• Published 26th Apr 2021
  • 522 Views, 2 Comments

Silent Artemis - Hokusai3211



In the midst of a spree of vicious murders, Ponyville is gripped in terror, the Royal guard are clutching at straws. Until one day a weather pony named Rainbow Dash stumbles upon a dying creature who may hold the answers, if only she could speak them

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6) It Follows


The clock in the room ticked ominously like a metronome keeping time at a funeral procession as the organ began it’s final wailing for the departed, at least that was how the mare in front of Checkers was probably viewing it, based on her fidgeting, who looked like she was the one they where playing for.

“Don’t give me that look, she barely spoke to me at all.” Rainbow said huffing from the other side of the desk, Checkers lowered a corner of the scroll he was reading from, the one that Night Light had written as an after action report the moment Rainbow had stepped out of the creatures room.

Checkers gaze momentarily flicked from the report to Rainbow and already he could tell the mare was clearly uncomfortable. Checkers was good at reading ponies, it was what they paid him for after all, and just from a gaze he could already tell why Rainbow wasn’t having a good time waiting in his office for him to finish reading.

She had probably seen this scenario more than once in her life. From her teachers to her job prospects, and most likely if Checkers records were correct, the Wonderbolts recruitment board and it seemed the mare hated waiting and the powerlessness or perhaps the lack of control that came with that feeling.

How long are you going to torture this poor girl? He asked himself, smirking behind the paper obfuscating his features at Rainbow who was tapping her hoofs together with a deep and thoughtful frown. She’s probably thinking she’s blown this opportunity, it’s time you let her off the hook.

How wrong she was, as behind the paper Checkers was practically beaming at her and at himself as well. How had such a gamble paid off so well and with so little cost? He had not felt this feeling in such a long time, his losing streak, the endless kicking of life, was it finally starting to die down?

This mare, in the span of a ten minute meeting, had managed to get that stonewall creature to actually acknowledge her, better even, she communicated with it! Of course communication was perhaps too strong a word, it seemed to only be a few words exchanged, if that, most of it coming from body gestures and writing. Understandable when coming from something that couldn’t communicate back. But even still, this was an amazing development, and already, Checkers mind was reeling with the possibility of finally getting some answers.

He tried not to stare back at Rainbow, but couldn’t help but be in awe of her, he knew she was a social creature, at least from what he had seen at the bar. But what had she managed to say to the creature to get it to trust her enough to talk?

The report he had been reading was detailed enough, but something else must have happened, the creature wouldn't just start talking to anypony without reason, after all, Checkers wondered what it might have been?

But even still she had no training whatsoever and even though he had to give himself some credit, after all it was his hunch after all. He still could never have predicted it would go this well. After all, that neither himself nor Night Light had been able to drag out anything from the creature in almost half a month!

Perhaps I should have kept the recommendation for the guard instead? He thought idly, such potential shouldn’t be wasted on the flight core.

“You could have told me that she likes to prank ponies by the way, I felt like an idiot.” Rainbow said, after a long moment of silence, she had been brooding slightly ever since Checkers had been reading and he had wanted to address that, but had been too preoccupied with the results. He watched as she folded her hooves in front of her chest, and lifted her nose up slightly, as the tone alone couldn’t convey her annoyance at being left out of the loop.

“I thought the little nurse explained her behaviour quite well actually.” Came a voice from behind Rainbow's chair.

Checkers caught Rainbow stiffening slightly at the sound of the voice just behind her ear, and watched as she fought to keep herself from showing any signs of being startled. Most likely to deny the mare who had just materialised behind her the satisfaction of seeing her jump,. Though unfortunately for Rainbow, the mare in question was Sargent Night Light who was an expert at body language and even if she wasn't, even Checkers noticed the twitching in Rainbows wings wing gave her away.

“Will you stop doing that!” Rainbow yelled, as she caught the gleam of amusement in the white mare's expression, even behind the glasses.

“It’s a part of my nature, I am not sorry for it.” Night Light said casually, “If you had listened, you would have heard me, as you might have heard the nurse, she did explain ze creatures eccentricities rather well.”

Rainbow blushed, “I was listening, I just, I was distracted okay, I had a lot on my mind.”

Checkers placed the paper down on the table gingerly and sighed, he made a mental note to run through it more thoroughly later when he could concentrate, without these two mares bickering in front of him. “Night Light, stop that." he lightly scolded, then turned what he hoped was pleasant smile over to Rainbow, "Rainbow did an excellent job, she’s accomplished more than any of us have.” He said and smiled brightly at the smaller multi-colour maned mare, who’s annoyance dissipated almost instantly at his praise.

