//------------------------------//
// — Chapter Two — 
// Story: Finding Friendship 
// by Kamen-Zero 
//------------------------------//


--- Over The River & Through The Woods, To Ponyville We Go ---


Just as before, the forest seemed to stretch on for what seemed to be forever. Even after taking Pinkie's advice of not following the path directly, the edge of the woods was still nowhere in sight. Though in between bouts of intense thought, Twilight did actually notice that she had crossed the same dirt path she had previously abandoned once or twice. At the very least, it seemed that Pinkie Pie had been right in that the path was just a more roundabout way to get through the forest, as it clearly just winded around like a massive snake. The shortest distance between any two points was a straight line, after all, so the cloaked pony continued on this route. As she deduced earlier, there was no real harm in following the pink pony's directions. During the walk she kept taking the time to check up on her draconic companion every now and again, confirming each time that Spike was still sound asleep deep in the recesses of the saddlebag. And while she was glad that he was still able to relax after what had happened, it meant that she wouldn't have a conversation partner for quite some time. A shame, too, seeing as how a very prominent question was currently wracking her mind.

Everfree Forest... Everfree Forest... I know I've heard that name before...

The question had been bubbling away in the back of Twilight's mind ever since the encounter with the odd pink earth pony. Every time she repeated the name to herself, either in thought or out loud, there was this odd sense of déjà vu. Twilight had known where she had picked the name up, it had to have been in one of the many books she had read in her past. But the problem wasn't where or how, but in which book had she read it. Despite her status as a traveler, Twilight was quite well-read. A vast majority of her younger years had been spent in close proximity to any number of books on any number of subjects. And while this had led Twilight to be smarter than most in her age range, give or take, but it also made remembering specific details of specific books a bit of a chore. After a certain point, all of the textbooks, magical manuals, and alchemic tomes begin to fade together; making the process of remembering where exactly a specific bit of knowledge originated from a very daunting task. It didn't help that she couldn't quite recall in what context the Everfree Forest had been mentioned, she only had a faint recollection of the name. She had a feeling it was important, yet she couldn't quite place a why or how. But once again, that itching thought would have to wait a bit longer to be scratched, for after about a half-hour Twilight had managed to escape the forest, stepping out into direct sunlight for the first time in what felt like forever. The promised town wasn't that far off, maybe another ten-minute walk before she reached the first of the outlying buildings.

The larger than expected village was a sight for sore eyes, especially after how today had gone so far. Even from a distance, it looked to be a place that was proud of its roots, most of the buildings retaining an older style of early Equestrian architecture that had been lovingly maintained throughout many years. And while there were some structures that looked significantly newer, they seemed to be built in the same general style to match the rest of the small city. This town clearly had an aesthetic to it, a calming aura of the simplicities of old country life.  Even from where she was, brightly colored ponies could be seen either strolling along the ground or soaring through the sky on their ways to their various daily obligations.

As Twilight came closer and closer to the town, her attention was drawn to the large sign that marked the town's entrance. Welcome to Ponyville had been lovingly carved into the dark wood sign in an elegantly curved font, painted over in bright pastel colors to make it pop out to the eye more.

Ponyville? Twilight asked herself, giving the sign a tilt of her head in response to its warm welcome into the village it guarded. The name "Everfree Forest" had rung a bell, yet the word "Ponyville" gained no such reaction from her. It made sense, she had never once been to this particular part of the world, why would she know the name of this town? But the fact that she knew—or thought she knew—the name of the forest just outside this town was a bit baffling, to say the least. She would have been more adamant about figuring this mystery out, but an impatient growl from underneath her protested. It wasn't the growl of a young draconic being, no, this was the roar of an empty belly that had clearly waited far too long to be filled. The woods and the village would still be here in the morning, she could interrogate herself for the information then. Assuming nothing else came up, that is.

With a deep breath and newfound resolve, Twilight stepped into the village known as Ponyville. The hustle and bustle of civilization was something Twilight hadn't experienced since her time in Klugetown several weeks ago, and this Ponyville place was the polar opposite from that wretched hive in just about every way. Klugetown was a rickety makeshift city made from old rotted wood haphazardly built between a number of cliffs and canyons, somehow defying all laws of probability by still being around to this very day. Its citizens were monstrous, figuratively and literally, and you had to watch yourself at every twist and turn to keep from getting robbed blind in the overly crowded narrow streets. And that was if the citizens, and the local crime families, liked you.

Ponyville, on the contrary, seemed to be a much warmer and inviting place. The streets, for one thing, were designed to actually accommodate a large number of people, allowing for a significantly higher amount of personal space. The citizens also didn't stare down Twilight like she was a piece of meat to be chopped and sold, for aside from a few momentary glances she was mostly ignored. Just a normal pony walking through a normal pony village. A few brows were raised by her choice in attire, but no one seemed to care that much as to investigate.

Twilight spent a bit of time just wandering about, getting a mental map of the town in her head for future reference. Knowing where the marketplace and a few other stores were was the biggest priority, and it seemed Pinkie wasn't the only kindhearted soul in this town. There was a small number of ponies more than willing to offer her some directions after noticing the cloaked pony wandering around for a bit. While she hadn't asked for help, it was appreciated all the same. It made getting to the next priority item on her to-do list all the faster: finding a place to stay for a night or two.

