One Day at the Café

[Shake]

The Ponyville Café stood idly on the corner between the Town Square and the Marketplace.

The building has been built in the shape of the superior half of a circle, with double wooden doors and a pair of windows on the front. Its doorway remains under a large and noticeable sign announcing its name, while the front of the store bears three tables with comfortable cushions to sit on.

The inside of the locale had a bar, and several tables all around the place, with well-taken-care-of wooden planks lining the floor. The walls were decorated with a homely wallpaper and several paintings depicting views in Equestria. A few businessponies could be seen chattering and having breakfast at the tables constantly.

Shake smiled, and walked into the backroom. That was where they kept the extra supplies, as well as some of the most valuable ingredients. 'At this rate, the mocha special will be gone by tomorrow!' he thought, slightly worried. That drink was asked the most, and there would not be another shipment until the following week. That would mean a loss in profit.

After checking over the rest of the inventory, the blue earth pony walked back out to the front and stood behind the bar, waiting for his next customer to walk in.

[Denith Skies]

It was a curious sight to see. A light-blue pegasus mare with a silvery grey mane trotted through the streets. Her uneven gait would've drawn curious glances from those around her - but the mother of two had long stopped caring. This was who she was.

A small pram was gripped between her teeth as she pushed it through the town. Two, baby foals lay soundly asleep in the pram - twins, a brother and sister. Leading the pram to the local café, she entered the building. It was relatively quiet, only a few business ponies discussing their business.

Dark rings were under her eyes - a recent contract had kept her up all night, but she had promised to take the twins out into town today and had no intention of backing out now.

Walking to the counter, she gave a tired smile. "I'd like the strongest mug of coffee you have, please...with a dollop of cream on the top," she said, taking out a small coin-purse, ready to give the bits she needed. "And, when the foals wake up, I'll probably need a kiddies menu for them as well."

[Shake]

"Welcome to the Café!" exclaimed the blue colt behind the bar. He smiled at the mare, despite her awfully tired appeareance. "Alright! One of our Stallion Kicks coming up, ma'am." he replied as the mare made an order.

Turning around, Shake grabbed a mug by wrapping his tail around it, and placed it on the counter. He then picked up a small jug nearby and added in a couple of ingredients before letting the contents spill into the mug and spraying the cream on top.

"Here you go, ma'am. Enjoy! If you have any problem, call me, please. My name's Shake, at your service!" the colt exclaimed cheerfully. He then ducked and pulled out a few pieces of paper from under the bar. "Here's our foal menus, ma'am. Please look them over!"

[Nandh'Ji Rajem]

Nandh'Ji trotted through Ponyville with his destination crystalline in his mind; although how it would affect the grander scheme of things eluded him. Ever since he and Twilight Sparkle had assembled the Vendrigoth Device, his mind had been plagued by the machine - there was something to it, something important, but he had received no answers, no matter how rigorous his studies had been. He was driven; he couldn't sleep peacefully until this puzzle was pieced together.. and perhaps one piece would soon be revealed.

He arrived at Ponyville Café, and entered the establishment, observing the indoors; it was a pleasant place, much different than the equivalents of his homeland. The stallion didn't exactly fit in with the crowd either; a refined, wedge-shaped head, large eyes, an arched neck and laid-back shoulders, the traits that many of his people bore as well and which set them apart from other Ponies. He wore a hooded cloak and a two tiny saddlebags under it, his hooves adorned with jewelry and a necklace hanging by his chest.

The stallion crossed the room, looking at the customers; he saw the businessponies, and a mare with two foals - that must've been the one he was looking for. Nandh'Ji walked to the counter and gave a nod to the blue pony tending the bar. "This one brings his greetings and humbly pleads to attend to your esteemed company", he bowed slightly, his accent even more alien than his appearance - vowels were elongated, and his pacing was way off; there was a pause at one point between words where he had to think for a second of what he wanted to say.

"This one is known as Nandh'Ji Rajem, if it please you to know this one's name. May I receive a café au-lait, if it not trouble you?" The stallion gave off a friendly smile, and glanced over his shoulder towards Denith. Yes, that was certainly the one, he thought, and then averted his eyes, turning back towards Shake.

[Shake]

Shake's eyebrow was raised in curiosity as such a particular pony entered his business. It appeared to be a tourist of some sorts, which was, of course, good. What better than having ponies from other countries recommending the Café to their friends? Well, even if it didn't happen, Shake was happy to get more customers.

"Pleased to meet you, Mister Nandi!" exclaimed Shake, cheerful but polite. He bowed his head in response to his customer's odd customs, and smiled once more. "You bet, sir. The drink will be ready in a minute!" he stated, turning around and preparing the ingredients and utensils.

In a pair of minutes, the requested drink was on the service bar. "Here you go, sir! Enjoy, and tell me if you need anything. You may call me Shake!"

[Denith Skies]

Denith smiled, taking he drink and paying for it. Balancing the beverage on her left wing, she sat at a nearby table, placing the coffee on the surface. Bending down, she looked at the twins cuddled up in the pram, a fond and warming smile spreading across her face.

