Espresso continued to grumble as we trotted along the main road to the end of town. As promised, I kept my mouth shut, smiled, and waved. Plenty of ponies stopped to take a look at me. This was likely why the mayor was keeping calm after I showed him up. It was something I hoped that I wouldn’t regret later.

At the edge of town was a fairly large building. It looked a lot like an old Equestria barn. In front of it, peeking inside, stood Karat, the pony whose job I was doing. We trotted up to her where Espresso cleared his throat to get her attention, causing her to jump a little. "Miss Karat, good of you to wait for me, but what's so interesting that you must act so suspiciously?"

Karat took a deep breath. "Well, you know how we’re storing all the supplies for the festival inside? Well… somepony important just showed up to take a look at it."

Espresso sighed. "Well, yes. The head of Blue Skies is in there taking stock. I'm here to talk with her," he explained.

A nod came from Karat. "Oh yes, she's there, but there's another pony with her. She also has several big guards with her. It’s as if she's some rich mare from the east."

"Oh!" The mayor exclaimed as he quickly tidied up his mane and suit. "Well, it's best if I meet this mare. You two stay behind me. Let me do the talking." He gave me a quick, dagger-like glance. I said nothing about it. I just merely nodded.

Opening the door, Espresso entered with a swagger. He was flanked by both Karat and I. Inside was wall to wall crates. At the far end of us were two ponies looking in one of the crates. One of them was cloaked, and the other in a long white jacket. Both had guards with one group being larger ponies in leather armor. Each had a decorative black leather vest. The other group had what looked to be black painted scrap armor. All of them wore mirrored sunglasses on despite being in this dark barn. Several guns were pointed at us. A few drawing knives and clubs.

The magic here was thick, stale and felt off. It was also familiar in its wrongness, but I couldn't put my hoof on what. I just felt that something in here was wrong, dangerously so. Plenty of that magic came from quite a few old spark batteries that were covered in rusty cracks. The magic leaked from them was stale, twisted, and was filling up much of the room with their magic.

"Settle down, settle down. I have an appointment with Miss Quicktrot. These two are my assistants" Espresso explained as he did a quick motion to Karat and I before trotting passed the guards. The leather guards quickly relaxed. A few returned to a game of cards they were playing. As for the other group of guards in sunglasses, their heads followed us. One of them licked his lips like some hungry animal.

Espresso quickly made his way to the two mares. Both of them did not turn their attention to him.

"Madam Quicktrot,” Espresso greeted, “sorry I couldn't greet you when you return this morning, but as you know, we're both busy ponies."

I studied the mare, unsure if this was the Quicktrot I knew or not. The dangerous mare I had a brief encounter with was some sort of unicorn ghost, if I remembered correctly. Last I saw her she had somehow possesed the body of another pony that was with us at the time, then stole our only escape.

"Busy enough for you to need two secretaries," Quicktrot noted, her voice sounded an unfamiliar scratch yet husky tone. When she turned to face us, I saw the face of a tan brown earth pony mare who looked back at us. Her pale pink mane covered half her face. This was not the Quicktrot I knew, though it could still be another victim of hers. Even if it was a different Quicktrot, with how she stared at me with near pinpoint pupils, I got the clear feeling of danger from her. "You? How are…" she frowned, seemingly catching herself from saying any more of that sentence. "That’s an odd secretary." She then said with a smile that made me feel uneasy.

"As zonies tend to be, but at least she is far better educated than most of the rabble, even if she is part zeb." The mayor boosted, getting a chuckle from Karat. Quicktrot just shrugged. I wanted to correct him on the matter of what I was, but felt that's what he wanted me to do, the fucking asshat.

"Well, if the introductions are done, we can get to business," Quicktrot spoke, motioning to the open crate with her head.

Espresso shook his head. "I believe you forgot some pony. This mysterious mare is clearly important," he said, directing the attention to the cloaked mare.

