//------------------------------// // Chapter 19: Round Two // Story: Blank // by GameMakingOtaku //------------------------------// Chapter 19 Round Two Inn was now back in Inn inn. It has been some time since she and Princess Celestia where on good terms. This did not mean that Inn and her hadn't talked  to each other. Princess Celestia just scared Inn. She was getting ready to go to the store to do some shopping, but then she heard something. It was faint and in the distance, but as she left, she could hear large blasts of fire. It came from the library. She made a mad dash to see what was going on. Halfway there, she could see a big balloon, rising. Inn flew after the balloon. Then she noticed that she was flying. Thinking about it, Inn goes back down onto the ground, and to the library, retreating the wings. She sees a worn out dragon murmuring to himself. “Why do I have to do everything around here?” he complained. Inn just smiled and tiredly walked to the store. ============= Cleaning the inn takes lots of supplies, and when Inn, was on her way back, she was overloaded with the day's cleaning supplies. When she had slowly made her way to the halfway point from the store and the bags flew up. Magic had gripped them. Inn sees a tall white and blue unicorn with a large horn and well kept blue mustache. “Well my dear, let me help you there,” he said, lifting at least half the bags with his magic. “It would not be very coltly of me to let a fine little mare like you struggle with all these bags, now would it?” he said offering a smile to Inn. Inn was flattered by his comment. She looked at his cutie mark, three crowns, and tux. Not many ponies in town had tuxedos. “Oh, ah, thanks s-sir.” They began to walk in the direction that Inn was going. “So, where may I say we are taking these to?” “To, to my inn.” “Oh, that's great. What is it called?” “Inn.” “Ah... are you saying it's Inn inn?” he asked looking puzzled. “Yes. I-I ah, like the... name,” said Inn with a funny smile. “Oh, is that so? May I ask what your name is? I'm Fancypants.” He bowed his head, seeing as they were walking. “Inn. N-nice to meet you, P-pants.” Inn bowed her head, trying not to make the food fall off her back as she did it. Pants pauses. “Oh. Well I need a place to stay for a few days. Miss Inn, can I say in your inn called Inn?” he said, thinking fast so he could ask a relevant question, and make a joke. ============= Inn and Pants were back at the inn. They were getting things put away, when the question came up again. “So, do you have any open rooms? I will only need to stay for a few days.” “Oh, ah, y-yes I do. Let me go and g-get the book for y-you Pants.” “Call me Fancypants. It just sounds weird to be called Pants.” Well Inn got Fancypants in a room. He explained that he was here to see the princess before she left the Cloudsdale. They spoke about the event in the clouds. Inn did not know of it, nor did she know that the princess was going to watch it. She eventually told him that she had seen the princess recently. It wasn't pleasant but she had seen Princess Celestia. Fancypants was nice to Inn before, but after hearing that she had seen the princess, he seemed even nicer and more eager to learn more about her. They talked about the castle and how big it is. They talked about his horn, and how big it is. They talked about her having no mane and tail. They were hitting it off. ============= Inn went out to see if there was any way she could do her other job, by simply walking around town. She did not even have time to shut the door all the way, when there was a ground shaking boom in the sky. Looking up, Inn could see a rainbow fragment coming her way. She was shocked, amazed, and confused. Either way, she had a long awaited job to do. ============= In a few days, Inn had just came back from the hut. She did not have any more tea at the inn, and had a craving to have a pot or two. When she had gotten back, a blue pony was flying over head. Rainbow dashed to Inn when she noticed her. “Ha! Trying to sp-? Wait, where's your wings?” said Rainbow, as she had a few thoughts run through her mind just as she began the interrogation. “Oh, hi. I-I'm Inn. Nice to m-meet you Rainbow D-dash.” Inn had a smile on her face, part show, part unable to hide her laughter well enough. “What? How do you know my name?” “E-everypony knows the G-great Rainbow Dash. The only p-pegasus to of crashed i-into every house, st-store, and tree in Ponyville at least o-one.” Rainbow looked mad. “And maybe, t-the fasted pegasus.” Now Rainbow looked happy. “If only y-you'd stop d-destroy our homes, y-you'd be awesome,” Inn said with a smile, that got bigger to emphasize awesome. Awesome, not awesome. “What does that all mean? Are you just playing with me?” ask an angry pegasus. “I was a-about to m-make tea. Do you w-want to come in and h-have some? I have some great tea.” Inn had an odd looking smile. She was annoyed that Rainbow did not get the message, but instead got mad. Rainbow gave an irritated glance at Inn. “No, I'll pass. I have cloud duties.” Inn gave a little giggle. “Everypony knows y-you blow that o-off. It sounds l-like you are a-afraid of me!” teased Inn. “What!? No way! Rainbow Dash is afraid of nopony. If any thing, you are afraid of me!” retorted Rainbow. “That's the spirit! Come on. When w-we are done, I-I have an offer f-for you,” said Inn like she was the sliest pony in town. They had started to enter the inn, when she adds, “Oh, and I'm not a-afraid, too. I-I stutter do to t-two fillies f-from my p-past...” she has a small pause, her face beginning to look a little distorted, “they know who to fear now,” her voice was harsh and dark, but it all changed in an instant, “b-but that's a-all in the past. Well with t-the exception of the d-dead dragon.” Suddenly, Rainbow had some doubts and fears creep in. ============= They had finished the tea. Rainbow was obviously waiting to hear