Of Ink and Quill

by Fiddlove Enfemme


5 - Dawn Amble

It was overcast again today. Grey skies above, and wind that would chill you to the bone.

Bundled up in his warmest clothes, Ink Blot set out shortly after waking up, not even stopping for a bite of breakfast. He didn't really need it, and it would probably be better for him to eat somewhere that wasn't the castle today. Otherwise, he'd inevitably run into Starlight. He did not want to. Something about how she'd been acting yesterday gave him a bad feeling. And what if she started asking more questions? He didn't want to be a burden on her conscience, especially if she didn't know what she was getting into.

Perhaps one day he'd open up to her, but today he had to keep his eyes on the prize. Two ponies, one cyan like toothpaste, the other a pale waxy brown like a candy wrapper. Lyra and Bon Bon. Or, as he'd started calling them in his head, "The Dynamic Duo". His marks would not be easy to find. They knew how to blend into the background, to become an uninteresting part of the crowd. He'd only find them if they wanted him to.

It had been a little while since he'd decided to wander the streets. The encroaching cold had driven most folks back indoors, and most of those little spring-up stalls were being shuttered or even disassembled. For the next few months, business would mostly be conducted almost exclusively indoors. Warmer that way.

The cafes and bistros too, had brought most of their seating back inside, except for the ones that offered some kind of "seasonal experience". For the springtime, it was flowers. Summer had parasols and cool drinks. In the fall, that meant leaves and pumpkins. In the winter? They had snow; lots and lots of snow. Maybe something like maple taffy if you were lucky, and a warm fireplace was always welcome.

Eventually, Ink Blot got tired of walking around in the cold, and started looking for somewhere he could go inside and warm up. He was certainly spoiled for choice, but somehow a lot of the places he walked past . Perhaps somewhere he could get both a drink and a snack?

He browsed some of the nearby cafes for ideas. That one over there seemed like a decent place, with a warm theme and natural lighting. The sign above the door read Tasses d'Amour, which he hoped meant that it sold tea and coffee. He quickly stepped inside and ordered his drink, as well as a yummy looking cinnamon pretzel. While he waited for his order, he casually sat down by the counter.

He was not certain that he'd find the duo today, or even tomorrow. Ink Blot didn't know much about them, and he wasn't caught up on any local gossip that could give him any leads. Not that he cared for gossiping himself, he typically liked to keep his non-critical concerns to himself, but having an ear open when someone else was running their mouth was a surprisingly good source of information.

In fact, there were two ponies nearby gossiping right now. They were animatedly discussing something at a table a few metres away from him, lost in their own world.

"Like, Willow, you should have seen Glory's face when I told her about it! It's like she didn't see it coming at all!" said the noisier of the two, a blue pegasus with a braided lavender mane.

"Well she should have, with how she treated her it's a wonder why it didn't happen earlier." said her companion, a lean earth pony with a pinkish-white mane that draped low over her eyes and a slate-grey coat.

Ink Blot chuckled to himself slightly as he found himself listening in. How old were those two; were they just barely out of their teen years? Probably. Pretty close to his own age, if he had to guess. Mature enough to do their own thing, but not so mature that they had their future planned out.

He envied their youthful innocence and enthusiasm. He'd lost his back in... well, it felt like it'd been a long time. Four years service, after enlisting at the first opportunity? Whatever innocence he'd had, it was gone now. Any friends he'd had from before that were missing, presumed dead, or known to be KIA.

Ink Blot's order arrived in short order, and he set himself out in a seat near the window. He'd gotten a chai tea latte, with an appealing poof of whipped cream as a topper. A nice morning pick-me-up to give him some warmth before venturing back outside. Really, he could have drank any hot beverage for that, even if it was just a cup of warm water. With a latte, he could sip and pretend to have some glimmer of happiness.

Once upon a time, he'd have been coming off his watch, retreating to the mess tent for a breather before catching what sleep he could. They'd served coffee there, horrible stuff that tasted like it'd been burnt, and there was almost always a pot of water boiling for tea or instant noodles. Usually he went for the tea.

