“No I don’t need a permit for it,” Tinker grumbled, answering yet another question. She just wanted to spend a nice night out on the down, where nopony knows her, or her failures. Instead she winds up in a seedy joint on the edge of town surrounded by everypony down on their luck.
“Come on sweets, what do you want for that thing.”
“I told you already, it’s not for sale.” She took another sip of her carrot juice. She flagged down the waiter for her bill.
“Where you going honey?” The annoying stallion pressed.
“I’m leaving, thank you very much.” She brushed past him.
“Oh come on, stay a bit. I’ll buy.”
“No thanks…”
The stallion blocked the door. “Excuse me, who said you could leave?”
“Get out of the way buster, and nopony gets hurt.”
“Hurt? Hey, did you here that everypony?? This little filly thinks she can hurt me.” He laughed.
“I mean it,” Tinker snarled, clenching her teeth.
“Make me.” He snarked back at the smaller mare.
Tinker was ticked, everypony else just watched, evidently looking for a good show. Oh she’d give them a show. She spun around and bucked up with all her farm-filly strength, connecting firmly with the jerks chest. He stumbled back into the door, the wood creaking under the impact.
“Is that all you got?!”
“You want more!!” Tinker yelled.
“Bring it….” The stallion’s expression changed from insolent to utter shock. He spun around and barreled out the door. Tinker stood there dumbfounded.
“Miss…. Are you alright?” The owner of the joint trotted over, unable to keep his eyes off her mane.
Tinker glanced up, not seeing anything. “I think so?” she stepped to the side to see her reflection in the window. “Holy Cloud Feathers!!” She grabbed a pitcher of water and splashed her face with it, a sizzling sound as the bit of smoke was dissipated. “Sorry for the mess,” She tossed two bits on the table and walked out.
She felt miserable, and yet she wasn’t exactly sure what had happened. Heading back to her airship she climbed aboard and pulled a small mirror out of her saddle bag. She parted her mane and examined the burnt area around her horn, small charred flecks sticking to the stub. “Well that’s just great.” She put the mirror down. “I can light my head on fire but I can’t use any spells. What a failure.” Tinker prepared to settle down for the night, when she heard angry voices coming from a few streets over. She could catch a few key words. Enough to know that she didn’t want to be around when they got there. She untied the ship and pulled the lever to ascend into the dark night sky. “I’ll just drift a while and then fire up the engine. That way they won’t be able to know where I went.” She looked down, she could see the ponies congregating below, their conversation drifting up to her ears.
“Are you sure she was…you know.”
“I swear, I never seen nothing like it.” She recognized the voice of the pony that had caused her problems earlier that evening.
“Well then where she’d go?”
“I don’t know, she had a flying boat thingy.”
“Your drunk again aren’t you.”
“I ain’t drunk…”
“Sure, just how many did he have to drink anyway?” A third pony chimed in.
Tinker lost track of the voices as the breeze picked up slightly carrying the airship to the west. At least she figured it was west. It was so hard to tell at night. How she wished she had taken an astronomy class. She could just pick out the Big Ladle in a break of clouds, but beyond that she was clueless. “Best get some altitude, I don’t want to run into anything in the dark.” She pulled back on the lever that controlled the altitude rising until she was above the clouds. “WOW!” She was astonished at the beauty of the moon swept cloudscape. The silver light glistening on the glowing crests as the ship flowed through. “It’s just so, so, pretty.” Tinker just sat back and watched the dancing lights of the stars, the soft glow of the moon providing light with which to guide her vessel.
She fell asleep that night to the gentle rocking of the ship as it was carried on by the gentle breeze. Awaking to the warming rays of the sun as they set the cloud tops ablaze with light. “Now that’s something you don’t see every day.” She yawned, stretching out her legs one by one. She fired up the engine, now that she could see where she was going. Pushing forward on one of the levers the balloon slowly lost altitude until she was gliding just under the clouds, the first beams of sunlight bursting through. She looked down at the land below her, the rolling hills and wide open spaces. “Now where in Equestria have I gotten off to?” She wondered aloud. Just how far did the evening breeze take her anyway? No bother, she didn’t care all too much, so long as it was away, far away from Horse Shoe Bay. Not that it was a bad place, don’t get her wrong. It just wasn’t the nicest place to hang around once you scare the local population. The balloon descended even further, skimming just above the tops of the trees. She set the engine back to an idle as she meandered her way across the country side.
Tinker gazed down to the earth below, the ships shadow moving gracefully along in front of her.
“Um… excuse me?”
“AHH!!!” Tinker jumped, nearly falling over the railing.
“Oh I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you.” The pegasus hovered just off the port side.
“Wha… who…?” Not sure how best to respond.
“I uh, could you umm…. Not to be rude but.”
“Listen… I don’t know who you are, where I am or what you want.”
“Oh sorry…”
“Don’t be. So what is your name anyway?” Tinker shoved a few barrels to the side to make room for the pegasus to land.
“My name’s Fluttershy.”
“Fluttershy huh, nice name. So where exactly am I anyway?”
“Oh, you’re just outside of Ponyville.” Fluttershy alighted on the deck, giving a weak smile.
“Hmmm, okay now if I only had a map.” She muttered under her breath.
“Do you think, maybe… if it’s not too much trouble that is…”
“I know that name sounds familiar… but from where?”
“… move your balloon, it’s blocking the sun and the reptiles can’t warm themselves…”
“Huh, what was that?” Tinker dropped her thoughts, “Oh no problem.”
“Th-thank you” Fluttershy perked up and readied to fly back down to the earth below.
“Oh, before you go… you wouldn’t happen to know of a good place to crash?”
“Crash?? Why would you want to do that?” Giving Tinker a concerned look.
“You know, a place to stay for a few days.” She placed a hoof to her head.
“Oh yes, we have a few places like that, just head on over that way.” She pointed off towards the hills. Tinker glanced into the distance, just able to make out the glint of sunlight reflecting off a window. “You should be able to find a place, no problem.”
“Okay, thanks.” Tinker waved as she turned the ship towards the town.
“Oh, I almost forgot, what’s you name?”
“Ti…. Uh… Hilite… it’s Hilite.” Blushing out of embarrassment of almost blowing her so-called cover.
“Well it was nice to meet you HiLite.”
“Likewise, bye,” she increased power to the propeller, intent on making the town by lunch time. Despite nearly blowing her cover she might actually get some time to sort out some travel plans. She only needed to find a map, maybe a town hall, or even a library would be a good place to start.