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// 2. The Hotel Car (incomplete) 
// Story: Friendship on the Infinity Train 
// by SigmasonicX 
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Twilight groggily woke up and looked around. She blinked at the yellow wallpaper and then down at her sheets. Oh right, she was in a hotel. Her body ached as she sat up, with her muscles having not had a proper rest in a long time. Why was that?

Oh right. The Train.

She blinked the fuzziness out of her eyes and looked at her hand. Yup, still a 1.

She rested her head back down, and moments later, a door to the side opened up.

“Oh good, you’re awake,” said Rarity the unicorn, wearing a towel over her mane and a bathrobe. “How about you take a shower yourself, then we can talk. They provided toothbrushes too.”

Though not quite willing to get up, Twilight didn’t see the need to object either. She took her glasses then got out of bed, stretching. “So, how was your sleep?”

“Oh, it was quite good. Considering, well, the situation.”

“I’m pretty hungry,” said Twilight. “Do you think you could order room service while I’m in there? Actually, wait, do you know how to use the phone?”

Rarity looked at the rotary phone on the drawer between the two beds. “Oh, of course. I’ve been in my fair share of Manehattan hotels, you know.”

“It doesn’t look like they’re going to charge us, so feel free to order whatever you want for the both of us. I’m sure you have a good idea of what I like. Well, assuming Princess Twilight’s tastes are like mine, but then again if she’s a pony then…” Twilight paused. “I’ll just take that shower first. And make sure to get coffee!”

Rarity nodded with a smile and Twilight went into the bathroom.

By the time Twilight came back, wearing a bathrobe of her own, she was startled to find piles of pancakes on a cart. “Wow, that’s fast service.”

Rarity levitated over a cup of coffee. “Indeed. From what I gather, the penguin staff slide everywhere, and that speeds things up a lot.”

Twilight greedily took a sip; thankfully, it had cooled down enough for her not to get burned. She smacked her lips. “This coffee…”

“I took the liberty of ordering it the way you liked,” Rarity said, holding a fork full of pancake in the air.

Twilight’s eyes widened. “Oh! Uh, I’ve actually never had it like this before.”

Rarity blinked. “Oh, my, I apologize. Is it not to your liking, then?”

“No, I mean, it’s fine. I could definitely see myself drinking it like this more, actually. Just not something I’ve tried before. Another sign that I’m not your Twilight, I suppose.”

Rarity laughed lightly. “Indeed.”

They sat and ate their pancakes for a bit.

“So, while we have a moment of peace, we need to take stock of our situation.” Twilight adjusted her glasses. “First, numbers. Mine’s still at one. Any change to you since last night?”

“What was it I said last time? One-seventy?” Rarity looked at the bottom of her hoof. “It’s one-thirty-two now, so that’s a big improvement.”

“You said one-seventy-six before that monster attacked. I suppose maybe fighting it off brought yours down. Defending the otters, perhaps?”

“And you too, let’s not forget.”

Twilight rubbed her chin. “So, helping others could be how you can get the number down. A reasonable hypothesis, I’d say.”

Rarity raised her hoof. “And a natural fit for us!”

“Then there’s supplies. I still have some energy bars, but maybe we could stock up on food here, and—”

Rarity interrupted, “Hold on dear, isn’t there something you’re forgetting?”

“What?”

Rarity waved her front legs out. “We’re in a hotel! One that other passengers are expected to stay at.”

Twilight put her hands together. “Of course! If we talk to other passengers, then we’re sure to get more information.”

Rarity nodded. “Well that settles it. To the spa!”

“The spa?”

“First of all, don’t think I didn’t notice how achy you are. It’s the same for both of us. Second, I can guarantee you any passenger with taste would try out the spa, especially when it’s free for them.” She put a hoof to the side of her face conspiratorially. “Plus, I’m sure the spa workers have intel of their own.”

“That… actually doesn’t sound like a bad idea.” Twilight got up. “Though first, I suppose I should do something about my clothes. They’re pretty dirty, and I can’t exactly walk to the spa in a robe.”

