Canterlot Nightlife in the Capitol

[Parodius]

At Mal's comment, Scale sputters and blushes lightly. "Er... r-right," he mumbled, resting his hooves pensively on the table. He nudges his glasses back into place, then sips his coffee before looking at his reflection in the cup. As Mal wandered off to order, he nodded a bit. "Yeah... she was real stubborn." He looks up and smiles lightly. "Told her I'd care for her whether she wanted it or not. Everypony needs somepony to care. She got kinda mad at that, I think."

He swirls the liquid around in his cup. "And Luna might be just as good, but usually night schools are for those that got too busy with jobs and stuff to go to class during the day, right?" He pauses and thinks, finally regaining composure. "Who's this 'Arc'? Friend of yours?"

As Mal returned and took a drink, he turned a slight grimace. "If you say s--" He pauses and looks concerned for a moment. "...Err... what's wrong?" he asked the returned pony, briefly glancing over to Dazzle, brow raised curiously to see if Dazzle had any better idea than he did. Other topics started to drift toward the back of his mind, not quite as important at the moment, in his opinion.

[RarityDash]

"That's the spirit!" Dazzle said in response to Scale after Malediction had left.

"And I guess you're right," she said while nodding. "But just because a pony is busy and has to work hard doesn't mean she's average."

Dazzle smiled softly until Scale then asked her about Arc. Her smile then evened a little. "Yeah. Arc is somepony very close to me. Somepony very special."

Dazzle looked up then and noticed that Malediction had returned. her smile returned fuller than before when she noticed the pony had returned with the same drink Dazzle was enjoying. She giggled as the other unicorn mare said it was good.

"See? I told you it was super tasty," Dazzle enthusiastically said as she took a big sip of her own drink.

[Tempest Rime]

"Nothing's wrong," said Mal sullenly. "Um... the drink is just... so good that I..." She paused and sighed. "Yeah, ok, that's not gonna foal anypony. I just, um, I'm not sure I should talk about it. I mean, it's not like it's a secret, it's more like... I don't even know how to express it, even with all my vocabulary." She sniffed and took another sip of her drink. "This is good, though. I feel a little better already."

Mal slumped down, resting her head on the table. "I hate feeling this way, I'm all emotional. I mean, normally I'm emotional, but it's all things I'm used to. Anger, resentment, spite.... you know, the usual. But now I'm all anxious and depressed and, and... and there's this other feeling I've never felt before, like my heart is... is..." She paused. Attempting to describe it, had led her right to a word for the emotion. "Aching? Heartache? But it can't be, that would mean I'm in love, and I can't be in love. It's an unacceptable weakness."

She was talking to herself more than to the others now. "But what if I've already gone too far? I... ARGH!" She glanced up. "You see why I don't want to talk about it!? Lets change the subject, anything else will do. We can talk about... I dunno, sciency mathy stuff or... or..." She frowned at Dazzle. "whatever you study. I mean, you're a magic student, obviously, but what's your speciality?"

[Parodius]

Nodding, Scale decides not to press the issue. "Well, if ya ever find the words and need an ear to listen, I've got a couple to share." He smiles and waggles them about in an attempt to lighten the mood. "If it is love, I'm afraid I wouldn't have much advice beyond common sense platitudes, though." Another sip of his coffee.

He nods a bit at the suggestion of a topic change. "Yeah. It'd be neat to hear what the life of a magic student's like." He idly looks over his coffee cup as he floats it in front of him, adjusting his glasses. ...not at the contents, but the cup itself. He starts reaching back toward where he usually wears his saddlebags, then blinks, realizing he left them back home. He shakes his head, then looks toward Dazzle attentively.

[RarityDash]

Dazzle gave a huff as she took herself away from her straw, a little whipped cream still wet on her lips. The questions about her school life went completely unheard to her as she focused in on words Malediction had said.

"Love is not a weakness!" she declared rather loudly. "Whether it's of a romantic sort or just love between family or even the love between two close friends, love is precious. It's most amazing thing anypony could ever ask for."

"If you're truly in love, you should embrace it," said Dazzle, softening her tone. "And if you can't do that, at the very least you should try and understand it."