“Ha, eat that little miss jump scare!” Rainbow said, pointing at the alabaster mare, who suddenly wasn’t where she had been.

“I would have gotten it out of her, if only I had been allowed to do it properly.” Night Light said with a shrug, materialising on the other side of Rainbow, who to her credit, managed to keep her wings from twitching a second time.

Rainbow raised her brow sceptically, then turned back to Checkers who slowly shook his head at the thought, “No I don’t think you could have. Besides we talked about that, this way is much better, we can already learn so much from her, without resorting to unsavoury tactics.”

“Really?” Both mares said at the same time, one with sardonic disbelief the other with giddy enthusiasm.

“Yes, we can learn what she said and what she is, by the way she said it,” He said resolutely.

“Yeah, exactly,” Rainbow said, flashing her grin at Night Light again, before after a moment she looked back slightly puzzled at Checkers, “Err, but she didn’t say anything?”

“Correct in a literal sense yes, but now we know she’s resourceful enough to speak in other ways, not quite the wild animal is she, Night Light?” Checkers said in an amused voice.

Rainbow’s gaze flickered back to Night Light’s who stayed as naturally placid as if she hadn’t heard it, until she simply inclined her head a fraction, Never do like admitting when you're wrong Night Light, just like me I suppose.

“I have heard some monkeys in the zoo communicate with their hands.” She responded dryly.

Rainbow blinked, “Really? Wait, is that what her claws are called?”

“But now,” Checkers continued ignoring both of them, “even just opening some form of communication, she’s already indirectly told us, she doesn’t trust the guard or at the very least doesn't trust authority enough to communicate with us, but with you Rainbow, for whatever reason, she is willing to try, that can tell us so much more.”

“Right I get that,” Rainbow said, clearly not exactly understanding a word but not wanting to be left out of the loop, “but what the heck does, I like your voice mean?”

“That she’s clearly deaf, as vell as mute?” Night Light said and Checkers could see her smirk had returned even wider when Rainbow flashed her an evil glare.

“Well,” Checkers said easing back onto his chair and pondering the question with a smirk, “if nothing else it tells us that she’s at least capable of being civil with you, I suppose that’s her way of trying to extend an olive branch, or she has a odd sense of humour, although we gathered that part already.” He said, muttering the last part more to himself than anypony else.

“She must have been in those woods a long time, perhaps ze big ape has finally gotten lonely and desperate enough to talk, perhaps even she has accepted you as her new little simian foal, aren't you luck?” Night Light said patting Rainbows shoulder condescendingly.

Checkers had expected Rainbow to shoot back some sort of response to that last part, after all Night Light was clearly going out of her way, for whatever reason to annoy the mare, but instead, she just slowly frowned and then looked down at the floor.

Bit for your thoughts Rainbow? Checkers thought to himself as both he and Night Light glanced at one another but then she finally spoke.

“Does she have anypony else, like do you think she has any friends or family?” Rainbow asked earnestly.

For the sake of Equestria, this investigation and my own theory, I certainly hope not.

“Well Rainbow, that’s the sort of thing we were hoping you would find out for us.” Checkers answered diplomatically with a small smile, the sort of smile he had trained himself to do talking to thousands of investigations to defuse tension in the room, and as usual it seemed to have worked as the mare slowly smiled back.

“So, like, I take it I passed right, you lot’ll want me around for the next one?” She asked, trying to keep the edge of excitement from her tone as she looked at both Checkers and strangely at Night Light.

Night Light turned slowly towards Checkers, lifting her brow to give her silent judgemental response to that, although even with her none to subtle jabs, but it was clear to Checkers, that even Night Light was impressed.

Checkers leaned forward until his elbows where on the table, his smile broader now, more natural than it had been in months.

“Rainbow, you keep this up and soon enough you’ll be flying in Cloudsdale stadium.”


Four days later.

“Cloudsdale Stadium, Cloudsdale stadium, wind through your wings, crowd cheering in your ears.” Rainbow whispered to herself, closing her eyes and focusing only on that picture in her head trying her best to stay positive and stay focused.

It was either that or she was going to murder some pony, in this case some creature.

She cleared her throat, lifted the paper up in front of her and read again.

