//------------------------------// // Chapter 23: Back to Normal it Seems // Story: The First Steps of the Rest of Your Life // by Rhino //------------------------------// ***Friday, Day 14*** Well work was pretty interesting today. Got some major headway on that little secret project of mine… I suppose I have Specter to thank for that in a slightly roundabout way. *Sigh* Trying to keep something mostly to yourself with your pet getting things for you so nopony will notice doesn’t work if said pet finds a radio and starts to play theme music when he’s sneaking. Impressive or not, having the Mission Impossible theme playing when you’re sneaking files out of a room doesn’t really help your goal. Ugh, had some excessive explaining to do after that little fiasco. Luckily Manila and Mane actually wanted in on my plan. Can’t believe I missed those little details Manila pointed out. Ah well, less sneaking around now that all three of us in the office know about it. Yes, I think everything will start going along nicely now… As I’m walking out of work, I get one of those twinges Hydro and I get sometimes due to our weird “mental link,” think of it as an oddly clear thought popping into your head from out of nowhere that you simply find yourself listening to more often than not because it makes sense to you. I have a sudden urge to see what Hydro is up to at the dam, I think he’s got something interesting up there right now. As I approach the dam having dropped off Specter at home, I look around me to see that I am now accompanied by Blue, Volt, and Fluttershy. I’m not even sure why these three are here… wow I must have zoned out big time. Ok let’s see if I can remember... Blue wanted to see where Hydro works, Volt was bored, and I think I actually asked Fluttershy if she wanted to come along… well I suppose there are worse reasons to tag along with somepony. Let’s see what that mental alert was all about. As Blue and Volt walk into the dam and I hold the door open for Fluttershy I can see Hydro on the other side of the room with his back to us. I take the time to look around the interior of the dam as we make our way over to him. Looks like he’s making real progress here, no more rusty parts, no leaks that I can see. I do sort of miss the piles but maybe he just moved them somewhere else I don’t know about. Hydro’s ears perk up as we approach him, he turns around, “Oh hey guys!” He looks pointedly at me, “Looks like the timing on the link is back up to speed, I was just thinking about coming to get you, Rhino.” I smirk as Blue cocks his head to one side and says, “Wait, you’re telling me Rhino here just got a sense that he needed to be here? Can you two read each other’s minds or something? Hydro quick, what word is Rhino thinking of?” I shake my head at Blue, “Blue it doesn’t work like-“ “Cheesepuffs.” I stare at Hydro’s outburst before looking back at Blue, “Nevermind, he’s right.” Cue Hydro’s smug face and Blue’s mystified face. Fluttershy, strangely enough, is the one to break the silence, “Umm Hydro, what’s that behind you?” She points her hoof at a glass box Hydro is standing in front of. Hydro looks behind himself, “Oh this is what I actually wanted to show you.” He takes a few steps to the side so we have a clear view of the box, “Everypony, meet Schmoopy.” Schmoopy? Schmoopy, as it turns out, is in the glass box which I can now recognize as an aquarium. The creature itself is an eel. He, at least I’m currently assuming it’s a he, is about the width of a carrot and twice the length of one. His coloring is mostly dark blue with a single yellow stripe going down the length of his body on each side. An eel… okay definitely did not see this coming but it does qualify as interesting. As the rest of us absorb the appearance of Schmoopy, Volt walks up to the glass and looks closer at him, “Huh, so what do you plan on doing him? And where did he even come from?” Volt raises a hoof and taps on the glass. Schmoopy looks irritated at the tapping and swims up to the surface of the tank. He then pops his head out and promptly hits Volt in the face with a jet of water. The rest of us crack up at this while Hydro claims proudly, “Well after that, I’m keeping him!” We spend the next 20 minutes walking around the dam just looking at nothing in particular while Hydro tells us Schmoopy’s origin story. The short version is that Hydro was checking the tanks this morning after our week away and found Schmoopy in one of them. He was swept in by accident and was grateful to Hydro for getting him out. As Hydro wraps up the story we all hear the door to the dam open again and turn towards it. In strolls our local purple librarian with a smile on her face and what looks like a checklist in her bag, “Hello