//------------------------------//
// Chapter II 
// Story: An Unexpected Guest 
// by PropsValroa 
//------------------------------//

Cali was a little confused about him taking the briefcase before realizing he probably had something important in it. Oh well. There is larger fish to fry in this world. She took the matress, detesting it and sleeping with her head rested on her front legs and hooves. She passed out, today's magic exertion made her a little tired. The mattress squeaked annoyingly throughout the night. He could hear it too, but she fell asleep eventually and slept deeply. She wouldn't be the first one to get up, that was for sure.

His sleep wasn't the best, first night in a new house and all that, plus the house had a bit of a draft and didn't hold warmth well. In all, it was still better than Princess Sparkle's crystal palace. Crystal beds leached heat like nothing else, especially in the winter.

Still, nothing a copious quantity of caffeine wouldn't cure, which was something he was looking forward to trying now that the Princess wasn't dictating his diet. He set about making breakfast from the food Spike had sent ahead for him, he honestly didn't know how to use most of it, but he was able to cobble together something resembling breakfast by the time Cali would wake up.

Cali didn't have the best sleep but, she was no stranger to that. After all, her mind was rested after the events of yesterday. It was a bit cold but, it could have been worse. She hated that mattress though. She isn't going to want to sleep there again. She stirred awake and yawned and slowly got off the mattress and stretched. When she walked into the kitchen where he was cooking, she looked to see what Blu was cooking. And if she would approve of it. 

Blu looked over at Cali when she came it, he was cooking what looked like pancakes, they smelled decent enough quality. Cali might notice that rather than grabbing the pan and spatula directly with his magic Blu was holding a pair of gloves with which he operated the pan and spatula.

He turned his attention back to the food he was cooking, "Good morning, you want some?"

Cali looked at his cooking in a slightly disapproving manner before shrugging. "Sure." is all she said. She took in the smell of the food. It's been a while since she's smelled something like that. As she waited for him to give her some of the pancakes she thought about a plan to how to get to the Golden door. She knew the site well enough within her mind. She was still somewhat tired but shrugged it off.

About fifteen minutes later Blu would come over to where Cali was waiting, a pair of plates with a short stack of pancakes on each held in the grip of his gloves. He held out one of the plates to Cali as he motioned to the kitchen, "If you want something on them other than maple syrup, you're free to whatever you can find in there."

If Cali went looking she wouldn't find much other than butter and peanut butter.

Blu would start eating, operating a fork with his glove, without waiting for Cali.

Cali nodded silently and just ate up at the table. She wasn't that much of a small talker. She was also surprised this random pony apparently knew of Twilight and was accepting of her the way he was. Perhaps something she'll look into later on. Outside they heard some commotion. It looks like the police were looking around the town for something, or someone. Cali ignored it.

Blu on the other hoof was less calm about the commotion outside, "Shoot, she must have gotten the ticket salespony to talk. I know Spike wouldn't rat me out or they'd be here already."

He set his plate down and held his gloves as a pair of circles, with a flash of magic the circles started to glow, he held one up to his eye and held the other up to a gap in the blinds. The magic he cast would let him see through the circle he held up to the window, he was looking to see if the guards were near and how they were looking around while not showing his face.

"If they come looking for me, you saw me leaving town by boat."

He saw 2 local police stallions in their normal attire. One was a Unicorn, the other was an Earth pony. They were going door to door questioning ponies where they were last night. Blu's house was up next for questioning. 

"If you say that then we better hide or would you want me to answer for them? Talking to them could give insight as to what is going on. You can hide upstairs." Cali replied to him. The 2 police moved to Blu's front door. The Earth pony knocked.

"Hello? Anyone home? If anyone's home we have a few questions we would like answered." he said in a very police like voice. "It'll only take a few moments, an incident happened last night further in town. We are looking for answers." 

Blu shook his head, "You think I could afford a second floor? No, Princess Sparkle wouldn't send the local guard after me, I'll answer."

He stowed his gloves away, took off his glasses, and stood where they wouldn't be able to see his mark, he made sure the door chain was affixed before opening the door to peer out at the guards, "Can't say I saw anything officers, I was here moving in all last night. I haven't even seen the town center myself yet."

Cali stayed hidden but ready to fight just in case. She listened in on the conversation intently, though.

"Ah. I see." said the Earth pony.

"The local jewelry store was burnt down. Nobody saw anything and no answers had come up yet. Strangely enough, everything in the store was gone. All that was left was burnt remains. It had to have been a pretty big blaze." the unicorn said, his eyes looking into Blu's house as if suspicious of him.

"But don't you think that's a suspicious story? I was moving in on the night something happened? Pfft." the Earth pony rolled his eyes.

"No need to be rude, Edler. Ponies come and go all the time." 

Blu didn't look amused, "I don't much appreciate being accused without evidence. Now, I've already told you I don't know anything, didn't see anything. If that is all, I intend to finish my breakfast before it gets cold."

Blu would of course wait for the officers to leave before closing the door, he knew better than to antagonize the law. He was relieved that they didn't seem to recognize him, then again, Princess Sparkle hadn't exactly been very public about him before.