“Do you come from somewhere north of Equestria?”

Pause, blink, then nod.

“Are there more of your kind out there?”

Another pause, then nod.

“Do you have connections or have you ever made contact with the entity known as The Ripper prior to coming to Ponyville?”

Ruffling of the bedsheets, nod.

“If you're not paying attention because you’re an idiot, nod again.”

There was half a second's hesitation, then the beginnings of a nod, before She caught herself, turned her eyes away from the window slowly and gracefully met Rainbows eyes for the first time in over thirty minutes, and gave Rainbow an impish smile.

Rainbow however was not smiling.

“You’re doing it again, are you even paying attention?” Rainbow asked, throwing up her hooves in exacerbation and almost throwing the sheet in her hooves up in the air as she lifted them up over her head.

She’s only response was another pause, then another nod.

Rainbow groaned as she rubbed her tired eyes with her hooves, unsure if she wanted to rip up the paper in her hooves, slam her head into her hooves or slam She’s head into her hooves! How long had it been since they had started this session and already it was going nowhere.

Again!

How many days is this gonna take, what went wrong? She thought as she looked back up to see the creature. She was still sitting there, still smiling innocently at her, her head cocked sideways now, as if to imply she had no idea why Rainbow was so frustrated.

News flash, she was the reason!

Rainbow closed her eyes and slowly counted backwards from ten. A simple trick her father had taught her when she was too wound up to think straight, though it was only really meant for hoofball practice, and really it was only meant for small things not stuff like this. But right now especially, it seemed to be the only thing stopping her from exploding out of her chair, grabbing She by the hospital gown and shaking her until she stopped being so infuriating.

Rainbow thought back to the day after her meeting with Checkers almost four days ago and back when She was still being annoying, but nowhere near as bad as now, just what had gone so wrong in only four days?

Rainbow remembered going back to the hospital for her second meeting with the creature, half asleep and still somewhat late. Because, try as she might, one night of responsibility was not about to break a lifetime of slacking off. When she was ambushed not by a nurse this time, but by Checkers himself, who had hoofed what looked like an exam paper towards her before she even had the time to register what it was.

“What the heck is this for?” Rainbow had asked, holding the paper much like somepony would hold a dead rat. She had her fill of any piece of paper with questions on it for a lifetime now and the sight of it was enough to invoke a lifelong discomfort of exam halls and school.

“As much as the unconventional first contact might have been a success, something still needs to go by the books.” Checkers had explained calmly, then smiled, “It’s not that I don’t trust you, but if I’m going to form a base of understanding about the creature, I need everything documented and structured.”

“Err, okay I guess.” Rainbow had said weary, as she had examined the questions, which looked more like nomenclature for a tax return than anything she would have asked She, like for example the questions she had thought of that night, namely do you have any cool powers, can you fly oh and also what do those round things on your chest do?

Instead, as she gazed at the questions with horror, she would now be asking about the regional dialect of her people and her species potential violent tendencies. Not exactly the, ’hey how was your morning?’ that Rainbow was going to start with.

She frowned down at the sheets and looked at Checkers who seemed unperturbed by the less than enthusiastic response.

“Don’t worry, you don’t need to get them finished right away, I know what you’re dealing with, but if you could at least get them finished by the end of the week, it would be more help than you could imagine.” he said, patting her shoulder and with that she was had been whisked away to once again stand by the foot of the creatures bed.

Rainbow had looked around the room, noticing the subtle changes to it. For one thing, the large yellow line marked with tape had been pulled up, judging by the incongruous clean line around the not exactly dirty, but not exactly clean linoleum floor.

The second thing she had noticed was the added furniture, a chair by the bed, a small table by it and another table by She’s bed, just about where her claw was, no not claws, what had they been called, H-hands right? Rainbow gave the extra furniture a sideways glance and strode over towards the table by the bed, but not before she felt something touch her wing.

It was then that she had also noticed the straps holding one of her claws appendages had been loosened and was now wrapped around her claw instead of over it, presumably so that the creature could write down her answer.

Rainbow had only known that after the fact though, and after she had almost jumped out of her skin and fur.

She had bitten down her anger as the creature had laughed in it’s unusual muted twittering whistling way and smiled at her, waving it’s now free-ish claw hand thing at her in a way Rainbow suspected might have been a mocking fashion, looking down at it as if to say, “you aren't the only pony with something new.”