And funnily enough, that had been even easier. The last thing Pinkie had said to her was a recommendation for a place called the Bedrock Inn. An odd name for a hotel, but certainly more creative of a name than "Ponyville," in Twilight's honest opinion. An appropriate name for a village of ponies, if a bit on the nose. Though once Twilight set eyes on her possible shelter for the foreseeable future, she found that this name was also perhaps a bit too fitting.

It was one of the newer buildings in the area, towering above most of the other buildings on the Western edge of town at a staggering three stories, still stylized to match the same architectural structures of the rest of the town, but with a few notable differences to befit the obvious aesthetic. The building had been painted in entirely cold colors such as deep faded blues and dark greys, all colors that could be found on common stones and rocks. Each of the building's four corners was decorated with support beams that were made of lovingly stacked cobblestone bricks, something entirely unique to this building. Next to the main entrance was a decently sized rock garden, which seemed to be going under some form of maintenance by an earth pony comprised entirely of grey hues. This mare was clearly an employee of the hotel, based on the apron and the nametag bearing the name Marble. She was clearly engaged by her work, so Twilight didn't see much need to bother her. It was a public establishment, she didn't need permission to enter. As she approached the large double doors that served as the entrance, she took notice of the large oak carved sign that sat just above. This one reading Bedrock Inn, as expected.

A rock-themed hotel, Twilight couldn't help but chortle to herself at the thought, walking through the building's threshold. Now I've seen everything... probably. Silently hoping she hadn't jinxed herself out of seeing anything else as novel as this place on her journies, she reached out with her magic and pushed the doors open.

The interior of the building wasn't all that different from any other inn she had stayed at. The main foyer was home to a few stray chairs and couches for waiting, as well as a large unoccupied receptionist desk towards the back of the room. The walls were lined with paintings of various sizes, all of which depicted a wide array of mountains and interesting rock formations. The exterior motif also extended into the inside, proven by a similar cool paint job. The only contrasting color was the dark wine red carpet that covered the entirety of the floor. The next thing Twilight was greeted to upon stepping through the threshold was the smell. Twilight was practically bombarded by the warm and unmistakable scent of some type of stew. The mingled aroma of potato, white and green onions, carrots, celery, and a number of other tantalizing ingredients all mixed together into a satisfying symphony that called out to Twilight's growing hunger. Following her eager nose, her head turned sharply to the left, revealing the entrance to what looked to be a large eating area. The sounds of various ponies talking over their meals could be heard from beyond the opening. It was clear that this establishment also served as a restaurant, and for good reason of that aroma was anything to believe. But now was not the time for eating, and Twilight had to force herself to continue on towards the main desk. Shelter for the night came first, then she could stuff her face. 

Upon reaching the wooden countertop, Twilight rung a small service bell to no immediate response. Whoever worked this desk must've been on break, a fact that only served to further delay Twilight's meal and rest. Sighing in frustration, Twilight began to do the only thing she could: observe her environment as she waited. As her eyes further scanned the room, a blotch of a much brighter color caught her eye, prompting her to focus on the only painting that didn't seem to be rock-themed. Hanging on the wall behind the counter, it was quite clearly a family portrait of the owners. An older mare and stallion alongside four young fillies. Every pony in the painting featured dull, almost rock-like colors, much like the young mare who Twilight had seen just outside the building. In fact, one of these young ponies was clearly that same mare, based on the exact dull hues. One of the fillies stuck out in an almost comedically contradictory fashion, however, featuring two very familiar shades of pink, an equally recognizable poofy mane and a smile almost as bright as the sun itself. There was no mistaking it: Twilight had met this very pony earlier this day.

That explains the recommendation, Twilight chuckled to herself. Family business.

"Welcome to the Bedrock Inn," a monotone voice suddenly began, cutting Twilight off from her appreciation of the portrait. She quickly looked to who had addressed her, taking note that this was also one of the fillies from the painting, though obviously older. The earth mare's light grey coat and dull purple mane were accented rather nicely by a simple pale blue dress decorated only with a nametag with the word Maud written on it. "Where our service is faaaaaar from rock bottom," she continued with a tone and expression lacking any noteworthy amount of emotion, "How may I help you?" 

Even her attempt at a joke was dry and dull. Despite the delivery, the "joke" was still enough to cause Twilight a deep physical and emotional pain. She could have sworn she felt herself give ever more into entropy at that moment, hastening her departure from the mortal coil if ever so slightly. Even still, the cloaked pony did her best to keep her composure and pain hidden. Twilight had been raised to be many things, a rude pony was not one of them.

"I'm guessing you're from out of town?" The stone-faced pony asked after a short silence, leaning ever so slightly to take a look at Twilight's bags. "Room for one I'm guessing?"

She doesn't waste any time, does she? Twilight commented internally, lightly clearing her throat before continuing. "Yes. That'll be fine."

"Awesome," Maud replied with the exact same level of enthusiasm, "Quick question. Did Pinkie Pie send you?"

