Inn has lived longer than she should have. Why? How? Who could of done this? How will she react?
Inn Cog Neato, a bizarre pony. She can do things that she isn't 'physicaly' (is magic physical?) suppose to be cable of doing. She has done some bad things in her life.
BUT, she makes her first friends at the age of twenty. She has fun.
AND, she learns something... something bad.
WHAT is it? How will Inn react to being harmed by yet another pony? Will she look for revenge? Will she look on the side of friend ship for help? OR, is there something else about to happen?
Author's Note: I no longer have an editor. Sorry for the poor... everything. If you wish to help the GDocs version is open. Let me know what to fix. And maybe even why... you know so I can learn from it lol.
In a small town, there was a small house, with a small filly. This filly was going down the steps from the second floor, making her way down to the kitchen for some food before school. She did not want go to school, but all previous attempts at not going had failed, and now she knew she was beaten. She sulked as she ate her food. She had been lectured on how bad it is to skip classes.
All the worries she had intensified as she looked backed at her house, a small white two story house made out of wood planks. The house was not the main focus of the property, merely a small dwelling for the owners of the larger structure, a temporary home for weary travelers, The Troton Inn.
As the short walk to the school came to a close, the little filly looked at her dad and said with hopeful eyes, “Do I really have to go?”
He gave a sigh and looked at his daughter, “I know that you are scared, you may not even trust us that the teasing will stop, but just give it a shot this year? Is that a fair enough deal?” Despite having no real confidence in the questions he asked, his deep voice gave him an air of authority.
The little filly just stood there shaking, and after a few seconds of thinking, she nodded her head in agreement. The father lefter her to enter the class, and after entering there was a large number of class mates looking at the filly. Over half of the class had cutie marks and it was common for fillies and colts to tease those that did not have one. This was one reason that the little filly was made fun of, but not the only one.
No, she was missing something more than a cutie mark... she had no main or tail. A plain white pony, with only one thing that stood out, pink eyes.
This little white pony skulked to her desk, just like she did every day. She could never get over the starring or the whispering, but the name calling and pranks were even worse. She had just gotten to her desk when the door opened again.
“All right, all right, time for class kids,” the teacher said, nonchalantly. The teacher had a laid back look about her as she strolled to the desk, as if she were in no hurry to begin. “Ah, this will be a long class,” the blue haired teacher groaned, as she looked at her book and saw just what was going to be talked about today. This was bad new to the class, most of whom groaned in response. The teacher sulked to the board and started the lesson.
“We are going to talk about cutie marks, the first cutie marks.” The teacher gave a deep sigh and waited for the hooves, only to dismiss them. After all, we don't want to go into a long exposition scene do we? “This is not the same as lecture on how to get cutie marks, this is the origin of cutie marks. The first known cutie marks were scary to some ponies because they didn't know what they were. With the development of towns and...” the teacher ranted, trying to hasten the lesson.
“How do you think those with no mane and tail where looked at back then, Elegance?” a pony in the desk in front of the little white filly whispered to another filly.
“Should we ask Ms. Butter? She may know,” Elegance whispered to the filly on her left, the one that asked her the question.
The little white filly lowers her head, and hides it in a book.
The rather loud filly raised her hand and asked, “Ms. Butter, what would of been done if there was a weird looking pony?”
With a rather annoyed sigh, Ms. Butter turned from the board and answered. “Well, back then the ponies where barbaric and rude. To make this point clear, Earth, Unicorn, Pegasus, and Alicorn ponies where all segregated. Given that ponies back then could not stand the extensions like wings and horns... it is likely that if there was something else different that it would not be good,” rambled the teacher. She knew why the question was being asked, and was trying to make a point to put this little brat in her place, if only the filly were that smart that is.
“You hear that, Exquisite?” Elegance whispered to filly that asked the question.
“Yes, a group of bad ponies who thought having a cutie mark was bad, would think that the same as you two,” Ms. Butter said more bluntly.
The little fillies just snorted as they pointed their noses up, and did not say another word for the rest of the class. The teacher took this as a sign that she could hopefully leave early.
=============
The class did indeed come to an early end, few questions were asked after the attempted humiliation of the little white filly. The students where all leaving like an eager heard, wanting to go home or play. The only one that did not seem to be in any hurry was a little white filly. This sad looking filly just wanted to go and be normal, but this was a hopeless wish and she knew it.
