Every Pony for Themselves

[CJ]

Cotton stepped away from Midnight, who had deliriously fallen onto Demure. She silently thanked Celestia it was not her who was to suffer that cruel fate. A mental note was made to avoid standing near Midnight in the future, especially if she looked like she was going to tumble.

The pony also noted Herb's expertise at potions. If he could cure Midnight that easily, who knew what else he could do. He was clearly smart.

"Strength in numbers." Demure had a good point; Cotton recognized that. But it also meant that this group was likely to stay together for some more time. The opportunity to become her "friends" was growing. She might be able to use the fake, metallic, unicorn horn hat sooner than she thought.

Cotton nudged the recording device strapped around her neck. She listened intently to Herb's story... somewhat. He only spoke for a short while, but her mind wandered. It felt like two months went by before he asked of her something she was only ever rarely asked.

"My name?" Cotton asked. "Oh, it is Cotton Feather. I would rather it be Quick Quill or something, but to avoid wasting time I decided to keep my parent's name."

The author blushed embarrassingly when Herb said she knew his name. There was something about the zebra that was intimidating. It was probably because the pony thought he was intelligent.

"I heard it when you were talking to Icarus... er... Izzy. Yes, Izzy. That is what I will call him."

Yes, Cotton was now calling her passive rival by his cute nickname. She felt like she was going to explode. The adorable way he told his tale to the fillies made her rage in her mind. The author pictured herself using her new found magic to smack the pegasus with her new, future best-selling novel. There was only to be one story teller in this town.

As soon as she discovered the "magic of friendship," Cotton was sure to abandon Izzy and the others here and continue her solitude in peace.

It was at this moment that she noticed Piston needed a guitar. She tilted her head and looked at her with giant, nearly anxious eyes, peering out from under her metallic, dome hat.

"What kind of guitar do you need? We can go and seek out a musical instrument this very moment, as friends."

Cotton looked at Demure and Midnight and frowned slightly.

"Or... we could go and break into jail?"

The author imagined her characters in her tales would do such a thing. She never would, however. She was too good for that. This would be an adventure she would watch on from afar... she thought.

[KaosuKishi]

Herb chuckled at Cotton's blush. While he was not looking for the mare of his life right now, he had to admit she was cute. He could tell that right now she was less than sincere in her actions and words, but he could see her potential. Yes, she'd come through one day.

"Why change your name? It suits you. Was the feather not one of the first tools that produced the written word?"

He heard Midnight's declaration and shook his head, grinning. Stepping up next to her, he put a hoof on her shoulder.

"You never change, do you? Always out for a new adventure. Though this time, I agree, there has to be a reason that pony acted like this and the only way to get answers is to get into the jail. I'm with you, Celestia knows you'll need my potions. Besides, I have some potions that will take care of the guards if push comes to shove."

[Kyubey]

Piston was notably enthusiastic about ponies encouraging her music, but when Midnight began talking about things like breaking into prisons and talking to criminals, everything else had been forgotten. Not even the infamous Piston had done something like break into jail, although she was no stranger to the building. Punk rock could come at another time, now, the only thing Piston was interested in was the chance to fight against authority in the most literal sense. The sad pony, she hardly remembered, but if talking to her meant making things harder for guard ponies, then she was all for it.

"So, a party, eh?" she said with an exited smile and a wild look in her eye, "I'm down for it! Guitar stuff can wait, right now, I'm in the mood for some justice. You're all in, right? You guys are the coolest." she turned to Midnight, looking down eagerly at the unicorn. "Anyone tell you you're awesome? 'cause you are."

She laughed fiendishly, now nearly shaking in anticipation. "Sooo, if everyone's agreed, let's rock!"

[Neurotick]

Midnight practically beamed with joy as each pony agreed to go along with her plan. Or, at the very least, the ones that didn't say "yes" also didn't say "no." She let out a high-pitched giggle that was just on the verge of being disturbing, which was her way of expressing an overabundance of excitement.