If she hadn't been in a public space, Twilight would have done an overly exaggerated and downright cartoonish double-take. There was no way this mare could have known about the meeting with Pinkie Pie earlier today unless she had somehow managed to get back here before Twilight did. And while not impossible, it was highly improbable.

"... Yes?" Twilight slowly responded, not quite sure of what to make of the situation.

"Wait here please." Maud walked off without another word leaving Twilight to wonder the significance of what was to come. It was clear that there was something going on here. A sinking feeling that something sinister was going on suddenly struck, paranoia beginning to get the better of her and causing her thoughts to wander. Everyone she had met in this town so far had been nice, but perhaps a bit too nice? Memories of a book Twilight had read in the past suddenly came rushing back to her, telling the tale of a secluded village in the woods that welcomed all comers with open arms and wide smiles only to roast them alive in a giant wicker-pony to appease a spirit of agriculture in hopes of a better harvest. Maybe that's why the name Everfree Forest rang a bell? Maybe the tree had somehow transferred her into the world of that fictional story? Preposterous for sure, but what if?

Twilight's questions were answered all at once as Maud returned, placing what looked to be a large fruit basket onto the countertop. "Welcome to Ponyville, from Pinkie Pie," Maud's expression was still as plain as ever, "Enjoy your stay."

... That's it? Twilight asked herself, looking to the basket with equal parts caution and curiosity. "A... fruit... basket?"

The dull-colored mare slowly glanced downward at the basket of fruits as if to confirm the question. "Yes. A fruit basket," Maud elaborated as she looked back to the hotel's newest guest, "Please don't take it too personally. She does this for everyone who passes through the town. The backroom is filled with them."

The curious look was shifted back to Maud. "... Really?"

"Yep. She used to throw parties, but it got frustrating whenever someone left before she could finish planning everything out. So she switched to fruit baskets. I give them out when she isn't here."

Maud had spoken as if that was a completely normal statement. Throwing parties for complete strangers? That didn't make any sense. Who in their right mind would take the time and resources to throw a party for someone who was just passing through? The fruit basket thing was slightly more believable, slightly being the keyword.

"Sorry about the wait, here's your room key," Maud suddenly placed a simple tagged key on the countertop in front of Twilight. "Second floor. Last room on the right. We charge ten bits per night."

It took Twilight a moment to process all of that, alongside the sudden fruit basket, but she quickly complied and gave the stone-faced mare enough bits to cover three nights. After being thanked for her patronage, and being reminded to take her basket, Twilight was off towards the large staircase at the back of the open space. Today had certainly been an odd one, but a least now she could finally follow in Spike's lead and relax.


--- — ---


The door to the room was open and shut with intense speed, Twilight taking the time to click on the lights and admire the first proper room she had been in for several weeks. It was simplistically furnished, with a plain-looking bed, dresser, and nightstand. There was also a painting hanging just above the mentioned dresser, and like those found in the lobby, it was a painting of rocks. Other than that, there wasn't much else to say about the room outside of the full body mirror and the... back door? 

Twilight found herself to be highly curious as to what this second door was for. Placing her fruit basket and saddlebags onto the bed, relieved at the sudden lack of weight on her back, she approached the slightly ajar door. Pushing it open with a hoof, what Twilight saw within was enough to bring her to tears.

A bathroom.

Not much of one, in all honesty. It consisted only of a small shower/tub combo, a toilet, and a sink in an admittedly cramped space, but it was a bathroom. She honestly couldn't remember the last time she had a bathroom all to herself... and Spike. It was a wonderful, magical feeling that could not be described by mere mortal words. But Twilight's euphoria was suddenly interrupted with the click of her bag's latch, the fabric rustling about as the secret passenger within slowly crawled out with a loud yawn.

"Uuuuggghhh... Twilight? Where are we?" The drowsy dragon slowly scanned the room as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes. He was clearly still half asleep, but still aware enough to know they had moved a considerable distance during his slumber.

"A town... err, an inn to be specific," Twilight explained as she strolled over to the window and peered out to the village outside. Glancing out the window revealed a number of ponies moving about the town, and she also took notice of the sky and how it had begun to transition from its traditional blue shade into a more orange hue. A familiar sign that the sun had begun to set. With a wave of her horn, the curtains of the window were drawn shut. Despite being on the second floor, Twilight wanted to maintain her and Spike's privacy. She had noticed a number of pegasi were inhabitants of this country town, so it was better to be safe than sorry. "I ran into somebody in the woods who gave me directions."

"Really? That's lucky..." Spike yawned again, stretching out in a very cat-like fashion. Being curled up in a bag for the better part of the day had clearly taken a toll on the young dragon's body. "Wait... what kind of town?"