The white pony made a hiding place, and could normally be found hiding there. The hiding place was a wooden box that was put against a wall, to compensate for the missing back. And it also had a small bolt of cloth, which could either be an old blanked or cape. The cloth just managed to let the bottom of the box show what was going on when she was lying down.
This was a place of solitude for her.
Every day she would hide here for hours, only coming out when her parents came and got her.
It was her dad who came for her today, finding her curled up in the box as usual. She would do the same thing at home, just lie down. It was all the filly could think to do.
She had been missing meals, and eating less. Her parents could not force her to eat, and it was making them worry. The filly was getting skinny, not that it was that noticeable to everypony, but her parents knew.
=============
Soon after dinner that night, there was a customer. She came in to the front desk and the father stood at attention. “What can I do for you ma’am?” he asked, looking at the pegasus. Her mane and tail where red, and her coat was blue. Looking around she responds with, “Oh I’ve been wandering and need a place to stay for a little while.”
The mom, who was also in the room, looked up at the mare. Traveling... what has she seen out there. “Well ma’am we the Neatos. I’m Spark and this is my wife Chrysanthemum.” “Well I’m Feather Fury, nice to meet ya,” the pegasus said with a smile. “That will be Seven bits a night, just let us know when you are ready to leave,” Spark informed as he penciled her in.
Chrysanthemum went behind the desk and looked under. “Inn, Honey, would you like to show our guest to her room?” asked Chrysanthemum, looking at the little white filly. The filly staggered to her hooves, and went to get the key for the room. Feather had a few seconds of shock at the appearance of the filly, but it soon faded to a smile.
The parents looked at each other and smiled, not many have given their daughter a smile other than them. But, Inn had been keeping her head down, trying to avoid the shock and/or fright in the eyes of this new pony. “C-c-... come with me... ma’am,” the horrified little filly barley said.
The red and blue mare just said, “Okay little pony, lead the the way.”
The way this mare spoke made Inn think of her mom. Her voice was soft and gentle, and not judgmental in the least. This made Inn feel less worried, but she didn't show it. After a long walk to the other building and the room, Inn finally stopped.
“He-he-here’s your room,” shook Inn. Feather lowered herself and lifted Inn’s head, “Oh, you don’t have to be frightened of me.” Feather still had the big smile from before.
Just at that moment, more than the smile became apparent to Inn, the lush red mane. The mane was mostly straight, but curled at the ends, even in the front which was cut to about eye level. Inn did not know why she could not stop herself form looking at the mane, she had seen many manes before. Was it because Feather was so nice? Was it because she only looked at manes in fear, because others teased her for not having one of her own? Was it because this was a good mane? Or was it a combination?
“I, I really l-like your mane,” Inn muttered, still shaking. Feather smiled at the compliment and said, “Hank you, now lets put a smile on that face.” Inn attempted a weak smile, but the result looked more like a pained grimace. Feather sighed. “Oh well, see you in the morning little pony.”
With that the door was slowly shut. Inn could still picture the mane as if she were looking right at it. Staring at Ms. Feather’s head. The read mane shining in the moonlight.
Inn gave a slight whimper as she felt something touch her. She ducked, and it moved too. She tried to escape from whatever it was, but then she saw... red. Red dangling from her head. Little strands of it that had never been there before. What, where, why... all started to pour through Inn’s head. She rushed to the mirror at the end of the hall, and was shaken by what she saw.
A lush red mane. The mane was mostly strait, but curled at the ends, even in the front which was cut to about eye level. The read mane shining the moonlight. It was Feather’s mane.
Did she take it some how? Did this make here a bigger freak? Does it maker her more normal? Is Feather okay?
The little filly rushed home trying not to be seen by others on her way back.
The next morning, Spark was looking all over for Inn. Inn would sometimes hide, or just sleep in odd places. He would have to track her down. An annoying game of hide and seek, with only one willing participant. “Inn, Inn dear where are you?” her dad called, not expecting and answer, or if there was, not a loud one. “Inn Cog Neato, if you do not show yourself this minute I will ground you!” he huffed, getting tired of trying find her for the past half hour or so.