"How's the little twins doing?" she asked the sleeping filly and colt softly, nuzzling them motherly. They were exhausting, but every time she saw the two, her heart was filled with a motherly love that no words existed to describe. Coltilitious may be out of his foals' lives, but that didn't mean Denith wasn't going to pour every ounce of love she could muster.

Little Cogent Skies, her son, stirred but didn't wake, instead shuffling inside the pram and almost cuddling up next to his sister, Deanna Skies. Seeing that the two were still okay, Denith moved to her cup of coffee, sipping it gently.

"Hmm...needs more sugar..." she said absently to herself, added several more teaspoons before stirring. "Ahh...perfect," she sighed happily, after taking another sip. The caffine was already working its way through her system, sending much needed energy to the over-tired mare.

Turning back to the pram, she watched her foals as a motherly pride began to swell up inside her again.

[Nandh'Ji Rajem]

"A thousand thanks, honoured master", said Nandh'Ji as he was offered his order, the stallion levitating the cup - with some effort - and taking a sip. He smiled and nodded. "Most satisfying, indeed. Please, this one begs of you; call this one Starmist Veil, if it please you." The stallion smiled and bowed. He enjoyed the hot beverage, laying innocuous glances over his shoulder, observing the clockworker mare. She seemed to be happy.. tired, but certainly happy and proud of her son and daughter.

Nandh'Ji drank the rest of the coffee and settled the cup on the desk, nodded at Shake, and turned around, walking straight to Denith. He bowed courteously and smiled politely before he introduced himself; "This one offers his earnest greetings to you and yours, miss Skies. This one is your humble servant, whom was born Nandh'Ji Rajem - or should you prefer, Starmist Veil. Most exalted to be in your laudable presence."

The stallion bowed again, his horn sparkling a light blue light, and a small wooden box flew out of one of his saddlebags, settling on the table and opening with a soft click. Inside was two small brass figures; the other a clockwork knight, and the other a dancer, both on a pedestal on their own. Judging from the looks and the mechanisms of the two toys, when winded, they'd move and play a tune, acting effectively as tiny music boxes.

"A gift base as it is, leaves this one chagrined, but this one wishes you will accept this menial present and allow this one to explain itself", he asked humbly, laying down his head in respect. His overly fawning attitude was odd, as was his strange way of referring to himself as 'this one' and 'it', but his words were kind and polite enough to suggest his intentions were good.

[Denith Skies]

Denith hadn't even noticed the foreign unicorn walk up to her table until she had heard her name mentioned. She perked up suddenly, almost akwardly at the sudden appearance of the unicorn.

"Oh! Sorry, I didn't see you there!" she exclaimed slightly, eyes wide at the colt.

Her mind didn't have enough time to register his words as the two small devices were placed in front of her, and automatically assumed he was another customer.

"Oh, sorry, I...I'm kinda off-duty at the moment - maybe you could come back tomorrow to my workshop and I'll tend to..." she trailed off as his words finally sunk in.

The mare blinked a few times, before shaking her head to clear it. "A...gift? I'm sorry - who did you say you were again?" She motioned to an adjacent chair. "Sorry...I haven't had much sleep - my brain isn't working the way it should."

[Nandh'Ji Rajem]

Nandh'Ji smiled in a friendly manner and sat down when Denith gestured him to, and nodded at her apology. "It is most sorry to disturb you in this manner, but this one wishes you would hear this wretched one's humble request", he apologized. "Allow this one to elaborate, miss Skies. This one is known Starmist Veil to the ponies of the Twin Goddesses, a lowly rover, alchemist and wonderworker most subaltern. It seeks your aid in a matter of great mystery that has puzzled it for long, and in which your expertise would surely be needed."

The pony stopped for a brief moment to levitate a piece of parchment onto the table, a schematic of some kind, drawn in minute detail with tidy explanations in a diminutive hoofwriting, letters curvy and neat. The title presented the diagram as "the Vendrigoth Device", but there was no inkling as to what it was or what it did - merely how it was put together and how it would function. The artifact was about the size of a vase, and similar in shape, with multiple rods and tubes circling it, possessing a design both jagged and round, giving it a slightly ominous look.

"This one has put together this artifact, though with infinite aid from the glorified and exalted Twilight Sparkle, the prime student of the Queen of the Daystar, but it lacks the knowledge to know its nature, and for this begs for your help, miss Skies. Again, it is humiliated to ask you this at a time such as this, and wishes you would forgive it."

[denith]

Denith glanced over at the schematics, idly obsorbing the diagrams. Almost instantly, she pushed her coffee mug away, suddenly feeling wide awake as the pegasus brought the sheet of paper closer.

"This is...no - I can't be wrong, it definitely IS one!" she remarked idly to herself. Her hooves tapped and traced the schematics, recreating the device inside her mind's eye.

"Hmm...this is definitely a design, or at least derivitave of Cog Neato..."

The mare had descended into a self-absorbed world of her own, completely forgetting that there was even a restaurant around her. A stern furrow had formed in her brow from concentration.

"I believe..." she said finally, looking up at Starmist, "This is a focusing device. I don't know much about unicorn magic, but as far as I can tell, the lenses here and here focus energy of sorts, while the film over here seperates and radiates what I'm guessing is exhaust energies outwards, as if making sure only the purest of magic makes it through, " she said, tapping on the diagram with each explanation.

