Backgrounds of Fate: The Old Mayor


                                            This is a side green to Manos: Hands of Fate by Human Superiority.

                                            The first part was found here: http://pastebin.com/QBMRbrPv

                                            Since Pastebin nuked it I'll also link the earliest thread I could find in five minutes looking in the archive: https://desuarchive.org/mlp/thread/24621019/


                                            For the Manos threads. HEIL MANOS!


                                            >So this was it.

                                            >You slam the back of the wagon shut and give one last look at your the house that has served as your home in Ponyville all these years.

                                            >And now it was time to move on.

                                            >You pull you collar and cravat from around your neck and your glasses end up falling from your face in the process.

                                            >You should have remembered that would happen.

                                            >Sometimes you forgot you weren't as old as you used to make yourself look.

                                            >"Mayor Mare?"

                                            >You habitually smile and turn to face whomever had addressed you.

                                            >You were a politician, after all.

                                            "I'm not mayor anymore, Mr. Cake, but it's still a pleasure to see you. Please just call me Ivory Scrolls."

                                            >"Oh my goodness. Sorry about that. I just did it out of habit, Ivory. Everything has changed so fast."

                                            >He looks you over.

                                            >"Speaking of change, I hardly recognized you with your pink mane. I got used to the grey."

                                            >Right that...

                                            >Not a lot of ponies knew it but your mane naturally pink.

                                            >You just dyed it to make you look a bit older earlier on in your political career.

                                            >Ponies simply feel more comfortable electing ponies who have lots of experience so why couldn't you look the part.

                                            >It's been a few months since then and you didn't really feel the need to dye it anymore.

                                            >So you didn't.

                                            >But that doesn't mean ponies have to necessarily know you've been dyeing it grey all this time.

                                            "I figured that I could use something a little different now that I'm not in office anymore. Now that goes without saying anything about yourself. I didn't even realize it was you in that uniform."

                                            >Truth was you didn't.

                                            >Sure his color and stature were unique on him but a little know fact was that you and the baker were an item when you both were younger.

                                            >He never really was the type to rope himself into things.

                                            >If that were the case your relationship would have lasted longer...

                                            >But that was the past.

                                            >He stood a bit taller in is brown uniform.

                                            >Around one of his forelegs was a red band with a white circle that had a black hand at its center.

                                            >How unfortunate.

                                            >He was one of his now...

                                            "So what was it that got you interested in Manos' Brown Shirts anyways? I don't mean to offend but you never really struck me as the type of pony with that much of a sense of duty."

                                            >He looks to the side for a moment and then rubs a hoof on the back of his neck.

                                            >"Well, I suppose I wouldn't have seen myself in my horseshoes right now either if you came to me a long time ago. But it turns out I'm going to be a father soon."

                                            >Really now?

                                            >You aren't sure how to feel about that but being a politician, you were polite.

                                            "Well, congratulations."

                                            >He stumbles a bit with his words.

                                            >"I, uh- ehehe, thanks. Anyways it was kind of a wake up call for me when Cup Cake told me she was expecting. And you know my first thought was to move. Bring so close to the and all didn't sit right with me on top of the disasters that seemed to happen every other Tuesday. This all happened around the time of the elections and then Manos came into power. You have to admit he's done a lot of good for Equestria. When he created the Black Hands I thought that was what I needed to do to help Manos keep chaos away from Equestria so that maybe our children can be just a little safer."

                                            >He had a spark in his eye when he was talking about Manos.

                                            >You've seen the manic followers enough to know that Carrot Cake wasn't one of them but that little gleam ponies seemed to get with him never sat right with you.

                                            >"But I couldn't spare enough time for the Black Hands in the end. But I struck a deal with Bon Bon while she was still around. She knew I hadn't the time but wanted to help so I help out on Sundays when Cup Cake and I close up Sugarcube Corner. Anyways, enough about myself. What have you been up to?

                                            >It took you a bit for your mind to catch up.

                                            >This was definitely a different more responsible Carrot than the one you knew before.

                                            >You were almost jealous of Cup Cake.

                                            >You eyed the band on his foreleg for a moment.

                                            >Almost.

                                            "Well it's actually funny you caught me. I've just packed the last of my things an I'll be heading to Trottingham. I'm going right into a seat on their city council.

