Random Encounters: Quiet Deciet (Dated)

(2:00 PM)



A purple unicorn, with a pink mane stood alone in her store front. The rest of the street was empty for a few blocks, in what she liked to think of as a monoploy. However, the truth was, there was little customers this way, and what few that did weren't interested in her wares. She sold handmade collectibles. Not fine, or even well done. But they were nice to look at. She usually had a few sales a day. But today was looking to turn into another no sale day, with no ponies coming from either direction. Ever since business had been picking up on the better wares, she had been left tending to her measely store.



In the shadows, laid a figure of darker intentions. He was desperate and selfish, just the sort of pony to attempt this sort of stunt. A earth pony, with a blackish gray coat. He came out one of the side alleys, next to her shop. "Hello! May I interest you in some knick-knacks?" asked the unicorn politely. The earth pony shook his head. "No, what would interest me, as all your money!" and from under his overcoat came a crossbow, pointed directly at her. The unicorn silently cursed herself, as she remembered she'd left her own crossbow upstairs. "P-Please, don't hurt me. I haven't made a sale today!" The earth pony wasn't having it. "Buffallo Shit. I know you have money. And you better give it up, or else a pretty little crossbow bolt will find a new home in your head." Had the stallion been thinking clearly, he might have realized that she probably didn't keep cash on her. Sadly, this was not the case, and continued holding up his crossbow, as well as the store.

It has been three days now, since Jack lost his assistant Kunnia and he hadn't really the time or was in the mood to go to the city, but he wants to decorate her grave with something. Something that could represent her. Who she was and where she was from, so he is searching for stores which sell little things like that. Jack trotted down the Main Street for a while now, but couldn't find something that would fit his needs. He can only think of one last shop he knows, which could sell something like that and trots to it.
As he enters the street, he can see two ponies several meters away. These two ponies are the only ones who are on the street. He narrows his eyes to see what they are doing. "Mhm...I have a bad feeling about this. Their posture doesn't look like they would talk to eachother normally." Jack looks closer and suddenly notice the crossbow ."Oh shit" Jack thinks and quickly moves to a side alley where he should be invisible. He watches them and tries to find a good tactic to help that mare. "First I need to disarm him...."

The mare stared back at the crossbow-wielding stallion. "I-I told you I don't have any money!" she said, fearful this would be her last few moments. "Look here, mare, I don't have time for the bullshit. I know you have money. I've seen you get it daily." he said, starting to sound crazier. "Look, I e-empty out my cash register daily. I-I wouldn't keep it there daily..." she said starting to cry. "Oh bitch, please don't start crying. That'll make me wanna shoot your lying plot more." he said, starting to yell. He sounded like he was done playing games, and his patience was wearing thin. He held his crossbow with more conviction towards the mare.

Silvern Gleam concentrated for a moment and the saphire in her necklace lit up in response to her horn. Two seconds, and she stopped again. She had sensed no living being outside near the exit from the undermarket, it was safe to go out, and so the unicorn climed up, pushed the cover aside and took a deep breath. She was used to the air in the tunnels, but she still prefered making her way home on the surface. She wasn't far away from Main Street and after putting the cover back in place she began trotting her way towards it. Her necklace was hidden by a simple, white scarf. She never put it down, but it wasn't the best idea to show it around in these times, for it could mean some time of no starving for many ponies, it's value was obvious.

Her inner eye constantly scanned the road befor her, as far as she could reach out, searching for anything she might not want to be surprised by. Eventually, it didn't help much. Suddenly a pony appeared in her close sight range - only three meters away. The fact he was apparently hiding worried her, she couldn't have missed much more living beings he could be hiding from, and almost right she was. What she had missed, was that there was another street crossing, and she was standing right in the middle of it. As she noticed this, she immediately used her amulet again, another two second flash, and in this time noticed two other ponies not too far away. Now, who was the good one, who was the bad? She didn't know, it would need more than a short look to determine that, and so she turned around and fled from where she came, hoping that she miraculously hadn't been noticed and with a silent curse on her lips.