Twilight turned her attention to the door, taking a moment to examine the woodwork. "It's a pony village, unfortunately," she answered as she eyed the entrance. "But we have our own bathroom. So there's—"

"THBPBPTHPT," Spike interjected loudly, burring his head down into the pillow as he did. Ponies didn't tend to react well to the young dragon just showing up, mostly because of the fact that despite his many abnormalities, he was still quite recognizable as a dragon. Most ponies didn't think very highly of the fire-breathing reptiles, mostly because of their anti-social and rather territorial behavior. So Spike chose to remain hidden during their stays in pony territory, mostly just to avoid the hassle of it all. He didn't mind all that much, he wasn't exactly a social butterfly with many individuals outside of Twilight anyway. The only difference was that he couldn't just pop out of nowhere like he normally did. A minor inconvenience at best, but still an inconvenience.

Twilight mostly ignored the rude sound that Spike had made with his tongue, instead choosing to focus on her current task. The door seemed to be sturdy enough, the material wouldn't block all sound but it would prove enough to muffle anything of a reasonable decibel. But Twilight was a pony who enjoyed privacy and silence, and thankfully magic was very good at providing those things. A quick flash of light from her horn had then caused the wooden barrier to glow for a short few seconds.

"There we go!" She exclaimed happy, clearly proud of her work. The spell she had just cast had two simple yet distinctive purposes: firstly, almost no sound could get in or out. Any overly loud noises from the restaurant downstairs would never reach their ears as long as the door was closed. And nobody would be able to overhear Twilight and Spike conversing with one another. After all, Twilight had checked into a room for one. It'd be a mite suspicious if someone overheard her and Spike conversing with one another. And the fewer questions that were asked, the better it would be for both of them. The only sound that could get through the door at this point would be someone knocking on the other side, a tricky modification Twilight had to make after some... issues they had in the past.

The second function of the spell was something of an alarm system, to put it bluntly. If anyone other than her opened that door, Twilight would be alerted almost instantly. A bit of an extreme measure, to be sure, but one could never be too careful. Besides, it wasn't like she couldn't just undo the charm when she made her departure from the town, it wasn't hurting anybody.

"Alright, Spike, we're totally alone now," she explained happily, trotting to the center of the room with a grin. "You can do what you want now." Twilight began to magically fidget with the clasp of her cloak. The thing was always so easy to get on, but the clasp had a way of sticking when locked that made removing it a bit tricky. The small oddly shaped dragon, meanwhile, drug his face out from the pillow with a slow groan. Lightly smacking his face a few times to help wake up, he surveyed the room once more to get a better look at where he'd be living for however long Twilight had paid for them to stay. His eyes caught notice of something a bit unusual, even for the two of them, and he slowly approached the oddity with a tilted head and raised a brow.

"... What's with the fruit basket?"

"... Oh, that? It's a long story." Twilight turned back towards the bed, still fidgeting with the harness on her concealing robe. "Don't eat any of it until I check it out. I want to make sure it's safe first."

Spike's deadpan stare spoke volumes about what he was thinking, yet he chose to speak up regardless. "... It's a fruit basket. What could be unsafe about a fruit basket?"

"Who just gives random ponies fruit baskets for walking into town?" Twilight retorted with a grunt, having started to use her forehooves in combination with her magic to try and get this cape off. It was being particularly stubborn today. "A mite suspicious, don't you think?"

"If you say so," the dragon chuckled as he stretched out across the bedspread. It was far more comfortable than the little nests he would make with his bedroll out in the wild, and he was taking full advantage of that fact.

*CLICK*

"Ah-ha! Finally!" Twilight almost squealed with joy as the latch came undone, the cloak being tossed across the room in her excitement to finally get the thing off of her back for a little while, finally letting her stretch out a bit more. As she stretched out her tired joints, a glint of something shiny and silver caught her eye. Confused, she turned towards the source and took notice of the room's mirror. It felt like a long time since Twilight had reflected on herself—literally, in this instance—and she found herself practically entranced by her own reflection.

Staring back at her from the other side of the glass was the same lavender pony she had known her whole life, the familiar mare's two dark purple eyes staring right back at her. The darker shade of violet that made up her mane (and tail, by extension) was accented by a streak of a slightly different shade, which sat right next to a bright streak of magenta. Looking past her head and down to the rest of herself, she caught sight of the source of that silver glint. 

A set of radiant silver-colored light-weight armor decorated her frame separated from her body by an undersuit of thick dark fabric that reached down to cover her hooves, which were also protected by a silver-hued plate. The armor was highlighted and reinforced with darker and sturdier material. The flanks of the set were decorated with a bright magenta insignia of a six-pointed star, the symbol that had come to represent Twilight herself ever since the day she had been branded by destiny. 

It had been quite some time since Twilight had actually looked upon the custom-made suit with her own eyes, yet she instantly remembered when and where she had picked it up. A gift from her older brother just before she departed on her journey, a loving over precaution from a protective and paranoid sibling. The words he spoke about the armor as he gave it to her rang in Twilight's mind, specifically his explanations of the spells he had infused into the protective garb. Virtually indestructible, extremely lightweight, self-cleaning, and able to be magically removed or donned instantly with a simplified teleportation spell. It was the perfect gift for someone about to go on a long journey, and Twilight had been very gracious when she had received it. Thanks to the ease in which it could be removed and equipped, the armor was only either on her person or in her saddlebags with no physical transition in between. And since she spent most of her time underneath that cloak, there was very little reason for her to ever notice its lovingly crafted metalwork. Over time, it had simply become a habit to take it on and off when she needed to. 