                                            >"Well I'm a little sad to see you go but congrats on the job. Tell you what, since I'm on patrol anyways I can take this cart for you to the train station a-"

                                            "Actually, I'm going to be hoofing it, as it were, to Trottingham."

                                            >He looks at you and then the cart the back to you with a concerned expression.

                                            >"Are you sure about that, Ivory? That's a lot of stuff to be hauling all the way out west."

                                            >You chuckle and nod.

                                            "Oh I'm sure. It'll a nice break for me. Well aside from the last few months of course."

                                            >"Well if you're sure."

                                            >The lanky stallion hitches himself to the cart.

                                            >"The least I can do is get this to the edge of town for you."

                                            >And he does.

                                            >The two of you on the way chatted it up about everything and nothing at all.

                                            >Like older times.

                                            >But upon reaching the edge of town a question starts burning the inside of your mind begging to be let out.

                                            >If you're never coming back here you needed to know.

                                            >The stallion unhitched himself from your cart.

                                            >Rather suddenly, you interrupted the yellow stallion who was talking about the antics of Pinkie Pie.

                                            "Do you ever regret it?" you asked.

                                            >"Hm? Regret what?"

                                            >You could see your reflection in in his green eyes.

                                            >You looked vulnerable.

                                            >You tried and failed correct that but you let the question hang in air the while.

                                            >Carrot stood confused before you specified after a few moments.

                                            "Leaving," you clarified in a small voice.

                                            >"Ah," he said simply with an unreadable expression.

                                            >You stood there awkwardly before trying your damnedest to regain what semblance of composure you had.

                                            "You know what? I apologize for that, Carrot. I shouldn't hav-"

                                            >The stallion before you puts a hoof to your lips and silences you.

                                            >"No no... I suppose you do deserve to know."

                                            >He was silent for a moment

                                            >"I... Yes I do. I'm happily married now but I can't help but think about what things would be like if they were different. I shouldn't have done that to you in the first place but I was young, dumb and irresponsible and I guess you were too in a way. I'm surprised none of the things we used to together have ever caught up with you."

                                            >He sighs and sits down watching Ponyville hustle and bustle from the hilltop.

                                            >"There's a lot more I could say but I don't really have the time and you know I was never good with words. It was always your strong suit. But yes, Ivory. I do regret it."

                                            >You sat down too, at a loss for what to say.

                                            >Finding no words you begin to tell him as much.

                                            "I'm not really sure what to say..."

                                            >"Then don't."

                                            >What?

                                            "Excuse me?"

                                            >"Just don't say anything. We can just enjoy the moment we have now a-"

                                            >The clock in the Ponyville bell tower struck noon.

                                            >"-nd I should have been in the market five minutes ago. I really hate to do this now bu-"

                                            >You sighed internally.

                                            >Of course something would interrupt things.

                                            >It wasn't going to be like some of the trashier romance novels where he suddenly confesses his undying love for you and the both of you would elope in Las Pegasus.

                                            >If only...

                                            "Go."

                                            >"Bu-"

                                            "It's ok. I'll be fine. Just go."

                                            >And of course, you were lying.

                                            >You were a politician, remember?

                                            >He gave you a sidelong look and stood up quickly.

                                            >"Good luck out there Ivory."

                                            >With that he galloped away leaving you on the hilltop with your cart.

                                            "Take care of yourself, Carrot Cake." you said quietly as he ran back into Manos' town.

                                            >You stood back up and dusted yourself off.

                                            >Things were changing.

                                            >You knew from the moment Manos had made his campaign speech that things were going to change.

                                            >But you didn't know if it was for better or for worse.

                                            >Hence your reason for leaving.

                                            >You were a politician and you could see clearly that Manos had an agenda.

                                            >What he wanted was still up in the air but something about him didn't at all sit right with you.

                                            >He was ambitious in the worst way and you wanted to be nowhere near any of it if you were right.

                                            >You gave one last look at Ponyville.

                                            >YOUR town.

                                            >It had grown substantially under Manos so it was both familiar and not at the same time.

                                            >You could see banners hanging all over the town bearing the same mark.

                                            >You could still make out a certain yellow stallion galloping down the main street in the distance and you smiled.

                                            >At least your Carrot had changed for the better...

                                            >Cup Cake was a lucky mare.

                                            >You would definitely miss it here but it was time for you to move on.

                                            >You hitched yourself to the cart and started to pull.

                                            >You had a journey ahead of you.