Minutes had passed as Rainbow calmed down, sat at her chair and made a few passive aggressive remarks and rules about boundaries, that She had just nodded through in a way that Rainbow would later learn meant something very different to a simple confirmation.

But it seemed at least that the creature had been smiling and to Rainbow's mind had actually engaged with Rainbow, at least that was what Rainbow could see based on the fact that when Rainbow began reading from the questionnaire, everything changed.

Biting her tongue to stop her from asking the questions Rainbow had actually wanted to know, like could she shoot lasers out of her eyes, and don't those chest things get in the way when you run, she had instead started reading off the questions verbatim. Until she had finally reached the end of the page, which was a struggle considering Rainbow was having a hard time understanding them.

And it was her own language for ponies sake.

But when she had looked back up, instead of seeing She contemplating answers to her questions, or waiting for Rainbow to give her something to write with, Rainbow had noticed with both horror and aggravation that in fact, She had fallen asleep.

Again.

Rainbow had been rather taken back by this, and not for the first time a little confused, Rainbow had tired to wake She up, coughing loudly, asking She if she was okay, though no where near that politely and then finally shouting variations of "hey wake up!" until she felt like she was shouting at thin air.

Gritting her teeth she sighed through her nostrils in frustration and decided that she’d let it go for today, again.

There was always tomorrow after all, and giving She the benefit of the doubt, after all she was still recovering.

But ever since then, for the next three days it had gone pretty much the same, Rainbow would walk in, ask questions. She would either ignore them or simply lie her way through them and then, either she would get bored and stare out the window, Rainbow would run out of time, or worse of all, She would fall asleep.

And if Rainbow wasn’t the kind hearted patient, lovable mare she had always been she might have actually grabbed She by the shoulders and yell, “yo, am I boring you?” at her until she started paying attention, but instead she settled for merely visualising it, and grinding her teeth.

And to make matters worse, Rainbow still didn’t even have a name for ponies sake!

There were only so many times she was willing to do this, she was about as stubborn as a pony could get without being called a donkey, but even she had limits.

“Alright one more time, and I’m warning you, I ain’t doing it again, so pay attention alright?” Rainbow said now pointing her hoof at She daring her to back talk, like so many teachers had done to her right before detention was issued, not that Rainbow could put the creature in any more of an after school punishment, heck She was already confined to her room and her bed.

Literally in this case.

Raising her brow, She made a point of sitting as upright as she could on her bed, shuffling her shoulders against the restraints and then after a moment of teeth gratingly annoying preparation, She finally smiled and nodded as eagerly as the bandages around her neck would allow.

Rainbow watched her weirly for a moment in case She was about to pull out anything else to interrupt her, but when she only got a patient smile back she finally asked, “Do you live or have you ever visited Griffonia?”

i]She scrunched her lips in thought for a moment, looked up into the sky and pouted as if the thoughts and memories of it all were a blur to her, perhaps they were.

But then, eventually she turned back and met Rainbow’s eyes with a seriousness that Rainbow did not expect, nor could believe such an impish face could make. After all she had only ever seen her pull one cocky infuriating expression after another, in all the four days she had seen her. So the sight of it actually made her catch her breath for a moment as she watched She with all sincerity shake her head.

No.

Rainbow looked at her for a moment, her eyes widening at the shock of getting an actual answer. “Really?” she couldn’t help but say, as she scrambled for the pencil she had laid down almost thirty minutes ago, unused since Checkers had given it to her that afternoon.

But as she started to write down She’s answer, Rainbow chanced one last look back up at She, who it seemed was now smiling again, Rainbow paused, then looked back up from the paper watching as She bit her lip in thought, then looked up at the ceiling again.

Rainbow flinched mid bend, the pencil in her hoof forgotten as she raised her brow at She, leaning back into the chair and watching as She finally pulled a face that almost screamed, “oh silly me how could I forget,” then nodded yes to Rainbow's question.

There was a moment of profound silence in the room, that even the sound of an asteroid crashing through the roof could not have interrupted. Before Rainbow slowly let out a growl that sounded like a turbine powering up to full speed as she slammed the papers on the table and stood up.

“Know what, screw this, got better things to do today!”

It’s a Saturday for pony feathers sake, I should be getting ready to go out, have some fun, dance, not sat here foalsitting this idiot!