Dazzle smiled softly. "I mean, you sound like you're confused about what you've been going through. When I'm confused about something, I do my best to try and understand it. I don't push it aside and hope it goes away."

"But that's just what I think..." Dazzle added more quietly, hoping she hadn't pushed too hard.

[Tempest Rime]

Mal's ears went back and she glanced around in embarrassment at discussing this in such a public setting, but she didn't let it hold back her reply. "Don't be ridiculous. Of course love is a weakness. It may feel good, it may even make you 'happy', but that's the whole reason it makes you weak! You don't think clearly about somepony you love. You make mistakes. And... when... when you lose them..." She blanched and sat back up, putting a hoof over her mouth. Blinking back tears, she struggled to reign in her emotions and did her best to keep from thinking about that.

After taking a moment to compose herself, she took a deep breath. "It's not worth it," she said finally. "Besides. I can't be in love. It's too soon. We've only been on two dates, and that's only if you count getting arrested." Granted, Mal had never gotten past the first date before, but that was beside the point. "And then he had to leave for some stupid project in some backwater dump called 'Appleloosa,' wherever that is. Wouldn't be surprised if he never comes back. I don't even know how long I should wait! And even if he comes back, he lives in Cloudsdale, so I'll still never get to see him."

She glanced back to Scale Model and sighed. "Anyway, now you know why I assumed you two were on a date, it's just sort of on my mind."

Just talking about it had, in fact, helped her calm down a bit, so she proceeded to finish her sugary drink. The drink being way more delicious than she was used to hadn't hurt either. "I may have to get this more often. It's really not much more expensive, and it is actually really good."

[Parodius]

Scale paused, frowning a bit as he recalled her story when he met her. A concerned look over to the one-eyed unicorn. "...well... I... don't have much experience with losing somepony... but... I've had friends who have. Yes, it hurts to lose somepony close. Hurts a lot. ...but... if you're all by yourself, that's an awfully big wagon to pull." He gives a light smile. "It's easier if you have a few friends to help with the load." He looks into his mug, looking for words in the dark brew showing him his concerned visage. "Even if it's just to sit there and listen, or just to be someone to lean against when you're tired of it all."

"Sounds like this guy made a real impression on ya." He shrugs. "If ya know where he is, there's always the Equestrian Mail service. They do a pretty good job. One of 'em back home in ponyville does a pretty reliable job. You could always write this fellow."

The topic of assumed date returns, and he coughs modestly. "W-well... totally understandable. It's a big thing, matters of the heart." He busies himself swirling his coffee around the cup. "So... just... enjoy your drink and... um... let it wash down a few of the troubles caught in your throat." He does his best to not think too hard on what ifs of other ponies' pasts. "Besides, I barely have time to think. Doubt I could consider dating anypony. Not that a scrawny colt like me is much to look at. Must have been troubled if ya thought I'd luck out, eh?" Smirking, he adjusts his glasses, then takes a healthy swig from his cup.

[RarityDash]

Dazzle looked down. Her eyes became sadder. "I don't think that's right at all," she said shaking her head. "Sure it can hurt, sure it can be painful, but is shutting heart off to others truly the better solution."

Dazzle shook her head and spoke in a low voice. "I mean... if you lose someone you love.... someone precious to you... you get sad and lonely, but you have all those wonderful memories to go back to. You can always find a smile there, which just might be the strength you need to push you forward." A few stray tears escaped Dazzle's eyes as she thought of Arcana and all the pain that had come from her sudden disappearance. "But if you never had that love in the first place... you'll still be sad and lonely but there won't be anything like that to go back to. The smiles will be harder to find."

The young unicorn forced herself to smile softly. "That's what I find at least. Even though she's gone now and I don't know if I'll ever see her again, I've never once wished we hadn't been so close. The memories we had together make me stronger. I'm sure of it," she said with a quiet nod. She then sipped at her drink some more, finding its taste refreshing.

Then, something else in what Malediction said stuck out to Dazzle and caused her to be taken aback once more.

"Wait?! You were arrested?" she started, shocked. "You didn't do something bad, did you?" she asked, with a slightly disappointed tone.

