//------------------------------// // Chapter Fifteen, Questionable: ‘Unimportant’ information. // Story: Airship Mauled // by Darkonshadows //------------------------------// -Arizona- Being a normal cow was a boring life, ponies treated cows like we were livestock and most cows tended to act like it despite the capability of talking. This is why I’m rough and tumble like a bull, at least bulls have some pride and can beat up rodeo ponies. We’re treated like second class citizens when we’re smart and strong enough to match Earth Ponies, if so many cows weren’t so lazy then we’d have something like a voice among ponies. Do we even get paid for all the milk ponies get from us? That was one of the many thoughts that ran through my mind, thoughts other than wanting to get into a good fight and or protecting Grace from doing something airheaded. What was I currently feeling? Well I was bored out my mind! Nothing was going on, I might have actually gone on the lemming drive if they asked me. I didn’t volunteer to go, because it sounded so boring. I kind of wished I went with them now, but it’s too late for that. I looked to the Helping Hoof Inn after exiting the front entrance, Grace was meditating again. She wasn’t much for excitement and was kind of like that Fluttershy girl, too relaxed and comfortable with nature. Speaking of nature, look who’s coming to keep me entertained. “Coo!” Oh look, it was the strangest animal companion of Airship Mauled. She folded her wings and landed on my left horn wrapping her flippers around it and hugging it lovingly. I still didn’t understand what was up with this turtle, I saw it around the town in odd places and doing odd things. Snickers was really strange, but it wasn’t the wings that were the strange thing about her. Some days I’ve seen her following Jade, which should be normal if not for the fact that she doesn’t advertise her presence to the cat. Other days I’ve seen her sneaking around and watching Fizzle curiously, Snickers had even spied on Maries a time or two by flying directly above them. She was also seen cooing at Sekhet in a bright cheerful manner and the goddess didn’t seem to mind the turtle’s presence. The turtle just sat on top of my horn and looked down at me smiling. “Well if you’re not going to do anything interesting up there, I guess I’ll see what everyone else is up to.” I saw at least Chick hanging around, it looked like she was doing something odd with that bow and likely knew a few good pirate stories she could tell me. I could just as well talk to Kuril or even go ask Wary Berry for a lecture about the evils of fruit, but Jacky didn’t look very busy. Getting closer I noticed that rocks were rapidly flying away from her bow and striking distance targets. “How are you doing that Chick?” As I approached the black feathered bird stopped and turned to me. “You couldn’t hit the broad side of a barn with an arrow, even if the arrow was physically touching the barn when you fired it.” “Can we not talk about the barn incident and the scar in my knee after I took an arrow to it? I figured out something about the bow, it’s not very good for shooting arrows… well at least not for me anyway. My bad luck has a part in that, mostly being the cause of my normal archery woes.” She took the rock she was holding, pulled it against the string and released it. “What it is really good at, is shooting anything else I can put to the string. I’ve been shooting rocks at the targets and I’ve been much more accurate since I’ve learn this bow fires other things effectively. It can even fire sunlight and shadows, provided I pull the string with nothing between it and the wood of the bow.” The rock struck and sunk into the middle target at the edge of the bullseye, the other two targets had rocks lodged in the bullseye in multiple places. “Coo!” Snickers raised a flipper and happily waved it to Jacky. “Is she bothering you Zone?” Pointed a talon to the head riding turtle, Jacky seemed concerned the harmless turtle was bothering me. I was alright with it, she wasn’t that much of a novelty really. “Not really.” I shrugged. “Is there anything interesting to do around here?” “You could do some work with Mr. Refreshment and help him with the fruit plantation.” Here, let me respond to that visibly Jacky. I yawned audibly in a long drawn out tone. “Okay, what about talking up the assassin that wants to kill Jade, she’s good at listener.” “Listening is just about all she can do with how well we tied her up.” Did anyone ever actually thank me for my exquisitely done knots? I’m an expert at tying ropes and using lassoes, I hardly ever get to use those skills around here. At least the physical education instructors know how to make a grueling exercise regimen, didn’t