At least, that's how it'd been when they'd still been camped outside the city. After their sister unit, the 23rd "Dorsten Lancers" Cavalry had captured Kirma, the Keleseth Guard were tasked with garrisoning it against counterattacks and insurgent activity.

Except they hadn't really captured the city. Not the hearts of its people. There was that oh-too-familiar rallying cry, "they can destroy our homes but they can never destroy our spirit", and within days there were insurgents behind every lamp post. They didn't have a reliable way to distinguish non-combatants from belligerents, so every single patrol and checkpoint was on constant alert. Near-daily attacks and incidents wore them down, both in body and spirit. Ink Blot had been in some real bad spots, and made some... questionable calls. Some days, like now, they were all he could think about.

They'd lost people. Lots of them. Not all of them dead. And for what? So some dusty general who'd never set foot in the place could sit proudly in front of a map, showing off all their territorial gains to a bunch of politicians?

That was probably the worst part, knowing that the ones who'd callously spent their soldiers like pocket change would never see retribution.

If he could, he'd have hunted them all down and strangled them with his bare hands. Of course, he no longer had any hands.

Most, if not all, of his comrades were lost to him. Dead and decaying, or crippled, or missing, or currently complicit in enforcing what was in all likelihood a fascist regime.

That's why Ink Blot and his buddies had gone AWOL. They didn't want to be tools of oppression, not again. It was easy to dissociate when you were in a foreign land, but when it was back home? With your friends, your family, your loved ones being crushed under your own boots?

Not that it mattered anymore. Here he was, in Equestria. Even if he'd wanted to go back, he didn't know if it was possible. Some kind of magic had been at play, and that wasn't something he understood.

Ink Blot couldn't help but wonder if things could have been different that night. Maybe they'd have taken a different route, ignoring that damned town altogether? Maybe if someone else had joined them, or if one of them had stayed behind? Maybe if they'd decided to stay, and do what they could to make things better? Maybe if he'd never enlisted in the first place?

Maybe.

Wrinkling his nose as he tried to quell his rising emotions, Ink Blot downed the last of his drink and stuffed the pretzel into his bag for later. He couldn't keep going over things that could have happened, because they simply hadn't happened. All the "maybes" in the world wouldn't change a bloody thing.

Ink Blot tried to steer his thoughts towards his self-appointed task. Anything was better than wallowing in memories and self-pity.

Those two mares, Lyra and Bon Bon... secret agents, they were. Emphasis on were. Their organisation, S.M.I.L.E., once had secret operatives all across Equestria in several different branches. One of those branches had been dedicated to rooting out Changelings, at least until a peace had been brokered. When Princess Twilight took the throne, and the organisation's records opened to her, she had been disgusted by how ruthless they had been in their... interrogation of the captured Changelings.

Bon Bon had originally been in the organisation's Bugbear branch, and was covertly planted in Ponyville with a false identity to protect her from reparations. When the Changelings began their infiltration efforts in earnest, S.M.I.L.E. reactivated Bon Bon and recruited Lyra to assist with their counter-operations. When a lasting peace was reached, the two of them returned home, to resume their lives in Ponyville, and never to reveal their secrets.

That was, at least, until they incorrectly identified Ink Blot as a freshly dispatched infiltrator, and began tracking his activities around town, culminating in an attempt to capture both himself and Quill. Oopsies. Once that misconception had been cleared up, they'd let him go free on the condition that he keep the secret. He did.

And come to think about it, he'd not seen hide nor hair of them since. It was almost like they were avoiding him.

Ink Blot did not have long to dwell on this, however, as he noticed someone watching from the shadows. A shadowy figure was observing him from a nearby alleyway. He knew not to react strongly, or look in that direction for too long, but there was unmistakeably someone standing in the alleyway between Quills and Sofas, and Petunia's Paperbacks.

Could that be one of them?

