It Takes A Slum To Know A Slum (Masquerade/MoonLemon)

Snapdragon kicked at a nearby stone with her hoof. She never likes being around this place. Even though she herself was technically a 'slum', being homeless and all, she felt uncomfortable here. There were the creeps that simply stared at you behind the rotten piles of fruit, emptied carts, and abandoned shop-corners, waiting for you to blink. She likes everypony, and she means everypony, but she would want to be in a safer place before confronting them. If they were out in the open, where others could see them, she would have no problem. She barely had a problem with them now. They're only regular ponies, right? They probably have families, friends, dreams, and just because they're homeless doesn't mean they're bad. Hay, she once met a famous entertainer here, roughing his way, equal among the ponies even though he had plenty enough bits to find himself a prestigious inn.

The only reason she faltered being around them is because of her parents. They had warned her to be careful, warned her to not trust a pony as soon as they greet you. Even though it was a hard task for her, she had to listen to them. She wasn't about to against their word. They knew best... She was just nervous she WOULD meet a more dark pony... if she did, how would she react? Snapdragon turned, pacing around the poverty-ridden part of the city. But meeting somepony is better than meeting nopony... right?

Stargazer hustled through the town, clutching an important piece of paper in her hoof. She turned a corner quickly and stumbled, sprawling face-first into the dirt. Normally, she would never be in Manehatten, but somepony had discovered something here and Star simply couldn't resist.

Looking up, she saw a light blue-ish colored mare. "Oh, hello. Sorry, I didn't mean to run into you, my sincerest apologies little one!"

Meanwhile, in the shadows lurked a pale pony. A knife twirling in her hoof, and a cloak hood covering her face. She observed as the unicorn fell into the "earth pony." She suspected there was something about her hat.....

The filly fell back, catching herself with her rump on the cracked cobblestone. Really, there was twice as much bare ground than actual stone, but no need to be picky in descriptions, right? Snapdragon shook her head, fluffing off the dust and grit on her ears that she had picked up when she fell. She blinked. 'Little one'? Oh, her! She kept forgetting she was a lot smaller than most ponies... Especially since she hadn't really had anypony to call her 'little' for awhile, excepting the rude noble or two. The pony that she had run into(or had run into her, but that's besides the point) was a cyan mare.

Snapdragon grinned reassuringly. "Oh, it's alright!" She promised. See? Not every pony here was bad. Hay, none had to be! They could all be perfect mares and gentlecolts, just too shy to show it. "If I can ask, who are you?" Snapdragon said, pulling her scarf back into the right position on her neck. "I'm..." Should she say her last name? "Well, my name, either of them, aren't really important. You can call me Misfit though, if you'd like!"

"Misfit, that's a nice name! You have two names?" Star asked curiously, picking herself up, "I'm Stargazer, but ponies call me Star." she grinned. But her smile faltered, and horror crept into her face, "Oh no! Where is it?" she squealed, falling down to the ground and searching for the paper.

She bit her lip and her eyes darted about the alley frantically. She pushed magic into her horn and made a soft glow of light to help look in the dark place. She looked in every nook and cranny there was, but cried out in despair when she found nothing. "No no no! That was important!"

Two names? Yes, technically. "Oh, you see, Misfit is kinda just what ponies call me. My first name I really tell nopony, and my last name I do, but when we're this far back in the city, it can get kinda..." She bit her lip. "...dangerous, throwing your name around." Snapdragon explained. She should really just stop telling ponies she had a first name all together. If she's never gonna tell anypony, there was really no reason to bring it up. What if it made other ponies uncomfortable? That'd make her feel just terrible.

Hmm.. Stargazer. That's a very pretty name. She loved names like that. The mystical kind, of things beyond your reach, hidden secrets, dark adventures. It made her excited just thinking about it.

Wait, what? What's wrong? Why is this mare suddenly panicked? She lost something! That's not good! Before the little Misfit could really soak in what was happening, Stargazer was already whipping around, flashing light from her horn. Then she stopped, crying out in defeat. "We'll find it, don't worry!" Snapdragon reassured. "We should just retrace your steps, right? It can't just disappear!" The filly put a hoof on the cyan mare's shoulder(At least tried to, she couldn't quite reach), trying to comfort her. "Here, I'll help!" There were no nobles back here to bleat and taunt her out, so she might as well try. A warm, yellow light could be seen weakly through her hat, until the glow surrounded the cap. She levitated it up and back on her head, causing her horn now to be seen and in the open. Then, with a quick squint and charge of magic, she had a small flickering blue flame atop her horn. It was much like a tiny torch. "Don't worry, it can't burn you. So, what is this thing your trying to find even look like?" She asked.