feel like exercising today. “I’m just wondering when she’ll notice that she’s untied by Kuril every night and put into a bed to be tucked in for a comfortable nights rest. She is primarily nocturnal after all, so it is actually something to worry about.” “Oh yeah, you are the one that ties those knots. She really can’t move too much with how well you tie them and they don’t chafe either.” Taking a proud stance at Jacky’s recognition, I held my head high. “Just hope she never notices Kuril freeing her at night. Even I know sleeping in a chair is quite uncomfortable, but Kuril is kind of playing with fire where the assassin is concerned.” “Yeah, it gives me at least something to do around here when I wake up early in the morning and there’s no school. I just don’t feel like exercising today.” I was missing Cheery already. Sure she’s a bit too perky for a teacher, but she was mostly alright. Why don’t cows ever go to school? Well technically Grace did and now I was going too. I wasn’t going to be a simpleton like so many other cows, so getting an advanced education was good and healthy for me. “So… snacks?” “Snacks.” Jacky nodded to me in agreement as we went towards The Witch’s Fare. “Coo… coo?!” We both stopped as we heard Snickers suddenly get excited about something, she leapt off my horn and spread her wings to fly into the restaurant as soon as the door was open. Upon entering we saw quite a few traveling ponies, it seemed like there was actually a lunch rush going on in The Witch’s Fare. Five ponies wasn’t much of a rush, but Fresh Start and Kuril seemed happy to please them with good service. They wouldn’t have any problems with Grace if they decided to stay at the inn for a night, nobody wanted to stay for more than two days in Airship Mauled except for Zecora. I’m kind of surprised that I did, but then again it is the weirdos who love living here and I was one of them. There were several reasons that someone wouldn’t want to stay here. I would start with the pukwudgie attacks when you say two specific words that are banned by the mayor for a very good reason, there was the demented pranking jackalope, there’s always a chance the flying one eyed one horned purple pony eater might attack for the purple ponies that live around here, there’s a nearby forest of full of drop bears and a bunch of other odd things that happened around here. Random airships crashing on the local goddess, for which the place was named after, would be a good example of things ponies would rather avoid. So it wouldn’t surprise me if none of these ponies were staying here and were just here for Kurilian’s cooking. It was heavenly food, but Grace preferred to go mostly grass diet with her four stomachs. I in particular liked the vegetarian chili, baked beans and mostly beans in general. At least it’s something with a little more flavor than the cruddy cud and other health foods that Grace enjoys, eating grass for the rest of my life after tasting Kuril’s food would have left me feeling horribly empty. Snickers was hovering around two of the ponies who seemed to be talking to one another over something Kuril had cooked up for them. The stallion and the mare seemed to be quite infatuated with one another. I wasn’t the only one watching Snickers fly little circles above them, I made my way over to Fresh Start the only pony that is capable of waking up earlier than everyone else. Between four to six in the morning like clockwork she was up and already getting started on a day. In comparison she was usually first to bed in the evening. “Why is Snickers acting like that?” Pointing my right hoof at the fact that Snickers was happily hovering above the two ponies and watching them silently with a bright smile. “I think she can sense the love between the two visitors.” Well that explains that much Fresh, but why was she hugging my horn earlier? Is she really just that affectionate and wants to be friends? “She’s seems to like pointing out happy couples by flying near them. Isn’t that just romantic?” I guess she was just trying to cheer me up, but couldn’t Snickers have just continued being cute instead of getting all touchy feely with me? The two ponies kissed and the turtle threw her flippers in the air and made a soft, completely unobtrusive, hissing noise while hovering in place. She seemed quite ecstatic for the two lovers. “Ugh, that’s a bit mushy for me.” Gagging on the air mockingly, I didn’t think I’d ever fall in love. “So can we get some snacks here?” “Of course Arizona, I assume a party of two for you and Jacky?” You would of course be correct Fresh, which is why I and Jack were waiting to be seated. “Yeah, there’s not really much going on around here today. Don’t honestly know why Snickers cares so much