Light as a feather

Amber couldn’t help but envy his new unicorn companion as he levitated the scroll effortlessly in front of him. Flying above, in the quickly fading light of dusk, the pegasus ponies flew effortlessly; their hooves free to hold their own scrolls. The rusty orange colt’s scroll remained sealed growing damp in middle from the saliva in his mouth.

He fell back, his walk slowing to an eventual stop. He wasn’t about to admit he was embarrassed by his predicament. The silvery grey unicorn stallion glanced back, noticing the colt was no longer beside him. “You coming?”

“No.” Amber answered dropping the scroll so he could reply properly. He gave the stallion what he hoped was a convincing smile. “I think I’ll take a look around the city. I’ve never been here before…”

“Suit yourself.” The stallion said easily as if he didn’t care one way or the other. And why should he? The ruddy colt wondered angrily as he watched him disappear. I’m not special. I’m just an earth pony. The only earth pony…

As the truth sank in Amber began to second guess his decision to come. That mare, Prism Shine, had made no mention of the rules, no mention of the prizes, and no mention of the contest at all. The only thing he had was the scroll, now lying on the cobblestones between his hooves.

He pulled at the ribbon with his teeth and the scroll fell open. His eyes went wide as he found the parchment blank. As he watched however words began to emerge on the parchment, words that seemed to reveal themselves at the behest of his thoughts.

Entry # 48
Name: Amber Glaze
Race: Earth Pony
Occupation: Waiter
Previous Employment: Thyme and Dime Bistro, Hoofington.
Current Employment: ??

The words faded into the page as if the ink were being absorbed. As quickly as they were gone they were replaced by new words.

Directions to Clover Leaf Hotel room 312?

Amber nodded his head in reply before glancing around. He didn’t want to be seen talking to a piece of parchment and nodding to one was just as bad, possibly worse. They used to send ponies away for less.

A map appeared on the paper, the streets clearly labeled. He was expecting the ink to fade away as it had before but it remained stationary. Curiously he ran his hoof across it, pulling his appendage away clean and free of blemish. He had been expecting some sort of residue, or smear at the very least.

Clenching the map in his mouth once more he began a leisurely trot down one of Canterlot’s many side streets.

--

The moon hung like a dull bulb in the dark sky, its faint light deepening the shadows surrounding Amber as he walked. He had wandered for what felt like hours but had only been the span of thirty or forty minutes. A quick check of the map gave no clues as to his whereabouts and he sighed distraught at having gotten lost so easily.

He felt the vibration in his hooves long before he found the street blocked by a mass of ponies sporting unusual mane cuts and strings of glowing jewelry, pounding at the doors to a nightclub as several large vest clad pegasi struggled to hold them back. The colt tried and failed to make out the name they were chanting repeatedly, as if that alone were enough to make that pony appear.

“You told me she would be here!” A short unicorn stallion hissed, his question directed at one of the vest clad pegasi. Amber peered into the alley from which the voice had emerged. It was dark and littered with trash, a surprise considering how clean the rest of Canterlot was. The whole neighborhood was grungy when compared to the castle and the area immediately surrounding it.

“She’s not scheduled to show for another half hour.” The pegasus said in answer. “Find something to tide the masses until we can find her.”

“Hell, if I knew how to do that I wouldn’t even need to hire that punk princess of yours!” The unicorn shot back as he disappeared through a heavy looking steel door. Amber squealed like a mare as it slammed shut, the embarrassment rising to his face at the sound he’d just made the last thing on his mind when the security pony noticed him watching from the street.

“Hey!” The pegasus shouted as the red faced colt fled. “Get back here!”

--

After a length of time Amber slowed to a standstill panting heavily. Sweat had begun to form on his flank and withers, cooling uncomfortably. The night had only just begun and already he was exhausted. The map was useless and with no pony around to ask for directions he was ready to hunker down in the street.

The clatter of a metal trash bin and muffled voices sought his attention. Not a hundred feet up the street a hysterically laughing unicorn mare was pulling herself from a pile of garbage. Amber stepped into a shadow hoping to conceal his presence as he watched the scene unfold.

He realized that it wasn’t just a drunk unicorn that had clumsily tripped into the pile of garbage when two more ponies joined her. The first was a unicorn stallion, only slightly bigger than Amber himself, followed by a pegasus mare, who stood back near the alley the pair had emerged from.

As the colt watched silently from the shadows, the stallion shoved the inebriated mare back down before slamming his hoof into her face. A burst of blood erupted from her nose.

“You think this is funny?” The stallion snarled striking her again.