The sight of her armor was always enough to bring Twilight's mind back home. Mostly memories of studying, but those she had of her family were still strong. A strong sense of nostalgia came over her as she gently ran an armored hoof against the chest piece, bringing a soft smile to her face. She found herself wondering how things were back home, and honestly considering the idea of backtracking a bit to see her family. But as her curious gaze continued along her body, Twilight was given a reminder of why she even wore the cloak in the first place, and the smile vanished in response. 

A set of wings adorned with lavender feathers, much like those found on a pegasus.

Her brow furrowed and her lips pursed as she unfolded the feathered appendages for closer inspection. They had certainly been the victims of neglect for quite some time now, evident by a few misaligned feathers here and there. Despite being a winged creature, Twilight had never quite been able to figure out how to properly care for them. She had been able to get close enough for her needs, but she was far from a master and it showed. These wings would have certainly been helpful in a number of situations in the past, but you could never know who was watching at any given time. And seeing an alicorn just flying around was bound to raise a number of unwanted questions, prompting Twilight into her current habit of hiding her true nature in public. They were much easier to hide than a horn, and much less useful in her honest opinion.

Maybe I'll finally learn how to properly preen these things... I'm sure there's a book on the subject in town... With that thought, Twilight once more freed a flicker of magic from her horn. And in a blink of light, her protective attire was gone, the only other sign of its existence coming in the form of a brief bout of movement from her saddlebags. She wouldn't be needing the armor in the town and thus could allow her body to breathe a bit.

"Twilight?" Spike spoke up, knocking the alicorn back into reality with a bit of a jolt. "The fruit basket?"

It took Twilight a moment to register what the small dragon meant by that, chuckling through a quick apology before trotting back over to the bed, wings returning neatly to her sides. She proceeded to throw every identification spell she knew at the collection of assorted fruits, only to find that it was indeed a collection of assorted fruits. They hadn't been poisoned, there had been no hexes or curses placed upon them, and they were actually rather fresh. These revelations came as an unexpected yet pleasant surprise to the magic caster, relieving the stress that had come with her wild assumptions about being made a living sacrifice to appease some false idol. Maybe the ponies of this remote little village were just nice people. An odd concept for sure, but far from impossible.

"Alright, Spike, it looks like this stuff's safe to—" She slowly trailed off as she caught sight of what the dragon had been up to while she had been checking their potential food. The small dragon could be seen on the floor, currently rearranging one of their bedrolls into a little nest for himself. Twilight knew exactly why he had chosen to partake in this action, it was their routine whenever they had a bed available. While she couldn't quite recall where or when it had happened, at some point on their travels the two of them had agreed that if there was only one bed available, Twilight would be the one to get it. The line of reasoning was that Twilight was the one carrying all the weight of their supplies, and sometimes all the weight of a growing baby dragon, so it only seemed fair to both of them. After that, Twilight hadn't really put much thought into the arrangement. They didn't exactly check into hotels most nights anyway. Usually, they were sleeping under the stars or in a cave.

But tonight, seeing this familiar sight gave Twilight pause. Or perhaps it was just the sight of Spike in general, she honestly couldn't tell at this point. Her mind began racing with images and sounds from earlier in the day. The intensive roars and attacks from the red dragon, the haphazard escape that almost ended in tragedy, how timid Spike had been after the whole ordeal. These factors combined with his previous declaration of no longer wanting to find dragons only served to further the sense of worry Twilight had for him. There wasn't any way to tell at the moment if today's events would have any long-lasting effects, but one way or another, Spike had just gone through what was without a doubt the most difficult day in his young life. Her immediate reaction was to do something to try and make up for what had happened today. Give him something to improve his mood, even if it didn't seem like his mood was poor at the moment. And thankfully, she knew just what to do.

"Hey, Spike..." Twilight paused for a moment, giving the young dragon ample time to notice her. "... I was just thinking that maybe you should take the bed for a few nights. I always get it, so you should get a turn." The inscrutable expression that Spike donned at that moment was the stuff of legends and could have easily inspired an entire generation of artists if anyone other than Twilight had been here to witness it. 

"... Who are you and what have you done with the real Twilight?"

The alicorn found herself scoffing at the accusation, despite her current mood, as she began to properly layout the bedroll for her own use. "Oh come on, don't be like that."

The serpent-like reptile glanced up with a seemingly worried look. "I don't know... I was asleep for a pretty long time..." He took two initiatives steps backward. "You could be a... a... uhh..." He paused for a moment, his eyes darting to and fro across the floor as if searching for the right word.

"A changeling?"

"Yeah! One of those!" Spike looked elated that his comrade had figured out what he had been trying to say. That elation was quick to snap back to his pensive and suspicious expression. "So, are you?" 

Twilight noticeably laughed at his bluff, turning to the young dragon with a sly grin and a single raised brow. "Spike. Do you honestly think someone could have stolen my bags, while you were in them for the record, and gotten this far?"