"Awesome," she exclaimed, "we're all agreed then! 'Course everyone knows the best time to break into anything is in the deepest, darkest night. That means we've got about..."

Midnight suddenly stopped talking and trotted outside. She looked at the sunset, which was almost below the horizon now and swiftly dwindling into twilight. A few minutes later, she trotted back in.

"...half an hour," she continued as if nothing had happened, "so, once it's dark everyone meet up in front of the cafe a block from the holding cells, the one with the pink teacup for a sign. Until then, ACT NATURAL."

She stated the last two words as serious as she possibly could...which was a difficult feat for her. She then gave everypony a wink, and picked up one of the books that had been thrown about in the previous skirmish; Esponyage For Dummies. She checked the book out at the front desk and trotted out the door, giving one last knowing glance at her new pony friends.

===

Midnight had picked the Pink Tea Cafe not because it was close enough to the holding cells to observe the guards without looking overtly suspicious (although it was a very advantageous spot in that right), but because she had never been there before and it looked interesting. After using all that magic, she was also very hungry, so it was like she was killing two birds with one stone. She munched on a very tasty salad and sipped her incredibly pink tea (they certainly lived up to their name) while leafing through her not-suspicious-at-all book, waiting for her comrades to arrive.

[KaosuKishi]

Herb nodded to himself. The cafe near the cells was a good place to meet up. He went outside, already planning out in his head what herbs and other ingredients he'd need... Maybe that zebra in the Everfree Forest he'd heard about could help him out?

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Much later, a smiling Herb was walking towards the Pink Tea Cafe, his saddlebags now having two leather belts added to them, various small bottles filled with different-colored potions. The belts had been a present by that nice zebra. She'd helped him out with finding everything he needed. Even... He chuckled while looking at three light-blue potions. These puppies would be his last resort. He figured everypony who'd dumb enough to get hit with these would deserve no better. It was the nastiest potion he knew of so far.

Seeing Midnight was already there, he sat down at her table, ordering a herbal tea.

"Have you seen anything useful so far?" He asked in a low voice. Loud enough to hear for her, but too quiet for anypony else to hear.

[Kuro]

Demure stood a quite a bit away from the Pink Tea Cafe, able to see both that building and the jail and pretending to seem preoccupied with something at another building.. He was still for a few moments, or perhaps he was shivering, it was hard to tell. A bead of sweat ran down his forehead. He knew that he should, yes he should do this, he should help his friends(?) do this. That was the right thing to do after all. Still, he was worried about how it could go wrong, what would happen if it did go wrong, who would be affected, and...the such.

As he stood away from the cafe, still hesitant on something, he thought long and hard on whether or not it was most appropriate and not rude to stay adjacent, across, or neither to Midnight. On one hand, if he sat across of Midnight, that might show the wrong message or make things awkward or make him look awkward or something else wrong would happen. If he sat next to her, that might also be awkward but if he sat away from her then they might think that he was purposefully being evasive and that might come off as weird or aloof or, or...

Oh how in the world was this prison break going to work, oh he hoped the others came soon he would feel more comfortable in a crowd where he could just be blend into the background but he didnt want to blend into the background and oh thank the heavens Wild Herb came.

He made a sigh of relief and walked over to the table, as pale as a ghost.

....

He supposed that didn't show.

He sat near Midnight, very careful to not be in her personal space, assuming she had one. "H-hi guys..." He weakly raised his hood for a brief moment in recognition and greetings. Oh, what had he done, it was clear that Midnight and Wild Herb were already busy talking about something, he probably seemed really awkward now oh gosh oh gosh oh gosh why did he say that.

[CJ]

Cotton Feather considered not going to the Pink Tea Cafe.

Crazy Bone's directions did not imply she had to venture with this group of ponies. She could always find another group. Better yet, she could force someone to be her friend, or pay them. The metallic horn could work some other way than collaborating with this group.

But Herb's smile. It captivated her. No one had ever looked at her like that. He was intelligent as well, detailed in the way he spoke and the comment on her name. What was the feeling that inspired such wonder, casting the near spell that she was now under?

