//------------------------------// // Chapter Two // Story: Violet Eyes // by ShadestepWarrior //------------------------------// CHAPTER TWO Inkie was left alone on the dark streets, illuminated only faintly by flickering and failing lamp posts. It was oddly quiet, and she suddenly wanted to get out of there. She subconsciously began heading home, then she realized that if she went home, she wouldn't ever be allowed to leave again. She'd never work up the courage, and she’d be trapped on that sad little rock farm forever. Where will I stay? she wondered. She couldn't stay wherever Pinkie was; she didn't know where the bakery was, and anyway, Pinkie had just moved in. It wouldn't be fair to expect the Cakes to have to feed and house her also, if only for the night. After wandering the streets, Inkie found an alleyway that was dark and shadowed. It was the best place that she was going to find, and seeing how it was warm outside anyway, Inkie curled up into a ball and fell asleep. The sky was just fading into gray when Inkie awoke. Her coat was wet with dew, and it made her feel very sleepy and stupid. Pale stars still spangled the sky, and the pastel silver of a moon was just visible. Inkie's stomach growled, and she remembered that she hadn't eaten any of her dinner the night before, and she wondered how long she would have to go before she got any food. She briefly wondered how she would get any money to actually buy food if Octavia wasn't going to pay her, but she was too groggy to focus on it for very long. She sat up and smoothed out her mane, wishing she had a hairbrush, and cautiously made her way out of the alley. No pony was up this early, and for this the gray earth pony was thankful. Inkie stretched once more and trotted off to the place she had met Octavia the night before. The street lights were just turning off when she saw the gray mare, who was looking up at the gray sky and wearing an annoyed look on her face. My, she really does like to get up early, Inkie thought uncomfortably. “There you are.” Octavia said as she crossed her front hooves. “I've been waiting for an hour.” “Don't you ever sleep?” Inkie asked. “Not much.” Octavia admitted. “At least not at night. I have insomnia.” “Oh.” Inkie replied lamely, shuffling her hooves. Octavia flipped her mane. “Well, anyway.” she began as she picked up her cello case. “I say we do some shopping for food and other necessities- yes, I do have some money, I'm not that poor- and we can start for Manehattan. It's quite a bit busier there, and I hope to make some more money.” Without saying another word, Octavia whipped around and started walking away. Inkie had to almost run to keep up with the mare’s long strides. She would've asked where they were going if she hadn't been so out of breath, but when she looked up, her eyes widened in amazement at what she saw. It was something she had never seen before; an outdoor marketplace. Already some early ponies were setting up stands that had all kinds of things; fruits, vegetables, fresh bread, baked goods, beads, cloth, hoof-sewn saddle bags- anything anypony could ever want. Octavia put down her cello case and opened it. She took out a small bag and tossed it to Inkie. “You're in charge of the money now.” Octavia said, closing the case again. “Buy us some food and anything else we may need. It'll be a couple days to Manehattan, so make sure to prepare for that. I'll be waiting over there.” The gray mare waved in the general direction of a bench. “I expect you back in an hour.” “O-okay.” Inkie stammered. Octavia nodded and walked off. Inkie looked at the contents in the bag. It was filled with bits, and she though it would be just enough for them to get by, as long as they made some money in Manehattan as Octavia had promised. She started with purchasing food, mostly bread so they could make grass sandwiches on the way, then on to fruits and vegetables. She decided on buying herself some cheap saddle bags; she thought them necessary if she was going to have to carry all the supplies. After an hour of nervous haggling, the cool gray mare walked back to Octavia. “Hmm... what?” Octavia asked sleepily, apparently waking up from a nap. “Oh. Inkie. Good, you got everything.” The warm gray mare stood up and stretched. “Are you ready?” she asked. “Um....” Inkie said uncertainly. She should probably send her family a letter or something to let them know where she was. They would be terribly worried- No! she thought. Let them wait. Next time they saw her, she’d be working for the most famous and renowned pony in all of Equestria. “Yeah, I’m ready.” Inkie said, nodding her head jerkily in determination. The road was long and dusty and boring. Fortunately, Inkie was good at dealing with boredom. Octavia, however, was not. “I’m sick of this dusty old road.” Octavia snapped about two hours into the trip. “Usually I’m quite patient, but not in the face of all this nothing!” “You just have to look at stuff inside of your head.” Inkie yawned. “Nonsense.” Octavia said with a shake of her mane. “I say we just try to move faster. Pick up your pace, Inkie. If we go two times faster, we’ll arrive twice as fast.” At that, the warm gray mare started a brisk trot that Inkie almost had to run to keep up with. The cool gray mare cursed Octavia’s long legs and huffed along beside her. An hour passed, and finally Inkie said “Can we please just stop? I’m hungry and tired.” Octavia stopped abruptly and turned to her with a glimmer of amusement in her eyes. “You sound like a foal.” she whinnied. “I am NOT a foal!” Inkie almost yelled. She hated it when ponies called her that; it wasn’t her fault that she was little small. Even Blinkie, who was younger than her, would call her a foal, just because her cutie mark had come later. And what a cutie mark it is! Inkie though dismally. At least it got her a job. Octavia rolled her eyes. “Of course not.” she said sarcastically. “But we can eat anyhow. I am rather famished.” So Inkie took some of the bread out of her saddlebags and made grass sandwiches; Octavia claimed she couldn’t cook worth two bits. “It’s not cooking.” Inkie replied as she picked some of the greenest grass under a tree. “Yes, it is. And who’s your boss?” Octavia replied, leaning against the tree. So Inkie made the sandwiches. The day wore by slowly while on the road, and even Inkie got bored around six o’clock. She was glad that she had bought blankets, because Octavia said they would have to sleep on the ground. Inkie, as she was wrapped up in her blanket, looked up at the stars. They were very bright; she realized that she had never really had a chance to just look at them before. She was usually either too busy with the rocks or too tired to do anything but sleep. Not to mention it was usually too cloudy at her house at night anyway. “Hey... Octavia?” Inkie asked. “Hmm?” “We’re really going to get to the Gala, right?” She heard Octavia turn onto her side a few feet away. “With your help, I think so.” Inkie sighed. “Good.”