Spark made his way to the attic, it was rare for him to find her here, but you never know. The little white pony was sad so often that it was hard to tell if there was anything new bothering her. Depression for her was as common as a pony having a cutie mark. Increases in this depression were not easy to see, as the correlation of her going to the attic when she felt her worse was the only indication.
Sure enough, Spark found her in the attic, curled into a ball sleeping in the corner. “Inn, time to get up. Food!” he said trying to get her to wake up. She climbed hesitantly to her hooves and looked around in confusion. Her eyes came into focus as she remembered what happened last night. She darted up, huffing, and looked around frantically. Spark stared at her for a little bit. Eventually he said, “Don’t worry honey, it was just a dream. Come on, some breakfast will make it all better.”
Inn could not feel the mane anymore, so maybe it was all a dream. Her dad would have reacted if she had had a mane. There may not even be a Feather. But... why was she in the attic?
=============
When Inn entered the kitchen to see what was being made for breakfast, she could hear her parents talking.
“She seemed spooked, not at all like normal. Do you think that there is any way that Feather could have done something?” asked Spark in a low whisper. “Well, she seemed so nice. Then again, she also seemed to take a liking to Inn quite fast.” “That could be her nice character, or something sinister, dear,” Spark quickly replied to Chrysanthemum’s thoughts. “That could be said about Inn this morning too.” They stood there for a few minutes thinking. “Perhaps we should just watch their reactions, it should help at least a little,” Chrysanthemum said. “I agree, we should try and keep them apart though. We don’t want any funny business.”
The two continued to whisper, not noticing the little filly walk past them. So it wasn’t a dream after all? So did Feather have her mane back? Had she even lost it in the first place? Only one way to find out. Inn walked into the dining room, and saw Feather. All of Feather. This was good but still confusing. All it did was bring up more fears in the little filly’s mind of what had happened last night.
Slowly Inn took a seat, getting ready for breakfast. Feather looked at Inn with happy anxious eyes. This was another attempt to bring a smile to Inn’s face. Feather had been sitting at the end of the table. Inn selected a chair that was as far away from Feather as Possible. It was like a dart through Feather’s heart. This was a sign that Inn did not trust the mare, and it would be that much harder to make the little filly smile.
The Neatos were shocked to see that their daughter was already at the table, the had not even heard her come down the stairs. The look of utter fear was gone from Inn’s face, replaced instead with a more normal level of fear and sadness. All though they hated the feelings that Inn felt all the time, it was nice to see her back to normal. On the other end of things, was a very happy looking Feather. She may have just been a happy pony, or there was something going on. The parents were still unnerved by this.
Spark and Chrysanthemum entered, accompanied by several serving plates that glowed slightly as they floated, held aloft by the two unicorns' magic . Seating themselves on either side of Feather.
As they began to eat, Feather asks, “So little pony, What were you doing last night? You were making quite a bit of noise. I began to think that you where getting scared of the dark, and was about to come and help you. But then I heard you dart off. Zoom!” She gestues the last bit with her food on the fork.
Fearing to say the truth, Inn fibs, “Yes, I-I-I got scared of, the d-d-dark.” Spark and chrysanthemum looked at each other. Since when was Inn afraid of the dark?
Feather swallows her next bite. She laughs kindly in response. “Ah, I should have helped you back there. Sorry sweetie.”
“I-i-it’s okay. I made it,” Inn said quickly.
With some of that laugh in her voice still, “Well, did you get back quickly? It may have been a bit less dark outside, but it was still pretty dark.”
“Yes, when did you get back?” chrysanthemum asked.
The smile on Feather’s face dimmed greatly. “You don’t pay attention to your filly?” her tone becoming more serious.
Everypony looked at Feather.
“It is hard to keep an eye on her. She always sneaks in or out. And last night she did not use the front door, or at least not that we could see.” Spark said with a calm but saddened voice.
“That's Right, and last night, she did not even sleep in her bed. Spark found her in the attic. She will do that Sometimes,” Chrysanthemum had the same tone as her husband.
Feather was confused, was it the parents or the child that was not being a good family member? Her face reflected this confusion, and there was silence at the table. Inn just sat there eating. The whole time, just eating. After she finished her plate she finally spoke, braking the awkward silence. “Ah, ah, ah, thanks for the food. And... and... do you think that me and... Ms. Feather can go to... her room when she is done?” Inn said with an unusual amount of confidence, but without lifting her head. The other three just looked at each other in amazement.
