Chapter II: City of glass
Part I: Nightly game
Sunshine hid well behind the real bushes and not real, but an animate plant. Only rarely, when the situation allowed it, Gambit showed his true colours and friends quickly and quietly talked to each other. Not enough, not convenient, but safe at least.
Friends knew each other well, and the plated insect understood - a little more, and Sunshine will break. However, not only the bug learned companion's habits and cues. Thanks to this synergy, the unfortunate travellers managed to escape from seemingly inevitable death.
And so this way, by sitting at one spot, fugitives managed to stay unnoticed for the whole day, silently hinting at unpleasantries to each other. Not everything is resolvable right there - horrible hunger, for example. However, the friends managed to extinguish the mindbomb fuse every time. At least, before the night.
— ..How did you guess it'll work? You know, the ice idea.
— You moved. You were not frozen completely. - observant bug quietly explained - You are warm, the Sun is warm, walls also warm. - moments later, changeling added - Home is warm too. I want to go home.
— We will surely get out of here, you'll see. - the horse went hysterical all of a sudden.
— Quiet! They might hear it.
— That's the thing, "might"! Couldn't find us for the whole day, and suddenly they'll find us now?
— ..That makes sense. But, please, be a little more patient. Trust me.
Although friends changed every day, they understood each other more than they understood themselves. Gambit had much more experience in hiding in plain sight, and Sunshine did not even think of arguing about it with him. Just like in the beginning of this adventure, friends have to survive. Now, in marble and glass jungles, not green ones.
Luckily, this time, opportunists had the hard-way experience, and that is more valuable than gold or supplies. The changeling finally gave back the equipment to his partner, deciding they should go. If not for the hiding need, the shapeshifter would take a bag disguise. Now though, he is destined to appear as a dark cloak.
How nice, that hiding faces and bodies is not uncommon in these parts, even in Canterlot. However, the first problem made itself known even before friends marched out of the flowerbeds: winged pony barely walked, and this part of the world was famous for abstaining from any tasks at night. Except patrols, of course.
— ..You still cannot walk? - he reacted to the moans - How are you feeling?
— Imagine, that lots of centipedes going through your bones, and they get stuck inside them.. - pony vainly tried to hold any sounds while she stood up - ..And when you pay attention to them, they separate and drop inside you.
Insectoid did not know what "centipede" means, but he understood, that such a vibrant description means that the horse feels very bad. Lilac bug would gladly bring her food and help himself, but he was not at all familiar with this place. The bug might be seen even before he sees someone else.
Not for nothing that Canterlot is named a city of glass. Many decorations, both for buildings and ponies, are weaved from glassweaves - flowers, that so closely resembled real glass. Only, unlike the real one, it bends and does not look like half-transparent midillian silk.
Many wanted to witness those masters at work, not to mention the miraculous cuttings and other crafts out of those unusual plants. Yet, by contrast, why would someone buy transparent and cold clothing, when one can sow something usual and warm? However, this place did not appear less touristy at that fact.
Because more ponies were ready to spend their coin on the local kitchen. New tastes and higher buffets would actually warm and liven up the folk, unlike useless accessories. If not by the quality and quantity, then by the fact that they visited this place.
The escapees probably thought the same, gradually wandering through tight alleys between the buildings. Living cloth covered the bright pony nicely, and the big-eared one herself tried her best, to not attract attention. Hiding appeared not as hard as imagined, but to get inside someplace with the same amount of caution..
Not every structure had a back entrance. The one who designed this city certainly thought more about building beauty and harmony, than practicality and convenience. Only rarely did the houses have a second entrance, somewhere in the shadows. And even then, not certain if food would be inside.
But exceptions stood out immediately, albeit they appeared very rarely. After another patrol and cluster of homes, some cafe caught the eyes of travellers: the shopfront had almost fresh pies and other, unusually looking sweets. Or are those vegetables? In any case - food!
— ..So how do we get inside? - pony asked herself out loud.
— Like this. - suddenly, changeling returned his true guise.
Experienced infiltrator already jumped to the door in the alley, and looked inside the keyhole. Not even ten seconds passed, as the insectoid turned his hoof into a key copy, matching every pin notch very precisely. The door immediately opened from such trickery.
