“So Mom, can Inaba stay for dinner?” Rosy asked
“You’re new friend can stay for as long as she likes.”
Rosy and I turned around to see a red furred unicorn mare walk into the study. Her mane was pulled back into a tight no-nonsense bun and whether it was natural or a result of age her mane had become the color of fresh snow. Her eyes were what caught my attention though. They were shining metallic silver. She walked past and I saw her cutie mark was grinning cartoon sun.
“I’m Sunny Smiles. Blue, Rosy, would the two of you go and help with the bags?”
“Okay, Granma.” The door closed as they left
“Pretty smooth, getting them to leave like that so you and I could speak alone.”
She grinned “This old mare has more than a few tricks left up her sleeves, not that I have any sleeves at the moment. Just like you, I can see three other shapes around you. Well, I can see one of them and most of a two others.”
“I’m sorry but what do you mean?” I hoped she was joking
She sighed “I know you are very different because these eyes of mine see things no-one else can. Long ago our family was responsible for hunting down shape shifters and criminals who stole certain, dangerous, things from places they shouldn’t have been able to get into. Now those few of us who are left have largely been forgotten, or relegated to Search and Rescue duties.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.”
“It’s alright, S and R is still very important.”
“If you don’t mind my asking, what do you see?”
“The only one I can see clearly looks like the Queen’s Rook on that chess board over there. One of them is just very tall so I can’t all of it, and the other…well it’s really just an outline so I couldn’t tell you what it is, just that its shorter than the rabbit and taller than you are now.”
Everything she said seemed right. She could see me as Antylamon and if I was right the tallest one was Cherubimon. Even though it wasn’t part of the deal I was still a Digimon and as Antylamon could theoretically digivolve to the highest level. So that just left the outline, it was either whatever is supposed to be between Lopmon and Antylamon, or it was a remnant of my human form.
“Do the things you can see ever bother you?”
“Oh they did at first, but after a few months I got used to it and learned how to sort out the dangers from everything else. They, along with this chessboard, were gifts given to my ancestors by the queen of a very bizarre land. Judging by your appearance and presence on the board it’d wager that you are somehow linked to her.”
“I am.” I was about to tell her how I got here when she interrupted me
“You needn’t tell me your story yet. Right now I think it is more important for you to know as much about current events as possible. When Discord had his brief freedom several months ago the first pieces appeared on the board, a Griffin and a Diamond Dog. Soon after word reached my ears that Wethoof’s hydra problem had been solved by the intervention of a strange Diamond Dog. Less than a week later reports and wanted posters came in for one Griffin the Griffin who is wanted for piracy. After that the reports were coming in to quickly to keep track of everything.” She shook her head “I just don’t know what to make of it and with the Dragon Migration fast approaching I cannot spare time to puzzle it out.”
“Sorry to sound rude but, shouldn’t you be retired?”
She gave me a wan smile “I was for a time. When I was young I worked as an Interviewer/Interrogator for The Marshalls. That’s how I met my husband, Cold Front; he was a witness in an important case and had to be placed under protection.”
“And with your special eyes made you the best choice, right?”
“Well, not the best, but under the circumstances yes. We hit it off, the case was finished in a few weeks and within six months we were married. He worked for the Severe Weather Dispersal Unit; they’re in charge of preventing dangerous weather coming from the Everfree Forest. We had Blue Serenade, and when she got old enough for a foal of her own we retired. About two years later I was contacted by The Mancers. The Mancers do research into new technology both magical and non-magical. They also heard about some of the more…interesting things my family has come across through the years and were interested in studying some of them, with supervision of course.”
“Of course, don’t want people, I mean ponies, you don’t know examining family heirlooms without someone to watch them.”
“Exactly, the things we have discovered since then have allowed Trottingham to prosper as a city. Naturally some of the things we have discovered are locked away for various reasons. Other things we have left untouched out of fear for what they might be capable of. Over the years I’ve worked my way up the ranks and I’m currently in the head of The Mancers, and though most of them are retired I still have friends who work for or with The Marshalls.”
“Maybe I could help ya’ll identify some of the things you’re unsure about, tell you what is and isn’t truly dangerous.”
She nodded “That would nice; sometimes a new perspective is all you need to solve a problem.”
“What would be nice dear?” asked bass voice asked
While we talked we had moved and sat down next to the chessboard with door at our backs. I looked over my shoulder and saw the Pegasus that must be Cold Front. When he was young he would have been in excellent shape and even in old age he was still covered in thick muscles. His coat was storm cloud grey and his cutie mark was a blue line with triangles pointing towards his head. His mane was either cut incredibly short or had all fallen out and though his tail had mostly faded to grayish white there were still streaks of sky blue in it.
“Inaba is interested in helping me with work.” She nuzzled him as he sat next to her
“Is at so? Well, maybe you can discover something that no pony has ever discovered before.”
Rosy hadn’t been lying when she said her Grandparents would talk my ears off. I learned a lot about the city’s history just from listening to them. It was the second oldest city left in Equestria and currently the second most populous. The city had been many things in its lifetime, military base, trade hub, tourist trap, you name it. It was when they were explaining the finer points of the city’s infrastructure that I realized I had been in this world for more than twenty four hours and not once been to the bathroom, despite eating two small meals and having several glasses of water. As if it was some kind of evil trigger phrase I suddenly found myself desperately having to pee.