=============
The two ponies get to room 213, Feather’s room. With Feather in the lead this time, Inn had noticed the wings that where on Feather’s back. It was more common to find Earth ponies in Trottingham, but there are some pegasi and Unicorns in town. The only Unicorns that Inn had seen, were her mom and dad.
The wings where tucked in, and did not seem all that great, but if they where anything like her eyes, mane and tail, they would be a splendid sight. The little filly now wished to see the wings. Her curiosity was getting the best of her. Once inside, there was silence.
“Did you want to ask me something little pony?” asked Feather. Breaking the silence.
“Ya, ha... ya, but um, I got a new question to, ask first. I just, n-n-n-noticed that you are a pegasus, so, ah, can I see your wings? I don’t see to many pegasususes. p-pegasi. pegasisters?”
This got Feather’s attention. She wanted to see her wings, and that wasn't all. This was a new question, so Inn had only just noticed the big wings on her back. “It's pegasi, Little Pony, and it’s no problem.” The wings opened, and Feather saw something change. A different expression on Inn’s face, something that did not involve fear or sadness. Amazement.
It was not a smile, but was something. It was enough to make Feather happy, her smile grew. But then, “How fast can you fly? Do you do most of your traveling in the air? How long can you fly?” bounced the little white filly, with no stuttering or pausing... and with a a great big smile on her face.
Feather was overjoyed by this, she quickly went to hug the filly catching her mid bounce. “Oh, little filly, I’m so glad to see you smile! You seemed so sad and frightened that I had just wanted to see you smile once. I could not just let you sulk and shake, you needed to smile too. I’ll answer you other questions later, but what did you want to ask before those came to mind?” asked Feather, as she set the filly down.
Inn’s enthusiasm quickly vanished, being replaced by fear. Feather began to think that the way Inn was speaking, with such 'courage,' was just the best she could do to act strong. This must be serious. “Ah, ya, I ah, wanted, to ask, you some, thing...” started Inn.
Feather replied with an encouraging smile, “Yes, I know. It’s okay, I won't be upset.” Inn was having a hard time looking at Feather, she tried, but just ended up looking at the floor again.
“Ah, ah, ya, okay. I, ah, I, ah, was wondering, did you, loose, some, thing, last, night?” Inn asked haltingly. She was barley able to ask, her frightened nature trying to stop her, but a little voice told her to go on and say it.
The question seemed to confuse Feather. Lose what, and how would Inn know of something had been lost? “No dear, not that I am aware of.”
Inn was relieved to hear this, she was still scared but not nearly as much as before. “So-so-so it was all, a dream? You didn’t loose your... mane?”
Feather was taken aback by the question. Lose her mane? She has her mane. Quickly the mare regained her composure and answered with a chuckle, “Yes, it was all a dream. See, I have my mane right here.” Feather began bouncing her mane with one of her hooves.
The little filly swiftly added, “Towards the end of the dream, you got you mane back,”
This was a big deal to Inn, but not to Feather. It was all just a dream, and a little filly was just scared. “Well if I got it back, then it is okay with me!” said Feather with a great big smile.
“O-okay. If, you say so,” said Inn, with little confidence.
“Do you want to know how fast I can fly now!?” asked Feather, with a happy eager tone. A big smile and bouncing was the answer from Inn.
=============
The little Inn believed that the truth was said from Feather about the vanishing mane, but she was not certain. So to try and test if she can get her mane without making Feather’s mane going away, Inn sat waiting at the attic window, mirror at hoof, until Feather appeared to be alone.
A moment came, and the little pony did the only thing she could thing of... think back to last night, in as much detail as possible. She remembered that it was very dark. And even though her coat did have a nice brilliant shine, The low light from the windows cast creepy shadows on the... everything, which made the vibrant blue look scary to Inn. The legs look so long, but that might just be due to the height difference.
WAIT! This is all suppose to be about the mane, but thinking of EVERY LAST DETAIL. Inn tried to change her train of thought to just the mane. How red and shiny it was. Even looking at it right now, in the sunlight, the wind blowing through it, it shines bright, giving it a nice bright red hue..
