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Fic: Vaguely Noir
AN: Written for ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
winter_wrapup! I...I’m really sorry. Hilary requested Twilight Sparkle, Princess Celestia, and the Cutie Mark Crusaders, and fortunately also said she was okay with an AU, which is how we got here. It’s vaguely noir-ish and PI-like. Or at least that was the plan.
Spoilers None!
Disclaimer: It’s entirely possible that I’ll deny ever having written this.
Rating: No ponies were harmed in the making of this fic.
Summary: Twilight Sparkle has been sent to Ponyville by Celestia, the better to get acquainted of the local colour.
+++
Vaguely Noir
It was raining in the village by the field. A hard rain. Hard enough to wash the mud right out of a pony’s hooves and back on to the streets it came out of. I had no part of it, thank Celestia, as I was cozied up in my usual haunt, hard at work re-organizing my books on organization. I’d given my secretary the night off, and he’d shook right up to Cupcake Corner. I didn’t expect him back if it kept downing in cats and dogs, though. Frosting don’t travel well in the wet.
Sparkle’s the name: Twilight Sparkle, and I used to be one of the bag-ponies Celestia had to her crew; one of the best, if you ask me. I was hitting on all fours until she decided I needed some more practical experience working with baggers from other towns. She had ideas on expansion, Celestia did. I suppose I should have been grateful to be trusted enough to get sent ahead, but to be honest, I missed the bright lights and bustling streets of Canterlot.
On the good days, when it weren’t raining, I didn’t mind so much. My job was to look into the local colour, and believe me, there were plenty of colour, but it left time for me to get caught up on a reading, and a pony appreciates that. Today was not one of the good days, though. Miss Pinkamina Pie, of the aforementioned colour, had been in my office three times that morning, complaining of Pinkie Sense, and I knew there was nothing good to come of it. At least the rain might keep the worst of it out of my hooves until the next morning.
The bell above my door jangled, and I looked up from my copy of “Alternatives to Alphabetization”, expecting to see my secretary and hoping that, maybe, he had managed to bring a cupcake back for me without eating it on the way.
No such luck.
+++
“Mizz Sparkle?” said a soft voice from just outside the circle of light given by the candle on my desk. It was, if I was not mistaken, young Applebloom, sister of Applejack, who had been one of my better informants as to the state of Ponyville. And Applebloom never went anywhere by herself.
“Maybe she’s gone out,” suggested Sweetie Belle, when Twilight Sparkle said nothing in reply. She preferred to get measure of situations first.
“Spike already said she’d be here,” Scootaloo hissed. That filly had her head in the clouds more than most ponies her age, but only on account of being a born flier. “She’s got to help us.”
“Oh I do, do I?” Twilight said. “What makes you think that?”
“Well,” Applebloom said after a few moments’ pause. “You- you’re here for the Princess, right? I mean, you want to make sure that any of us who can work for her do, someday, and well, we want to volunteer.”
+++
I’ll admit, I sat up straight at that. We don’t get a lot of volunteers. I was born to it, myself, and had enough dirt on a few of those in Ponyville now to make sure they’d come answering when Celestia called, but outright volunteering was uncommon.
There was a clap of thunder outside the windows, and the glass rattled in the panes. The fillies rattled too, but they looked resolved, even when I lit more candles with magic. Sweetie Belle was a unicorn, like me, and could do basic magic on her own. Scootaloo was a pegasus, and a good flier. And Applebloom never let a job go unfinished. They would make welcome additions.
I still needed to know why they were so keen, though.
+++
“Why do you want to join Celestia?” Twilight asked, her voice tired and disinterested even though she was sitting up straighter than she had been when the fillies had entered.
“Applejack is your friend,” Applebloom said. “And so is Rarity. And we don’t want to be left behind.”
“Yeah,” said Scootaloo. “I mean, Rainbow Dash isn’t my sister, but I’m not going to stick around here and be boring if she goes to Canterlot!”
Twilight’s eyes finally caught the detail the fillies were trying to hide from her, and she sighed.
