//------------------------------//
// No Time Later 
// Story: A Pegasus Horn 
// by Ignimbrite 
//------------------------------//

It was a relatively normal school day.  

Of course in this case, "relatively normal" meant that Cheerilee actually had some degree of control over the class again.  It wasn't much of a comfort to Obsidian though, as the majority of the class still believed the rumor.  

It didn't help that the papers kept treating the Princesses's corrections as "denial."  It also didn't help that every other newspaper with the exception of his dad's was also getting in on the story.  

Thanks to the numerous "retractions" and "corrections," he had, over the past week, been Luna's secret son twice, Celestia's secret son three times, Cadance's son once, Cadance's daughter four times, some rival from another nation, a changeling, a forest chimera, a were-timberwolf, and somehow, a half-seapony-half-dragon creature of some sort.  

Needless to say, he was quite tired of all of it.

As Cheerilee turned to write a new assignment on the board, Obsidian was hit in the back of the head with a paper airplane.  He turned around to see who had thrown it, but whoever it was had already gone back to watching the board.  He picked up the airplane and, noticing some marks on the wing, carefully unfolded it.


FS had an idea about stopping this rumor.  She wants to talk about it during recess.  You in?  

KF 


He looked in Kind Face's direction and saw her looking back, silently asking for confirmation.

He turned back to the note and added his response.


Sure.  Let's meet by the swings.

OC 


He surreptitiously refolded it and, as soon as the teacher turned her back, returned it via a rubber band.  She picked it up, read the note, and nodded.





Later by the swings, Feldspar revealed her plan.  

"I knew you'd want to join!"

"Anything to avoid being called 'prince' again.  So what do you have in mind?"

"Dad said he thinks some guys he fired want revenge, right?"

"Yeah, but he can't prove it."

"So what if we prove it?"

Kind Face and Obsidian stared at Feldspar for half a minute.  Kind Face broke the silence first. 

"How?" 

"The break's coming up soon.  We'll have a whole week to find them and figure out what they did."

"Wait wait," Obsidian held up a hoof.  "Aren't the main offices for those papers all headquartered in Canterlot?"

"Yup!"

Kind Face, naturally, was startled at the idea.  "Are you suggesting sneaking off to Canterlot?"

Feldspar just grinned.

Obsidian then brought up his own question.  "Okay, so suppose we manage to sneak off and make it there.  What do we do when we find them?"

This one had Feldspar stumped for a moment.  "I don't know.  I didn't think that far ahead."  She thought a bit.  "I guess we could find proof that they lied.  We could bring along your camera, and I found a tape recorder in my saddlebags that we could use."  

Obsidian and Kind Face considered it.  It was risky, dumb, and not even completely thought out.  Then again, it also seemed like the only thing that could end this rumor for good.  

"I'm in," Obsidian finally replied.

"Okay," Kind Face joined in, "let's do it."





A few days later, they were meeting again, this time out by the creek.

Feldspar dumped everything onto the ground and rummaged through it.  "So here's the camera, the tape recorder, some cart inspection mirrors, enough bits for the tickets... everything we need to be spies." 

"Wait.  We can't just show up there and start spying on everypony.  I mean, I'm pretty sure this," Obsidian stretched out one of his wings while gesturing to his horn, "would be pretty conspicuous, especially with why we're trying to do this."

"Way ahead of you..."  Kind Face opened a grocery bag and dumped several plastic bottles onto the ground.  Feldspar picked up a few.

"Hot Rod Red, Green Beret, Ocean Waves... what is all this stuff?"

Obsidian picked up a bottle of True Royal Purple and examined it.  "Why do you have a half-dozen bottles of fur dye?...  Where did you even get this much dye?"





"What do you mean Scootaloo already picked up my order for me?"





"I'm good with disguises."  

The other two looked at each other, then back at Kind Face.

She continued, "here, I've also got this."  

She hoofed a pair of saddlebags to Obsidian.  They were regular-style saddlebags, but very large, big enough to completely cover his back.

"Check out the underside," Kind Face prodded.  

Turning the bags over, Obsidian saw a pair of long slits, one leading into each bag.  He experimentally slid a wing into one of the slits and found that it fit perfectly.  

"Ponies smuggle stuff under saddlebags and blankets so much, that if somepony thinks you're up to something, they'll look under your bags first."

Obsidian tried them on the rest of the way, then stopped upon realizing something.  "How would you know that?"

Kind Face simply smiled.  "It was in a Daring Do story."

Feldspar looked under the saddlebags and, sure enough, found no trace of her brother's wings.  "Cool!"  She turned back to Kind Face, "do I get to use anything?"

"That's what the fur dye's for.  Since you're in some of the pictures too, there's a good chance you'll get noticed.  Fortunately, your coat's one of the easier colors to dye.  We'll fix it up right before we leave."  

She picked up some Longhorn Orange and examined it.  

We get to be spies!

"So, what about you?"  Obsidian wondered.

"Let's see..."  Kind Face dug through her saddlebags, pulling out a hat and a pair of glasses.  "I'll probably dye my mane too, but for now, how does this look?"

Obsidian tilted his head.  "You look like the exact same filly, but with glasses and a hat."  

As Feldspar giggled, Kind Face frowned, then picked up a bottle and marched off into some bushes.  A few moments later, a blue unicorn filly with a music note cutie mark emerged.  

"This better?"

The other two simply tried to pick up their jaws off the ground.

"Where'd the horn come from?"

She gestured to her saddlebags.  "I keep a few extras in here.  Different colors too."

Obsidian looked back at the saddlebags containing Kind Face's collection.  "Do your parents run a novelty store or something?"

She looked away just briefly.

"We were entertainers, at least before we moved.  The disguises were for playing characters."

Feldspar's eyes widened with wonder.  "You're a stage pony?"

Kind Face shook her head.  "More like a street performer.  Everypony used to love us."  She hung her head, "then somepony else came in and took over our territory, and ponies stopped loving us."  

She looked up towards the other two.  "That's why we moved here.  New town, new start."

Obsidian hung his head.  "Sorry that happened to you."

Feldspar added her own touch.  "We love you."

Kind Face simply smiled a little.  "Thanks...  Thanks a lot."