//------------------------------// // The Arrival // Story: The White Mare with the Red Eyes // by flawlessvictory20 //------------------------------// “This vacation is going to be awesome!” you exclaimed out of the train window. It had been months in the making, but you finally earn enough bits to afford to much need vacation. Though you loved your job at the Ponyville Town Hall, the endless pile of paperwork that came with running a town became too humdrum. So you put in your request to take your four-day vacation. Once it was approved, you were already planning where to go. After researching the best spots to visit, you found a quaint resort that lay on the outskirts of Canterlot called the Marewell Resort. It had great reviews but wasn't too expensive. So here you were, train-bound to your resort vacation. When you sat back down, you noticed the patron's reactions ranged from annoyed glares to muffled giggles. “Sorry, everypony,” you apologized. To that, the ponies went about their business. A little embarrassed, I turned my attention to the brochure of the resort. You couldn't wait to enjoy all the enmities it offered: the large pool, the spa, the open bar, the extensive buffet, the gaming room; you didn't know which area to hit first. Not long after your outburst, you heard conductor speak over the P.A. system. “Next stop Canterlot! Repeat, next stop Canterlot!” the conductor declared. A broad smile spread across my face as you eagerly awaited the next stop. As the train pulled in to the station, you quickly gathered my belongings and headed out. It was a rather pleasant day as it trotted through Canterlot's bustling marketplace. The sun showered the ongoing ponies in a radiant warmth while a cool breeze blew through. This was indeed a perfect day to start a vacation. You looked over the direction to the resort to see if you could locate and landmarks to show you're on the right path. After a few minutes and with a few ponies help you finally arrived at your destination: Marewell Resort. You were taken aback at fancy it all looked. The lush greenery with various exotic flowers sprinkled the edge of the cobblestone path that led to the main foyer. The outside of the building was polished marble dressed in accents of royal blue and silver. It began to make you feel like a fish out of water. This feeling only solidified as the interior had furniture that looked like it cost more than you make in a year, the chandelier above adorned various exquisite gems and diamonds, and the tile on the floor was smooth and polished. As you approached the front desk, the mare waiting there greeted me with a smile. “Welcome to the Marewell Resort!” she beamed. “I’m Ready Made. Do you have a reservation?” “Yes, ma’am,” you quickly answered. “Okay, and what's it under?” You gave her your name. She looked through the registry and eventually found your name. “Ah, here you are. Look like you'll be with us for the next four days?” she smiled. “Yeah, just a mini vacation from the humdrum life of paperwork,” you chuckled. “Oh? Where are you from?” she asked with genuine interest. “Ponyville.” “Really? We don’t get many ponies from there. You must have wanted to get away from it all,” she joked. “You can say that again,” you laughed. With a small chuckle herself, she levitated your key to you. “You’ll be in room 108-A,” she noted. “Great!” you spoke with energy. “If you wait here a moment, Flambé will escort you to your room.” “Okay then.” “We hope you enjoy your stay at the Marewell Resort.” With a nod, you find a spot to sit and wait. You sat in a comfortable chair and set my luggage the floor next to me. As you waited for the bellhop, you couldn’t help but noticed the variety of patrons that were around you. You saw a griffin chatting it up with a pegasus, a unicorn couple sitting outside by the pool with the mare leaning on her stallion. You even saw a mixed family (an earth pony mother, pegasus father, unicorn colt and earth pony filly) enjoying their family vacation as the foals bounced around the parent (which made you chuckle a bit). After a few minutes, a young unicorn mare dress as a bellhop approached me. Her orange coat complimented her long goldenrod mane that was tied in a bun. “Hello, I’m Flambé! Shall we get you settled in?” she cheerfully smiled. “Yes, please,” he answered. She levitated your luggage, and we set out for your room. Along the way, Flambé explained the various events that would be available during your time there. As you listened to her, you to walk a bit faster as you two turned down the hallway. You were able to keep up just fine but the sudden burst of speed. Just as you were about to question her, it hit you. There was a sudden chill that seemed to fill the whole hallway in an instant. The sensations seemed to seep down into your very bones. ‘Why’d it get so cold all of a sudden?’ you pondered. Your thoughts were interrupted as you felt hoof graze your cheek. The mere touch sent shivers down your spine, and you quickly turned to see the culprit. However, nopony was there but rather a door. There was something different about it though. The wooden frame seemed to be a bit more worn than the other rooms with cracks along the border, the doorknob looked rustic with the paint slightly faded, and there was no room number displayed anywhere. Before you had a chance to inspect the door further, Flambé called out to you. “This way sir," she spoke as she kept up her quickened pace. You shook your head and followed being her. As you turned the corner, the chilling sensation had left your body. ‘What the hay was that just now’ you pondered. When looked to Flambé she'd slowed her pace and breathed a sigh of relief. “So, what happened back there?” you asked. “You seemed to want to leave that hallway pretty quickly.” “Oh it’s nothing, sir,” she lied. “I just didn’t want to keep you from starting your vacation.” The way she replied didn’t sit well with you. From your years in Town Hall, you've learned to spot when somepony is lying to you. But you couldn't figure out why she felt the needed to. Before you could question it further, you reached your room. “Here we are sir,” Flambé smiled. When you entered the room, your jaw hit the floor. The inside of the room was huge. The living room had a large plush corner couch with throw pillows aplenty. As you stepped further into the room, all the amenities blew your mind. The kitchen was pristine and twice the size of your own, the bathroom was easily the size of your guest room back home complete with shower and an indoor jacuzzi, the bedroom was well furnished, and the balcony overlooks the pool. “Wow, this is impressive,” you spoke awestruck. Flambé smiled warmly. “We do take pride in making sure our guests feeling the comforts of Canterlot,” she spoke with pride. "Is everything to your satisfaction?" “That and more! I may just end up living here,” you joked. This statement got a laugh out of her. “Well, I’ll leave you to get settled in,” she bowed. You reached into your bit bag and tossed her a few bits as a tip. “Thanks,” she beamed. "You're welcome," you replied. As she was about to leave, something inside you compelled you to utter the question. "Hey Flambé, can I ask you something?" you queried. "Sure, what's your question?" she warmly smiled. "What happened back there?" "What do you mean?" "Well, we had a nice slow walking tour of the resort, but when we came to that hallway, you seemed to quicken. Was there any reason?" You noticed her nervously shifts in place. "No real reason," she lied. "Really? Because you sure–." Before you could continue your statement, Flambé's horn illuminated with a white aura. "Oops, duty calls. Well, enjoy your stay," she stated before she quickly left the room. Against your better judgment, you decided not to press the issue and began to settle in your room for the next four days.