"It's just a piece of paper, but it's important." she gasped, still flailing about the alley. She barely even noticed the mare was a unicorn, and instead searched.

May bent down to look at a piece of paper that had flown in front of her. She picked it up and carefully read what it said, then glanced up. Two unicorns were talking further on in the alley, it seemed one was looking for a scrap of paper. She took a deep breath-she hated helping ponies.

"Hey, you looking for this?" she asked, waving the paper.

Star looked up, "Yes! Yes that's it!! Thanks!" she snatched the parchment from the strange mare, then looked down at the filly who had helped her. "I thank you as well. Why are you in here anyways? Where's your mom?"

The filly searched for the paper after a small nod, only to stop once another pony entered the conversation. She was dark, with red eyes and raven hair. It seems she had simply shown herself out from the depths of the shadows, listening into what they were talking about. She had a dark beauty, unlike the happy, charming adorableness of the cyan mare, Star. She looked... well, she looked...
"Omigosh, you look so cool! You're so pretty!" The Misfit blurted out, unable to stop herself. Then she blushed. "Uhh, I mean... hi." She focused on Stargazer instead. "I'm glad you found it!" She said genuinely, smiling.

The mare's question took her off guard. She fidgeted with her hooves, looking anywhere other than Stargazer's eyes. "Well, I'm here because I can be myself. I don't have to have worry about rich ponies mocking me..." She took a deep breath. "And... my mom? Well, she's in a forest near the city. My dad's there too." It technically wasn't a lie.

That was where they were buried.

May was shocked, but kept her calm, emotionless demeanor. "Thanks." she said somewhat kindly, then turned to Star and whispered, "She's lying, but you already knew that didn't you?"

Star nodded slightly, but understood and didn't pry. She knew it wasn't right to ask about the filly's lie, "Well thank you." she said to the new mare, before turning to Misfit, "How about I treat you to some pizza?" she grinned.

The two older mare's seemed to having their own private little conversation themselves. But she didn't mind. She was used to being left out. Even though she thought she should mind, ask what they were talking about, there was a reason they were whispering to each other, right? She just had to be more careful then. Ponies whispering around her has never been a good sign, unless it was near her birthday. It wasn't. And they didn't even know her birthday.

Misfit's eyes grew large, making the intense gold of it shimmer. "Really?!" The filly asked. "You'd really do that?! Wow, I haven't had pizza for years, not since my dad blew up the oven and we had to order takeout! That's so awesome! Thank you!" She was practically skipping in place, grinning madly. Pizza. Delicious, freshly-made, cheesy, gooey, not-stolen-by-her goodness. And she got to eat it with a friend! "Do you think you could tell me some of your stories when we get there? I mean, you look like you go on a lot of adventures!" This was turning out to be a great day. The blueish foal than turned toward the red-eyed-black-haired mare. She tried to stop fidgeting, knowing that darker ponies like that probably thought such silly things were annoying. "Miss- uh...I don't know your name... anyway, Miss, are you coming?" She looked up at the mare, a pleading look in her eyes. She wasn't the kind of filly to go all puppy-dog on another pony, but it was involuntary. "It would be great if you did..."

May rolled her eyes, such childishness. Sighing, she nodded, "If it is alright with Star, I will come. And my name is May."

"Of course you can come May, this'll be fun." She grinned, trotting down the street. Turning to the filly, "I don't really go on adventures, more....scientific studies. Some are like adventures though. Like, this one time I went in search of the Livet coins. Though I doubt you know what they are, I barely know. A passing storyteller told me of them, and we ended up going on a quest to find them. It was fun, let me tell you. but perhaps first I should tell you what a Livet coin is, hm?" she laughed. May followed slowly behind, not really listening to the conversation.

Snapdragon was glad May was coming, but she was a bit down-struck when she rolled her eyes. That must mean she must be acting ridiculous for the mare to react like that. May didn't like her. She didn't, even though Misfit wanted her to with the wholesome of her heart. But if that's the way she was, she'd let it be.

The filly soaked in every word of Star, drinking the beginning of the tale like water to a a pony that had been lost in the Saddle Arabian Desert. She trotted up closer to Star, making sure she could hear, having to lift her legs twice as much because of the difference in sizes between them.

"Please, tell me! What are they?"  Snapdragon asked.

"Well, it all started when I went into the Ponyville tavern for a drink. There was a stallion there, named Stormy Hugeheart. He was looking for a unicorn to help him, he needed an enchantment. But first, we talked. And he told me of an ancient story. It started with a mare. A mare by the name Marietta. She owned a small toy shop, but had no love for her job. She had a love for the unexplained. To understand the world.

