//------------------------------// // IX: Trailing // Story: Flight // by TheUnknownPerson //------------------------------// "You let her go?!" "I couldn't stop her, she was determined to go. I tried to convince her, but she wouldn't give up." Twilight Sparkle groaned, rubbing her forehead. "All right.. okay..." She mumbled, rotating back to the opposite side of the doorway. "Maybe- maybe if we can get Luna's night guards out here by dusk, they'll find her hopefully this afternoon. Then we can get her to Canterlot for her own protection. Yeah... this is perfectly a-okay." Twilight tried to affirm with a wavering, weak form of certainty. "I'm sorry Twi'. I-I would've stopped her if I had known Princess Luna needed her for more." Pinkie stuttered. Her mane was still deflated from the previous night's events. Twilight paced back and forwards in front of Pinkie's bedroom. "Please tell me she has something that she can use out there. Bits, a weapon- anything." "My pay from that day. Enough to get a decent place to stay for a few nights." "Oh thank goodness." Twilight sighed with relief. "All right, this is good." She reaffirmed to herself, trying to keep some form of control. "It'll be another day before the Night Guard can come... horseapples, horseapples..." "I-I can try to get Pinkamena to follow her." "Yeah, yeah!" Twilight brightened. "When can she be here?" "I dunno... we usually meet up a couple times a week, but she hasn't stopped by since Marble got here." Pinkie glanced downwards. "Now that you've said something, I haven't seen her since I sent her to..." Her ears fell to her head in fear, her eyes widened as she came upon a horrid realization. "Oh. horseapples..." "What?" "I-I haven't seen her since I sent she went to my parents'." Twilight's eyes widened. She froze in place. "Oh, horseapples!" "I'll get over there as soon as I can!" Taking a lock of her deflated hair and pushing it up atop her head and her saddlebags into her teeth, Pinkie rushed passed Twilight, towards the stairs down to the ground level. "I'll smooth things over with Mr. and Mrs. Cake, let them know everything. Just- get over there!" called Twilight as Pinkie rushed down the stairs as quickly as she could. Pinkie nodded back as she slipped through the kitchen and out to the front desk. She nearly hopped the desk to get to the exit. Pinkamena, please tell me you didn't. Pinkie pleaded silently. Surely she wouldn't have. Not after all this time we've spent. No, she refused that Pinkamena would just turn her back to her like that. Not after what she's done to get her there. She wouldn't betray her trust after all this time, surely! It wouldn't be the first time... Pinkie galloped away from the bakery, towards the train station. ================= "C'mon... just... stay right--" A jagged gasp escaped Pinkamena's lips. She opened her wings and prepared to come crashing to the ground. Thump-sn She breathed a sigh of relief. "Close." Pinkamena glided down, galloping behind the nearest tree as she landed. Great one, Dia. Every animal a square yard away probably heard that let alone Marble. Pinkamena tried to remain as still as the wood itself, only taking a minute to duck down behind the bushes. A gray figure passed beside the treeline. Pinkamena quietly breathed a sigh of relief. All right. Too close, keep with her. She sternly ordered as she slipped through the brush quietly. Taking a leap, she opened her wings, flapping gently as she rose back into the leaves of the tree branches. Pinkamena held her fore-hooves in front of mouth as she tried to keep any leaves and bugs away. The smell trimmed grass sneaked its way up to her. She slowed as she noticed she had begun to run out of cover to hide in. Ugh, horsefeathers... I hate this place... Pinkamena hovered down slowly. The brownish-green grass stuck out at her near immediately, and the arid climate set off alarms in her head, realizing near immediately where she was. "Las Pegasus," Marble stated as if she heard Pinkamena. She walked ahead, down the street as she shied to the far end corner, away from any pony or pegasi flying overhead. "Horseapples." Pinkamena cursed quietly. Now how am I gonna follow her without her seeing me... She questioned, sighing as she sat down. I could put on my cloak, but I'd stick out like a sore hoof out here. Marble turned, entering the city, and growing ever farther away from Pinkamena. "Oh, screw it-" Pinkamena quickly pulled her cloak up, previously hanging around her waist. She ran after Marble, throwing caution to the wind. ================= "C'mon... c'mon!" Pinkie cursed silently as the train painfully slowed to a stop. Thank Celestia I had that enough bits to get here so quickly. Couldn't have made it with the time it takes to trot here. She stood as soon as her footing was stable, rushing towards the nearest exit. As soon as she stepped to the wooden platform built atop the somewhat stable gravel, she ran down onto the ground, nearly slipping as she turned towards her family farm. Pinkamena, please... you didn't... She huffed as if Pinkamena could still her. Pinkie jumped