“Eek,” Inn winced. She felt it. The tingling feeling on her neck. A mane. She goes to look down, only to be confused. It seems like the mirror has moved. Gotten lower, but it can’t of gotten lower than the floor. As she pays attention to her reflection, and sees a blue coated filly with long legs and red mane staring back at her. Quickly she looks back at Feather. She is all there. And again looks into the mirror, only to see a bizarre mix of the herself and the pegasus. Pegasus, pegasus, that’s right! Wings and a tail, does she have those?
A quick look, followed by disappointment. No wings, no tail. Not even Feather’s cutie mark. Now what? How does she go back?
Inn sat in the attic for two and a half hours, looking at her reflection. Trying to think of a way to change back. As she did this she could hear the cheers, screams, and laughter of the ponies playing out side. Inn tried to focus on the mirror, but the sounds got to her. She looked out the window and saw the others playing tag. She watched the others who shunned her have fun for a few minutes, before finally turning back to her mirror as if it had all the answers. As she turned, she had a quick thought... hadn’t the roof been closer to her head?
The mirror showed a small white filly.
Her eyes grew big, this was good. She could test somethings to see what made the change unchange! Rushing down the stairs, Inn went to her room to think of what to test first.
=============
There was lots of commotion down stairs in the lobby of the Inn. It distracted Inn from her planing, and eventually drew her attention. Going down to the first floor, she saw her parents and two guests, the first one was Feather, but the other was new, another traveler? The two were talking to one another. The newcomer looked like he did a lot of traveling, his clothing was a little warn, but still sturdy.
When Feather was done talking they all laughed. Inn missed was said, but it gave her an idea of the stallion's voice, a mildly deep tone with a bit a “high class” sort of sound. Inn creeped into the room and hid behind the desk. She tried to just focus on the voices. Every detail. This was a good chance to test something else.
A deep voice, one that commanded authority with a simple “yes.” A voice that could be scary at times, and would have been good for a king to lead his people. This was her dad's voice, she knew it well. The next was soft and somber with no ill intent detected any where in it. When raised, it was still just as soft and and just as somber, with no change to the mood, and no real threat. This was her mom's voice, another that she knew well. Inn could sometimes hear the sound of it in her mind, even when her mom wasn't around.
But then there was the other two. Both new. A soft gentile voice, that makes things sound like it will all be okay. This was the only other female voice, witch made it obvious that it was Feather. The other voice that sounded older, with an accent the was not quite familiar to the little filly. This one belonged to the new traveler. Inn thought it was a nice voice, but the filly could not put her hoof on the reason she liked it. Was it the age or the accent?
“Let me look and see if there is a file like that,” Spark said. Inn's focus broke as she realized her dad was coming this way. She was petrified, all she could do was stay laying down where she was.
Spark got to the desk and looked to see a shaking white filly staring back at him as though he were the scariest thing she had ever seen. He gestures toward the room as if to ask, do you want to meet the new pony? With a shake, Inn nods yes. Spark smiles and continues to look for the file.
After getting the file, he and Inn come out from behind the desk. “Sir Pierce, I would like to introduce my daughter to you,” said Spark, turning his head to the filly. “This is Inn.”
Pierce was completely unfazed by the little filly’s appearance. “Oh, aren't you adorable. This little filly is yours?” said the stallion with vigor.
The little filly slowly looked up, “You, y-you don’t , think that I’m scary looking?” Feather’s eyes widened as her pupils dilated. Feather was very interested in this comment as it said a lot about the little filly.
The stallion chuckled, “Ho, ho, ho ho... no, no. I have fought dragons and have medals to show for it, a little filly is not that spooky.”
This got Inn to perk up a little, although still showing fear. She went and sat next to Chrysanthemum, who was sitting next to Feather on the couch. Pierce and Spark where in chairs, and for the most part this gave Inn a little comfort that she would not have to share a seat with a new pony.
=============
After about an hour of the adults talking, Inn finally spoke up. “Ah, ah, I-I-I’ve, been trying to learn something, do you mind, Sir, Pierce, if I see, how I am at it? It... may take a few tries, but I think I can do it.” she asked, sounding so cute as she stuttered.