But, she did have great craftsponyship. She created many amazing works, and ponies loved them. But they lacked the thing she wanted most, life. They were lifeless beings, meant to be given to a child. She wanted something new, so she began her work. A means to create life. She began to keep flowers, plants and bugs, studying them till their death. Till one day her favorite butterfly, Floaty was moments before she would pass on when when BANGBOOOMMMCRRRRRRRRACCKK!" Star went on to make many dramatic movements, "Everypony in town rushed to see what the light and noise was. When they opened the door to her shop, they were all awestruck. The room had come alive with toys, walking, walking and even asking ponies their names! The toys had been brought to life!

Each town member bought one of the living toys, making them their child's friend, assistants, and some say one even became deputy. Later Marietta learned after a toy broke in half they each held a strange looking coin like object. When removed, the toy returned to being just a toy.She then used the coin to bring other things to life. Some say she even made train come to life once, but after a certain incident, which is it's own story in it's self happened. The townsfolk left across Equestria, taking their coins with them. To this day know one knows if they were a mere fantasy, or they truly exist. Hidden away with the bones of their creator." Star beamed at the end of her story, eager for the filly's reaction.

May followed slowly behind them, quietly listening the story. Coins that bring things to life? That sounds impossible.

Every sentence, no, every word drew Misfit in. That was one good things about living on your own: There was a lot of freedom to talking with ponies, especially ponies with tall tales, wondrous stories, dream-like legends, and interesting pasts. She gazed at Star with while she was consumed into the tale. She could imagine sad sigh of toymaker, the tears over the near death of her butterfly, the thunderous boom of the miracle, the glimmers and cranks and creaks and whirring and buzzing and clinking of all the toys, come to life against all odds. It was fantastic.

The filly was sad for the tale to end. Her eyes were still as big as saucers from interest, and she grinned. "That's amazing! I've never heard something like that before! I didn't know you could bring things to life other than really super powerful spells, and even then only the greatest magi of the times could sustain the spell permanently!" It was so intriguing! "So, are you still looking for the coins? Did you ever find them?" She asked.

Snapdragon didn't even notice May's disbelief behind her.

"I know, it is an amazing tale. But that's only the story of hearing about the coins! I went on a quest for them with Stormy." She continued, "Want to hear?"

"Yes!" Snapdragon immediately answered. Then she blushed. "I mean, yes... please." There was only a couple things she got this excited about. One was delicious food that she could usually never afford. Two was plainly having or experiencing things that she usually couldn't because of her 'situation'. Three was when found a new solution to one of her potion problems, figured out a recipe, found a anatomical-correct picture book on dragons, and finding out weird, dark, and crazy stuff. Four... was stories.

Especially real ones. She loved reading before her parent's accident, and read all the time. He father would read to her whenever she brought home a library book as soon as she started school. But now she couldn't read. It wasn't that she didn't want to, but when she tried, really tried, not with reading a sign or an envelope but a real book, memories would flood to her. She would end up just breaking down. So, storytelling was the only real way she could find exciting tales now. She was grateful to Star.

But enough of those depressing thoughts, it's time to hear the rest of the story!

"Okay, well, Stormy made a deal with me. He said that he would go on a quest with me to find the Livet coins, and in return, I enchant his shoes so he can walk on the clouds like a pegasus. Obviously, I complied. So I packed up, and we set off. We climbed mountains, searched towns, asked lots of questions, fought many monsters, until we came upon a cave. A cave in the middle of a forest.

Naturally, we entered it. Inside, it was just a regular cave. But the farther we went, we realized it was a tunnel. And at the end of the tunnel, a chest. A large chest, locked up with chains. It was rather difficult to get the chains off, but we managed. Inside that chest...was nothing. It was empty. And so ends my magnificent story of finding where they would have been, yet weren't. But, I wasn't sad about it. It's always nice to learn things. That day, I learned the Livet coins were nothing but a myth." Star grinned, reaching into her saddle bag and pulling out a gold coin. "That is, if you don't believe in myths."

Misfit's ears drooped at the end of Star's story. Just a myth? She could have said anything, anything but that. It whisked away all the wonder...

The filly's eyes grew ever larger as the mare suddenly whipped out the coin. She made a small, gasping noise. "Is... is that...?" Snapdragon asked excitingly. She stared at the golden coin. It looked old, but the edges were still prominent and crisp. There was an icon stamped on it that she couldn't identify, as well as some very tiny tiny squiggles that could or could not be words. She didn't know. If that was one of the coins in the story... that would mean they could bring something to life!