what Inn wanted to ask, but the silence from the odd things that Inn would say, seemed to prolong her question somehow. Such as she could slay dragons, and not everypony knows just how long they have known her. Odd things. Things that came and went without being provoked. “So-” Rainbow had finally started. “I-I want to race you,” blurted Inn. Rainbow was shocked, then offended, then she was laughing. “You want to race me? You think you can send a chance? Oh~, that's rich.” Inn was still not laughing, but instead had a serious looking smile on her face. “A flying r-race.” Rainbow fell out of her chair from laughter. “D-do you want t-to pick the p-place or me to?” ============= The two found themselves at a long winding gorge. “Here?” Before, Rainbow wasn’t sure if the white earth pony was sane, but now she felt it was certain. “Yes, t-the safest place I-I know,” said Inn with a cheshire smile. “First you say that you want to race me in flying, now you say that you think this place is safe! How many screws do you have loose? How are you even going to fly? You're an earth pony, they can't fly if you haven't noticed?” “T-the fuzzy fat flying p-pony known as P-pinky Pie flies... I think.” “No she-” “Yes, I think s-she can. It's the o-only explanation a-as to how she g-gets to some pl-places. And no pony c-can bounce as h-high as Pinkie Pie.” “Well, well okay. You may have a point there. But Pinkie is Pinkie. How could you do it?” “I'm Inn Cog Neato, The Great Unknown!” said Inn, doing her best impression of Trixie without using her ability. “Ookay~ then... let's just do this. Sorry in advance for beating you so badly. It's just too unfair of a race,” said Rainbow as she shook her head and prepared for the race. The race this time had some new things to the list of rules, but was still a little similar to last time. All forms of cheating was banned. They could go up and down now. This race though, was one long seven mile lap with obstacles. The pegasus sighed. “Your funeral. I'm telling you, you won't win a flying race.” Ignoring that, Inn got into a ready position, “Ready... Set... GO!” Inn knew what she was doing. Just as she said 'Go', she turned into a copy of Rainbow. They both had darted off, but Inn had a third of a second delay due to transforming. There was a fairly short stretch before a bend. They both had done zig zags in the strait away, going in the opposite direction of the other. When they got to the bend the where neck to neck. Simple pillars and trees awaited them. While Rainbow zigged and zagged again, Inn just went through, making mild changes to her height or angle. Inn looked back, and Rainbow looks as if she just seen a ghost. Inn goes through a tunnel that had strong wind currents going through it. Inn continues through the strait away, and find a forest of thorny plants. Looking back, Inn sees that she has a major lead. When Inn can finally turn to see Rainbow's face, Rainbow snaps out of her stupor and gets a boost in her attitude. “Yeah!” shouted Inn, as she changed into a small bug and flew through the gaps. Do to her small size, Inn lost her large lead. Inn got it back, and just as she did, she found a large number of holes in the sides of the gorge faces. She knew what this meant. She turned into a jumbo red and purple eel that had wings, mane, and a tail. It looked like an odd mixture of a Quarry Eel and Rainbow Dash. Some of the eels popped out about half way and then stopped as Inn passed by. Now Rainbow had to know about the eels too, right? Looking back, Inn sees that Rainbow was out flying most of the eel. The ones she didn't, she had graceful moves to get around them. It was a bit of a straight shot from there for a few miles. Inn turned back into Rainbow, and the two began to race to the finish neck to neck again. The two looked at each other, and made climb up to the top boundary of the gorge. Once at the top they both made a steep dive down. Making a mad dash for what would seem to be the ground, they built up so much speed that they were forming a cone around themselves. When their speed and cones had hit their apex, they got a sudden large boost of speed, there was a massive boom, and two rings where deffing and eye catching. They both looked back at their creations, a rainbow moving across the gorge, intersecting with a white cloud doing the same as the rainbow. “Wha~” they gasped. Using the speed to continue on, it was a short stretch to the finish. The results were like last time. “Oh, oh, oh~, that was so cool,” said one Rainbow in an almost mocking tone. “Did you see I won?” “Yes, I did... and now... I think...” stammered the other Rainbow, “... I.. need to stop... for a while.” She then turned into a little white mare. Inn's legs were wobbling. “Two times now! Count them, faker! Two! Am I awesome or what?” Rainbow would not stop gloating. “C-c-can you... h-... help me... t-to... Inn inn?” asked Inn, as she lost control of her legs, and fell down. “Oh what? The Great Unknown can't stand losing, so you're trying to turn me into a slave? No way! It's an act, and you can do some good some ones too!” “No. I'm... serious... I have no... energy... left. I... was.... recovering. Go... ask Twilight... about... the meeting with... Princess Celestia... about me... if you don't... believe me.” Inn was slowly lowering her head, unable to hold it up for much longer. “No! One, why should I waste my time believing a deceptive spy. Two, you lost, you pay the price for it!” Rainbow was making it clear that she did not like Inn too much. No response. As she starts to leave, she looks at Inn, and Rainbow just could not leave Inn laying there. After Inn is on Rainbow's back, she says, “I'm just doing this to be nice, I don't trust you.” They had been going on hoof for a while. They both did not say a word to each other for most of the walk back. Eventually Inn whispers with a weak voice, “G-good.. r-r-race. Good, r-race.”