“None of you have Cutie Marks yet,” she pointed out.
There wasn’t any weather inside, but Twilight’s comment certainly took the wind out of their sails. All three fillies deflated, looking sad and Twilight felt a bit bad for them. Still, unmarked ponies couldn’t join a crew, volunteers or not. Even Twilight hadn’t been admitted until her mark had appeared, and just in the nick of time at that.
“Sorry, girls,” she said, tone nicer than before. They were old enough to get their marks at any moment, really, and there was no point in scaring them off if they really did mean to volunteer.
“Can’t we just carry stuff?” Applebloom begged. “We’ll get our cutie marks as soon as we can.”
“We promise!” added Sweetie Bell.
“Nothing I can do,” Twilight said, more firmly this time. “But you can come back after your marks appear. We can talk then.”
“Thank you, Twilight Sparkle!” all three fillies said together. They were so enthusiastic it put Twilight’s teeth on edge.
The three of them went back out into the storm, and Twilight extinguished the unnecessary candles. She really hoped Spike managed to bring her home a cupcake. It had been that kind of day.
+++
Dear Princess Celestia, I wrote, as I wrote most evenings. Correspondence was one of my primary duties, and with my bookshelves re-organized, I was happy to get to my final task of the day.
I have something interesting to report about the younger ponies in Ponyville. They seem to look up to my example, and my interactions with their older sisters and neighbours. I had three un-marked fillies come and see me today about volunteering for your crew. I had to send them off, of course, but I think they’ll be back.
I hadn’t thought of this option when you asked me to come to Ponyville, but now I understand why you wanted me to make friends with the locals here. It will certainly be beneficial to you, when you decide if you want to expand out here.
I remain, I finished up, your faithful student, Twilight Sparkle
With a final flourish, I signed my name and then put the quill away. I’d have to wait for my secretary to get back before I sent it, of course, but there was no hurry. Cutie marks happen in their own time, after all.
+++
finis
Gravity_Not_Included, March 19, 2012
winter_wrapup! I...I’m really sorry. Hilary requested Twilight Sparkle, Princess Celestia, and the Cutie Mark Crusaders, and fortunately also said she was okay with an AU, which is how we got here. It’s vaguely noir-ish and PI-like. Or at least that was the plan.Spoilers None!
Disclaimer: It’s entirely possible that I’ll deny ever having written this.
Rating: No ponies were harmed in the making of this fic.
Summary: Twilight Sparkle has been sent to Ponyville by Celestia, the better to get acquainted of the local colour.
+++
Vaguely Noir
It was raining in the village by the field. A hard rain. Hard enough to wash the mud right out of a pony’s hooves and back on to the streets it came out of. I had no part of it, thank Celestia, as I was cozied up in my usual haunt, hard at work re-organizing my books on organization. I’d given my secretary the night off, and he’d shook right up to Cupcake Corner. I didn’t expect him back if it kept downing in cats and dogs, though. Frosting don’t travel well in the wet.
Sparkle’s the name: Twilight Sparkle, and I used to be one of the bag-ponies Celestia had to her crew; one of the best, if you ask me. I was hitting on all fours until she decided I needed some more practical experience working with baggers from other towns. She had ideas on expansion, Celestia did. I suppose I should have been grateful to be trusted enough to get sent ahead, but to be honest, I missed the bright lights and bustling streets of Canterlot.
On the good days, when it weren’t raining, I didn’t mind so much. My job was to look into the local colour, and believe me, there were plenty of colour, but it left time for me to get caught up on a reading, and a pony appreciates that. Today was not one of the good days, though. Miss Pinkamina Pie, of the aforementioned colour, had been in my office three times that morning, complaining of Pinkie Sense, and I knew there was nothing good to come of it. At least the rain might keep the worst of it out of my hooves until the next morning.
The bell above my door jangled, and I looked up from my copy of “Alternatives to Alphabetization”, expecting to see my secretary and hoping that, maybe, he had managed to bring a cupcake back for me without eating it on the way.