There was a pause for a moment before the cloaked mare stepped up and removed her hood. She was a blue earth pony mare with a long golden mane and two stunningly green eyes. She also gave off the same feeling of magic that Star Charter did, but stronger and more imposing. "The name’s Victoria Rosary. You might have heard me on the radio."

A gasp came from Karat as Espresso gave a quick and clumsy bow. "The lustrous Victoria Rosary! I didn't expect you to show up so soon. Your room is far from ready!"

That name, Victoria Rosary, I've heard it before. It sent a chill down my spine. The ponies who raided my home and took my family as the grand prize. Her name passed their lips as somepony important, yet before me was not some violence crazed religious zealot, but a prim and proper looking lady, one that everypony here clearly held in high regard. Unsure how to respond, I felt it would be on the safe side to treat her like a noble. I gave her a proper bow. Not so low to put me below her in status, but low enough to not assume superiority over her.

Victoria quickly studied us. She spent extra time looking at my face before responding with a similar bow.

"Don't worry mayor Espresso, I'm only here very briefly,” Victoria assured. “I just wanted to see the setup for the concert coming along." She glanced at Quicktrot, who had already returned to the open crate. "Your supplier has been a great help with understanding what to expect here The fact that you will have more than enough staff to accommodate all my fans is comforting," she spoke with poise and grace that I hadn't seen a pony have here It almost made me feel a little bit like I was at home.

Awkwardly, Espresso put on a calm yet excited smile. "Well, I do hope you stick around for a little while. There's a weekly dance we have that’s tonight. I'm sure you will enjoy it since most of the more important ponies in town will be there."

"I am a busy mare. I’ve got places to be and much practice to do." She studied me. Her eyes stopped at my hat, getting a second longer glance. "But I can squeeze it into my schedule. It is fairly soon, correct?"

"In a few hours. It ends after sunset. There will also be snacks and clean water," Espresso explained.

Victoria spent a moment thinking, then nodded. "I'll have to talk with my manager, but I'm sure I'll be able to join." Karat gave off a quiet squeal, of which we all ignored.

"That's fantastic! I'll make sure everything is extra accommodating for you," The mayor joyfully acclaimed.

"If you’re done, we need to go over your budget on this," Quicktrot spoke up from the back of the barn, pointing at the open crate.

Victoria and Espresso trotted over to her, but Karat lagged behind, taking big, deep breaths, then exhaling as though she was hyperventilating in slow motion. I was still out of the loop on who this Victoria was, so I decided to quietly ask Karat. "Not to be that pony, but who is this mare? Is she royalty?"

Karat froze in mid breath. Her eyes slowly looked over to me. "Wait! You don't know?" I shook my head. "Well, she's currently one of the wastelands biggest idols. Possibly the second, second coming of Sweetie Belle!"

"Second… second?" I repeated, confused at why she said it twice.

A knowing sigh came from Karat. "Well, the last pony to be called the new Sweetie Belle was Velvet Remedy, but she also happens to be Sweetie Belle's decedent, so the talent runs in her veins. Other than one charity tour, Velvet hasn't performed much after the Sunshine and Rainbows, but her recordings do pop up on the radio quite frequently.”

“Well, a few years ago Victoria all of a sudden appeared in friendship city. She got super popular singing songs that were only remembered by ghouls. Once her songs got on the radio, her popularity skyrocketed. Wherever she goes, so does a big group of ponies. She's also been recording covers for lots of nearly lost songs, and now about half the music on the radio is from her. Isn't that wonderful?!" Karat attempted to hold back a squeal. "To have her here, it's like the best thing ever!"

Watching Karat act like some young mare felt odd, or getting excited over a famous pony like that. What did mother call it; middle-class wealth with lower-class thinking.

Then again, I was from the stable where many rich and famous ponies took shelter, so I'm likely lacking some perspective that she has.

Thinking about home reminded me of when my brother put on the king’s outfit from our vault and sang "Viva Las Pegusa" for my sisters and I. Mother was not happy. She had the royal guard captain beat his rear red for it. That reminded us that the last time some pony did that, the king’s guitar disappeared.