"I'm not sure yet. I lied, there was one thing in the chest." she paused, flipping the coin up in the air, "Was it. I haven't done any experiments on it yet, but I will once I get home to Canterlot." she grinned, laughing.

"Ah, here we are. The pizza place of Manehatten!" she beamed, holding the door open for the filly. She held it open for May too, but when she looked up, the mysterious mare was gone.

The filly's happiness peaked down a little at Star's comment of how she wasn't experimenting until she got to Canterlot. The suspense was hard to sustain, and Misfit would probably never find out if the coin worked or not... Yet the filly's sadness was short lives.

She smiled. She had only once been to this place before. It was with her father, just a couple months before the accident. Even though it was tinged with melancholy, it was still a happy memory. One she didn't wish to forget, but push away into her brain so it wouldn't pop up at the worst moment and cause her to break down for whatever reason and scenario. Snapdragon thanked Star for opening the door before trotting in. She met the mare inside the restaurant. She made a quick head count in her mind, and realized that May was gone. "Where's May?" She asked, confused. "Is she not coming with us?"

"I think she may of ditched us. I've heard of her, not really a social one. Just leave it." Star chuckled, "What would you like?" she grinned, looking pointedly at the filly. "Pick anything you like, on me."

Snapdragon nodded. Of course. She probably was uneasy following the filly and the mare in the first place, and wanting her to enter a public restaurant must have been too much of a stretch. Then she froze. She got to pick too? Not only did she get a free, delicious, cheesy meal, she could pick too? This was becoming to be a fantastic day!

Then she realized she couldn't really pick. Not because she couldn't make up her mind, but that she literally couldn't pick. She couldn't read the menus. She looked at Star, nervous and wary. "Uh.. Can I have whatever you're having? I... I don't really know what I like on pizza. I'm not picky."

"Hm, okay. I was just gonna have a cheese pizza, I can order a large one and we can share, if ya like." Star suggested with a smile, the filly looked a bit uncomfortable. Perhaps she couldn't read? Star wasn't sure. Not being able to read was Star's worst nightmare, literally.

She'd actually had that nightmare before. But...let's not go into details. Knowledge is the most powerful thing, in Star's opinion. And books stored that knowledge, so not being able to read was not only awful, but dangerous. "Can I have a large cheese pizza?" Star requested from the countermare, who nodded and placed the order. Star lead the filly to a table and sat down to wait, "Have you had pizza before?" she asked curiously.

Snapdragon smiled, relieved.  "That sounds perfect."

Once they had found their seats, Star asked the filly a question. She gladly answered. "Oh, yeah! I had it with my mom and dad a lot. In fact, my mom worked at a pizza place when she was in high school." Misfit answered, happily remembering the memories. She put her head on her hoof. "Though, it's been a couple years since I've had it..." She admitted. "What about you? Do you have pizza a lot?"

"I try not to, it's rather unhealthy and I need to stay fit." Star replied, shrugging her shoulders. "Wow, she started, leaning back in her chair, "I can't imagine not having pizza for years. Is there a reason? Or would you rather not talk about it." she asked with a friendly smile.

The smell of cooking pizza wafted through the room, bringing with it sniffing ponies. Star chuckled a bit. Plates of pizza were coming out of the kitchen and finding their way to the correct tables, but Star knew it would take a little bit for their pizza.

Misfit nodded. Yeah, staying fit was important. Especially to her. If she suddenly gained weight and got lazy, she wouldn't be able to... ahem, well, she wouldn't be able to pickpocket, in all honesty. And though she didn't like having to do that to another hard-working pony, she usually took only a couple bits. Never jewelry, since they could be family heirloom or an engagement earing or such. Unless she knew it wasn't one of those, like a when those certain kind of jewels get incredibly popular and the nobles are just flinging them around. Hay, sometimes she just found them on the ground.

The next question stumped her. She could talk about it. In fact, she hadn't talked about it with somepony in awhile. But it would probably only darken the mood if she told the whole story. She'd have to clip it and make it short. "Oh, yeah, there is a reason. You see..." She paused. "Well, I really don't want to explain it right now. We're having so much fun, talking and storytelling even pizza eating! I wouldn't want to ruin it. Is that okay?" She didn't like being in these awkward situations. It probably made Star uncomfortable. "Here. If you still want to know when we walk out of this place, I'll tell you, okay?" She smiled softly.

Then, the filly shook her head. "So! What are you doing in Manehattan? Do you have any relatives here?" She asked, changing the subject.