[Tempest Rime]

Mal groaned. "Ugh, you're from Ponyville? Actually, I guess that does explain a few things about you, coming from a small town like that. And I don't want to write him a letter. I don't know what I'd even say! He probably already thinks I'm enough of a creep, he doesn't need to know how I'm obsessing about him now." She sighed. "What I want isn't talk, it's action."

She rolled her eyes at Scale's 'scrawny colt' comment. "Whatever four-eyes, at least you still got both halves of your face. If you do want a fillyfriend, acting like that is exactly the way you'll never get one. You gotta act direct and confident, even if you don't actually feel that way. Seriously though, if a jerk like me can find somepony, so can you."

She sighed and turned to address Dazzle's comments. "I was loitering. And kinda near the castle, so the guards got testy. And I may have pushed them a bit too far with mean comments. It kinda got out of hand. We ended up spending the night in a holding cell." She squirmed slightly, starting to feel the caffeine. "And as for love, you may think that looking back, but if you'd never loved in the first place you wouldn't have any idea what you'd missed out on. There are plenty of ways to have a good time without creating an emotional dependency on somepony. Seriously, look what it's doing to me!"

[Parodius]

Scale nods. "Yep, born and raised. Usually go back there for the weekends, but I'm thinkin' I'll stay here for the winter. That would be a long, cold walk." He rubs his chin. "Yeah, I can see how being in person would be better than a letter." He shrugs.

"Maybe. Jokin' like that also takes away the bite of somepony else saying it, though. Beat 'em to the punch. I dunno. Guess I like to keep a bit of distance with new ponies until I get to know them." He smirks, head tilting slightly. "You seem to know what to do after all." He finishes off his coffee. "The direct and confident route would be taking a vacation to see this stallion of yours, then getting an answer one way or the other, right?" He shrugs. "I dunno. I'm unfamiliar with this stuff. Not really the outgoing sort usually. Don't tend to make the first move. Dazzle here sounds like she'd have a better idea than me." He then looks at his mug thoughtfully as he goes quiet again.

[RarityDash]

"Loitering? Okay, that's not too bad... Still, you should try not to break the law. It's not nice," said Dazzle with a nod. "But I still think you're wrong. If you never experience love... you'd feel incomplete... and lonely. And there's be nopony there to rely on. Having lots of friends and people who love you... its much better than shutting others out. That's what I think at least..."

"But Scale's right," said Dazzle nodding. "Well, not about me knowing about that kind of stuff..." Dazzle's face reddened and she spoke more quietly, "I haven't been a lot of dates before..." Her smile deepened and she nodded a strong nod. "But you should really go see the one you love. No matter how it turns out, its better than just letting it stay like this, isn't it?"

[Tempest Rime]

"Not nice? Not nice? You know what's not nice? Guards who think they can push me around just 'cause they got a stinkin' badge. I don't take that kind of bull from anypony, least of all those stuck-up ingrates. My taxes pay their wages, and they turn right back around and harass me." Mal harrumphed indignantly.

She glanced at Scale. "I'm just saying that because that's what I look for in a stallion. I don't know what he wants. I don't want to seem too clingy. I mean, I already told him how I feel." She paused. "Well, ok, maybe not in words, but I think my actions made it plenty clear that I liked him." She smirked slightly. "And I did threaten him with violence if he didn't come back, so there's really nothing unclear there. It's not like we left anything hanging, I'm just impatient to see him again."

Another sigh escaped her. "Anyway, more to the point, I really just can't afford to take such a long vacation. I mean, I know the whole area from here down to Hoofington and over to the Everfree, and I've never heard of Appleloosa. It's gotta be at least far away enough that I don't know of it. That means just getting all the way over there would take days and days, and I got bills to pay back here. Stupid shop."

[Parodius]

Scale nodded. "Makes sense, I suppose. Say, this place have refills?" He looks about for some sort of sign about it. "I guess it's their job to be paranoid. ...and ponies can get pretty paranoid. My entire town got freaked out over a zebra that moved nearby." He raises a brow at the 'threaten with violence' comment, but just sighs and shakes his head. Just a part of who Malediction is, he supposes. "Well, I guess it'll just take patience. ...which can be hard sometimes."