The small dragon raised a single claw in protest, looking as if he were about to say something, but slowly lowered the extended digit after a moment of thought. "Good point," he added, letting the small chuckle escape. 

"Now, you're going to be sleeping in that bed after we eat," the alicorn gestured towards the bed, "And I'm not taking 'no' for an answer."

"Fine," Spike spoke in an obviously fake whine, leaping up onto the bed with feline-esque grace. Despite his "protests," it was more than obvious that he was overjoyed at this new development. He nimbly burrowed his way under the covers with a childish chortle. 

A sight that brought a smile to Twilight's face, as his antics often did. But even as she watched him create what would be his bed-based-nest for the days to come, a knot in Twilight's stomach began to form. Not from hunger, at least not entirely, but of distress. She couldn't help but come back to the conclusion that something was wrong with Spike. Twilight couldn't get the images of Spike's distraught expression and shaky words from earlier out of her head. Every sense for logic and reason she had kept telling her that something wasn't quite right. He looked to be fine on the outside, but he could very easily be suppressing what he's actually thinking, intentionally or not. These thoughts continued to well up inside Twilight with no signs of slowing down, thrusting her into a downward spiral of worry and empathy. And as she watched Spike begin to help himself to the basket of assorted fruits, these feelings forced their way out.

"Hey, Spike?" Twilight asked calmly, despite the inner turmoil within.

The long dragon's head quickly snapped around to face her, his snout dripping with the juices of an apple that he had begun to eviscerate. "Yeah?" He asked through a mass of mashed fruit, loudly gulping down the mouthful afterward. "What's up?"

The alicorn had to actively try to not be repulsed by the rude act and did everything in her power to retain a sympathetic and understanding aura. "You know that you can always come and talk to me if something's wrong, right?" The room fell silent, even more so due to the spell that Twilight had cast on the room earlier. There was a moment where the two of them locked eyes, a short moment in reality but it felt like an eternity for the two of them. Spike retained his same expression throughout the experience, only once did he break eye contact as his eyes darted downward for the briefest moment.

"... Yeah, I know. You always looking out for me." He offered Twilight a warm smile before returning to his previous task of viciously mauling and devouring the unluckiest apple in Ponyville.

"Just... a lot happened today, and I want to know if you're doing alright. With the dragon and—" 

Spike practically became a statue at that word, prompting her to cease speaking almost immediately. His gaze slowly glanced down to the horridly mangled apple in his claws. He trembled ever so slightly as he mused over Twilight's offer for closure. He began to shift his gaze back towards the alicorn, his movements slow and drawn out, and he finally made eye contact.

"I'm... fine," He explained, almost whimpering. If Twilight had been worried before, she was a paranoid wreck right now. It took an insane amount of will power for her to maintain a semblance composure, as to not further alarm her dear friend. Yet Spike's expression suddenly changed without any provocation. No longer a look of fear and anxiety, he returned to a more neutral look, one that was more akin to what Twilight was used to seeing from him, a smile and everything. "I just... it's in the past. Let's just move on." Without another word, he continued to stuff his face with the mangled apple.

Twilight's scream would have leveled the building if she had chosen to vocalize it instead of keeping it internal. The alicorn couldn't exactly blame him for wanting to move on, she wanted to do the same, even if it was more then obvious he needed to talk right now. But at the same time, she couldn't force him to talk. Prying any further at this point could only make things worse, she assumed. It was clear that Spike was going to need time to digest what had happened. Despite his age, he was fairly intelligent, thanks to his time with Twilight. He knew that he could confide in Twilight when he was ready, and Twilight would be ready to listen when that time came. With a slow and heavy exhale, the lavender alicorn lit up her horn again and began to go through her saddlebags.

"Try not to fill up on fruit, Spike," Twilight said through a tired sigh as she mystically dug through her belongings. Soon after, the items of her desire were drawn forth: the first was nothing special, just a simple silver spoon that had been clearly bent out of, and back into, shape a number of times. The second, however, was a curious item. A large, dark blue colored ceramic bowl, the interior of which was lined with shallow carvings of various runes. "I'm going to go get us some dinner." With that, she placed the eating utensils onto the nightstand and made her way for the exit.

"Uhh, Twilight?" Spike called out just as Twilight was about to open the door, "Forgetting something?" It took a moment for Twilight to figure out what he meant, chuckling at herself as she realized her mistake. Quickly returning her concealing cloak to her frame, Twilight thanked the dragon for his assistance as she left. She didn't bother redonning her armor, however. For it wouldn't be needed for the acquisition of that delicious smelling stew downstairs.


--- — ---


A nice hot meal, a secluded table towards the back of the Bedrock Inn's eating area, and a tall glass of ice cold cider.

These were luxuries that weren't often available in the life of a traveler. Most meals were to be had in makeshift camps along roads, in forests, or where ever else a temporary shelter could be made. And even then, most of these meals were of a more basic variety. Quick simple recipes that could easily put an end to hunger, but weren't anything spectacular. This stew that was being served at the Bedrock Inn, however? The polar opposite in every meaning of the phrase. 