Jack perks up his ears as he notices the mare standing on the street. It seems she doesn't notice him, so Jack doesn't pay much attention to her. Neverless he has his eye on her. "You need to overwatch the whole situation" he thinks. Jack still watches the two other ponies. He notices that the posture of aggressor has changed. "He seems to be nervous. I need to do something or this situation will escalate. But what to do....what to do." Jack looks around the street. The buildings are too high for him, so a dive attack won't do it here. He sees that another alley just leads behind the pony. "Mhm...I could walk around the block and surprise him from behind. That should work." Jack runs around the block and as he arrives at the alley, which leads right behind the aggressive pony, he waits and watches again. If somepony would do anything stupid Jack could be there in one big jump and intervenes.

The coal furred earthpony was about to respond, when he saw something. One was a movement that quickly went back into an alley, and the other went across the street. He pointed his crossbow at both areas, then turned it back to the mare. He began shouting, but not at the mare. "If I was somepony seeing this, I'd mind my own damned business, otherwise, I'd get a bolt through the brain!" he said loudly to the onlookers. He hoped that'd be enough to scare them off.

Sil watched the hidden pony as long as she could, but herself moving away and he not really hiding anymore quickly let him exit her sight range. By now she knew that he was a pegasus, which unfortunately ment that she might have to look out from anything coming from above, but when one of the other two shouted his "friendly" little warning, that thought was quickly cancelled again, the source of trouble most likely wasn't the pegasus.
The unicorn didn't completely leave the scene, but turned into the next road, running parallel to the one where she apparently had just been spotted. The houses now lying between her and the interesting subjects unfortunately would force her to constantly power her artifact to watch the action, not a good idea when she didn't know what else she might need her magic for. Instead she did another two-second flash of her environment to see if anybody might see her right now, then checked the inside of the building she thought was the nearest one to where she wanted to look. She didn't find anypony, it would be safe to enter, and so she magically unlatched the next window and climbed in. Once inside, she moved until she could focus on the scene again, moving as silently as possible. Her guess had been good, she found herself in the shop the two ponies were standing in front. Too bad, she was already near enough and only searching for a safe cover, when a plank gave a possibly audible creak as she stepped on it. Quickly moving behind the next large object she could sense, not even knowing what exactly it was, she once again hoped that she hadn't been noticed.
Meanwhile she checked both ponies standing outside the shop, giving the mare only a short look, since the voice earlier had come from a stallion, and so she concentrated on him. An earth pony, with something in his hooves. Sil could take a guess, but it would take a short while before she would know for sure what it was.

"Shiit!" Jack thinks as he realizes that his cover was blown. "Okay, a suprise attack isn't possible anymore. Plan B. I have to calm him down and then disarm him." He slowly leaves his cover. "I'm unarmed and I don't want to cause any stress." Jack says as he slowly moves to the stallion. If he can get close enough to the stallion, Jack could use one of the disarming moves he learned back in his army days.

The black stallion turned his attention from the mare to the newly uncovered Gray Pegasus. "Hello! Didn't you just hear me? Mind your own Celestia-Damned business. Unless you want to meet my friend here." he said referring to his weapon, which was trained on the newcomer.

His eyes were totally off the mare, which was good, because the mare felt like she'd faint any minute. And if she fainted, he might kill her. or worse. Although she was slightly more concerned, that this pony had just come out of the blue. She really hoped he wasn't planning on muscling into the current stallions business of robbing her...

Silvern Gleam was tense at first, she would have guessed the creaking wood had alarmed the other ponies, but something else apparently drew their attention. She had the time needed to fully analyze the situation, and what she found out confirmed her assumption that the stallion at the door was the trouble maker. The object in his hooves was a crossbow, she now knew that for sure, and it was pointed... not at the mare in the door? Then the pegasus probably had drawn his attention. Sil grinned, being unnoticed gave her a nice little advantage, with some luck she would be able to defuse the situation without anypony innocent being harmed. She was near enough for her to focus on the scene normally, but now she needed to get an accurate aim on the bolt, and so she activated her amulet, not only for two seconds, but as long as she needed to securely identify it's signature, lift one end up, and lay it ON the string, instead of before it where it should have been. She needed a whole five seconds for it while the actual moving was done in only one, she already felt her magic slowly running out, but at least pulling the trigger on the weapon would only have one effect now: The wielder would have to redraw the crossbow, without actually having fired. The glow caused by the levitation was weak and only around one end of the bolt, there was a good chance it went unnoticed.