[RarityDash]

"Well... you did say it was right around the castle, right?" Dazzle started, looking at Malediction. "I can see why the guard was concerned." Dazzle nodded. "But either way, I'm sure the whole thing was just a misunderstanding. It's too bad you had to go through all that. I'd hate to have to spend a night locked up."

"And well, in that case, I just really hope he decides to visit you soon," the green-maned unicorn quietly added, smiling.

Dazzle then looked at Scale and frowned. "A zebra, seriously? But that's nothing to get worried over. I mean... they're not something you see everyday, but they're definitely not something for a whole town to get scared about..."

[Tempest Rime]

Mal groaned again. "Ugh, you see what I mean. No offense, Scale, but your town is full of morons. You know that the last I went through there, that Rainbow Dash pony... You've heard of her right? Well, she almost picked a fight with me, after I'd just been in a fight in the Everfree. What a bunch of paranoid jerks. There I was bleeding, and she was almost ready to attack me! And this is the sort of pony Princess Celestia gives power over world-altering magical artifacts to." She scowled.

"We oughta count ourselves extremely lucky that they managed to stop Discord at all. Or I dunno, maybe not. Maybe Discord would have been better than that." She gestured out the windows of the cafe that opened facing the palace. The talk had, as she had been hoping for, distracted her from Zephyr, but that was only serving to bring her back to her typical, cantankerous self.

[Parodius]

Raising a brow, Scale tilted his head slightly. "Rainbow Crash? That rainbow-maned pegasus with only two speeds: recklessly fast or asleep? Well, she can be a bit of a hothead, I hear. Wonderbolts fanatic. Haven't spent much time around her, really. She usually heads up the sky team for Winter Wrap up." He shrugs. "... wait. World-altering magical artifacts? Stopping Discord? What?" He scratches his head and looks a bit doubting. "Sorry. I don't keep up on current events like I probably should."

He nods to Dazzle. "Well, they're pretty protective of their families and friends in Ponyville. Probably where it comes from. Something new and strange? Until they know for certain everything's okay, they're pretty skittish."

[RarityDash]

"If I was a pegasus, I think I'd like to be a Wonderbolt," Dazzle said in an even voice, smiling at the mention of the famous flying team. "I mean, one time my parents managed to get tickets to a Wonderbolts flight show here in Canterlot. They weren't the best seats in the world, but it was still just really cool to see. And everyone in the crowd was so excited... I think that's really awesome," Dazzle laughed. "Though I guess I kind of don't like moving too fast, so I suppose maybe it wouldn't be for me after all..."

Dazzle's smile fell a little at the mention of Discord. "As for Discord, Arc told me the old legend about him a long time ago... I honestly hadn't thought that stuff was even real," The blue unicorn mare giggled again. "I guess that should teach me not to doubt Arc... but I really didn't want to believe there was somepony like Discord out there."

[Tempest Rime]

Mal sighed in exasperation. "It always amazes me how many ponies don't have attention to the news. I mean, sure, most of it is garbage you can safely ignore like what town gets to hold the summer sun celebration this year, or election news. Hah! 'Elections' in a dictatorship. Now that's a lark. But as for the serious, major events like Celestia's disappearance a while back, or the Discord fiasco..."

She gave Scale a stern look. "Speaking of which, that was centered mostly on Ponyville. I heard he turned that place upside-down. Have you heard from any family you have there within the past month or two? If not you may want to check on them. The official reports did say that nopony was injured or killed, but you never know, those may have been censored by the government."

She scoffed at the mention of the Wonderbolts. "Psh, the Wonderbolts are just another way for the system to distract you from what's really going on. I swear, more ponies pay attention to their silly games than to actual news. Of course, even the news itself is part of the problem." She lowered her voice as she shifted topic to full-blown conspiracy-theories. "You never see any articles on suspicious stuff, like, say, why certain tomes go missing from public libraries across the country. Or certain insidious bits of propaganda that they slip into the new ones. And why is it, do you think, that nopony even remembered that Nightmare Moon or Discord were real historical figures, and not just myths? It's only been a thousand years!"