She dropped the sheet onto the table next to her, no point in even hoofing it over to Checkers today, it wasn't like she had anything to even write down, no surprise there it seemed. She groaned, her mind unhelpfully brought up all the offers to come out to Rosey's tonight she had turned down that morning, there would be no way of coming back there now, she had told them she was on important business, and she wasn’t about to face the teasing of going there with her tail between her legs.

Her day was well and truly ruined now, too late to do anything and too early to even go to sleep, and what had she got out of it, aggravation, embassament and a fat load of nothing to show for it... just like the last four nights.

Rainbow seethed as she stared at She's almost triumphant smile. She wanted to say wanted to say something nasty, really tell her what she thought about all this fun and games the creature was having at her expense. Didn't help that the way they were sitting and the size of the creature made it look like she was looking down on Rainbow which Rainbow hated more than anything, she wanted to let her know a piece of her mind about how rude it was to ruin ponies nights and Rainbow felt she was more than justified to do so.

Before she could do anything that would have gotten her in much deeper trouble, she breathed in deeply through her nose and then out through her mouth, but that was doing little to nothing about the temper, if anything it was only making it worse.

“Why don’t you take any of this seriously, don’t you care!” Rainbow finally snapped at her. She for her part, only raised her brow.

“They’re trying to find out who did this to you,” Rainbow said, gesturing to her own neck needlessly, “but you’re more interested in making a joke out of it, what are you sick in the head, after everything they’ve done for you!”

She’s expression went neutral as Rainbow drew closer, and for a moment the change in Rainbow's tone seemed to actually rub away that mischievous expression, as her smirk fell slightly and her brow raised just a fraction.
But She said nothing, did nothing, and more importantly looked at Rainbow, like she was nothing, and that made Rainbow's temper boil to the point of liquid fire.

But before Rainbow could continue her well earned rant about She's inability to take anything seriously, a sharp and sudden gust of wind slammed into the side of the building, sending the window of the hospital room off it’s latch as it swung open and cracked against the wall. Rainbow flinched at the sight of it, and so too did She, as they both turned at once towards it.

Rainbow raised her brow after collecting herself enough to lift her wings back down to her sides, Funny, wasn’t supposed to be any winds today? She thought, before she looked back up at She who had dropped the smile and was now staring out through the window towards the woods again.

Only this time her eyes had changed, gone was the inquisitive playful nature of before, replaced instead by a weary, twitching and Rainbow would almost say panicked franticness to her gaze

Rainbow furrowed her brow at She, as weirded out by her sudden change of mood as she had been with the wind, “What, now you’re gonna get all serious, just because of some wind?” Rainbow said sourly, but somewhere in the back of her mind she found it just as odd, that twice now high wind had come when no wind had been scheduled at all.

True she had been off work that day, but she knew the schedule, Ponyville was in a heat wave, would be for the next few days and her Uncle was not a pony to let something like this happen, let alone twice.

She glared back at She who only ignored her snide comment and continued to look out past that damned stupid window that she had ben glaring at for the past three days now, her eyes flickering around as if searching for something her brownish tanned skin colour going somehow paler than already was.

“What da ya expect to find out there anyway, it’s nothing but a bunch of trees?” Rainbow yelled, exacerbated, not expecting an answer from She, which made her all the more surprised, when Rainbow caught her lips moving anyway.

Leave.

Rainbow wasn’t exactly an expert lip reader, it wasn’t like she was trained for it. But she had had enough experience in the sky, trying to bark out orders during gales and whipping winds, not to mention having secret silent chats with her friends at the back of classrooms with the teacher watching to be good enough to confidently read someponys lips in brief sentences.

“What?” Rainbow said without thinking.

If She heard her she didn't acknowledge it, instead Rainbow saw her move frantically against her restraints, hearing the creaking sounds of the material against the muscles of her limbs as she began to strain against them, the sound of the heart monitor filled the room as the beats went up frantically, and Rainbow found herself drawing closer still as she watched the creature flailing.

"Hey hey dude, look it was just some wind, the windows probably old, calm down, okay." Rainbow said, lifting herself up towards the bed and without thinking, brought her hoof lightly onto She's hand.

The effect was almost instantaneous.

She tired to flinch backwards from Rainbows touch and Rainbow felt her tense up even more. But eventually she seemed to calm somewhat. Then after a moment longer, She brought her eyes to meet Rainbows, and even through the messy strands of Ashy blonde hair, Rainbow saw those wild pale blue eyes connect with her own, it was almost like looking into a whirlpool, dangerous and oddly beautiful all at once, and it almost made Rainbow flinch back, but she kept her hoof on She's upper limb (whatever it was called), trying to calm her as best she could.