“Ah, yes, I suppose that is a bit uncouth. In that case, we can simply go there without robes.”

Twilight blushed. “What? Rarity!”

“‘What? Rarity!’ what?” Rarity blinked, then her eyes widened. “Oh! Right, now I recall. You humans have a taboo about not wearing clothes, don’t you?”

Twilight nodded.

Rarity hummed. “That does complicate things. In concept, it being illegal to not wear clothes sounds fun, but in practice…” She looked around. “Well, this wouldn’t be the first time I made a dress out of hotel decorations.”

Twilight looked around. “Er, probably not the best idea when we don’t know how they handle damage charges.”

Rarity sighed. “I suppose you’re right. Well, we can always—” she held up the room service booklet and gagged “—order gift shop clothes.”

Twilight shrugged. “Oh, sure, if that’s an option.”

Rarity gasped in response. At Twilight’s impassive expression, she frowned at the phone, then lifted it up with her horn. “Hello—hurk—room service, I’d like to—hrmph”

Rolling her eyes with a smile, Twilight took the phone herself and made the order.





Twilight melted into the massage, which felt better than she’d expect from penguins slamming their beaks into her back.

“So that’s when I told Sassy, ‘Las Pegasus should be happy I gave them so many trends, but if that’s how the city’s going to treat me, then I’m going to turn the streets red… because my designs were meant to work with red streets while everyone else’s isn’t.’”

The penguin attending Rarity squawked in response.

“Any luck getting info?” asked Twilight.

Rarity sighed. “Alas, if Fluttershy was here, we’d have better luck.”

“Have you seen any passengers to smooze?”

“Alas, all the guests I’ve seen appear to be the Smooze’s cousins. No one that could give us information about the Train.”

“Have I heard you right, that you want information about the train?”

The woman and the mare turned to the source of that question: a white cat resting on a table, getting her nails clipped. She continued in a smooth confident tone, “As it so happens, information is one of many services I offer.”

Rarity gasped. “Good heavens, a talking cat!”

Twilight turned to her with a raised eyebrow. This bothered her?

The cat narrowed her eyes and responded, “Good heavens, a talking horse.”

Rarity stammered. “I apologize. We do have talking cats where I’m from, but they’re huge! The ones your size are normal, and I myself have one that looks a lot like you.”

The cat swished her tail. “Charming.”

Twilight realized she’d probably have to be the one to take the lead on this. “So, uh, Miss…?”

“Cat. The Cat.”

“... Cat. Do you have information about this train, the conductor, and these numbers? Mine’s been stuck at the same number for a while, and—”

The Cat raised a free paw. “Of course, I can answer questions like that, but I have a few disclaimers. First of all, my information isn’t complete.” She looked at Twilight with one eye closed. “I’ve never seen a passenger that looks like you before, for instance.”

Twilight blinked. “What, you mean with glasses?”

The Cat paused, as though considering how to respond. “Precisely. Though actually, now that I think about it, there is a familiar vibe I’m sensing. Tell me, do you happen to be a stubborn egghead with a horribly pretentious name that starts with ‘T’?”

Twilight frowned. “I’m not a fan of those descriptions, but my name is Twilight.”

The Cat nodded. “I knew it.”

Twilight spread her arms. “My name isn’t pretentious!”

Rarity hummed. “It kind of is, dear.”

Twilight narrowed her eyes. “Says the unicorn named Rarity.”

Her claw clippings complete, The Cat sat up and put her front paws together. “In any case, my second disclaimer is that access to my wealth of knowledge and resources doesn’t come for free.”

Rarity sighed. “And there it is.”

Twilight asked, “So how much are we talking? Actually, what currency do you even use here?”

The Cat shook her head. “Oh no, currencies will completely change car by car, if they even have any. No, to get something from me, we’ll have to make a trade. Thankfully, all I require from you is your time.”

“Meaning?”