The thick brothy concoction filled the massive bowl it was served into the brim, the slightest of movements being enough to cause some of it to spill onto the wooden table beneath. Neatly diced vegetables were currently working on absorbing as much of the residual liquid as possible, however, giving the meal a surprising amount of color. By no means was it a gourmet meal, but based on the aroma alone, Twilight could tell that the pony they had working the kitchen here put no end of effort into his or her profession.

And while Twilight would have been more than happy to reward the chef by fully enjoying her meal, she had a baby dragon to feed upstairs. Thankfully over the course of their travels, the cloaked alicorn had mastered the art of finding ways to sneak food to Spike with ease. Even from great distances, such as in this instance. Looking around the restaurant with cautious eyes, she was quickly able to confirm that there were currently no eyes on her at the moment. Not wanting to waste this opportunity, Twilight's attention returned to her meal. And as she closed her eyes in concentration, her horn began to flicker and glow with arcane light.

The stew itself began to react to her magic, several spots atop the uneven surface of the meal beginning to light up. These points of light took on different forms and shapes, each one shifting to match one of the runes carved into the ceramic bowl she left upstairs. Once the runes were in place, they seemingly began to push down against the foodstuff in the bowl. To an outside observer, they would be witness to an odd sight: the thick soup was seemingly vanishing into the bowl, the top of it sinking deeper and deeper past the brim. Meanwhile, if one were to observe the bowl that had been left upstairs, they would be seeing the opposite as the soup began to materialize in the dish.

The answer to the conundrum was simple enough: just a basic transference spell, modified for Twilight and Spike's needs. Once her bowl had been emptied to about half of what she had started with, Twilight ceased the transport and looked upon her now diminished meal. While much less than what she had started with, it looked to be hearty enough to satisfy the day's hunger. For a moment she considered the possibility if she had sent Spike to much, but it was fine. She could always finish off whatever he didn't when she got back to the room, so it wasn't like it was going to waste. And thus, with the last bit of responsibility taken care of, for the time being, it was finally time for Twilight to take some much needed time for herself. With the spoon in her magical grasp, no time was wasted in shoveling the brew into her face with great vigor. 

And as expected, it was quite delicious.

"HI, TWILIGHT!" A loud, shrill voice suddenly screamed around halfway through Twilight's meal, dragging the attention of everyone in the area to the location. Upon seeing the source of the outburst, however, the various patrons proceeded to continue on with their business as if nothing had happened. Seems as if this was common behavior from the odd mare around here and something that didn't bother the locals.

Twilight, however, had a slightly different reaction. The sudden shout had caused the currently disguised alicorn to nearly choke on a mouthful of potato, her surprised spasms almost knocking over the glass of cider she had gotten with her meal. A great rage was born within Twilight at that moment, her gaze turning towards whatever unfortunate pony had thought it would be a good idea to interrupt her while she was eating. There was only one possibility of who this could be, as there was only one pony in town who currently knew Twilight's name. 

Pinkie Pie. 

She stood next to Twilight's lone table with a massive grin on her face, a pale bandana doing everything it could to keep the wild curly monstrosity of her mane tied down and out of the way, alongside a matching apron, the earth pony was now adorned in. Much like the other hotel employees, she also had a nametag on, hers reading Pinkie, to the surprise of nobody with higher brain function. It seemed she was currently acting as something akin to a busboy, though clearly with the time on her hooves to stop and speak with Twilight.

Oh. Her again, Twilight commented as the undying fury within her began to settle down. She couldn't exactly act upon her anger at the moment, she had been raised better than that. And while Twilight didn't know this particular pony very well, it was quite obvious that she didn't have any ill intent. So after almost dying from choking, and giving the pink pony a quick acknowledgment in return, Twilight returned to her meal after a few quick gulps of cider to ease her now slightly aching throat. Pinkie's expression, meanwhile, changed from the seemingly unwavering smile. Her eyes narrowed ever so slightly as the corners of her mouth dropped ever so slightly, matching the decent of her ears.

"Oh, sorry," Pinkie softly spoke—almost whispered, even—with just a twinge of guilt present in her voice, "I have trouble controlling the volume of my voice when I'm excited. I'm working on it, I promise!"

Well, at least she's aware of it. "Well... thanks, I guess," Twilight muttered back before continuing to eat. The pink pony, however, wasn't quite done with her yet it seemed. For she was very quick in pulling up the second stool from the table and taking a seat, an earnest smile plastered over her face the entire time.

"Did Maud give you the fruit basket? She always says she'll give 'em out when I'm not here, but there's been more than one occasion where she's forgotten. And I don't want anybody to be left out and not get a fruit basket. It's no party, but fruit baskets are still nice!" Her words were quick and cluttered, and it took Twilight a moment to even process what had been said.

"... Oh, yeah... thanks for that," Twilight muttered through half-chewed stew before gulping it down and continuing, "Never got a prize for walking into a town before. Not complaining, but it was a bit weird." 

"You know, you'd be surprised by how often I don't hear that," Pinkie explained with a giggle, "Most ponies either just take them without question, or go and think everyone in town is part of some crazy cult that's out to get 'em!" She paused for a moment, placing a hoof to her chin with a quizzical look. "It's never anything else... it's always one or the other of those two very specific reactions. Weird."

