Pennington was furious. He was supposed to be the one who was stubborn for pointless reasons, not Twilight!
"Ooh, Pennington, you know I can't accept this!" He mocked Twilight's tone to himself as he stormed through Ponyville's main street. A pair of beautiful, star-shaped, amethyst-and-silver earrings were resting in his saddlebag, refused by the pony that he had bought them for. "Ponies are going to ask how your little shop got the money to buy these! It could expose your secret! Yeah, right! Earrings are going to let everypony know that I'm secretly a bestselling author under a different name!" He muttered to himself, looking from side to side to make sure that nopony was listening. "Hmph... Daring Do wouldn't let something like that stop her! Neither should I..."
Normally, Twilight couldn't make him this mad. but he had spent hours in Canterlot looking at jewelry, trying to understand what it is that Twilight would want. After that, he had bought her a large ruby necklace, thankfully come back to Ponyville to ask Rarity for advice. She had immediately asked him if he was colorblind, made a few rather hurtful comments about his sense of fashion, and taken him back to Canterlot to try again. This time, with the help of Rarity's "fashion sense" helping him, it had only taken him three hours and at least five more purchases and returns before he had settled on the earrings, claiming that they were the "perfect accent" to her coat and mane.
"She doesn't even know all of the trouble I went through! I mean, come on! Just because a gift is expensive doesn't mean that it would be wrong for her to accept it!" He muttered to himself. He was making a mountain out of a mole hill, he knew. He wouldn't be so upset, but several other factors were contributing to his frustration. His last book, Daring Do and the Adventure of the Firestorm Crown, hadn't been selling well, and he had recently been almost turned into a changeling, of all things! (A story so long, he didn't even want to start to think about it.) This seemed to simply be the icing on the frustration cake for him.
He threw open the door to his home/business, listening to the light chime of the bell above his door. As usual, the writer-for-hire business had been terrible, and now his life under his pen name, Scorching Quill, was suffering. His romance with Twilight had been the only thing going for him, and now even that was turned topsy-turvy. In a fury, he turned his bag upside down, dumping out all of its contents. Without much thought, he turned to a closet and began to toss items into the bag. "Firestarters, pan, a few packages of ramen... Quills, ink, scrolls... A small knife, a space-saver's blanket, and some string. You never know when you're going to need string." Satisfied, he turned around and walked back to the door, turning around the sign in the window.
Sorry to have missed you, but adventure's calling!
Happy Adventuring!
Pennington Inkwell
I need to change that sign...
"Penn? Is that you?" A voice called out. "How did Twilight like her gift?" A small lavender-colored dragon stepped out from the door to his study, rubbing her eye with one winged arm.
"See for yourself..." Pennington muttered, tossing the small box towards her. "Moonstone, I'm going on a trip to blow off some steam. You're going to stay here."
The dragon looked up at him with curious eyes. "Are you going to go and see Lily?"
It took a moment for the question to process in Pennington's mind. When the question about his old friend finally sunk in, Pennington gave Moonstone the best expression that could express the sheer dumbfoundedness that came with it.
"What? No! She'd probably give me some kind of lecture about how I need to 'settle down' if I'm going to have a girlfriend and the 'importance of a steady, comfortable life.' I'm going to Everfree!" He tossed a few more packages of ramen into his bag.
"WHAT?" Moonstone was instantly wide-awake, and she fluttered up into the air. With just a few flaps of her wings, she had jumped up into the air and landed on his back, taking a firm hold on his neck. "That's crazy!"
"Moonstone, you're going to have to get used to 'crazy' if you're going to live with me..." Pennington squirmed under her grasp, but she kept her arms wrapped tightly around his neck. "Besides, you're not going with me!"
"Oh, yes I am!" The dragon replied stubbornly. "Luna told me that I'm supposed to make sure that you take care of yourself, and that means following you on whatever crazy scheme you go on!"
"Moonstone, I need you to stay here!" With a sudden buck, Pennington sent her flying off of his back. He magically caught her shortly before she hit the ground, nearly smiling through his bad mood at her unnecessary cringing for the impact. When she realized that she wasn't going to hit the ground, she opened one eye, then gave him the angriest-looking scowl that she could. Rolling his eyes, Pennington lifted her up to eye level, looking straight into her purple eyes. "Look, Moonstone, this is a little private time, okay? I might swing by Zecora's place, but after that, it's just going to be me, myself, and I. That's what I need right now: time to get things sorted out in my head without any kind of outside interference. Everfree is one of the few places I can be truly alone. If you stay here, I won't have to worry about the shop! You can keep an eye on Twilight for me, and I can come back sooner because it won't take me as long to come back because I can really relax more!" Pennington was surprised at how much talking to Moonstone had helped him calm down.