"Miss Harp, is everything okay?" Karat asked.

I snapped out of my reminiscing. "Oh, sorry. Got lost in… well I was thinking about home, that's all.”

“Actually, I have a friend who's a wonderful singer and is a stronger pony then I will ever be." The words just spilled out of my mouth as my eyes started to water. Forcing myself to calm, I put on a happy face. "She's going to be really surprised to see me when I get back home."

Karat slowly nodded. "Right. Well, if you need anypony to talk to about it, I know a few stallions who are good listeners." She then looked over at Victoria. A big smile returned to her face. "I wonder if I can get an autograph?"

Sighing, I was unsure if it was a good thing or not that Karat clearly didn't care, but so far I haven't gotten the impression that she'd make a good friend. At least Star seemed more genuinely friendly, though she also seemed to not be on the best terms with the authority here.

Now thinking about it, I wonder if Star and Victoria were somehow related, with how similar the feeling of their magic were.

Trotting over to the mayor and others, Karat and I finally got to see what was in the crate; ten more spark batteries. Unlike the old ones laying around the barn, these were clean, weren't leaking magic, and looked almost brand new. "Are you sure we need these, Miss Victoria?" Espresso asked, almost pleading.

"Unless you can get your hoof on and perfectly rigg a hundred of those old batteries together, then yes. I'll need this for the concert. If we go through the concert without them, the power is going to fluctuate, and drastically affecting the sound quality, causing some of the effects to delay," Victoria explained.

Quicktrot nodded. "Most spark batteries are too old to be used for more than providing power to lamp posts. Even then they barely do the job. From what Miss Victoria has told me about her concerts, you're likely to have more than a few technical difficulties if you don't go with this deal. Though I have heard about the NCR's star batteries, one of those is more than enough to power the concert and then some. Maybe you could ask them for a favor. I'm sure they would not hold it over your head."

Espresso huffed. "Not even if Luna herself came down to ask. If I give those NCR assholes another hoof step into my town, they’re going to try and take over. I just know it."

"So then, it's a deal?" Quicktrot asked, clearly jumping on the mayor's emotional outburst in an act of manipulation.

"Yes, though I'll need to increase the tax for a month or three, but they will understand that it is for the greater good of the town." Espresso said so easily, almost causing me to face hoof.

Quicktrot's eye shifted to me. A wide eerie smile formed on her face. "Oh, do you disagree, Miss Harp?"

All eyes shifted to me along with a snarl from the mayor.

"Oh, no, not at all” I answered., “My job here is to just assist the mayor."

That answer put a smug smile on the mayor's face. It annoyed me, but I kept up a friendly smile to hide my real feelings on the matter.

Quicktrot narrowed her gaze at me for a moment, then returned to the mayor. "Your staff is quite well trained. It makes me feel a little jealous."

Espresso chuckled. "Oh, you know. It’s good old fashioned wasteland grit with excellent leadership. Without me, this town would still be just some mudhole that ponies only pass through."

"That I can agree." Quicktrot nodded. "The ponies out in the wastes just need a strong leader to unify them. That's how I formed my traders caravan.”

“Now the spark batteries aside, as long as Blue Skies has exclusive vendor’s rights to the concert, I'll be more than glad to reduce the price for the building materials. Also, I want full diplomatic immunity inside our camp. I’m not saying that anything illegal goes on there, but you know how the average wastelander reacts to the law poking their noses around." Quicktrot said, quickly making demands.

"You don't need to set up your operations in the downtown, Miss Quicktrot. I can easily get the Followers evicted from the mainstreet. You can move there." Espresso offered.

Quicktrot just shook her head. "As tempting as it is, Blue Skies likes to keep an image of the everypony business, even if it does mean we have to step in the same mud as low lives."

"Not to interrupt, but may I make a request?" Victoria spoke up.

"Anything. Just ask away" Espresso cheerfully replied.