No such luck.
+++
“Mizz Sparkle?” said a soft voice from just outside the circle of light given by the candle on my desk. It was, if I was not mistaken, young Applebloom, sister of Applejack, who had been one of my better informants as to the state of Ponyville. And Applebloom never went anywhere by herself.
“Maybe she’s gone out,” suggested Sweetie Belle, when Twilight Sparkle said nothing in reply. She preferred to get measure of situations first.
“Spike already said she’d be here,” Scootaloo hissed. That filly had her head in the clouds more than most ponies her age, but only on account of being a born flier. “She’s got to help us.”
“Oh I do, do I?” Twilight said. “What makes you think that?”
“Well,” Applebloom said after a few moments’ pause. “You- you’re here for the Princess, right? I mean, you want to make sure that any of us who can work for her do, someday, and well, we want to volunteer.”
+++
I’ll admit, I sat up straight at that. We don’t get a lot of volunteers. I was born to it, myself, and had enough dirt on a few of those in Ponyville now to make sure they’d come answering when Celestia called, but outright volunteering was uncommon.
There was a clap of thunder outside the windows, and the glass rattled in the panes. The fillies rattled too, but they looked resolved, even when I lit more candles with magic. Sweetie Belle was a unicorn, like me, and could do basic magic on her own. Scootaloo was a pegasus, and a good flier. And Applebloom never let a job go unfinished. They would make welcome additions.
I still needed to know why they were so keen, though.
+++
“Why do you want to join Celestia?” Twilight asked, her voice tired and disinterested even though she was sitting up straighter than she had been when the fillies had entered.
“Applejack is your friend,” Applebloom said. “And so is Rarity. And we don’t want to be left behind.”
“Yeah,” said Scootaloo. “I mean, Rainbow Dash isn’t my sister, but I’m not going to stick around here and be boring if she goes to Canterlot!”
Twilight’s eyes finally caught the detail the fillies were trying to hide from her, and she sighed.
“None of you have Cutie Marks yet,” she pointed out.
There wasn’t any weather inside, but Twilight’s comment certainly took the wind out of their sails. All three fillies deflated, looking sad and Twilight felt a bit bad for them. Still, unmarked ponies couldn’t join a crew, volunteers or not. Even Twilight hadn’t been admitted until her mark had appeared, and just in the nick of time at that.
“Sorry, girls,” she said, tone nicer than before. They were old enough to get their marks at any moment, really, and there was no point in scaring them off if they really did mean to volunteer.
“Can’t we just carry stuff?” Applebloom begged. “We’ll get our cutie marks as soon as we can.”
“We promise!” added Sweetie Bell.
“Nothing I can do,” Twilight said, more firmly this time. “But you can come back after your marks appear. We can talk then.”
“Thank you, Twilight Sparkle!” all three fillies said together. They were so enthusiastic it put Twilight’s teeth on edge.
The three of them went back out into the storm, and Twilight extinguished the unnecessary candles. She really hoped Spike managed to bring her home a cupcake. It had been that kind of day.
+++
Dear Princess Celestia, I wrote, as I wrote most evenings. Correspondence was one of my primary duties, and with my bookshelves re-organized, I was happy to get to my final task of the day.
I have something interesting to report about the younger ponies in Ponyville. They seem to look up to my example, and my interactions with their older sisters and neighbours. I had three un-marked fillies come and see me today about volunteering for your crew. I had to send them off, of course, but I think they’ll be back.
I hadn’t thought of this option when you asked me to come to Ponyville, but now I understand why you wanted me to make friends with the locals here. It will certainly be beneficial to you, when you decide if you want to expand out here.
I remain, I finished up, your faithful student, Twilight Sparkle
With a final flourish, I signed my name and then put the quill away. I’d have to wait for my secretary to get back before I sent it, of course, but there was no hurry. Cutie marks happen in their own time, after all.
+++
finis
Gravity_Not_Included, March 19, 2012