“Um, sorry to interrupt, but I need to use the bathroom.”
“Have you been given a full tour of the house yet?” Cold Front asked
“No, Rosy and I came straight back here to the study.”
“Well then,” he stood up “we’ll just have to make the bathroom the first stop then won’t we.”
After using the bathroom and finishing the tour it was time for dinner. I don’t know what I was expecting for dinner but I was pleasantly surprised to find out that it was salad; romaine lettuce, fruits, sunflower seeds, and most surprising of all hardboiled egg. After using a fork to eat salad for twenty years it was very strange to eat it with my fingers, and without any sort of dressing. Rosy was talking about her school day and how some of her classmates were picking on her because she had yet to earn her cutie mark. I had plenty of experience with being bullied and decided to give her some advice.
“The easiest way to throw them off is to take it as compliment.” I told her “For a long time I was picked on for various reasons. After a while I realized if they were normal and being normal meant I had to be truly mean to people I either didn’t know or barely knew. Then I’d rather be weird, because it was more fun, I could be relatively nice to people, and most importantly I could be myself. If people couldn’t accept me for who I really was, then they weren’t real friends.”
There was silence for a few seconds “That’s pretty deep to be coming from a child.” Cold Front said
Before I could respond Grey Main walked and bee lined for Blue Serenade, with my strong ears I was able to hear what they whispered about.
“Ms. Blue, he is back again and is refusing to leave without first speaking to you. I have so far been able to prevent him from forcing his way in.”
She huffed “Fine, I’ll go deal with him.” She stood up “Excuse me everyone but I have to take care of something.”
She left heading in the direction of the front door. Everyone resumed eating and talking as Grey Main cleared away her dishes. If I strained I could barely make out the sound of talking in the front of the house. When nopony was looking I slipped out of the room following the sound of talking to reach the front door. Blue was talking to a unicorn stallion with arctic blue eyes and an amber mane. He wore a black collar with gold buttons and a blue bowtie. It took moment to before I realized it was Prince Blueblood.
“I’m telling you Blue, I’ve changed!” He said “I’ll buy you anything, anything you want or ever could want!”
She shook her head “You haven’t changed at all if you think money can buy love. Now that you’ve seen me it’s time for you to leave.”
“Please Blue, I’m just asking you for one more chance! I’m on my knees begging you!” and he was to
She groaned “No, you used up your last chance ten years ago when you found out I was pregnant and tried to talk me into getting rid of the foal instead of doing the proper thing.”
I decided now would be a good time to interject. They had decided I was a kid so I went with that. I let my ears drag on the ground behind me and put on a look that clearly said “help me I’m lost”. Just ask anyone who buys a puppy or kitten, cuteness can be used as a powerful weapon. I walked out from behind the corner and into Prince Blueblood’s view; he was so busy looking at Blue that he failed to notice me.
I spoke timidly “Ms. Blue?”
She turned around and her look softened “Inaba, I told you just call me Blue, is something wrong?”
I tilted my head and put a claw to my lip “Who are you talking to?”
She interrupted him before he could speak “This is Prince Blueblood.”
Blink twice “That’s nice, is he somepony important?”
“Not really, he is well connected but as far as I know he doesn’t do anything. Did you hear us talking and come up here?”
“I’m standing right here you know!”
We ignored him “No, ma’am, you haven’t told me where I’m sleeping yet.” not truly a lie but not really the truth
“Blue, what- I mean; who,” he hastily corrected “is this?” he seemed to be repulsed by me, racist then.
She smiled and levitated me onto her back “This is Inaba, she’s an evacuee who will be staying with here until she can find or afford a place of her own. I thought it would be a good idea to have you sleep in Rosy’s room. It’ll be just like a sleepover.”
“Blue, I’ll be in town for at least the next week. I’m staying at the best hotel in town, you know the one. If you don’t come see me I’ll be by again tomorrow with a gift for you.”
We headed back to the dining room. “So, since when are such a needy little child.” Blue teased
“That’s called acting children!” I said in a deep voice “I’ve always wanted to say that even though I can’t remember what it’s from.”
“You looked so adorably cute when I turned around. Promise me you won’t teach that trick to Rosy.”
I smiled “Promise.”
We walked in silence to the back of the mansion where the bedrooms where. Rosy’s room was right in the middle with Blue’s on the left. As we neared the door I could hear the slow even breathing of somepony sleeping. Blue opened the door carefully as I got down. Grey Main had set up a large green cushion and a lightweight pink blanket for me to use as a bed. Truthfully, I would have been happy on the rug with the Mexican Blanket I had in my bag. In the corner I could see light reflecting off of a full length mirror. I curled up on the cushion with blanket draped lightly over me.
“Goodnight Blue and thank you for everything.”
I closed my eyes and heard the door close; as I was falling asleep I thought I felt a hand touch my head. I had been hoping for a nice night with no strange dreams. Unfortunately that was not to be the case. My dreams that night were filled with reflective surfaces and that I sank into and out of and the sound of a bustling city as I chased the white queen from the chessboard in the study. I nearly caught her by her hair band but it turned into a ribbon and she slipped out of my paws.
If you know what that acting line is from please tell me.
I think it was a cartoon.