Jack still slowly moves torwards the stallion. "Listen, I really don't want to cause stress. I'll leave you alone in a second, but maybe you should think about it. I guess you're doing this, because you have to and have no other opportunity, but maybe I can help you?" Only 3 steps more and Jack would be close enough to disarm him.

"This isn't your heist, gray coat." he raised his crossbow and trained it on the colt. "I know what Im doing. Im robbing this mare for the oodles of cash I know she has. Sure, Im desperate, but desperate times call for desperate measures." he said non-chalantly. He didn't seemed troubled about the whole event.

The mare slid back more, no fearing more then anything that they were both robbers after her money. If only I hadn't left my damned crossbow in the building! she thought to herself. However, she just slid down more, waiting till the situation resolved itself, or she could scoot away.

Sil had begun to scan for the pegasus, the direction the crossbow was pointing in giving her a clear hint towards where to search, though exact location was a little hard to determine for her. Eventually, she found him when he was already relatively near. She expected him to try to defuse the situation, though she didn't get his part of the conversation. Unfortunately he didn't know that the crossbow aimed at him was currently a little disabled, Sil was the only one knowing, and so she decided to make use of it. She stepped out of her hideout and towards the front door of the shop, a smirk on her face as she made the others aware of her presence: Hello there, I hope I'm not interrupting?
That should get the attention on her, and enable the pegasus to go in.

"Desperat times...how often did I hear that." Jack makes another step forward.
"You had a chance, son" he says as he dashes forward ready to dodge the bolt and to knock him out.

"Who in Celestia's Ma-" but the charcoal earth pony couldn't finish his sentence. He was being tackled by the gray pony.

The poor shop owner stilled laid on the ground waiting for it all to be over, and to have her end it there now, or just let her live.

Expecting the pegasus to go in, Sil was ready for it and magically took hold of the crossbow, levitating it towards her. With magic being a very limited resource for her, she immediately took the weapon into her hoof, and undid her little sabotage. The unicorn had no real experience with crossbows, and over large distances her means of perception wouldn't have allowed her to aim properly in the first place, but over this short distance it was no problem, she could hardly miss. Her smirk didn't drop a bit. Sorry, apparently I DID interrupt...

Jack tackles the stallion with his full force. The crossbow slides away from the stallion. Jack uses his hindlegs to hold down the forelegs of the stallion. He just wants to say something as he gets interrupted by the yellow mare. He looks into her silver eyes and then at the crossbow. He sighs. "What are you doing here? Desperat measures?"

Silvern shook her head. No, I'm only doing the same as you: Trying to help a pony in need, she said, lowering the crossbow though keeping her hooves at it, so that the pegasus would leave this train of thought. It probably wouldn't be needed anyway as it seemed. Turning to the shop owner, she showed a warm smile. Are you alright?

The black stallionn struggled against the Gray pony, who appeared to have the upper hand. However, he didn't feel like being sent to jail or whatever thi pony had planned for him. So, with a great heave, he shoved him off, and ran away. He didn't pick up his crossbow, and he didn't look back. Well that was a fucking failure. he thought to himself.

The Pink maned unicorn nodded weakly to the yellow pony, who was smiling warmly. "I-I...I thought I was going to die. My money, this shop, and that crossbow...it's all I have. Thank you so much, for helping me." and hugged the yellow pony, tightly. She had just saved everything she held dear.

Maybe Jack was distracted by the yellow mare or he felt too superior, but somehow the black stallion managed it to shove him away and run away. Jack doesn't have the intention to follow him. "I hope he learned his lesson" he says and walks to the mares. "Everything alright?" he says with a friendly smile.

Seems like it, Sil answered the pegasus, patting the mare hugging her on her back. I'm Silvern Gleam, by the way. Though the circumstances could have been nicer, it's a pleasure to meet somepony who's willing to help in these times.
The offender was already out of sight for her, but her blind eyes still watched after him, or the direction he had left in. Though she was mostly happy over the good end, she couldn't keep all sadness from her expression.
Somehow I doubt that he'll change his ways.