Her head felt warm underneath the metallic horned helmet, but she saw this as a side effect of perhaps an onsetting fever.

Ponyville's most popular author found herself sitting at the furthest table she could from the group. She watched carefully for Midnight and Herb's reaction to Demure's approach. Perhaps then, she could learn how friends greet each other.

Her pink, fluffy cotton candy-like hair could be easily seen from far away... unless some pink sign or tea blocked her.

[Kyubey]

Act natural...

Just what did that mean, exactly? Piston had seen how natural people act, but she never tried it herself. When her very nature screamed to the world, "It is very likely that I will commit some minor crime at some point in the near future," thinking of how a normal common pony would behave was difficult to say the least. And in a tea shop, no less. If their secret planning session was to be held at, say, a rock concert, then she would have a much easier time.

A library and a cozy little cafe, all in the course of a single day. Was this really what having friends did to ponies? If Piston kept hanging around this crowd, she would become a slave to conformity in no time for sure.

"Hm, let's see..." she said to herself as she trotted towards the Pink Tea Cafe, "'hey, you, ruffian, stop playing your music so loud!' Is that a natural thing to say? Ugh, calm down, Piston, this shouldn't be such a huge deal!"

Would she really have to put on such a persona in order to be perceived as normal, or even somepony that others would be willing to be seen with? Deep down, she hoped this was not the case, but at such an early stage, she decided she wouldn't take any chances. Piston Mustang gave Ragin' Scourge of Ponyville a rest, but only for a little while. Steeling herself for what she was about to do, for she would likely never recover from the blow to her pride, she opened the door to the cafe.

"Merriest of evenings, my chummy chum friendle friends!" she exclaimed, adopting what she thought was some sort of fancy dialect. Identifying Midi and the rest, she pranced over to their table, and took a seat right next to Demure.

"Hows about that weather, my chaps? And those economics, how lovely! OHOHOHOHOHO!" she abruptly raised a single hoof. "Oh, waiter, can I have some sparkling water? If not, then I'll just have some regular black coffee."

Yup. She wouldn't even raise an eyebrow.

[KaosuKishi]

Herb smiled at Demure, who had decided to join them.

"Hey, Demure, no need to be so nervous, we don't bite." He chuckled, grinning in mischief. "Well, unless you enjoy that."

At Piston's greeting, he could only look at her with a dumb expression in his face.

"Er, Piston, are you feeling well? There's no need to act like someone you aren't. Be yourself. If someone cannot accept you the way you are, they aren't worth the effort. A friendship based on the change of one is not a friendship at all."

[Neurotick]

Midnight brightened up (if that were even possible with how cheery she usually was) when Wild Herb approached.

"Doc Herbie!" She exclaimed, loud enough that it turned a few heads. Remembering her own advice, she tried her best to tone it down and continued in a quieter tone, "I've been watching the guards, and I think I know how we're gonna--"

"H-hi guys..."

Another pony! For once it seemed like everypony was actually going to show up, which was new for one of Midnight's adventuring schemes. She temporarily blanked on the grey pony's name, though, and just stared at him with a big smile, completely unaware that Wild Herb had already addressed him by name. Demi-something. something-Murray. Demi-...Demoo-...oh forget it.

"Murrie!" Midnight decided that was Demure's new nickname. She had nicknames for everyone she met after a while, whether they wanted one or not. So far no one had bothered to bring it up, and Midnight just assumed that meant they liked it.

"Awesome, everyone is showing up, now we just have to wait for THE COTTON FEATHER OHMYGOSH and Piston--"

As if she was summoning the ponies from thin air, suddenly Piston was there too! Though Cotton Feather seemed to be late to the party. Authors were weird.

On the other hand, Piston was acting even weirder. Midnight stared at her intensely. This was most certainly not the Piston Mustang she had met at the library, at least it didn't sound like her. It looked like her, perhaps, but the mannerisms, the tone of speech...it was all off. It was wrong. Very wrong.