"Heh, well there's a first time for everything," Twilight chose to ignore the fact that a very similar idea had come to her own head not even an hour ago when she had received her gift. Instead, she opted to take a large swig of cider to wash down some of that hearty meal.

"Yeah. But the ponies-thinking-there's-a-cult thing only happens, like, one in every fifty times a new pony comes into town," Pinkie returned to a happy expression and waved her hoof nonchalantly, "Not enough to be worried about, but enough to be noticeable." There was a slight lull in the conversation, Pinkie not saying anything while Twilight continued to eat. The hotel worker's expression slowly began to waver as the silence dragged on. "... I'm sorry, am I bothering you?"

Twilight nearly coughed up her current bite at that. Well, if you're just going to say it outright, she commented to herself as she recovered from the shock.

"I mean, you were eating, and then I just kind of waltzed on up and started talking to you, and you have this look on your face that just screams 'I'd rather be anywhere else right now, please for the love of the Sun just kill me now and get it over with,' and—" Pinkie continued to list off various aspects of the current situation, her words growing faster and faster until there was no clear indication of when one started and another ended.

"Pinkie!" Twilight suddenly barked, prompting the rambling pony to cease her chattering and return her attention to the disguised alicorn. "It's fine. I don't mind." That statement was only partially true. After the day Twilight had gone through, she just wanted some time to relax and ruminate with herself. But at the same time, the pink pony's company wasn't entirely unbearable. At the very least, it was just nice to have some noise to distract her from some of the lesser points in the day.

"Oh, thank goodness," Pinkie let out a massive sigh of relief, "For a moment there, I thought I was being a nuisance."

You kind of are, but whatever. Twilight continued to enjoy her meal as she kept that comment internalized. She was a patient mare, and this wasn't the first time she had dealt with an individual like Pinkie. Pinkie was definitely the most intense out of all of them, but it wasn't unbearable. 

"So, where're you from?" The question was quick and direct, coming straight out of left field and slamming into Twilight like a freight train. "Probably from somewhere really far away, right?"

The metal spoon was left stranded in Twilight's mouth as she blankly stared back at the smiling pony, bewildered at the odd change in subject. Did she really just ask that? What business was it of hers? Why did she need to know? These were simply a few of the questions passing through Twilight's head at the moment as she continued to glare at the earth pony now sitting before her. The body language was either unnoticed or ignored entirely, however, as Pinkie's smile refused to falter. If anything, the anticipation caused by Twilight's silence only seemed to pique her curiosity more, her bright blue eyes practically glowing at this point.

It'll be faster to just play along, Twilight realized as she withdrew the silverware from her mouth. "Canterlot," she answered dryly before returning to her meal. 

"... Oh, the capital!" Pinkie realized aloud, her expression somehow growing brighter in turn. "And since you came into town from the South... you must be on your way home!" Twilight had initially ignored the earth pony's reaction. It was not unlike other reactions she had gotten from ponies when she mentioned her previous place of permanent residence. Though indifference was replaced by curiosity when the words "your way home" were spoken. That was not part of the typical reaction she got in the few instances the celestial city had been brought up.

"I'm sorry... what did you say?" The question was awkward, intelligently spoken. Rightfully so, considering the disguised alicorn's confusion.

"...Oh, the capital?"

"After that."

"Since you came into town from the South, you must be—"

Twilight was actually starting to get frustrated now. "Okay. Let me rephrase the question. What did you mean?"

"... Oh. Canterlot. It's just North of Ponyville," Pinkie Pie either didn't notice or didn't care about how Twilight fumbled over her words, "It'll take you a while to get back if you walk. But if you take the train, it'll only take three days!"

It'll only take three days...

The words echoed in Twilight's head like the bells of a great cathedral as a hefty realization struck her. By sheer dumb luck, the tree had managed to spit her out this close to home, and she hadn't even noticed. The weight of this development bore heavy on Twilight's mind, bringing up thoughts and memories that hadn't been brought to the surface in quite a long time. So close to home, yet oh so far away.

A deep sigh escaped from Twilight at that moment as she processed this new discovery. Quickly thanking the smiling earth pony for the advice, she swiftly finished the cider she had ordered alongside her meal. Afterward, she simply stood up and began to walk away. Once more showing either ignorance or indifference to the situation, the pink pony gave a heartfelt goodbye and goodnight before beginning to clean up the table. The kind words were lost on the magical pony as she slowly trudged up the stairs back towards her room. Today had been quite the long day, and this latest event was the icing on that particular cake. There was much to digest, both in her head and in her belly. 

And as she used the room key to enter her rented abode, yet another hurdle was added to the list. A young serpent-like dragon laying on the floor, groaning in agony whilst massaging his midsection with his foreclaws. The cause of the problem was clear as day, as there was a suspiciously empty bowl of stew sitting next to him, alongside a fruit basket that seemed significantly less fruity then Twilight remembered.

All she could do was shake her head slowly, a cocky grin coming over her face. "I told you not to fill up on fruit," she jokingly chastised at Spike's overdramatization of a bellyache.