//------------------------------// // Hospitality // Story: D.N.A: Damn Not Again // by Chemtest //------------------------------// Chem rushes his way through Ponyville, sending Cerberus on a different path to trick any who might try to track him. He moves through allyways, using the material from trash bags to have a long, black coat obscure him. He blends in well enough, and he hides behind a dumpster. Time passes, and eventually an hour has gone by. The moon hangs in the sky, and the only ponies on the streets are guards with lanterns, searching for him. He stands from the dumpster, and sheds his coat. He instead uses the material on his hooves, so that he may be silent as he sneaks past the guards. He rushes down ally after ally, the interconnectedness of inner Ponyville making it easy. However, he suddenly stops as he sees the light of a lantern start to get brighter. He dives behind a dumpster as a guard passes by, who manages to hear his scampering in the corner. She holds up her lantern, and walks into the ally. She especially hurries as she sees a blue glow from behind the dumpster, akin to how the Princess described the stallion’s magic. She flies around the corner, holding her lantern out, and drawing her sword. She prepares to attack, only to see nothing but a trash bag on the ground. She stares at the trash, waiting for any sign of movement from inside. Her ears perk, listening for the slightest rustle. After a minute, she finally sighs, and walks away, “Must have been my paranoia.” Chem waits two minutes more before shedding the trash bag disguise. He gets up, and quickly rushes to the clock store he spotted when spying on Berry Punch’s place before. He makes it without further incident, and looks around to see not a single guard mare in sight. He knocks five times, loud and clear. A tan stallion answers the door, a green bow tie hastily thrown onto his neck, and his spiky brown hair not combed. He smiles, “Yes?” Chem looks in his eyes, the two different shades of blue meeting another, “Do you have directions to Eternity?” The stallion waves him in, “Get in, before the guard spot you.” He shuts the door behind Chem, and smiles, “So, we have a new member? Wonderful! Oh, I’m Time Turner, by the way.” A grey pegasus mare walks down the stairs, her golden eyes looking in different directions, and her yellow hair combed, “Who is it, Timey?” Time Turner smiles, “A new member of our group, apparently!” He looks back at Chem, “Oh, uh, what is your name, exactly?” Chem smiles, “My name is Chem Patton, although I ask you just call me Chem.” Turner smiles, “Good, good! Well, this over here is Derpy, she’s part of the group and is my beloved marefriend. Oh, you arrived just in time! We were just preparing to go to the meeting at Fancy’s!” Derpy smiles, “We still are preparing, so go and fix up that hair, Turner.” She looks at Chem, and balks at the grey color of his coat, “You haven’t had a bath in a long time, have you?” Chem nods, “Can’t say I have, been to busy running and drinking. What, don’t like the Confederate Grey color?” Derpy shakes her head, “Well that’s unacceptable. We couldn’t just allow you to continue to go on with so much dirt all over you! Timey, get the bath ready!” Time Turner nods, and rushes off, “We going to need extra warm for this?” Derpy nods, “I doubt that grime will come off easily.” Chem smiles, “No, no, you really don’t need to do anything for me. I am perfectly fine staying how I am.” She shakes her head, “And what kind of pony would I be if I didn’t clean you up?” Chem nods, “A good one for making the offer to begin with. So, really, I’m fine.” Derpy smiles, “Fine just isn’t good enough for our guest. You will take a bath, and you will feel good, then you can go see the others with a brilliantly shining coat!” Chem nods, “You aren’t letting me say no, are you?” Derpy nods right on back, “Come on, we’ve got the bath drawn already.” Time Turner pokes his head out of a room, “You got that shampoo and conditioner Rarity uses?” Derpy smiles, “In the right side of the cabinet.” Chem shakes his head, “You really don’t have to use any type of special product.” Derpy looks back at him, her eyes leaving no argument, “We are going to see what color your coat truly is, no matter the cost.” Time Turner pokes his head out again, grasping the shampoo bottle in his hoof, “Your coat seems a lot like if Rarity’s got dirty, and she manages to keep that pure white. So if we use this, we’ll get that nice white shine she has.” Derpy nods, “We are not going to stop until you shine.”