the wooden fence as she rushed through her family's seasonal crops and sifting areas. Thankfully, she noticed Limestone and Maud out of the corner of her eye as she passed. She screeched to a stop, kicking up dust and gravel as she slid onto her flank. Limestone peeked out at her from behind the barn door, curious as to what had made such a ruckus. "Aw- c'mon Pinkie, I just sifted there." Limestone groaned as she stepped out. Pinkie coughed as she stood, dust forming inside her mouth and snout. "Sorry." Her voice was hidden under gasp for air. She turned back to Limestone as the dust began to settle. "I just need to check- check in. Make sure everything was o-okay here." "Yeah, fine. Are you feeling all right?" Limestone took a step towards her. Pinkie nodded. "Had to rush to make the train." She giggled, although almost fully forced and hidden under a breath. "So, nothing strange?" "No, not really. Dad's still angry because of your argument with him." "Argument?" Pinkie questioned. Limestone sighed, rubbing the bridge of her snout. "All that sugar goes to your head, you know. You cursed him for something- 'how dare you'- something, something. Maud shooed me off before I could hear any of the juicy bits. What was it about?" Oh, come on Pinkamena! Pinkie scolded silently. "Honestly, I couldn't tell you. Even I have my bad days." Pinkie laughed disingenuously. Limestone tilted her head as she stared at Pinkie, suspicious. Pinkie smiled. "All right... just keep it to yourself next time. This whole thing with Marble has him on edge. Now he's lashing out at us, the old coot." "Limestone," A flat. monotoned voice harshly scolded. Limestone turned back to the barn doors. Maud stepped out. Her face had been smeared with dirt, and her hooves were covered in mud. "You shouldn't talk about father like that." She scraped mud off each hoof as she glanced back up. "Hey, Pinkie." She waved her freshly cleaned right fore-hoof. Pinkie waved back with a smile "He's been acting like it, not gonna lie. Just gonna call it how I see it." Limestone turned back to Pinkie. "How's Marble been, by the way? Is her hoof getting any better?" "Yeah, yeah..." Pinkie turned towards the gravel ground beneath her. "She's been doing well. Her hoof should be better soon." "Good. About time." Limestone moaned with annoyance, but her small grin spoke volumes about what she actually felt. "Just tell her that Limestone said to hurry the hay up already." "I will." Pinkie glanced down, almost certain she wouldn't be able to keep her word, not for a while at least. "Just needed to check in." She began to step passed Limestone. Limestone nodded as she began to trot back towards the barn. Maud turned back towards the barn, taking a step in. "Oh- almost forgot," Limestone turned back to Pinkie. "Father said that we should go get you tomorrow and talk, but why don't we go ahead and do it now?" Pinkie's ears fell to her head as she slowed to a stop. "Er... I can't, not today." "What? Come on, it won't be that long. It's not gonna be that long, so just go ahead and see them." "Please, Limestone--" "Pinkie, father said it wasn't a request," Maud interjected. Pinkie swallowed, before nodding. Oh no... what did I just get myself into? She turned back towards the house with a loose form of courage. "Finish up in there Limestone. I'll take Pinkie to him." Maud stepped out and trotted up to Pinkie, standing beside her. "All right, but you're resifting over that area Pinkie messed up." "Fine." Maud stepped forward. Pinkie reluctantly followed behind her. She looked up to Maud, concerned, almost frightened. "I'll step in if things get too heated. Father won't hurt me, not in front of mother." "Okay." Pinkie said under a shaken breath. Maud walked ahead of Pinkie. She opened the door and stepped to the side, allowing Pinkie to step through first. ================= "-Thank you. Your room's right there." The stallion behind the desk pointed to a white door at the end of the hall to the right. "Mmhm." Marble turned, trotting towards her room. She passed by three other doors, which she assumed were already occupied by other guests at the small motel. Trotting by the black walls. she stopped at her door, pushing it open. She stepped inside, the room possessing an almost exact design as the lobby. Only a few framed pictures of the sea and Canterlot and the bed, with white sheets laid over the freshly cleaned mattress, differentiated the room from the lobby. A small wooden chair was sat the far right corner of the room, and there was a thin nightstand to the right of the bed. This is nice, but... Marble noted, sitting on the edge of the bed. It was soft, fairly comfortable for the run-down room. Something's not right... She felt like something was wrong. Something was... off. Maybe- maybe this wasn't the right choice. Marble glanced downwards. No, I just need to stay here. Pinkie'll be safe. There's nothing to be worried about, She told herself. just stay here. For Pinkie's sake. Marble rested her back on the bed, huffing as she did. Hopefully it's not a bad omen to this... =================