"HIYAH!"

A sudden, loud greeting took Ink Blot by surprise. Ink Blot instinctively pivoted and reeled around, readying himself for a fight --

But it was only Pinkie Pie. She smiled and laughed, prancing around like she'd just won some sort of contest.

"Scheisse, you scared me half to death!" he said angrily, before breathing a sigh of relief.

"Sorry, I couldn't resist! You're wound up so tight, you're like a rubber band ball!" Pinkie replied sheepishly.

She was lucky. What if he'd lashed out before recognising her? What if he'd accidentally hurt her? There were so many things he could have said, none of them kindly. Instead he rubbed his eyes and said, "Please, never do that again."

Pinkie's smile quickly faded, but it didn't quite disappear either. "Okay," she accepted with a sincere nod. "Sooooooo... what are you up to?"

"Looking for someone." Ink Blot responded shortly.

"Can I help?" she asked.

Ink Blot frowned. His first instinct was to say no, but... Pinkie was probably the most well-connected mare in town. She'd have an untold amount of information about Ponyville's inhabitants, which included Lyra and Bon Bon. That was a resource he would do well to tap into.

"I don't know," he answered truthfully. "Do you know?"

"Know what?" she asked right back.

"Where who I'm looking for might be."

Pinkie thought for a moment. Taking this as a "no", Ink Blot shrugged and made to leave.

"Well, I might know where who you're looking for, but how would I know who you're looking for if I don't know what you know? You know?" she rambled energetically.

"I don't know if I know what you said. You know?" Ink Blot snorted.

Pinkie's energy seemed to be growing by the second, as she immediately began again,"If I know what you know, then you'll know what I know, and the more you know, and the more I know, the more we know. And knowing's half the battle!"

"Well, what do I know if I don't know what you know?" Ink Blot replied once more. He couldn't help but crack a smile.

"Then you know nothing, Ink Blot!" Pinkie shouted in a mocking tone, pointing dramatically at Ink Blot. It lasted a moment before her composure broke and she started laughing at the absurdity of it.

Ink Blot chuckled and his smile got wider, but it was only momentary. He remembered his task, and his smile melted away. "I'm looking for Lyra Heartstrings and Bon Bon." he said in a hushed voice.

"Oh, I know exactly where they are!" Pinkie smiled, happy to be of assistance. "They're inseparable, and they're actually out on a date right now!"

"Wait, really?" Ink Blot asked.

"Yes, silly! I'll tell ya where if you answer a little question, though~!"

What harm was there in a little question? "What's the question?" he asked as he cocked his head to the side.

"Why don't you smile very much?"

That... wasn't a little question. At least not to Ink Blot. He went quiet.

Emotions were such a difficult subject, especially when you're expected to ignore them in the line of duty. You weren't supposed to cry over the death and destruction, you weren't supposed to pity your enemies, you weren't supposed to smile at the little boy watching you ride by on a Ranger past the ruins of his family home. You just weren't supposed to.

Everyone knew that if you let yourself think about how horrible it all was, you'd get sloppy. If you got sloppy, then you'd be the next one going home in a box.

Ink Blot wasn't in any real danger anymore. So why did he still feel like he was? Was he damaged in some way? Was something about him wrong? Broken, even?

"I don't really know. I guess... I haven't had that much to smile about." he shrugged.

In the past month and a half, he'd probably smiled about a dozen times. And by that, he meant an actual smile, because he was happy or laughing or something. How often were people supposed to smile? And why would an average person know how often they smiled?

"Huh," Pinkie said. She thought for a moment, rubbing her chin like she was playing with a non-existent beard. "I guess that makes sense. What does make you smile, then? What makes you happy?"

"I think it's a little more abstract than you might realise." Ink Blot replied, trying to change the subject.

Pinkie covered her mouth as she suppressed a laugh. "I'm not that airheaded, Inkaminka."

"Inkaminka?" he asked.