[Parodius]

Shrugging, he rubbed the back of his head. "I'm on the road a lot, really. Go back and forth between here and going back home to help in the carpentry shop mom and dad run. Pretty long walk." He thinks for a while. "I think I was here in Canterlot when the sun didn't rise for the Summer Sun Celebration. ... No, I was on the road here. I stayed put until the sun came up. Still haven't heard much other than Nightmare Moon's return, Celestia missing, and some group of ponies kicking the horseapples out of Nightmare Moon and somehow turning her back into Princess Luna."

He thinks a while more. "I remember a little about the Discord thing, but not very much. It's a little fuzzy. Chunks of earth ripping up from the ground and floating up with entire buildings on them. Cotton candy clouds, chocolate milk rain... animals warped into twisted mockeries of what they're supposed to be..." He thinks a good while. "...then, suddenly the world started looking bigger and bigger." More thinking. "There's a big blank in my memory after that, but I woke up in a toy chest. Everything was back to normal. There was a statue in the town square that looked like one we saw back when we took a field trip in school to the castle gardens when I was just a blank flank. I think it got carted off somewhere later."

He shakes his head to clear the thoughts out of his head. "Well... as for why nopony remembered... those legends aren't really a cheerful subject. And ponies don't really live a long time, either. They were sorta-half-remembered, but it's easy to see why somepony wouldn't want to talk about 'em that much." He shifts a bit, uncomfortably. "...probably why I haven't really looked too hard into finding out more about those things that happened, to be honest. Kinda a gloomy place to turn a conversation to. But you seem like you know a bit about what happened, and the conversation's already here and all, soooooo..." He looks a bit hopeful, smiling cheerfully.

[RarityDash]

"I can't blame everypony for not wanting to pay attention to the stuff that isn't as happy or as nice," said Dazzle in a serious voice. "I mean, it's easier that way, If focusing just on what makes them happy lets them live fulfilling lives, what's wrong with that?"

Dazzle sighed. "I guess you could call that ignorance, but isn't being ignorant better than suffering?"

The young unicorn mare sipped her coffee drink some more and smiled. "Arc used to tell me about some really scary stuff. Fearsome monsters I never would have thought existed, scary and terrible stories from the past, powerful magic that can be used to do bad. And since even Discord existed, I'm sure all of that does too."

"But even knowing all that stuff might be out there, I'm not going to let it trouble me. There's more than enough good, happy things in this world to balance it all out after all," Dazzle said with a soft nod. "At least that's what I think."

[Tempest Rime]

"W-wait you were there? Woah... that must have been crazy. No memories though. How convenient." Mal frowned skeptically. "And even after all that you didn't take the time to actually find out what had happened? I mean, piecing events together may not be easy, but I'd sure want to know where I'd been if I woke up with a lost day." She shook her head disapprovingly.

"Ignorance is bliss, huh?" Mal scowled in disgust. "If everypony thought like that, we'd be living in eternal night under the rule of Nightmare Moon right now! Just being aware of current events doesn't mean you need to live your life in fear of every ancient evil that's been locked away. There's nothing we can do about most of those anyway. But at least you can keep abreast of what's been happening in the world, heck, even just in this city! What if Celestia enacted a law making it illegal to criticize her? Would you just let your freedom vanish without a fight?"

Mal sat up straight, passion burning in her eyes. "No, there is no excuse for willful ignorance! If you take the time to learn about the monsters, find their weaknesses and how to avoid the worst of them, then you dispel the fear. The UNKNOWN is what's scary, not the monsters themselves. Hah, even a MANTICORE couldn't kill me, and while there are much worse monsters out there, most of them won't bother a pony who doesn't get too close. And allowing ancient lore to be lost, that's just despicable! Knowledge exists to be shared, it's about the only thing a society is any good for! Just closing your eyes and pretending it doesn't exist won't solve any problems, only understanding and reason will."

At some point she'd stood up, her voice rising until it carried across the room. When she fell silent, she realized the whole cafe had gone quiet, listening to her. "I, uh... s-sorry about that," she said, suddenly embarrassed. She self-consciously levitated her hair closer to her face to be sure nopony would see her disfigurement, though using her magic to do so only drew attention to her mane by causing it to glow with the coruscating red and green light her magic gave off.

