The sunlight shone through the window, illuminating the kitchen in the warm glow of the morning. Sat at the kitchen table was a mare whose fur matched the sunny glow, but inside — she felt anything but.
The kettle she had prepared earlier made a sharp whistling noise that pierced through Ink Wash’s head. She winced a little at the feeling of an oncoming headache, but moved on. She got off her haunches to turn off the stove. At least she could finally get her coffee. Although it was not as good as the coffee she could’ve gotten from the cafe, it was more than enough to get her up and going for the day.
Ink Wash grabbed a bag of coffee grounds out of her cabinets and set them down by her prench press. She carefully poured the hot water onto the coffee grounds and allowed it to steep. As she waited, she took in the silence that the mornings usually provided: a serene moment of relief it was. Deciding the coffee had steeped long enough, she gently pushed down the plunger on the press and finally poured herself a cup.
She carefully blew onto the steaming coffee as she took a sip. An audible sigh emanated from Ink Wash’s lips as she felt the effects of the coffee take hold. It was especially needed after the unique ‘surprise’ she was presented with last night. Her focus wandered onto the steam rising from her cup as she thought back to the events of last night.
Ink Wash found herself running through the rain. She cursed at herself for forgetting that the pegasi had scheduled a rainstorm tonight. It was of some relief that she was able to deliver her client their commission moments before it started to rain. She didn’t want to think how much time and money she would’ve lost if she was just a tad bit later.
Normally she would’ve hurried home, but her ear caught an odd sound coming from a nearby alleyway. She looked around to see if anypony else had heard it, but she was the only one out in the rain. Looking back at the alleyway, she heard the sound again. Curious, she trotted her way to the alleyway. Besides, she can’t get more wet at this point.
When Ink Wash looked into the alleyway, she gasped. The source of the sounds stared at her.
A frightsome-looking creature was staring down at her. It looked like a pony, and yet didn’t. It had various bug-like features: a dark carapace, sharp fangs, glassy-like wings, and a horn. It was some sort of… bug-pony.
They both froze in place, staring at each other, waiting for the other to make the first move. Since Ink Wash wasn’t going to, so the bug-pony did. It tried to hiss at her, but instead a whimper came out as it crumpled onto the ground in pain.
That snapped Ink Wash out of her frozen state. The pony in front of her was injured. It was then she stopped thinking of the creature in-front of her as something to be feared, but as someone in trouble. She looked at the unconscious pony in front of her with worry. She knew what she had to do.
She carefully lifted them onto her back and galloped as fast she could back home, hoping no pony saw the both of them.
Snapping her out of memories, her guest made themself known by the sounds of hoofsteps going down the stairs.
She set down her mug and waited for the bug-pony to appear.
An average pony would’ve been frightened by their appearance, but the events of last night dashed any thought of them being of any threat. When Ink Wash took her guest back home, it was then she saw the full extent of their injuries. It was lucky that she had a first aid kit, albeit barely used.
Besides, her mother had always told her that other species were living creatures just like her. Even though her mother was talking about donkeys and griffons, she felt like her guest applied here too.
As her guest limped into the kitchen, they looked around warily, as if everything around them was some sort of unknown danger. It wasn’t long until her guest noticed Ink Wash standing in the kitchen with them. They jumped back, mirroring the same actions of last night.
Ink Wash winced a bit at their reaction. She wondered what could have made them so wary of the world.
“Calm down there, I am only here to help.” As to make her point, she sat back and lifted up her hooves. “I found you out in the rain last night, and treated your injuries.” Her guest looked at the bandages that were wrapped around them. The bug-pony still eyed her with minor suspicion, but they had greatly reeled back their hostility.
Faintly, her guest spoke, “T-thank you…” Their voice sounded raspy, as if they hadn’t spoken in weeks. For far as Ink Wash could tell, it could very well be the case. Outside that worrying detail, Ink Wash noted they had a distinctly feminine voice, but there was a low droning buzz that made up much of her timbre.
“It sounds like you need some water.” Ink Wash quickly poured a cup of warm water from the now cooled kettle and offered it to the poor mare “Here.” Her guest looked at the cup of water as if it was some cherished prize. She grabbed out of Ink Wash’s hooves and quickly drank it all down until the cup was empty. The mare then realized Ink Wash was in the same room and flushed in slight embarrassment.
“Hey now, no need to be embarrassed. There’s still more water,” Ink Wash said reassuringly. She poured more water into her guest’s cup. Her guest quickly drank that too.
“So, what’s your name?” Ink Wash asked. After all, she couldn’t just keep calling her “the bug-pony” or “her guest” in her mind.
“It’s… Crypsis,” she said.
“That’s a nice name you got there, Crypsis,” Ink Wash said. She had noticed that Crypsis’ voice was much less raspy now. The thought from earlier crossed her mind once again. She shook it out of her head. There was no need to get worked up now. She didn’t want to worry the poor mare over her own worries.
Crypsis, not noticing Ink Wash’s internal dilemma, responded, “Oh it isn’t really. It’s just a really common name.”
“Well it’s nicer than Ink Wash,” she said nonchalantly.
“I think it sounds nice. I never heard pony names before,” Crypsis said earnestly.
Ink Wash mused at the specific usage of words Crypsis had used. “Never heard of pony names huh? Well what kind of name does that make ‘Crypsis?’”
“Well, a changeling one of course!” she said, beaming with pride. But as quickly she had risen, she had quickly deflated.
Ink Wash noticed this, “Hey what’s wrong kiddo?”
“It’s nothing,” Crypsis said. “Just remembering why I’m here.”
“And why’s that?”
Crypsis sighed a single word. “Exile.”
Ink Wash gasped. “How come?”
“I yearned to see the stars,” Crypsis said with shame. “So I snuck out at night to see them. But as I returned, I had foolishly led wolves to our hive. Thankfully, there were no casualties, but I was considered too much of a danger and was forced to leave.”
That was it? An unfortunate mistake, but a mistake nonetheless! Was it such a crime to be curious?
“That’s ridiculous!” Ink Wash shouted. “It was only a mistake! No pony had been hurt!”
“But what if they were?” Crypsis retorted. “They were right to banish me.” Tears began to pool around her eyes.
Ink Wash’s heart went out to the poor mare. The mare in front clearly could never wish harm on anyone, and Ink Wash could see that there was so much pain deep within. Ink Wash couldn’t help but pull her into a hug. Crypsis went wide-eyed at the hug.
“W-why?” She choked. “Why do you care for a liability?”
“Because you needed help,” Ink Wash simply answered.
And that was a good enough answer for Crypsis.