Maybe the princess was right when she told me I needed an assistant... He gently placed her up on the counter, letting her stand on her own two feet again.
"So, Moonstone, I need you to stay here, okay?" He gave her a stern look, which she simply replied to with a somewhat softened glare.
"I know you're not lying to me... But I still think I should be coming with you!" She sat down on the counter, pouting as best a dragon could. "I don't want to let down Luna, and you shouldn't be going out there alone!" Unexpectedly, the dragon stood up again and jumped forward, wrapping her arms around Pennington in a tight hug. Pennington stiffened at first, then smiled for the first time since he had left the library, gently wrapping his hoof around her.
"Penn... please?"
"Sorry, Moon Moon, not today..." He gently set the dejected dragonet back on the counter, trying to prevent her from crying by humorously using the nickname that she hated so much. "I'll tell you what. Everfree is like my own backyard. It's the safest dangerous place we can go. So, next time I go on a little camping trip, you can come with me, okay?" He looked her straight in the eye, which allowed her to know that he was telling the truth. Moonstone had been born with a unique ability, she could tell when somepony was lying. Luna had attributed this to her lineage, seeing as some of the more ancient dragon families occasionally gave birth to dragons with latent magical abilities. Due to her young age and lack of training, however, she was very limited, functioning basically as a lie detector. She could also see through the occasional facade, such as Pennington's dyed mane. It had made their first meeting slightly awkward, with her insisting on him telling her why he had dyed it as a test of whether he would be truthful with her.
She gave him one last pout, then finally turned around and dropped off the counter, landing in front of his hooves. With another heart-wrenchingly affectionate hug around his front legs, Pennington's will almost disappeared. He had only known Moonstone for a short time, but she had always seemed happy to work with him and eager to please.
"If you get yourself hurt out there, I'm not going to let you out of my sight for a month..." She muttered, nuzzling her face against his leg.
Pennington reached down and gently tousled the black spines on the top of her head with a smile. "Well, now you just sound like Lily... But I need to go. The sooner I leave, the sooner I can come back..."
Moonstone nodded and finally let go, looking up at him with pleading eyes in a desperate last effort. When he shook his head, she let out a long sigh and stepped back.
"So, the 'cute act' didn't work, then?" She gave him a skeptical look, her demeanor changing from childish desperation for involvement to an attitude of mild irritation.
Pennington's jaw dropped at the sudden metamorphosis, and he facehoofed resolutely, shaking his head with his hoof still planted on his forehead.
"Maybe I'm the one who needs to be able to see through lies..." He muttered, pulling out his key to the front door and tossing it to her. "Here. Don't forget to lock up every night."
With a short salute, she caught the key and nodded. "Will do, Penn!" Her expression softened slightly, showing genuine concern. "But seriously... If you're not going to let me come with you, be careful out there..."
Pennington grinned and replied with a salute of his own. "Will do, Moon Moon!" Immediately, he ducked to avoid a small fireball from his irritated assistant. "Hey! Don't burn the shop down!"
"Well, young dragons shouldn't be left unattended!" She gave him a mischevious smile, to which he replied with a chastening glare. After a moment, though, the tension left and Moonstone gave him one final hug.
"Seriously, though... I meant what I said. Come home soon?" She looked up at him, obviously genuine in her concern. Again, Pennington felt his will wavering, but he simply nodded.
"Soon. I'll see you soon." He gave her one last grin of confidence, then walked out the door, leaving Moonstone alone.
Soon after he locked the door and took off again, he walked though the street with a somewhat satisfied grin. Skipping town was how he preferred to deal with his problems, letting them calm down before he tried to fix them, that way he could come back with a level head and, more often than not, a solution that he had thought out well over time on his journeys. Ponyville was just too boring to fill his appetite for adventure, but there was a place with plenty of excitement close by: the Everfree forest. Most ponies were terrified of Everfree, but Pennington had found his cutie mark there, and had spent many a day deep in the forest, carving new paths and discovering new wonders.
As he walked, he travelled past Fluttershy's cottage. He gave a wave to the shy pony, who was feeding her chickens. She gave a small wave in reply, then quickly ran inside. Pennington shook his head with a smile. He had personally never met the Element of Kindness's bearer, but he knew that she was extremely shy. Rather than try to press a conversation onto her, Pennington simply kept walking towards the trees. The two of them had a silent understanding that he was simply passing through to the Everfree forest.
The Element of Kindess... She seems like a sweet pony. A little timid, but sweet... I wouldn't be surprised if she spends a little time in Everfree now and then, since she lives so close...