Want leave.

Rainbow read the words on She's lips and grimaced at the sincerity of the statement. Had that been the reason for the goofing around, she had been trying to get them to let her go? For a moment Rainbow felt a deep pang of empathy for the creature, of course she would want to leave, she was strapped to a bed and surrounded by guards. She didn’t know any pony who wouldn’t want to leave that situation fast.

It brought up other questions in her mind, questions she had asked Checkers a few days ago and wanted desperately to ask She did she have family waiting, did she have brothers, sisters, a lover, none of them knowing where she was, if she was okay?

But her rage was still there, rage at having been played around and messed with for days now and it wasn't exactly going to be forgotten just for whatever the hell this was. So what if she wanted to leave? So did Rainbow, but there were ponies in danger, ponies dead, and Checkers was relying on her to get some answers.

Not to mention the wonderbolts. A small voice in her mind answered, but for once that thought didn’t make her smile, if anything, right now it left a sour taste in her mouth.

“Look,” Rainbow said as she rubbed the back of her neck, “I’m sure if you took this seriously and just answered their questions, they’d let you go tomorrow, this is kinda important you know, 'sides, I don't think you’d wanna go back to the place you nearly died right?”

She blinked for a moment, looking exacerbated, at herself at her situation, who knew? Then She frowned down at her hand, flexing it a few times, before her eyes narrowed as if she was thinking about something, before looking back at Rainbow as she began to wiggle her claws, no not claws, hands, at Rainbow and making a sign with them that looked almost like…

“You want to write something?” Rainbow said, a little unsure about it all, She nodded but did not smile like before.

She frowned looking down at the paper and a pencil she had on loan, courtesy of Checkers, because even after four days it still slipped her mind to bring one herself (not that she probably had any), pursing her lips in thought a voice that sounded suspiciously like that crabby nurse came into her mind, “and whatever you do, do not hoof her anything under any circumstances.”

But then again, how else was she supposed to get this chick to talk, it wasn’t like there was any other way. All she had to do was make sure she got it back right?

Rainbow moved the table closer to She’s hands, the one which had been placed in newer binding, the one that made it easier to move her hand, and watched warily as She began to write something down, noting that she wrote almost like a foal.

The pencil wrapped around her clumsy fist, like she was holding a dagger more than a tool for writing as she drew the pencil down, snapping the tip slightly as she wrote. You had to be blind not to know that She did not have much experience writing things down, no surprise living in the woods, in fact what was more shocking Rainbow supposed was that she was able to write at all.

Still it was oddly... cute in a way, such a foreboding creature, especially considering everything else about the creature was not either aggravating or slightly frightening.

Finally She finished and with a free claw thing, pushed it around for Rainbow to read, the words were not what she expected.

Need to leave, place not safe.

Rainbows brow furrowed at that as she looked back up at She, her throat going slightly dry at the implication, “What do you mean, you’re like surrounded by guards here.” Rainbow said, as she gestured needlessly at the building around them.

She’s eyes bore into her own and for once there was no trace of those mischief in them, instead there was a type of intensity that made Rainbow swallow a lump in her throat as She looked down and began to write again.

“Please, need leave, not safe, it follows.

Rainbows eyes read the writing again and then again, trying to make sense of it all, “wait, what follows?”

She glanced around the room, quickly, which only made Rainbow do the same as she scanned the corner of the now far darker than it had first appeared hospital room, before finally those blue eyes fell on her again, even through the strands of her ashy blonde locks Rainbow could feel the chill of those blue pools in her very soul, as She indicated for Rainbow to come closer.

Rainbow did so, almost on instinct, leaning closer so that she was almost on the bed in front of She, her ears flickering for any sign of noise as she cautiously leaned as far as her common sense and caution would allow her to.

It didn’t matter however as She leaned forward the rest of the way, the sound of the straps tightened and groaning under the strain as she pushed the elasticity as far as they would go, until the two of them where almost nose to nose, Rainbow gasped slightly, and flinched backwards, but for some reason her eyes stayed locked on those blue incandescent portals in front of her.

Rainbow felt the warm breath tickle her fur as She came close to closing the gap, feeling the heat on her own lips and the ticklish sensation of She’s wild and bed ridden hair strands brush against her muzzle.