“Do you know who I am?” The unicorn asked through a fit of drunken giggles. The moonlight brightened for a moment highlighting her electric blue mane and dazzling white coat. “I’m famous!”

The stallion struck her again ripping her trademark sunglasses from her face. Her ruby red irises almost glowed, as her eyes were revealed to the stallion and his mare friend.

“You’re nothing but a filthy fillyfooler!” The stallion snarled as he bucked the white unicorn. Her body slammed against the wall, an audible crack echoing through the empty streets. The mare doubled over her drunken laughter turning into a wheezing cough. A smile replaced the stallions sneer as he made to buck the helpless mare a second time.

The stallion didn’t get that chance. His own air left his lungs in a burst as the unnoticed observer bucked him in the chest knocking him off his hooves. The colt reared, a cry tearing itself from his throat as he pummeled the downed pegasus repeatedly until he felt blood. The anguished cry of the stallion’s mare friend broke the colt from his frenzy. He stepped back revealing the bloodied mess of a stallion lying at his feet, an agonized moan escaping from his battered muzzle.

Slowly the mare coaxed the stallion to his feet and together the pair disappeared into the night, a few choice words and slurred insults echoing halfheartedly behind them. Adrenaline flowed unimpeded through Amber’s veins his head still reeling. A loud thunderous pounding roared through his ears. Once he’d calmed down enough to form coherent thoughts he stumbled over to the white unicorn still recovering from the vicious kick.

“Are you okay?” He asked offering her a hoof. She took it, ignoring the blood. On her hooves she wobbled unsteadily, leaning on the ruddy orange colt for support.

“Okay? Did you hear that scream?” The mare said with a chuckle, as if she found the whole ordeal amusing. She winced as the act of laughing, no matter how softly, tugged at the bloody split in her lip.

“Damn, it looks like he cracked a rib.” She muttered giving the same pained expression as she made to step forward without him, nearly collapsing with the attempt.

“Who was that and why the hell was he trying to kill you?” Amber asked confused and angry about what had just happened as well as unsettled by the blood on his hooves. The unicorn may have been able to brush it aside but he wasn’t about to, not after what he’d seen, and what he’d done.

“Have you ever tried to pick up someone else’s mare?” The unicorn said stopping just long enough to pick up her sunglasses. Amber watched as she levitated them to her face, a sharp inhale indicating she’d found a sore spot.

“Sure.” Amber said, though the truth of it was he hadn’t. He didn't get out much and when he did it wasn't to socialize with ponies.

“You’re lying.” The unicorn said with a smile cut short by her injuries. She gave a soft laugh that quickly turned into a fit of coughing. Amber didn’t elaborate and the unicorn didn’t press.

The silence hung for a while as the pair walked, the unicorn leaning on him heavily. He couldn’t remember a time when he’d been so close to a mare, but the reality of the situation prevented him from enjoying it. Even had she not been drunk off her flank, smelling of cheap booze and garbage, something about it just felt wrong.

It was true her body was warm, her fur luxuriously soft, her electric blue mane tickling him pleasantly as she leaned her head into his neck, but he felt none of the butterflies he felt when Fluttershy had kissed him.

A familiar throbbing tickled his hooves as he realized how far they had walked. He hadn’t bothered to notice where she was leading him this whole time so lost was he in on his own thoughts.

“Miss Scratch!” The vest clad pegasus from earlier shouted as he saw the pair approach.

“Shut up idiot!” The mare snapped inhaling sharply. “Do you want every pony to hear you?”

The pegasus stallion's eyes narrowed suspiciously as he saw the bruised and bloody state she was in. She limped away from Amber as the pegasus’s eyes moved to the blood on the orange colt’s hooves ignoring the obvious to connect the two unconnected dots. Amber let out a grunt as the pegasus slammed him into the ground.

“Hey!” The unicorn snapped. “Lay off him!”

“Not a chance Miss Scratch. It's obvious this colt here beat you something fierce.” The stallion persisted missing the facts. “Why he brought you back…”

“You boys really are as dumb as you look aren't you?” The unicorn interrupted dryly. A sly smile turned her lips up as she pushed the pegasus aside. She helped the confused colt to his hooves, fighting against the pain, and threw a hoof across his withers. "Since you’ve shown yourself to be less than competent I’ve decided feather flank here is my new body guard."

“But Miss Scratch!” The burly pony began in protest. The mare gave Amber a wink, her ruby red eyes glinting playfully.

“Too late!” She said as she cocked her head to the side listening to the chanting ponies. A smile grew on her battered face. “If I’m not mistaken I hear my loyal subjects calling my name! Let’s not keep them waiting!”