As he followed the past near the beginning of the massive tree line, Pennington found himself nearing a familiar hut, carved out of a large, still-living tree. To his surprise, the array of potions usually left tied to the branches to either mature a potion or ward off evil spirits were more numerous than usual, strung together in a web through the tree branches. While he stopped to eye the array, a familiar rhyming voice called out to him as Zecora leaned out of one of the windows.
"Pennington! Please, come inside! There is good reason now to hide!" She waved for him to come to her door, and he quickly followed. As she rushed him inside, Pennington saw even more wards tied up around the house, along with several burning sticks of incense.
"Wow, Zecora! What's got you so flustered? Something dangerous? Please tell me it's something dangerous! I need something to occupy my mind..."
"'Dangerous' is a word to describe only slightly! And this is a danger you should not take lightly!" She scolded him, making him feel like a misbehaving foal again. "A spirit has returned to Everfree, dear. One that has not been seen for many a year!" She sprinkled a small amount of green powder into the pot in the center of the room. In a flash of smoke, Pennington was the silhouette of a cat, holding itself with pride. "A cat of great deviousness, lust, and pride, finds unwitting stallions and lures them inside..." The image shifted as the cat began to work its way around the legs of a large, heavy-built stallion, whose body language reflected that he was only pleasantly surprised at the cat's affection. "Then she traps them with her, forever to stay... And then vanishes again, until another day." The stallion suddenly reared up in panic, and the image spiraled down into oblivion as the smoke vanished.
"It is this lonesome spirit that now roams the woods! She is vengeful, evil, and up to no good!" Zecora stomped her hoof, turning back to him. "My wards at my home keep her here, in the forest, but if you pass by this warning, your odds are the poorest!"
"Zecora, trust me... I've faced wild spirits before, and right now, I'd take any of those over staying in Ponyville right now." Pennington joked as he rolled his eyes. He nearly jumped out of his skin as Zecora grabbed him on either side of the face, forcing him to look into her aquamarine eyes. Pennington almost found himself drawn in and hypnotized.
"Pennington, my dear, you would be right to fear! This is nothing to be taken lightly! The results of your trip could be more than frightening! You are a pony I'm proud to call friend, and I would refuse to let your life come to an end!"
Pennington continued to look into her eyes for a moment, nearly being drawn in completely, the stepped away and shook his head. "Zecora, please! I'm not going to go looking for any kind of trouble... It's just another camping trip. I just want to get away from my problems for a while... I doubt I'll be anywhere near this thing!"
Zecora turned away, giving him a sideways glare. "If you truly insist upon moving on, despite objection, please allow me to give you some small protection..." She walked to the pot again, dipping a small vial into the potion and letting it fill before placing a cork firmly in the top and running a small thread through it. "Wear this here, around your neck. It will hopefully keep the evil in check." The zebra stepped forward and tied the thread around his neck, letting it hang down in front of his chest. "This ward is simple and strong, but there is still much that can go horribly wrong..."
Pennington nodded enthusiastically, then began to walk toward the door again. "Thanks, Zecora, you're the best! Trust me, everything is going to be just fine!"
Zecora's eyes narrowed in suspicion, but she nodded her affirmation before tossing him a small pill bottle, which he quickly tossed away in his bag. "Stay close to the paths, my dear old friend... Or else, for you, it may be the end. And if I'm correct, your prescription's run out! It would be best to keep full control of your body, no doubt."
"Will do! And thanks! I was almost out of pills for my sleep paralysis!" With a wink, he trotted out of the door.
Of course, Pennington had no intention to stay near the paths, nor out of danger.
As the path in the trees began to fade away, Pennington stopped for a short break. Lowering his head, he screwed his eyes shut in concentration. As his horn glowed with energy, a white mist came floating out, hovering in the air in front of him. After a few seconds, the mist shaped itself into the intended form: an Arabian scimitar, a weapon near and dear to his heart. Without hesitation, he began to chop through the vines, clearing a new path in the forest and carving his way deeper into the unknown. He had come this way many times before, but he was nearing the edge of his knowledge. After a few hours of hacking and cutting, he was deep in the forest, where he knew nopony would find him and that only new discoveries awaited.
However, the sun was rapidly setting, and even Pennington knew that it was wise to fear the forest at night. With a long yawn, he scaled a nearby tree, found a pair of wide branches, and tied his foil blanket between them essentially creating an insulated hammock. For safety's sake, he cast a quick durability spell that he had learned some time ago on the blanket, then climbed inside, more than snug in his cocoon. With a smile to himself, he hung Zecora's ward on a nearby tree branch and popped one of the white pills from the bottle into his mouth. He had completely lost himself in his quest to delve into the mysterious forest, forgetting about his fight with Twilight and his other looming troubles. Even the nagging voice of the changelings' hive mind seemed to have faded from the back of his skull, despite the fact that it hadn't seemed to want to shut up since he escaped them. For once, he was truly alone, and he planned to enjoy every second of it.
