//------------------------------//
// Stains 
// Story: Book 1 - The Behemoth came to Canterlot 
// by Equimorto 
//------------------------------//

"What exactly are we doing right now?" asked Pinkie, also getting a look at the next street through the mirror held by the stallion.
"Following Stella," he replied. "I think. I'm not sure. I hope that's what we're doing."
Pinkie tilted her head to the side and pursed her lips.
"She looks nervous," the stallion said. He put the mirror away and rounded the corner. "I don't think she's spotted us yet at all. Or maybe it's all a trap. But she wouldn't make herself look nervous if it was a trap and she knew she was being watched, so it's probably not a trap."
"So what are we supposed to do other than following her? Should we jump on her at some point and give her a surprise party?" Pinkie stood at his side, still trying and failing to spot the alicorn. "What does she look like by the way?"
"She looks like Twilight, usually." The stallion started to walk again. "Mostly, at least. Colours are a little off. The expression too, but I haven't seen Twilight personally yet so I can't confirm. And maybe she's shorter as well, but don't tell her I told you." He slowed down and stepped to the side, hiding behind a group of other ponies while he watched Stella stand at a crossroads. "And we're not throwing her a party. We're just following her to see where she goes, so we don't accidentally run into her."
Pinkie opened and closed her mouth, then blinked. "Shouldn't we be walking in the opposite direction if you don't want to meet her?"
"The only way I can be somewhat sure I won't run into her, now that I know she's here, and that she's not keeping her eyes on me, is keeping my eyes on her. I don't want to risk it and just walk around Ponyville if I can make sure instead." The stallion allowed himself to look Pinkie in the eyes for a moment. "I don't like leaving things up to chance." He walked out from behind the gathering of ponies, and towards Stella again, while she stormed down the road to her left.
"Why do you not want to run into her, anyway?" asked Pinkie. "You're not bothered by all these questions, right? At least I hope you're not. Tell me if you're bothered by them. I don't want to bother you. You'd tell me if I was being a bother, right? Sometimes I will be bothering a pony by accident and they won't tell me because they're being polite and then I'll continue to bother them and eventually they will tell me and it will feel doubly bad because I bothered them for longer."
"Not a bother at all," said the stallion. "As for why I'd rather not run into her, I think she'd probably kill me if she found me." He looked past the corner and spotted Stellaria, looking extremely annoyed and yet indecisive.
"Oh. That's not very nice of her."