— You.. How did you get it? - solar pony tilted her head out of surprise - A-and what did you do just now?
— Do not know how to explain. I would not find the right words for this. - changeling thought for a bit - Door insides and keys look similar, everywhere. Difference is very small. Just need to correctly look inside..
Questions and explanations did not feed one bit, only took strength away, and thus the couple already rushed inside the establishment. Seems like this door is the only thing that kept the thieves away from plunder. Not that burglars usually tried robbing restaurants, but these troublemakers hit the jackpot.
Since they looked not for dimes, but for food and water. But even food was scarce, for a royal cafe - everything executed and packaged in such a way, as if the main thing was presentation. Portions are small, have unfamiliar tastes, and it is not exactly noticeable that it is the same food, served in any tavern in lower parts of Equestria..
And if there, everything was cooked with a soul, generously and to the order, then this cafe seemingly made it in advance, for a week forward, just to work less. That is why there are so many servings, uncountable amount of dishes.. And signs that it all might spoil soon. No cellars or freezers stayed nearby.
— ..It is different. But not different. - insect did not at all understand what happened - Looks new, but tastes are not new. Not all.
— Maybe, they add something of their own? - hungry one cleaned the shelves of food, despite its staleness - Some exotics? It is hard to invent something new!
— But it is possible. I tasted many things, and tastes differed all the time. Here, they pick something already made and pretend they did it themselves. - displeased bug quietly crushed empty dishes with his legs - Small additives will not make a cake out of me. What is the difference here?
— I would doubt that.. - orange pony quietly mumbled to herself.
That is actually in the spirit of canterlotians. Even glass carpets on windows and walls - a parody on eastern weavers. Of course, principles of work severely differed, as well as other tools are used, but the result is the same - it is a carpet. Simply transparent, with distinctive lining and patterns.
And if the bending colourless "stained glass", as well as clothing can be somehow justified, then the kitchen nightmares can not. Despite the amount of portions, Sunshine and Gambit cleared out this house in less than an hour. Sun pony has not stuffed herself enough with these high standards.
That means, it is time to look for food again! Thankfully, now the pony could move with less difficulty, since the stomach stopped whining as much as friends in the very-very beginning. And a new hideout for food was found quite quickly, literally on the same street. The changeling got down to his task again..
When suddenly, the many-eyed insect walked away from the door and led his friend back into the alley, not making even a slightest sound. But nothing happened nearby, nobody walked nearby, why did the bug panic and decide to hide? Did he sense something, indeed?
— Door is open. - whispered the lilac one - No, broken.
— ..Maybe, they already walked away? How about we check it?
— This is dangerous. Feeling emotions. - attentive bug silenced for a bit - ..But we risk already. Maybe it is the owner sleeping so weirdly. I will go first, try not to make noises.
Friends entered someone's house so quietly, that only the breeze from the second floor was heard. Seems like someone actually lived here, and that someone had either a showcase of food, or received guests not long ago. Kind of illogic for a homely-artsy atmosphere, to be inside of a shop-looking building on the outside.
However, no matter how much the troublemakers wanted to think about this structure's purpose or eat on the house, first they need to deal with an uninvited guest and the owner themself. Or did the master simply forget to close the door? In any case, no time to let the guard down.
Unlike other buildings in this district, this one especially stood out with its unnaturality: two entrances into the living room from the street, silent floor, weird furniture style.. And a hidden entrance into the basement, that immediately caught the changeling's eye.
Improbable wall did indeed complement the surroundings, hiding a part of the house as well. Would be logical to put the down-leading stairs right below the upper ones, but the owner surely tried to hide something. Otherwise, how could one explain the presence of magic, and the ability to walk through the obstacle?
— ..How did you guess that, then?
— Remember the desert. Trees. I feel stuff like this. Somehow feel it. See it.
Behind the illusion hid an expected entrance to the basement. And the basement lit by itself, should the adventurers walk further. Intuition sounded all the worries - friends really wanted to leave this place. But they continued to go deeper, into the only room below the house. There, they did not understand anything at all.