The Cat jumped down from her table and walked in front of the two. “During an earlier trade of mine, I agreed to babysit for a certain someone. However, I was never great with kids, and honestly, I’d much rather spend my time doing literally anything else. Then, as luck would have it, what would I run into but a unicorn? And I think, surely a unicorn must be great with kids. So there you have it. Babysit the brat for the night, and I’ll give you all the information you need.”

Rarity said, “Well, I wouldn’t say I’m great with kids, per say.”

Twilight rubbed her chin. “What’s the catch? Is this a monster baby or something?”

The Cat’s eyes widened and she put a paw to her chest. “Nothing of the sort! She’s quite the precious furball. Or so I’m told.”

Rarity’s expression was flat. “Or so you’re told.”

“I’m not the first one to pass off these babysitting duties. In any case, it’s quite low risk. It’s right here in the hotel, and you seem like new guests, meaning you’re on, what, Night Two? Besides, if you don’t trust me, then you can feel free to continue on your merry way. You won’t get my information, but you also won’t run into a monster baby. In this car, at least. Not my fault if the kid falls into a furnace.”

Twilight waved her arms. “Wait, back up. Night Two? What are you talking about?”

The Cat swished her tail. “The Train rewards forward progression. If you find yourself in a car with fully provided amenities, then there’s going to be some risk with staying there too long. In this case, it’s these fellows here.” She pointed her paw to the penguins, still in the middle of massaging Twilight and Rarity’s backs.

With sudden unease, Twilight and Rarity looked to their attendants. “What do you mean? Are they dangerous?” asked Rarity.

“Oh, nothing of the sort,” the Cat responded. “The exact opposite, actually. Once they know a guest long enough, they all start to get… a bit too familiar. It’s a real bother. That’s why I only come here after there’s been staff turnover.”

“Care to go into more details?” asked Twilight.

The Cat stretched, her claws extending as her legs extended. “I’m a busy cat, you know. My claws are trimmed, so it’s time for me to get to work. But I’ll tell you what, give me your room number and in addition to the babysitting details, I’ll send you a sample of my wares, including an answer to your questions. Sound good?”

Twilight and Rarity looked at each other with raised eyebrows. Suspicious as this was, this was their best lead yet, so with a slight nod to each other, Twilight responded, “Sure. Our room is 224.”

The Cat nodded back. “You won’t regret my services, my fanciful friends.” She left the spa as the others watched.

“You’re better at reading people than me,” said Twilight. “Do you think we can trust her?”

“I trust that she doesn’t mean us harm. I also trust that she has no interest in making sure we aren’t harmed.” Rarity squinted. “Not too unlike another cat I knew who proved untrustworthy. However, a show of generosity was enough to bring him around. So it may very well be the same for her. Plus, we very well can’t leave a baby unattended, can we?”

Twilight hummed. “Well, alright.” She sank back into her massage.





“Honestly dear, do you really have to wear those clothes?” Rarity asked with disdain from her bed. “It’s horrifying!”

Twilight looked down on her white shirt, with a logo reading “Hotel Infinity” in green text and the same image of the man and pig giving a thumbs up from the poster they saw earlier, and then looked at her green shorts. “It isn’t too bad.”

Rarity hit her hoof against the mattress. “It’s horrifying!”

Twilight rolled her eyes. “It’s not like I have anything else to wear, what with everything else in the laundry.”

Rarity pressed her face into her blanket. “Is the nudity taboo really bad enough to have to wear that?”

“Yes,” Twilight said simply.

There was a knock at the door. With the guests’ approval, a penguin came in with a small paper bag. They squawked, placed it on a table, nodded, and left.

“That must be what the Cat was talking about,” Twilight said. She reached into the bag and pulled out a black box.

As Twilight hummed and turned it around in her hands, Rarity asked, “What is that?”

“It’s a VHS tape.” Twilight looked around, and saw what she was looking for below the room TV. She knelt and placed the cassette into a VHS player, with the device pulling it in fully and lighting up. She turned on the TV and pressed play, then sat back.