The Earth pony one was a little angered by that statement but the other one seemed to shut him up before he did anything out of line. 

"I apologize for the...out of line conduct of my trainee here. He has much to learn. Anyways, is there anyone else here that we are unaware of? The governor has told all citizens and those within our city that all needs to be questioned." he stated calmly.

"...Doesn't he realize that such a perp that caused this likely left the city already? I mean, who burns down a building and leaves no trace, only to stay in the residential areas of this place? They probably high tailed it out of here before anyone realized. Governor Dumpf really is a failure. What a joke." he seemed like the type to be out of line, yet rational.

"As much as I am inclined to agree with you, our orders are orders, and besides, who are we to question them? Anything is a possibility. If nothing is found here the governor requested that a research team would be sent in from somewhere else to really research this event as nothing like it has ever happened here." he looked to Blu, hushing up his trainee and waiting patiently for an answer.

Cali didn't make a noise.

Blu snorted and rolled his eyes, "I'd be hard pressed to fit another pony in this place, but no. My marefriend didn't want to make the move up with me, so I'm by myself at the moment." He thought for a moment, "You know, if I were you, I'd post a survey with a small reward for information, that does seem to get information a bit easier than going door to door. Sure you might get some false reports, but you're more likely to get something if ponies volunteer it than in these porchstep interrogations."

The lead pony nodded. "I actually suggested something like that to my superiors. Waiting on my report. Good day, sir." the 2 of them walked off with the trainee giving a weird look to Blu as they walked away, presumably to question other residents.

Cali then looked to Blu. "Typical cops. Using inefficient strategies while acting like they own the place. No wonder why nobody likes them." she stated with a scowl.

Blu sighed as he closed the door before quickly putting his glasses back on and setting his mane straight, "I'm surprised they didn't scan the house, would've told them real quick how many ponies were inside, but I think they need a warrant for that."

He returned to his cooling pancakes, "Now, when are we headed out? I don't want to be here if they make a second pass or if Princess Sparkle does come looking for me."

Cali stood at the door. "Why not, right now? Get what you need and we'll go before this place gets dicey."  Cali said and waited for him at the door. She wanted to get going just in case more police would come by or something of that sort. She wanted to get out of here. Oddly enough, she waited quite patiently. 

Blu was quick to finish off his food before heading to the bedroom, he came out garbed in the same outfit that he had entered the city in, a long coat that did well in the rain the area was known for, and his briefcase tucked into one side of a pair of generic saddle bags. He motioned towards the back door, "Probably best if we didn't go out where they or the neighbors might see us. They'd be right suspicious if they saw someone other than me leaving."

Cali simply laughed at that. "Oh, they won't see anyone other than you alright..." she said in an almost show-offy voice. Then suddenly in a red flash, her body turned into mist and assumed the form of a pendant that floated towards him,  and went around his neck. "I am capable of turning into most things I see." Cali said in a rather arrogant voice, proud of herself for that 'simple' task.

Blu was quite surprised by the mare's transformation, and shuddered when she set herself around his neck, "I'd... um, appreciate it if you had warned me first. I don't much like being touched, and this is weird."

Nonetheless he would still proceed out the back door to travel by way of the wilderness around the city. He was headed in the general direction of the train station, "So... which way should we be headed?" He looked around to see if anyone was watching him, it would certainly look suspicious to be seen talking to himself.

Cali thought for a minute. "If my memory is correct, we should be heading towards the north-east." Cali had said to him. "You know fun fact, I was the one that robbed that place in town that the police were talking of." Cali spoke proudly, once nobody was around the place. "It'd be better for us to fly there."

Blu snorted as he turned his course towards the direction she indicated, "I thought as much, greed plus looking for an abandoned house to lay low in. You're lucky they didn't seem to be offering any sort of reward, not that they could offer me something more valuable than you're offering."

Blu scoffed, "Last I checked, neither of us had wings. Personally I don't intend to grow a pair, too much responsibility involved, so I wonder what you have in mind."

Cali scoffed at that. "Hah, you are now letting us see the real you. Everyone's out for themselves." she said as the pendant glowed. "Time for you to grow a pair, at least for a little while."  she says and he suddenly feels metal growing out from the pendant, over his back and a pair of metallic wings formed from the metal which widened. Carefully around his body, sort of forming 'holders' as the wings sprouted. "Ready to go? I see no reason for us to stick around here any longer." 

Blu stopped as the metal wings appeared, "Woah woah woah! I didn't agree to this. I'm not a pegasus, I wasn't meant to fly. I've got no desire to fly. I'm not flying especially when you could just drop me. I can't say I trust you that far."

"Too bad." is all Cali said as the wings flared and jolted off into the sky. He was held into place safely enough. But still the jolt of suddenly rising into the air at a great, un-natural pace was quite jarring. Cali spoke no words at all as she let him experience this. She didn't care how he felt, not at all. Maybe she wanted to scare him, maybe she wanted to impress him. He didn't know. Once at the height of the clouds the wings stopped and he was suddenly still, hundreds of feet above the ground before jutting off in a certain direction.