Victoria gave a soft smile before making her request. "Thank you. I was wondering if Miss Quicktrot could add fireworks to the concert. If she could get her hooves on them, that is. I have ponies who know how to work them, but our supply of them has gotten low recently."

"Fireworks . . . that’s not a common commodity out in the wasteland nowadays" Quicktrot pondered for a moment. "Actually I might. About a year back, Blue Skies came into the position of several crates that were sealed by the M.o.W.T. labeled 'Trixie's discount home defense explosives.' They worked well as flash bangs. They are very colorful and also would form the face of a pony, but ultimately did not sell. I could get my ponies to convert them into fireworks."

"Well, how we tend to use converted mortar shells for fireworks, that sounds more than perfect." Victoria agreed.

Quicktrot then looked over to Espresso with a slight but devious smile. "Don't worry, Mayor. We can come to a fair deal later. Truthfully, it will be nice to get rid of some of our junk stocks. It frees up room for more useful stock."

Espresso adjusted his tie as he gave a slight nod. "As long as it’s fair, then I'm sure we can work out a deal. As my father, Decaf, would always say, ‘A good impression is well worth its weight in caps.’ As long as this festival can bring in new and desirable residents as well as more merchant caravans, what caps spent will surely be returned."

A chuckle came from Quicktrot. "More and more, you prove me right in picking this town as our forward trading hub." She then turned and trotted over to the stack of crates with the old spark batteries on them. "Right, now that the formalities are over and done with. I'll send somepony over to your office with the necessary invoices to sign, including the one for the fireworks. There's also a work crew we've employed coming in. They are the first team that should be here tomorrow. If you can make sure some lodging is open for them, that would be really helpful."

"Oh, one last thing, Miss Quicktrot." Espresso spoke up as he trotted over to her. "Though we agree to stay out of your business, Sheriff Ashy is still bothering me about your protection, the Desperados. She is a stubborn mare. I would rather avoid causing any trouble between them. She did promise to leave them be if they keep their business with Blue Skies and with Blue Skies only. As you know, they are under suspicion of being involved with the gravediggers death, something that hit Ashy more than I would have expected."

Quicktrot looked about the room. The Desperados avoided her gaze. "Well, they are an independent contractor group. They are not my responsibility for what they do outside my employment, but I can talk with their chieftain. Maybe we can come to an arrangement."

The mayor breathed a sigh of relief. "Ahh thank you. Though Ashy has been good for the town, her brand of justice is swift, cold, and harsh. I have no doubt that she would pull something before the festival if she felt like it was needed."

"I, too, have heard about your dedicated sheriff," Victoria spoke up as she trotted past me. "Reminds me a bit of home. Nearly found myself on the wrong end of a noose once, being young and dumb and all. Maybe I should meet this Sheriff, after all, if I'm going to be performing here. It’s best to get to know the pony protecting us."

"Same here," Quicktrot agreed. "I believe if we can talk, then that might ease some of her suspicions."

This time Espresso sighed in frustration. "Unfortunately getting Ashy to stay in one place for long has been harder than to bag a bunch of cats. I might be able to get her to the dance tonight, though she's just as likely to go out on patrol with Stopped Clock."

"If that's how it is, then that's how it is," Quicktrot spoke as she lifted one of the old spark batteries, examining it. "But might as well go to your town's little dance. There should at least be a few ponies worth my time."

"Well then. If that's all there is to talk about, then I should take my leave. I've likely worried my manager enough as it is." Victoria announced as she made her way to the door out, her bodyguard following as well. “I'll be sure to join this dance. Just make sure you’re ready for me."

The door in front of her opened up on its own.. On the other side was a unicorn mare in a black frilly dress with a thin black veil over her face. Her mane was done up in two loose drills similar to how my sisters and I would style our manes when we were younger. The two mares looked at each other and nodded before Victoria passed her.

The rest of the bodyguards passed the fancy unicorn mare. None of them were looking her in the eyes.