everypony!” Hydro answers for us as he wipes his hooves off an a rag sine he had started working again a few minutes ago, “Hey Twilight, what brings you here?” “I saw Volt heading up here with all of you and I was wondering if he would come with me so we can check on his bandages.” Volt walks over, “Hmm? What about me? Sorry I wasn’t paying attention.” Twilight looks to him, “Volt, I need you to come with me so I can examine you.” *pop* Immediately after she says that the lights all flare for a seconds before the bulbs burst, leaving us in pitch black darkness. “Ah!” We all shout in surprise at the sudden lack of sight. Along with the sounds of movement all around the room, I feel somepony huddle against me, the strawberry scent and quiet breathing letting me know who it is. Thank you reflex to grab onto the nearest source of comfort when scared, your contribution to relationships throughout time is immeasurable. I wrap one foreleg around the quivering pegasus next to me as I stand still and let everypony else in the room run into each other. After about 2 minutes of this, Hydro raises a very good point. “Hey, if we have three unicorns in here… how come none of you have just lit up your horns so we can see?” You could hear the three simultaneous facehooves throughout the room. Wow, I feel like an idiot now. I blame the completely welcome distraction that is my marefriend. A dim purple glow illuminates the room as Twilight grants us enough light to not run into anypony. A moment later a loud click echoes through the building as lights come back on while Hydro walks away from a small panel in the wall. A quick glance reveals Twilight still near where she was when the lights when out, Blue and Volt though are definitely not how we left them. The two other males in the room are hugging each other with their eyes closed as the rest of us watch. They each crack their eyes open after a moment and look around, their eyes meeting in the middle after a moment. Both of them simply stay there in shock before kicking off towards opposite sides of them room brushing off the parts of themselves that had been touching the other pony. An awkward chuckle comes from Twilight who seems to be handling this well, “Alright Volt, let’s go get your bandages checked and you can hug Blue all you want later.” She continues chuckling as she leads Volt out of the dam, his blush visible even through his bandages on his face. Hydro and I turn our heads to Blue, Fluttershy still huddled next to me looking at the door the unicorns just exited through. Blue simply scratches the back of his head before muttering something about unpacking and dashing out the door. Gotta love those awkward moments in the dark, I’m betting those two hate the reflex I was thanking earlier. Hmm note to self: make closet joke next time I talk to Blue. The three of us that are left chat a little more about our new little blue friend in the tank, Fluttershy and I deciding to leave after not too long since Hydro was still working. But we did leave him with the thought of how he was going to get his new pet home. Fluttershy and I make our way back down to town, I nuzzle her as we split off to our separate houses; she to go home to feed Angel, and I to go home and make dinner/lounge around. Hydro arrives home a few hours later as I’m reading on the couch, the answer to our transportation question seen on his back. He had constructed what appears to be a sort of aquarium belt for Schmoopy to be in whenever Hydro is going to and from work. He had taken a clear pipe and put it in a loop around his body just behind where a saddlebag strap sits. Simple enough but when I mentioned that ponies might find it odd with him having an eel in his belt he retorted by reminding me that I tend to walk around with a squirrel on my head. We laugh for a bit and settle down for the night, though a final comment by him makes me think things might be interesting in the future. “You know it occurs to me this is the first thing I’ve invented for day to day life since we’ve moved here… I’m gonna have to work on that.” *** Luna’s orb casts it dim light over the small alleyway behind the houses. I pull my cloak tighter around my form as I hear the sounds of approaching hooves. A similarly cloaked form materializes out of the darkness a moment later and approaches me. It speaks, “I was told you were with the subject for a brief time earlier… any problems?” I shake my head, “No, the subject is still unaware of our plan, and I aim to keep it that way until it is time.” “Good, I received word, if all goes well we should be ready within the next few days. About that possible issue I mentioned earlier…” “It doesn’t appear that will be a problem. Proceed to the next phase.”