The screen lit up with a figure familiar to both of them: the Conductor, a small gray metal sphere with a single LED eye on a black screen, and small insect-like legs. Also familiar was his location, the lobby of the very hotel they were staying in.

In a peppy voice, he announced, “Hello passengers! My name is One—” his voice suddenly lost all of its energy “—One, bringing you another of the Train’s existential nightmares.” His peppy tone returned as he said, “This is episode 926x214 of my Train documentary! And here we bring you the Infinity Hotel Car! Let’s take a look.”

There was a cut, now showing the Conductor in one of the hotel’s rooms. “Well wouldn’t you know it, I lost most of my footage because I maxed out the camera’s memory!” His tone grew annoyed. “Why did I use such a cheap camera when I command a train beyond mortal understanding?” He spread two legs in the air and said in a peppy tone, “Because that’s part of the charm, of course! Anyway, it’s day 3 of my stay here. Let’s take a look at what we have in this room.” He opened a suitcase and pulled out a speedo. “Got my swimsuit for the pool, of course. And a couple doodads I picked up—but oh wait, that’s all my stuff, isn’t it? Not so much showcasing the car.” He walked to the room refrigerator and opened it up. “Alright, we got some bottled water in here.” His tone grew severe. “Ugh, ten dollars for this?”

At that moment, the door opened and a penguin walked in.

One-One’s peppy tone returned. “Oh hello there! What could you be up to?”

The penguin looked around, then turned back and waved a wing. At that moment, three more penguins came in, one pulling in a speaker larger than them.

The peppy tone remained, but there was an edge of unease. “Oh, yes, well, I want to be clear that I’m filming something right now, and—”

The speaker was plugged in and one of the penguins hooked up a smartphone. Music started blasting out of it and then even more penguins slid into the room.

One-One switched voices and exclaimed, “The nightmare has finally taken form! It’s a party full of strangers!”

One penguin set up colored lights on the ceiling and even more penguins slid in and started squawking, swinging their heads around. A few landed on the bed, knocking the camera over. As One-One screamed, the feed cut off.

There was a pause as Twilight and Rarity considered what they had just seen.

“Ah,” said Rarity, “so that’s what the Cat meant.”

Twilight said, “And also… the Conductor has videos about every car? What? Where were we supposed to see these?”

“In any case, the Cat made good on her word so far, so she should be able to help once we finish babysitting.” Rarity reached into the bag with her magic and pulled out a note. “Room 1224, 8 PM through midnight. Oh, that isn’t too bad, I think.”

“From the video, the penguins didn’t start partying in One-... One?’s room until day 3, so we probably won’t be bothered by them tonight.”

“Seems like we have a plan, then.” Rarity stretched in her bed. “We babysit, get all the information we need, and if that doesn’t get us off this Train, then we’ll spend one more night here and move on to the next car.”

“That sounds good to me.”

Time passed and Twilight was able to retrieve her cleaned clothes. At Rarity’s insistence, she changed back right away. Then, it came time to go to Room 1224.





Summary of the rest:

They take care of the child they're babysitting for a bit. I was undecided what the nature of this child is, whether it's just a slime or if it's connected to the shadowy figure.

They realize that while they haven't been in the hotel for long, the people whose room they're in have been, so the penguins try to break in like in Aliens. Rarity's solution is that the best way to empty a party is to convince them there's a way cooler party elsewhere. They get them to go back to the Dining Car, since it's cold.

The Cat lives up to her promise and gives them... One-One's instructional tapes, which don't teach them anything new. The Cat seems disinterested in helping more, until SciTwi mentions the monster. She can't say she heard of something exactly like that, but she knows of another grifter merchant that has ways of messing around with numbers. They're concerned about finding him, but The Cat says the Train has a way of making people bump into each other; as long as they keep moving, they'll run into him eventually. It might be good to ask a Randall about him if they run into one.

Besides, with just 1 point left, what else could SciTwi possible have left to accomplish here?

The Cat doesn't realize Rarity is a passenger until the end.

After this chapter, they continue going on adventures and work through the personal problems that I hadn't actually figured out, then get out.