"Life is good..." He yawned as he closed his eyes, letting the bright moonlight filter through with only the faintest of glows. "In spite of everything, life is good... I'm sure Zecora's just overreacting about that 'evil cat' spirit. Well, goodnight, Luna! It's another beautiful one..." He talked to the goddess-princess as if she were there, listening through the moon. For all that he knew, she was completely oblivious of it, but it was a tradition that he refused to grow out of. He could feel himself slowly slipping away into unconsciousness as his eyelids grew heavy and conscious thought ground to a halt. He smiled and snuggled himself into the hammock one last time, calling an end to all movement for the night.
"PENN!" The cry ripped through the night, jolting Pennington from his near-slumber. For a moment, the stallion panicked, trying to sit up and instead tipping over the hammock. Instinctively, he grabbed at the blanket, holding on for dear life until he could find a branch to place his back hooves on. As soon as he had scrambled his way to a firm position, his horn burst into light, sending out a burst of energy that formed itself into the shape of a broad, curved sword. His head, however, had gotten caught in the hammock, so the sword simply swung blindly in the air, fending off any foes in his immediate vicinity.
"What is it? Who's there? I won't hesitate to kill if provoked!" He shouted, his voice slightly muffled by the blanket. "Show yourself!"
"Woah! Woah! Penn, hold your horses! It's just me, Moonstone!" As Pennington pulled his head out of the hammock's twisted body, he saw the light purple dragon fluttering her way above the treetops, flying to the tree that he had formed his hammock. She was a slightly awkward flyer, bobbing up and down in the air with every time that she flapped her arms. With a final flap forwards, she landed on the tree, sinking her claws into the bark to swing around the trunk. She looked at him for a moment, then looked at the area around them, scowling slightly.
"Why did you go off of the path?"
"Why did you follow me?" Pennington asked in return, outraged at what he was seeing. "I specifically told you to stay and watch the shop! Don't you know how dangerous it is out here?"
"Well, Zecora told me about a few things..." Moonstone gave him a glare in return, though he could see that she was wavering out of guilt. "Including the fact that I ought to have been able to just find you on the path... Not too deep into the forest...." After a few seconds of Pennington not wanting to answer, she let out a long sigh, looking more apologetic. "Look, I'm sorry, okay? I'm sorry, but I just had this really bad feeling.... I felt like you were going to need help!"
Pennington continued to glare at her for a few more seconds, then let out a long sigh as the sword that he had made faded away into a white mist. Rolling his eyes, he climbed up into the hammock again.
"You know... We're both stubborn. You just can't let me forget that, can you?" He examined the hammock for a moment, then looked back at Moonstone, who was giving him a pleading look.
"Fine... Come on!" Laying on his back, Pennington patted his exposed underbelly. "There isn't exactly much room in a hammock, but I think that we can both - UFF!" Moonstone's face lit up with glee and she jumped up, landing on him with a significant force. She took a few more steps to lay down on his stomach, curling up like a cat and using her tail to pull the blanket over herself. After the initial shock of her landing, Pennington took a few seconds to catch the wind that had been knocked out of him, then did his best to settle in for the night. It was surprising how warm Moonstone's body was, her body providing heat for them both to sleep cozily in the blanket. She began to quietly purr once she was asleep, sending vibrations of sound through his stomach and chest. Pennington couldn't help but smile.
You know... Moonstone isn't that bad to have around. Who knows? It might actually be for the best that she came along...
Somehow, the normally keen adventurer didn't see the eyes watching him.
He's perfect... Overconfident, brash, able to take care of himself physically... and, most importantly, a dreamer, creating castles and happy endings in his mind to make himself feel better about reality. He feels like he can just change things at will, like a simple story on paper, even as the jaws of cruel reality snap shut and crush him, impaling him and sucking dry his hopes and dreams. A soft gurgle from next to her reminded her of the creature that had led her to him wanted some kind of reward for leading her to him. The ward had almost let him travel undetected, but he had not gone unnoticed by Sludge, her trusted companion.
Another gurgle expressed Sludge's concern.
The dragon will be a simple matter... and if she proves too problematic, you can dispose of her. But for now, let's not make it seem as though we WANT to threaten her...
He doesn't need much guidance, he's headed straight into my web... But perhaps we should give him something that he can't resist once morning comes. A mystery, perhaps? A MURDER? Oh, no... Too dark. We don't want to frighten him all the way back to his zebra friend who's too smart for her own good. Just a little something to make him want to follow my path. Something to whet his curiosity...
You know what they say about curiosity... It kills.