Under a reasonably noble appearance, a whole arsenal of weaponry hid itself; one so similar to what Serendipitous carried. However, the armour and weapons still differed a lot - this clothing would fit only a mare, and choking wires with small blades did not at all look like his telescopic sword.
— Nobody here. - bug whispered - Let's go.
— Maybe we should take something from here? Just look at-!
— T-s-s. - fanged insect stopped his friend in time - We should not. I feel something else. Don't.
— ..My sabre would be enough. And the clothes are too big for me. - she shook her head - What am I thinking..?
The thieves had no other choice but to go back and study the upper floor. Much to their surprise, the breeze hit their faces so hard, as if someone opened a window there in an attempt to run away. And there was someone in there, indeed, right beside the window! Someone with a horn, and dimly-sapphire fur.
Judging by the clothing that hid the body and partially the face, this is not the true owner of this house. The mare looked for something through the mail, and the snowwhite bug distracted her from doing so with his flashy looks. The pony certainly did not expect someone else wandering into the house. Let alone a bug, with no less coloured pegasus.
— You! Y-you-you, who the hay are you?! - the thief squealed out of surprise - What are you doing here?
— Don't scream, not so loud..! - Sunshine walked a bit forward.
— For I, to listen to some barren ninny with bright colours?! - arrogant unicorn continued to raise her voice - The guards will soon get here because of you! Do you understand what you have done?
— Wait a minute, it's you who yelled! - little one furrowed her brows - And your hair is also bright!
One should totally think of forgetting about the dispute and start hiding their tracks, but two noble ponies very eagerly discussed, who is the most mannered and successful. Only Gambit felt that they should run away or hide. And only he heard the steps closing in.
Should the insectoid appear as a common bauble, the house was stormed by two sentries. All this unusual noise immediately brought their attention, and the soldiers already ran upstairs. In the end, they simply stayed put before the arguing ponies, not understanding a single thing.
— I beg your pardon?! - orange horse walked closer to another one - I'll be anyone but a common village girl!
— Pardoned. - unicorn raised her chin even higher - ..'Tis not befitting, however, for vibrants to speak to nobility.
— And you are noble? Adornments and imperative speech doesn't make you an-
— ..What is happening over here? - finally, law enforcers attracted attention to themselves - Why are ye yelling in the middle of the night? Who's in charge here?
Both ponies kept their silence. Their bodies spoke for them though: the orange horse understood nothing and wandered with her eyes, and the obvious sapphire thief continued to arrogantly raise her head, as if all this was not related to her at all. And her clothing seemed more convincing.
Despite the outfit being strange, the unicorn did not refrain from looking stylish - earrings and other accessories are the example. And it is probably her real property, as there are so many stands and display cases nearby, but they were left untouched. Which cannot be said the same about Sunshine.
A bright and noticeable minority, with no shiny baubles, with no clothing to cover the body, and who behaves abnormally. The sentries thought not for long, who to pick for questioning, slowly pushing the solar mare to the corner. And nobody of those two suspected of a shapeshifter behind them.
Soldiers paid attention to an angry bug at the last possible moment. The second that the insect morphed, he immediately pushed two stallions' heads onto each other with his additional limbs. Much to everyone's surprise, the guest of all this honour also intervened into the fight.
While the bug held two stallions and only planned to break their necks, the unknown mare already acted. Yet not with her own tools, but with nearby means - with a fiddlestick. Armoured horses quickly fell silent thanks to the sugar-coated mare.
— I hope we will never meet again. - the unicorn did not even look at the capital guests.
The pony jumped from the window just as graciously, as she wielded the fiddle-bow. She leaped away into an unknown direction, not leaving any marks anywhere - not on her body, not even on the adventurers or in the house itself. Except the bodies with bloodied necks.
The unicorn certainly knew what she was doing, how she was doing it and what she came for. Did she really need only the letters? Not the exquisite shinies, not the sophisticated furniture, not even an exclusive musical instrument interested her. Not to mention an untouched wardrobe.
— ..What do we do now? - the long-eared horse could not stay in one place.
— Go downstairs and eat. We leave after.
— But where?
— Anywhere. Further from here.
— And you?
— Will find something for your pain. Will guard you.