"Inkaminka! It's the new nickname I've been calling you in my head because it's really fun to say! When I smile,it's because I'm having fun, and because I want everyone around me to smile and have fun too. I smile when I'm happy, I even smile to myself when I'm thinking of how happy everyone will be when I invite them to a party, because them being happy makes me more happy." Pinkie rambled, continuing to smile, like she was reminded of a fond memory.

Ink Blot tried to flash a smile, but it fell flat. He sighed, "Is it alright if I think on it and get back to you? This conversation is getting far more philosophical than I thought it would."

"Oh, of course!" she beamed. "It's not really a simple question, because you need to to look deep inside yourself to understand what makes you you, and what makes you happy. If someone answered right away, then they'd probably be lying. Or guessing. Sometimes both! Usually guessing!"

"Then I'll let you know as soon as I know." Ink Blot said.

"Okie-doki-doki then," Pinkie smiled again, before looking directly at something in the distance and waving emphatically. "HI QUILLIAM!" she shouted.

Ink Blot followed her gaze with a confused frown. He followed it to the same alleyway where the shadowy observer had been lurking. They were still there, but now rested their face in their hoof in shock and disappointment. Their cover blown, they emerged wordlessly from the shadows.

It was indeed Quill, in his usual writer's disguise. He awkwardly slunk out from the alley and waved at Ink Blot. "Uh, hey! Fancy seeing you here?" he greeted Ink Blot with a grimace.

"Anyway, here you go," Pinkie said, sticking a piece of paper onto Ink Blot's mane with tape. It fluttered in the breeze a moment, but the tape held. "Everything you need is on the receipt!"

Before Ink Blot could even reply, Pinkie was gone. He looked around, but could find no trace of her. He turned instead to Quill, who was half-heartedly trying to sidle away.

"Following me, were you?" Ink Blot asked with a raised eyebrow.

"...Yeah." Quill muttered.

"Now why would that be?"

Quill sighed. "There's, uh, some things that Starlight wanted to talk to you about."

"If she wanted to talk, she could have talked plenty yesterday." Ink Blot said, as he pulled the receipt from his mane and inspected it. The awkwardness of manually opening and closing the claws was not lost on him, but he still managed to read the receipt.

1 Grilled Cheese Sandwich with Multigrain Poppers, 15 Bits.
1 Dandelion Salad, 11 Bits.
1 Black Coffee, 2.5 Bits.
1 Green Tea, (3 Milk, 1 Sugar) 2.5 Bits.
Thanks for visiting Sandy's Sammies and Greens!

Bingo.

"Well, you see, after she talked to you she talked to me, and she's worried about you. I'm worried about you." Quill tried to explain.

"Have you ever been to Sandy's Sammies and Greens before?" Ink Blot asked.

"Yeah, it's right by the town hall-- wait, why are you asking? Can we stay on topic here?"

Ink Blot glanced at him as he stuffed the receipt into his saddlebags. "Tracking someone. Two someones. I need answers from them about a few things. You're welcome to tag along, but I'll understand if you don't."

"Huh? What, why?" Quill blinked.

"I'm trying to track down the ones you called the Snatchers. I've got questions, and they've got answers."

"Really? Alone?" he asked. For the first time in a while, Ink Blot saw fear in Quill's eyes.

"They'll be in a public location, so if they do anything ill-advised? I'll cause a scene. There's no telling whose side the mob would take, but either way I'd like to think I could take care of myself if things went sideways." Ink Blot smiled. It was joyless, mostly shown for Quill's benefit.

"But they captured you! They took you away! They might do it again..."

"True, but they also let me go and said that they wanted to make up for the trouble." he pointed out.

Quill was not convinced. "I don't know about this, Ink Blot. It doesn't feel safe."

Ink Blot thought for a brief moment. The answer seemed obvious to him. He placed his hoof on Quill's shoulder, as if to comfort him. "Then come with me!" he urged his friend.