Once they had left the room, the newcomcer gave us a very formal curtsey. "It seems that you wish for Lady Victoria to stay for the night. As her manager, I disapprove. We are quite… busy." Her head tilted on that last word, sending a slight shiver down my spine. Through the veil, I could see that her eyes were the same piercing green as Victoria’s. It made me feel very uneasy to look at them. "I'll need to make sure that the town is safe for her to stay longer than planned. It’s a simple but annoying task as it is."

"What is your name, miss?" Espresso asked.

"I am addressed as Puppet Strings," she answered while doing another curtsey. "Also, let it be known that, if I find out that anypony plots to embarrass or endanger lady Victoria in any way, there are worse fates than death." She then backed away and out of view. She moved so smoothly that it was like she was hovering. We all just watched, unsure how to react to that.

"Quaint," spoke Quicktrot who looked utterly unfazed. She then waved us off, looking annoyed. "Could you all leave as well? I need to double-check the inventory. After that, I’m off to attend to other businesses."

Espresso nodded. "Then I'll be seeing you at the dance. Until then, farewell." He then turned around and wiggled his flank out. Karat and I soon followed him. Outside, despite being hot and dry, it felt far cleaner than inside the barn. The magic in the air was fresher and more spread out.

"Alright ladies,” Espresso announced to us, “let's head back to the office. I got a few forms to fill out." Espresso then looked over as me with a smile. "And you, Miss Harp, did a good job."

"I didn't really do anything," I corrected

He nodded. "Precisely. Now, if you can keep that up, your future is going to look real bright."

I held onto my convincingly face smile. "Well thank you," I replied as I wondered how in Tartarus did this asshole get to be a mayor with how bluntly condescending he was.

"Are you sure you need me Espresso?" Karat asked. "I mean, I need to get ready for the town dance."

"Miss Karat, though I rather not hold you up, but we first must make sure that the Lady Victoria is well cared for at the dance. We must also get to work securing the budget for tonight." Espresso then looked up at the sun. "We should have enough time if we hurry."

"Hurry about what?" Asked a pudgy deputy called False Cap.

"Oh, Deputy False, you're actually the pony I wanted to see!" The smile on Espresso's face was wide and concerning. "Can you come with us to my office?”

Deputy False raided and eyebrow for a moment before nodding. "Sure. Why not? We are friends after all."

After a short trot back to the center of town, we entered the mayor's dusty office. "Alright, ladies. I need you two to find the request forums for everything to deal with the town’s dance party and any relevant papers that we can use to improve it!"

I looked at the desk, then at a nearby group of pink file cabinets, and then at Karat, who looked annoyed. I asked her. "Where should I start Karat?"

She rolled her eyes then pointed at the group of pink filing cabinets. "Look for anything listed under celebration, parties, dances, shindigs, birthdays, and that's."

"That's?" I asked as I raised my eyebrow.

Karat shrugged. "A Ministry of Moral thing. I think the cabinet came from Fillydelphia. The listing of "that's" stands for, ‘That was fun, that was bad, that was interesting, and let's never talk about that again.’ It somehow works for placing miscellaneous event forums."

I shrugged as well. "Why are all Ministry filing systems just a mess?"

"How so?" Karat asked this time.

"Ehh. Back home, we were stuck with a Ministry of Image filing system. It separated everything in order of fabulousness, something that was known to change from year to year both before the war ended and long after," I answered with a sigh. "There was also another group that was stuck with the Ministry of Wartime Technology filing system. It was more direct, but tended to needlessly add categories on top of categories."

Karat chuckled. "I think I prefer a filing system based on fabulousness."

I smiled and nodded in agreement. She seemed as fickle as that filing system.

As I dived into the file cabinets to find the relevant documents. I also watched as Espresso and False entered the mayor’s personal office.

I don't know why, but I got a bad feeling about it.

Then again, it was nothing new than how things were back home, though with a lot less groveling and threats of death disguised as honey-sweet words.