She gave a sheepish smile. "Sorry, I don't know much more than that - I mean, I'm only a pegasus. If I were a unicorn, I could understand the intracies behind the magic a lot better."

[Nandh'Ji Rajem]

Nandh'ji listened with enthusiasm, nodding at her words, memorizing everything Denith said. "Your mind is most brilliant, miss Skies! This one is but a mere fool compared to your enlightenment. How you so swiftly analyzed what this one has pondered for months leaves it ashamed", he complimented with a friendly smile. "But this one has a question it still has not found an answer for; exhaust energies, as it feared, are a byproduct of arcane empowerment, but do these cause side-effects?"

Nandh'Ji had spoken Twilight out of telling anypony about the Device so far, as he feared the machine might do something more than what it seemed, and Denith's words affirmed his suspicions. Like so often, his instincts were correct. Nandh'Ji closed his eyes and pondered for a moment, when suddenly his head felt like it was going to burst, like a sledgehammer had hit him straight between the eyes.

The stallion fell off his chair and everything went dark for a moment; he knew this was a vision, but never before had they been as dark or foreboding as this. There was fire, darkness and ash. Then suddenly, he overlooked over Equestria atop a tall tower, observing Canterlot on a sunny day. The sky darkened; the earth shook, and the spires of Canterlot crumbled and fell; the sun burned out, and the moon was no more, leaving behind only a gloomy, perpetual twilight. The Elements of Harmony lay shattered and broken.

It was over as quickly as it had passed, and Nandh'Ji opened his eyes a few seconds after he had fallen off his chair and blinked a few times. He had a look of horror on his features, and stared at Denith for a while, before standing up. "Excuse this one, miss Skies. It must now take it's leave, for something has come up", he apologized.

[Denith Skies]

Denith shook her head. Magic was something she, as a pegasus, could never truly understand. "Look, I'm sorry - all I know is what my memory tells me. I don't know magic!"

The pegasus mare sighed, drawing her coffee closer. "What type of exhaust energies they are - I have no idea. I'm sorry I can't help you any further than that, Starmist."

Without warning, the stallion collapses and Denith immediately moved to help him up. "Hey! A - are you okay? S - Starmist! What's wrong?" Her voice was rank with worry as she helped him to his hooves. "No, you're not going until I know what's going on. If this device has these exhausts, then I need to know what they are. With the right pony, I'm sure we could explain it together."

[Nandh'Ji Rajem]

Nandh'Ji glanced around the café, and at Denith's request, sat back down. He smiled, but his eyes still held the expression of dread in them. "Dear Skies, what visions this one has seen. It apologizes for its sudden outburst, and begs of you to allow it to explain. This one has been blessed by the Sun and the Moon and the Stars to be able to peer through the veil of infinity and into the coming, the gone, and the being at key times; foresight, in laymane's terms", he told her.

Nandh'Ji took a heavy breath, and continued; "this one fears that it has made a mistake, and endangered you and yours by speaking of the Device with them", he hushed his voice, "ashes and dust and charred earth, miss Skies, is what it saw. This one would not expect you to believe it, but honours you and yours too greatly to utter falsehoods. This one begs for your forgiveness for such grim and unhappy words to shadow your life."

The stallion glanced at the door, and nodded slowly. "If your will would be to still help me to investigate the Device, it would be most privileged."

[Denith Skies]

The colour drained from Denith's face.

"D - danger...?" she repeated, her eyes shooting to the two sleeping twins. She nervously stumbled over to the foals, gently picking them up with her wings. Each giving a yawn, wide and curious eyes opened and blinked up at their mother.

"Wh - what danger...?" she stammered again, holding the twins close. Deanna, her daughter, sniffled a little but surprisingly didn't burst into tears - as if sensing the unease of her mother. "P - please understand...I - I want to help b - but the saf - safety of my foals comes first. I - I think you should l - l - leave..."

Denith was half-sobbing now, weakly sitting down as her knees nearly gave way. A thousand thoughts were running through her mind, until eventually a sliver of sense broke through, her voice breaking under the sudden panic. "P - please...I - am I overreacting? M - my foals aren't in any danger, ar - are they...? P - please...I don't want anything to happen to them..."

[Nandh'Ji Rajem]

Nandh'Ji shook his head intensely, attempting to calm the worried mother. "Be serene, miss Skies; you and yours will be safe as long as this one lives, though for the safety of all, it deems best you and it part ways and do no longer speak of this matter", he proposed, and his horn sparked, his magic levitating the schematics of the artifact into his saddlebag.

"This most miserable and wretched one offers a thousand most sincere and humble apologies for involving you. It had no idea of what would come of this", he continued, his voice soft and tranquil as he tried to avoid making even a larger scene. Nandh'Ji glanced at the direction of the blue bartender, Shake, and around the café. It was certainly a time for him to exit the place.

"Forget this one, and all it said or showed you, miss Skies, for your own good", he said once more, stood up, and smiled sadly. "This one will now leave. Fare you well, most enlightened one."