"What?" Quill gasped in shock. His eyes opened wide, and he almost seemed to shrink. He would have fled into the shadows, had Ink Blot's steady and reassuring hoof not been on his shoulder.

"Steel yourself, and come face your fear." Ink Blot said again.

"B-b-but--"

Ink Blot silenced Quill with his other hoof. "Hundreds of years ago, a hero of old once said; it is better to face fear side by side with a friend, than to let it dog your every waking moment." he quoted, remembering an idiom he'd once been told.

"Who said that, exactly?" Quill asked. He was trying to derail the conversation.

"No one knows for sure. They keep finding older and older references," Ink Blot eagerly replied, but he quickly stopped himself from explaining more of it. Did it really matter who'd said it? Anyone else who even remotely cared was gone, either dead or an ungodly distance away. "But, I don't think there's anyone left to look. Anyway, that's not the important part. The important part is what it means, to me, and to you."

Quill frowned as he thought. What it meant to him, indeed. His first instinct was the same as always, to hide away and wait for trouble to pass him over. In fact, he could trace the best path from anywhere in Ponyville to his hideout. If he left right now he could be there in less than twenty minutes, tops.

But in his heart he knew that it wasn't the right thing to do. If he did, Ink Blot could be going into danger alone. If something happened, then he wouldn't know about it until it was too late to help. And it would be Quill's fault, for leaving him alone.

He was afraid, and not just for himself. Quill looked to Ink Blot, who patted his shoulder reassuringly.

With a sigh, Quill nodded his assent. "Okay. I'll come with you." he said.

Ink Blot nodded in return, then gestured in the direction of the town hall without another word. Together, they started on their way to the sandwich shop, ready for whatever would come.


"Hey, uh, could I..?"

"...Fine, you can have as many as you like."

Today was a momentous day for these two mares. It marked five years that they'd known together. Five years, through thick and thin, through fire and water. And of course, all the moments and secrets they'd shared.

"I don't know what the point of going on that diet was if you're just going to eat my poppers anyway." said Bon Bon.

"You know you love me," Lyra smiled mischievously as she stole away yet another one of the poppers. A choice selection of grains clumped together, and then deep fried? It was her greatest weakness. "And it's not my fault that you ordered them! They came with the grilled cheese! It's only fair that we share."

Even if she was only pretending to be angry, Bon Bon couldn't stay angry at Lyra. She smiled and opened her mouth expectantly. Within moments, her dear Lyra carefully fed her a popper. She bit down on it with an audible *Crunch!*.

Sandy's Sammies and Greens was their favourite sandwich shop. It had a small menu, yes, but everything was consistently top quality. Perhaps it was the fancy panini press behind the counter, or perhaps it was the freshly baked bread, or maybe it had something to do with the cheery stallion who lovingly crafted each sandwich with a smile on his face? His name was Spinach, and never seemed to have a bad day in his life.

"I can't believe it's only been five years. Somehow it feels like it's been forever." Bon Bon said thoughtfully.

"If this is what forever's like -- oh, Celestia these are good -- then I don't want forever to end." Lyra replied between bites. As the supply of poppers dwindled, she begrudged the rest of them to her marefriend, and finally turned her attention to her dandelion salad; it was drenched in a raspberry vinaigrette, and mixed with slices of carrots, parsnips, and even some small apple chunks.

With a shrug, Bon Bon bit into her grilled cheese sandwich with gusto. There were a hundred things she could have said, and a hundred ways to say them. But, instead, all she did was nod her agreement.

Th two of them made a little small-talk over the rest of their meal, but for the most part they were simply content to enjoy their moment together. When Spinach came around with the fresh pots of coffee and hot water, they gratefully topped up their drinks. Bon Bon usually drank her coffee dark, while Lyra preferred a sweet and creamy green tea.

"I wonder what's coming up for us next?" Lyra sighed contentedly.

Bon Bon chuckled. "Honestly? I don't care, as long as I get to do it with you."

"O-oh, that's sweet..." Lyra blushed.