[Parodius]

Shrugging, Scale toys with his empty mug. "If I did find out what happened, would it even make any sense? The world was going wonky, after all. I've got my suspicions on what happened to me, but... I'm not sure what difference it would make if I know or not. And I'm not sure if I want to know."

He sighs a bit. "I suppose it's better to not dwell on things if you learn of them, but not everypony can do that. It's tough to not let things get to you. If somepony would flip out from learning something, it would probably be better if they don't learn of it. Sure, knowing about stuff is good, but..." He shakes his head a bit. "Life's full of those complicated things, it turns out. Wish somepony'd told me about that before I had to deal with all of it."

He looks over as Mal voices her disapproval. He nods a bit. "Well, I doubt it would be the Princess making such a law, as much as some lawmaker pony that thinks they know best. But I see your point. I probably should check a newspaper whenever I get into town either going to Ponyville or coming to Canterlot. I just don't have many bits, and it don't seem right to just read a paper without buying it. The ponies working on it gotta eat too. Don't really know somepony to look at their papers either." He shrugs. "As for monsters... sometimes knowing the monster can make it scarier. Not everypony is as fearless as you. Some of us are small... and timid. Some of them are even spooked by their own shadow."

He pauses, looking around at the staring ponies. He gives a sympathetic smile and pats Mal's shoulder. "You made some good points, though. Wish I could have the backbone to face stuff. I'd probably run off if things got too much." He looks at the table pensively, nibbling on his lower lip as he thinks on how to get the attention off of their little group. "I... guess those of us that can't look after ourselves at those times have to rely on ponies like you that can handle those things."

[RarityDash]

"Scale's right," Dazzle said, nodding at Malediction, unfazed by her shouting. Arcana wasn't as shouty, but this still felt similar to her, which made Dazzle more eager for the conversation than intimidated by the other pony's intensity in any way. "And you're right to an extent too, Malediction. Not everypony can be ignorant. If that happens, something is definitely lost... and we'll all surely suffer for it, and somepony really might take advantage of the situation to do bad things."

"But if somepony just wants to live a happy life without letting any of it get to them, I don't think anyone should stop her." the green maned unicorn said in a low voice. "I'm not advocating letting ponies remain uneducated about things in the world; I mean, I've learned so much about Equstria and the world beyond from all my time at school, and I really think its good when other ponies do the same. I just think that it doesn't have to be a primary concern for every single pony out there. The more important thing is that each of us live our lives in a way that makes us happy."

Dazzle laughed and nodded. "And I think you might misunderstand when it comes to myself. I'm not going to ever let myself become ignorant of anything out there. Arc... my professors... everypony, I listen when they all talk. I want to use my magic to help ponies, and that means more than anything else knowing how to deal with the things that may trouble them. I can see the bad stuff out there.... It's just I can see the good stuff too. And fron my perspective, I think the good is more powerful. That's why I don't let it trouble me. It's better to be happy anyway."

[Tempest Rime]

Mal sighed and sat back down. "I'm not saying everypony has to learn how to fight monsters they'll probably never see in their life. I mean, I only pay cursory attention to sports news or whatever, because it doesn't affect my life. But when it comes to major events, there's no excuse. Even if you let somepony else deal with the problem, there's no reason not to know the name of the pony who protected you. It's not gonna ruin your life just knowing about it."

Mal blinked. She wasn't entirely sure how, but she'd somehow come all the way around from complaining about that Twilight Sparkle pony to actually complaining when ponies didn't recognize her as a hero. "Um... so... I've forgotten what my original point was now. But really, come to places like these once in a while. I mean, when they're a little less busy, at least. There's always a few papers floating around for customers to read. You can at least find out a little about important things happening in the world."

[Parodius]

Scale nods a bit, sliding his cup aside, lest he keep fidgeting with it. "Yeah... I guess I can. Guess I let school just take up too much of my attention. Nose too far in a book for class to see the world around me, one could say. ...maybe there's old newspapers in the library or something I can look at to get a summary. I dunno." He rubs the back of his neck. "Maybe that's why I got a little stir-crazy and had to get out and about tonight."

He pauses a little. "...feeling any better, by the way?"