It's coming. She mouthed, so slowly that Rainbow could almost hear the words on her lips, despite the silence. Rainbow kept her gaze on her for the longest moment, until finally she looked down at the straps on for a moment she thought about what she would do if she simply lifted the buckle and set them free.

Finally however, Rainbow frowned and shook her head.

“Look, I'm real sorry, I want to help, but...I don’t think it’s a good idea to leave.” Rainbow said shaking her head slightly, but still She remained close, and for a split crazed second, Rainbow almost thought that she was going to close in until they ki-

Bang

Rainbow leapt from her spot and all but flew up towards the ceiling of the room, flinging herself into the high condor of the room staring wildly around the room. The noise had come from somewhere between them, something loud and heavy and…

“Oh really mature!” Rainbow snapped as she stared at the upturned table that She had used to write on, then glancing back at She, who was whistling that sun damned muted laugh of hers. Her head rolling back onto the pillow as the ashen blonde hair fell from her forehead to reveal freckled forehead creased in silent laugher.

Calm down dude, step back and just walk away.

“You know what?” Rainbow said, ignoring the thought and instead growling through gritted teeth, glaring at She.

Don’t say it dude, don’t-

“Maybe, I should’a just left you in those woods to-”

Another loud banging sound came this time from the door as two of the guards, whatever ones these two where, entered spears held firm in each foreleg glaring around the room, “Is everything-”

“Everything, fine!” Rainbow snapped, not breaking her gaze away from She as she dropped down to her hooves snarled at the creature then turned and began to walk out of the room, “Just some foal doesn’t know the meaning of being serious.” She groaned over her shoulder as she shouldered past the two guards who were already taking stock of the room and stormed out.

The nerve of her, Rainbow thought, she asks me to come here, Checkers said she begged and yet all this stupid ponyfeathered time all she wanted to do was prank me, this is so not cool.

She doesn’t take anything seriously!

But still somewhere in her mind Rainbow couldn’t help but notice all the times that same criticism had been levelled against her.

Stupid friggin son of a ponyfeather ass! Rainbow seethed as she stormed into the hallway, mind flaring with curses and other expletives.

She had gotten Rainbow good after all, so eager for the information that she had fallen for one of the oldest tricks in the books.

A simple jump scare.

Stupid rookie mistake. Rainbow chided, so stupid, she can’t even speak, why would you lean in you idiot! She chided herself, her now inward monologue of foul mouthed cursing turned on herself for being foolish, and being caught in something so obvious. But at that moment She had been so convincing, almost like she really was afraid of something following her.

Bet right now, she’s just laughing at us, don’t look back, don’t give her the satisfaction! Rainbow warned herself.

But Rainbow couldn’t help herself, and trying not to, only made her want to do it more and before she could stop herself, she looked back at She.

But when she did so, Rainbow noticed something very odd, She wasn’t smiling, not in the slightest, in fact she wasn’t even looking in Rainbow's direction.

Instead, she was looking out the window, just like she had before she had started to write. And just like before, she didn’t look cocky or mischievous.

She looked scared.

Rainbow paused at the sight, her furrowed brows softening in thought, what the heck was up with this creature, she clearly wasn’t right in the head, she was probably crazy, and yet, something about that moment had seemed just so slight off, and that wind had one hundred percent not been scheduled for today.

Finally door behind Rainbow slammed shut and Rainbow sighed, so much for making today count. She frowned, wondering if she should say something about this in the meeting with Checkers, she probably should, but really, what was there to say, got pranked… Again.

Then again, what she said might have been important, If it wasn’t just a lie. She thought bitterly, and slumped down as she walked, still she should probably bring it up anyway, just in case she forgot something important, even if it made her look bad.

Speaking of forgetting, why do I feel like I left something behind? She mused as she stopped and thought about it for a moment, but other than the scroll she had snatched off the table, what else was there?

Shaking her head she pressed on, she had wasted too much time thinking about this stuff today, right now all she wanted to do was lie down and take a well deserved nap.

Author's Note:

Apologies for the lateness of this chapter. To keep it short and simple, I had a massive systems crash and pretty much lost most of it. Considering I was editing a chapter nearing the climax of this story. That should tell you just how much I lost.

I've managed to salvage parts. But they're all first or second additions of a story that has already gone through multiple re-workings. it's basically re-writing it from scratch and memory.

On the plus side, the next two chapters where among some of the salvaged chapter's so they should be out a lot sooner than this one was.

Once again, apologies for taking a little while, and thank you all for your patience.