The two of them smiled happily as they clinked their cups together.

But then something ruined their moment. The bell above the door jingled, and two ponies walked in. Bon Bon, caught in the middle of a sip of coffee, almost spat it out in shock when she saw who they were.

"Is something wrong?" asked Lyra.

She swallowed her coffee nervously. "Don't look now, but it's them."

"Them?" Lyra asked, but realisation quickly dawned on her. She fought the urge to look. "Oh. Oh no. Do they know we're here? What do they want?"

"Can't tell yet. It's a public place, so they probably won't try anything, but be on your guard." Bon Bon said in a hushed tone.

Quill and Ink Blot looked around, quickly scanning the shop's patrons. Considering the weather, there was a surprising amount of folks eating here today. It was barely a moment before they spotted the two love birds. Ink Blot nudged his companion, and the two started towards them.

"They're coming this way." Bon Bon whispered.

"What do we do?" Lyra asked, ready for anything.

"We act professional and respectful. I'm betting they want trouble as little as we do."

Lyra nodded.

As Ink Blot and Quill approached, Quill glanced at Ink Blot nervously. He still wasn't sure that this was a good idea, even with his reassurances. Ink Blot gave him a faint smile and a nod as he casually walked towards the table.

Despite the nature of the establishment, the atmosphere between them was tense. Neither party wanted to make the first move, lest they appear too aggressive.

"I hope we're not, er, interrupting anything." Ink Blot greeted them. His apologetic tone put Bon Bon at ease -- but only slightly.

"Well..." Lyra began nervously.

"We were, uh, having a moment." Bon Bon nodded.

Ink Blot shrugged. "I'm sorry, then. Do you mind if we joined, or that is to say, sat down?"

"Can't exactly stop you, can we?" Bon Bon muttered.

"Which is why I'm asking. There's some things I'd like to chat about, and it's best that we avoid causing trouble." said Ink Blot.

"Then pull up some chairs, and make sure it's all above board. Nothing that's best left in the dark, okay?"

Ink Blot understood what she meant. The whole business about actually being part of an anti-Changeling task force, dedicated to rooting out potential infiltrators? That was best left secret. He didn't think many ponies would take kindly to being spied on by a branch of their own government, even if it had started with good intentions.

He'd seen it before. The scandal had almost torn the Republic apart.

He grabbed two empty chairs from a nearby table, moving them closer to Bon Bon and Lyra. "There's a few questions I have that are, unfortunately, related to all that business. Perhaps we could go somewhere less public for that? At least somewhere without so many prying ears."

"Really depends on where. I hope you'll understand if we don't want to be lured somewhere dangerous." Bon Bon replied.

"Uh, maybe we should just go..." Quill grimaced. His courage was beginning to fail him, and he wanted to leave before somethign bad happened.

Ink Blot sighed. "Look, I'm going to cut to the chase. Quill is afraid of you, because of a few things, well, he saw in that old prison. He lost friends because of that place, and he's scared to death of something happening because of you two. I'm sure neither of you mean him any real harm, but I'm trying to help him face his fear, and that means I gotta stick up for him. Because we're friends."

"Y-yeah, friends." Quill muttered weakly.

At first, Bon Bon was unyielding. She met Ink Blot's eyes coldly, and he could tell that she wasn't one to compromise. But he wasn't going to back down either.

His patience was soon rewarded. Lyra reached across the table and laid her hoof in front of Bon Bon. "It can't hurt, Bon Bon. We can help him. Make up for all the... you know." she pleaded.

Her companion's hard expression softened. Perhaps there was some merit there, after all this time. The war in the shadows may have been over, but it had left intangible marks on both of them. Ink Blot could recognise those marks, but only because he had some just like them.

"You're right, Lyra," Bon Bon finally said. "Maybe it really is time to talk about it -- but not here. I hope you have somewhere in mind."

"I think so." Ink Blot nodded.

The two lovebirds shared a nod, and once they were all in agreement, they left the sandwich shop.