about love, it’s not like it’s that important that she hovers over them.” What I said next attracted Snickers attention with to me. “Even if she was never here, they would have loved each other all the same. Personally, I can’t see myself ever falling in love like that.” Snickers flew over to me and looked me over with a curious glance, then her eyes took on a far more serious tone than I have ever seen on the turtle. She then fluttered over to the door to start pawing at it with both her flippers like a cat, ironic considering who her familiar bond partner is. Jacky opened the door and let her fly free where she took off for the sky. Where was she going? Ah well, not my problem. She’d likely come back on her own. If she was supposedly smart enough to recognize and feel love, then she was smart enough to come back home eventually. -Snickers- Love, affection and happiness always important, I big smart for cow! Where to find for cow though? Need contrary match. Cold place, cool, powerful… super fluffy? Yay, I get great hugs soon! I love fluffy and cow will like fluffy too. Show cow, I can make happy with pain! Kitty of great bond would agree with big smart. Missing kitty of great bond, should be returning from great quest soon. Hope she not miss me, I adventure too! -Blade- “Fresh get to work on the noodles!” Confusion was my world now, I didn’t feel like hurting the mother of my target. She was too friendly to hate, being a bit loose in her parenting skills was probably one of her worst problems though. “Hey, no name, could you chop these carrots and onions for me? I’ve already prepared the onions for chopping, I’m already getting started on the tomatoes, herbs and garlic. Come on now, this curd and carrot cacciatore for two isn’t going to make itself!” I proceeded to do so and considered the fact that I was now armed with a knife and was not trying to immediately seek out my target to kill her or even get revenge against her mother. I felt kind of conflicted given how nicely I’ve been treated. Also, since when did I learn how to chop vegetables? Sighing I held the knife in right wing more tightly and continued to carefully push the carrots with my left wing. It didn’t seem so hard to accomplish really, but I should just consider running and getting out of here before they tied me up again. I continued to chop the vegetables… you know, instead of running for the door and spreading my wings to leave the area. The food here was almost worth more than what I was being paid to kill my target and I was getting it practically for free. I’m not a freeloader! I may have my pride as an assassin, but that doesn’t matter at the moment when my honor required me to pay back the kindness in turn. I would never bite the hoof, claw, paw or hand that will feed me. My previous employer probably wanted me dead for failing anyway and they never cared about feeding me or paying me upfront, so why not just stay captive here? Maybe I can even write to the local goddess about seeking amnesty. “Uh Kuril... are you sure you should have your back to her like that?” I turned the one called Fresh Start, she was currently rolling the dough for the noodles out. “By the way two more orders, it’s just Jacky and Arizona wanting snacks. No need to fast track it, they can wait.” “I’ve had my back to her almost constantly for the last twenty minutes I’ve been cooking.” She didn’t sound too worried about my presence. She didn’t have much to be worried about, because as an assassin I will only attack my targets from behind and you weren’t a target. “If she hasn’t stabbed me yet, then she isn’t going to.” This Kuril was quite bold, I find myself a tad smitten with her nonchalance to my very presence. “If anything, I wouldn’t trust her to be around Jade with her back turned.” A wise notion Kuril, as I’m still contemplating whether or not killing your daughter is a worthwhile thing to accomplish. Your food has almost has me paid off on its own weight, but I couldn’t very well tell you that now could I? “Thank you for assisting us, I’ll get you some ink, paper and a quill to write with.” -Fluttershy- We were on our way home with Mr. Quetzalcoatl making sure to keep dangerous creatures away from the wagon. I was with Cheerilee watching as Jade and Fizzle snuggled, coughed and sneezed in their sleep. “Are they going to be alright Miss Cheerilee?” We’d give the wagon back after we’re done dropping of Jade and Fizzle in Airship Mauled. “They’ll be fine friend Fluttershy.” Following along behind us was Sekhet telling Quetzalcoatl directions and discussing the boon she was owed for freeing him of being controlled. “I’m going to agree with what Sekhet said Fluttershy.” Cheerilee eased my worries a bit. “Besides we’re almost back already.”