A Better Tomorrow
Chp. VIII
"Las Pegasus?!" Exclaimed Rarity.
I nodded my head. The look on her eyes was that of a foal inside a candy store. A large grin crept onto Rarity's face as she and Pinkie Pie began to hop around the sweet shop.
"Girls, this is no laughing matter! We'll be on a mission, not to gamble." I said.
"Do the others know about this?" Asked Pinkie Pie.
"Nope but they will eventually." I said.
"I'll get them!" Said Pinkie Pie.
Rarity got up and began heading towards the door.
"Oh don't be silly, Pinkie! You shouldn't just leave your workplace like that. I'll go get the girls." Said Rarity.
The white mare left the Sugercube Corner and I sat around. Pinkie Pie came out with a vanilla cupcake and placed it on the table in front of me.
"It's on the house, Twilight." Said Pinkie, smiling.
I smiled. I took a bite out of the cupcake. The vanilla wasn't too overbearing and the cupcake itself wasn't too sweet- just the way I like it! As I ate the cupcake, my mind began to drift into the events of Operation: Stranglehold. I wondered whether or not Patriot survived the ordeal. What ever happened to Ranger? Did Applejack's parents make it through the fire fight?
I shuddered. The explosions, the fighting in Terran's marketplace, the chariot ride back to Equestria. I remembered it all as though it were yesterday. And to think all of that was the work on one pony. Who was Zodiac and why hasn't the princess deal with him? Not once had I heard the name Zodiac until six months ago.
The door opened. I glanced over. Rarity was back with the other mares. Applejack handed me a letter.
"From Snake," said Applejack. "Can you trust it?"
I shrugged.
"We'll see." I said.
I opened the letter and read it.
"What does it say?" Asked Rainbow Dash.
"It's telling me that once I arrive in Las Pegasus, I'm supposed to meet up with one of Snake's contacts. Somepony by the name of Big Boss." I replied.
"And just how are we going to know who's this Big Boss character?" Asked Applejack. "I reckon a city like Las Pegasus is gon' be mighty big."
"We're to meet up at a restaurant called The Winchester." I said.
Rarity's face lit up.
"The Winchester?! Why that's one of the best restaurants in all of Equestria!" Said Rarity.
"Then it's settled. We're off to Las Pegasus." Said Rainbow Dash.
I paused. What about Fluttershy? Who will watch over the Cutie Mark Crusaders in case if Zodiac's goons were to come back to Ponyville? Sure, Snake arranged for the capture of the changelings but Zodiac's been proven to have plenty of expendable lackeys all around Equestria. Big Macintosh alone isn't enough to watch over both fillies and Fluttershy.
I frowned. I saw that the others were able to tell something was wrong.
"Everything okay, Twilight?" Asked Pinkie.
"All five of us can't go to Las Pegasus." I said.
"But why? You'll need all the help you can get!" Said Rainbow Dash.
I sighed.
"I know, I know but hear me out. With all five of us together, we'll stick out like a sore hoof. Since Big Boss is going to be there, we might not need everypony for this mission. I've decided that I'll need only one of you to tag along with me to Las Pegasus. So the question remains… Who to take along this trip?"
We sat in silence. Everyone wore a stern look on their faces as we contemplated who was the rightful candidate for this mission. I then got up and began to leave the Sugarcube Corner.
"We'll continue this discussion tonight. For now, I must pack. Meet me in the library tonight and I'll decide who comes with me." I said.
I left the sweet shop and headed back to the library. I took out my saddle bag and thought about packing when I heard a knock on the door. I walked over to the door and opened it. It was Snake, wearing a brown cloak.
"Good afternoon, Miss Sparkle."
"Snake! What brings you here?"
"I wanted to drop by and see how you're doing. Leaving for Las Pegasus?"
"Yeah. I'm just packing some stuff right now and I'll leave tonight."
"Don't bother packing. Big Boss will have everything prepared. All we need is for you to be there."
I nodded my head. As Snake began to leave, he began to cough. His thin body doubled over as he wheezed. I ran over to his side. His eyes were red from tears. The wrinkles on his face tightened as he began to stand back up.
"Would you like a drink of water or something?" I asked.
Snake nodded his head. I quickly went into the kitchen and got him a glass of water. He drank it and handed it back to me.
"Thank you," said Snake.
He didn't say another word as he left the library. His movements were slow like Granny Smith's and each step seemed to cause him pain. The night came and I heard another knock on the door. I opened it and it was just Rarity.
"Where are the others?" I asked.
"We all decided that it was best if I were to go along with you. They figured with my charm, I could find out more information from Zodiac's goons in the casinos." Said Rarity.
"Then it's settled. To the train station!"
To be continued…
