monument of a dead past. But, you know what else I thought?” She asked, offering him a hoof and helping him out from under the table. She dusted off his shoulder as the two of them locked eyes, that same disarming smile on her face.

“I got to thinking. It’s just miles and miles of flat snow out there, driven by wind and weather. The ancient culture that sprung up around here, now destroyed and buried under dunes of snow. You could walk ten miles out there, and the wind behind you would make the landscape look unrecognisable!" Her disarming smile took on an air of smug suggestion as she said, “It’d be a great place to make someone disappear.”

His eyes widened like dinner plates, and she playfully slapped his shoulder. “Do the right thing. My people will be in contact soon. But be careful, though!” she pointed a hoof at his chest, “Be careful who you trust from here on out. If someone wants you dead, they won’t show up with a gun in their hand.” She leaned in and whispered, “It ain’t like in the books. They’ll come as your friends, wearing a big ol’ smile and a regular overcoat.”

She kissed him on the cheek before hastily making her exit.

He’d do the right thing.

—

‘There she is…’ Cassie muttered to herself, tapping the switchblade stashed in her pocket. If she was going to act, she was gonna do it now. Mittens on her hooves helped keep her footsteps silent as she stalked her, the darkness surrounding her like a cloak.

She got closer. Closer. Closer.

“Miss Mark’s?” She called out, causing the mare to startle. She turned back, eyes wide in fear as Cassie put her fake smile back on. “You got a second?” Glimmer looked around frantically, trying to locate any potential witnesses who might have heard. She sighed in relief when she realised it was just the two of them.

“O-Oh, it’s you.” She seemed nervous, refusing to turn around. “C-can I help you?”

“I just wanted to ask when you’d be coming back!” Her polite smile made no betrayal to the boiling anger within. “That’s what your note said, isn’t it?”

“When I have the means to.” She answered confidently, shrugging off the fear she felt.

“Then how many more should suffer until that happens?” Glimmer huffed, crossing her arms.

“It’s not that simple!” She yelled, but Cassie laughed.

“Typical. And I suppose that after you liberate your own kind, you’ll come back to help us?” Cassie turned around, the smile dropping like lead. “You sold out to slavers. What’ll you use us for?”

She started walking away slowly.

“Wait.” Glimmer said, reaching into her purse and pulling out an even thicker wad of money. “You want my advice? You can make a weapon out of nothing but a bottle, flammable liquid, and a rag. I have my people to take care of first. So before I head back to my hotel room, I need to know- who the fuck are you?” Glimmer asked, causing Cassie to freeze mid-step.

She looked back, a smile on her face. “Filly Casanova. I’m one of a million working stiffs out here." She turned and never looked back. “You might wanna be careful. It’s dangerous after dark, I always carry a knife on me!”

Author's Note

I have a discord server for this fic out now!! It'd be real cool if u joined :333

Snow Cuba has joined the world stage!

As always, thanks so much for reading! Likes and comments are always appreciated! :3