"Who are you," Midnight exclaimed, pointing an accusatory hoof at Piston, "and what have you done with the REAL Piston Mustang, You im-Piston-poster!?"

[CJ]

Cotton's face scrunched up.

She learned absolutely nothing from Demure's or Piston's greetings. In fact, she became even more discouraged since Demure and Piston were asked to change their attitudes upon introduction.

The author did not see any other ponies who would make their introductions. More and more ponies around her were already settled, speaking with friends. She had to find some way to greet these folks without seeming like a total idiot. She tried remembering how she would write character introductions but she knew it was pointless. In fiction, she could control both sides of the conversation. Here, the other side could easily overtake her in experience or knowledge.

Cotton opted to fetch a newspaper and slowly creep up to the table next to her. She could at least support a newspaper with her hooves. From there, she could listen to their conversation and know when to interject. She smiled behind her shield, not knowing a fatal mistake in her plan. Her metallic horn poked out and above the newspaper, easily giving her away.

[Kuro]

Demure's mouth hung open at Herb's outrageous comment regarding bites. His eyes were wide and it seemed as if he was absolutely flabbergasted at the ridiculously vulgar comment.

"...Pfffftt heh heh heh heh heh."

He cracked up and snickered to himself, placing a hoof over his mouth as he did so. He gave a last giggle and responded with a smile on his face and his hoof gone from his mouth. "...That was pretty funny...I guess...right?" His smile faded away quickly and he seemed to shrink as he spoke. Midnight referring to him as Murrie didn't help that much, but at least it meant that she recognized him as a stallion now....right? "Um, actually, my n-name is...De...mure." He looked away as he spoke and his voice had gotten quieter and quieter, eventually turning into a barely audible and hardly understandable mumble.

At Piston's arrival, Demure raised his eyebrow by a bit in response, but didn't say anything until after the others did, not daring to speak at the same time as them or interrupt them. "...W-well, that's, uh...Hi, Piston. T-thank you, for, joining...us..." He noticed that Piston sat next to him and impossibly began to shrink back into himself even more. "...Uh, yeah, those economics, and those...coffees. Merry evening, cherry, chummy, chum." He had awkwardly stumbled throughout that last sentence, realizing halfway through that it seemed similar to when couples called each other sickeningly adorable names (although probably only he could distort any such perception and comparison) and had hesitantly muttered that last word. He gave a small, almost forced smile.

He saw a certain metal unicorn coming nearer and said nothing. He knew it was Cotton, but there was a reason for her behavior, right? He had no right to interfere, maybe she didn't want to be seen, if he helped he would mess things up, he shouldn't say anything...oh dear.

[Kyubey]

Piston tried her hardest to stay in character, but she was beginning to see that she might not have made the best choice. Simply acting like she did, whether it was to please the others or blend in she didn't even know anymore, made her feel sick. Deep in her very soul, her true self was fighting against the awful things her brain was telling her to do, but she didn't stop. Not even as she felt the persona slipping, and the discomfort began eating at her mind. Her eyes became bloodshot, sweat appeared all over her body, and her hooves started shaking.

"OHOHOHOHOGaaaaaaaaaaahHOHOHOHOwhyyyyyyyyHOHOHOHOH..."

It was a very disturbing sight. And finally, Herb's surprisingly nice words broke her. She gasped, completely breaking character, and took a few moments to heavily pant.

"That... that's the first time anyone's ever said that to me."

"Who are you, and what have you done with the REAL Piston Mustang, You im-Piston-poster!?"

Piston cleared her throat, making a very ugly hacking noise as she did so, and tried to straighten up her wild hairstyle.

"I, uh... I don't know what you're talking about, my dear associate. I am the same fabulous Piston Mustang as always! Fish n' Chips! Ugh, no, I'm not doing this anymore. It's me, I'm real, all natural rocking Piston, sorry if I stand out too much." She chuckled nervously, and wiped some sweat off her brow. "Can we, uh, pretend this never happened and get down to business?"