The pink maned purple unicorn sighed, seeing that both ponies we're good ones. "I thank you so much...I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't shown up. This shop...all my money. It's all I have. And I guess I'll have to move it somewhere more public." she said with a sigh. This area had become too dangerous. And if the other ponies hadn't shown up she'd most likely be dead right now. "If you excuse me, I must begin packing at once." she said in her doorway, but turned around. "Also, Who are you, Exactly?" she said curious.

Jack sighs slightly "I'm afraid that you're right." He walks over to Silvern Gleam and reaches out his hoof torwards Silvern Gleam, not sure if she can even see it. "Nice to meet you, too. I'm Jack Grayscale. I wish I would meet more ponies like you, who are helping in these times and not try to rob other ponies." He smiles friendly.

Sil of course noticed the offered hoof, but hesitated a moment before accepting it. Under normal circumstances she would have ignored it, but Jack Grayscale would already be able to figure out that she knew perfectly well what was going on. He had seen her run away on the street when no sound was pointing towards danger, then she had been quick with finding another way into the shop and had even targeted the crossbow at the defender. There was no need to hide it anymore at this point, and so she eventually shook the hoof.
Sil was somewhat surprised that nopony questioned her way in. She had come from inside the shop while apparently no customer was around. But it didn't matter much, the shop keeper probably was too happy to be still alive to think about it, and Grayscale possibly didn't care about her way in as long as it had been for the right cause.
Well, as I said, I'm just a pony who wants to help, Sil smilingly answered the other mare's question. But though I believe it wouldn't do harm in your case, I'd rather leave it at that. As you just noticed, it's hard to be too careful.
Of course, with that she had just told them that there was something about her that should never reach the wrong ears, but that Sil could live with.
Moving away from the side alleys probably isn't the worst idea. Since you already want to pack I suppose you have another place to stay?

The mare nodded. "I have an aunt who doesn't live too far away...I'll just stay with her till I get things situated." she turned back into the store, and suddenly turned and said. "You two make an adorable couple." and turned again back into her shop. She had lots of packing to do, including bits, trinkets, valuables, all sorts of goodies. She couldn't hear anymore conversation from the two, and would be in there for a while.

Jack notices Gleam's hesitation. She definitely has something to hide, but that doesn't surprise him. Her quick reaction to the threat and her sudden appearing in front of him made Jack a bit mistrustful, but he doesn't bother about it. In the end everything was fine and nopony got hurt.
The words of the store owner however suprised him. Jack chuckles awkwardly. "Well, I need to go. Have work to do. Again, it was nice to meet you Silvern Gleam and I hope we meet again under better circumstances. "

A little baffled, Sil raised an eyebrow at the unexpected comment of the shopkeeper, but didn't say anything about it and only answered when the pegasus bid his farewell.
Indeed, it would be a shame if we didn't meet again, Jack Grayscale, she said smilingly. Why don't we simply make sure it happens?
Her interest didn't only come from the fact that he was willing to help, but that he also was able to do so. She always had use for contacts, or better even friends with combat abilities for when she had to get an artifact out of griffon claws. Of course, she would have to know Jack much better before she let him in on something like that, but that wouldn't happen unless she met him again.
I often spend my afternoons in the park, you can easily find me there, she said, then realized that he might have strange thoughts at that. Please don't over-interpret this as a date offer though, as long as I don't really know you I won't have interest in becoming an "adorable couple" with you, she added with a smirk.

Jack blushes slightly and hopes that Silvern Gleam can't see it. Actually he doesn't know what she can see or what not. "It would be a pleasure to meet you again, Miss Gleam." If he would ever see her again he'd ask her some questions. How could she notice the threat even if she's blind? Or how could she just appear in front of him and aim the crossbow at him? But this could wait untill her next meeting.
"and don't worry I won't over interpret anything." he added with a chuckle. "But I really have to go now. Work is calling. See you later." he says with a smile and slowly trots away.

Goodbye, Sil said and followed him with her inner eye until he had left her range, then continued with what she had originally been doing: Walking home.