Inn had been humming as they talked, and nopony had noticed her voice changing. She had been practicing in a small way, but that was with small hard to notice things. This would be this a big test of her new skill. Maybe even the test. Pierce had noticed the humming, and seeing that Inn was an Earth filly, she would not do magic or fly. If not hum, he was thinking maybe she would try dancing. That was a common thing for fillies to do, even if they only did it for a short time before changing to a new thing like drawing. “Yes in deed, go ahead.”
Inn walked over to Pierce with her head down. When she was in front of him, she looked up at him. With a hoof to her mouth, she started to clear her throat. Each cough getting a little deeper.
“How, how is, this?” Inn tried, in a voice much to deep for a filly, one that sounded as though it had some age to it. But it had no accent and too much stuttering.
Other than those two flaws, it was a perfect impression. Nopony had any idea what to make of this, so they just sat there in stunned silence. The old stallion was in awe. If he had seen dragons doing this... “Go- good job. That sounded almost like me. You just have to work on you nerve there young-un,” said Pierce, with a forced smile.
Noticing the reactions, Inn lowered her head. “D-d-d-d-did I do bad? Or something... bad? S-s-s... sorry.” she could not stop from stuttering, and was on the verge of tears.
“No... no it, it’s just that that was just so odd dear,” answered Chrysanthemum. “Me and your mom never heard you do that before, and that was just so... good,” added Spark. Feather was still too dumbstruck to answer at this point. “I say that is a good talent, and you should try working on it more... but-” started Chrysanthemum “When did you start doing that?” Spark interrupted. “Ahh, ahh, ah, I’ve only been p-pr-pr-practicing with humming, but I wanted to try talking using another voice. “So that’s what you where doing!” exclaimed Pierce. Inn turned to him and nodded.
After a few hours of questions, and everypony stepping in, it was time for Inn to go to bed. This was possibly her biggest day ever.
=============
This morning was going to be a big morning, for Inn had some plans to test her transformation ability further. She was on her way to breakfast when she heard some murmuring in the kitchen. Inn went to listen in on what was being said.
“I’m telling you, she seems more depressed than usual,” Spark said.
“I don’t see it, she smiled last night. It may of been a weak smile but it is the best thing that we have seen from her,” Chrysanthemum argued.
“Yes, but she was ‘happy’ about being somepony else. That is what worries me, I can’t help but worry if the other little ponies have gotten to her.”
“Well, well, true, I guess that is possibly going on too. I still think that she enjoyed it,” said Chrysanthemum as she thought.
“Exactly, and that’s what makes me think she may have snapped, she isn’t happy being herself. It’s the others that got her to this point,” Spark quickly retorted.
Having heard enough to understand what was being said, Inn crept back up to her room. Getting the list of what to try first and ways to try them. She knew that she could mimic anything she wished, she just had to figure out how to control it. The main thing she needed was a place to practice in secret.
When she was outside, bag containing only a mirror and some pages. She began making her way toward a dark forest, a forest which most of the ponies in town tended to avoid. The Everfree Forest was the perfect place to go.
The sounds of Trottingham started to fade as she entered the forest. Met with silence and darkness, Inn made camp and began to practice.
=============
Panic. It had been five hours with no word from Inn. Chrysanthemum was looking furiously to find her little filly, but all she could think of was to ask the guests and look in Inn's hiding places. Everypony had aready looked in those places, but with no idea as to what would have made her even leave the inn, it was the only thing she could think of.
Chrysanthemum looked behind the desk. And looking back at her was an out of breath white filly, curled into a ball, and covered in dirt, twigs, and leaves. Inn seemed to be sleeping. “Honey?” whispered Chrysanthemum. The filly slowly raised her head. Looked at her mom, to see the fear in her eyes. “Mom?” Chrysanthemum goes and hugs Inn and then after a few seconds pulls away. “Where have you been? We where worried sick!” Keeping her head down, eyes fixed on her mother, Inn answered, “I-I-I was in, I was wondering in, I... Everfree,” she finally blurts.
A big rush of fear struck Chrysanthemum, Everfree Forest. “Why, why did you go to in there? Did one of the other foals put you up to this?” asked Chrysanthemum with panic in her tone. Inn shook her head. “No... I-I was trying to see... I wanted to work on... my fear.” This made Chrysanthemum’s eyes narrow, Inn was working on her fears by going into the most dangerous place that she could. “I-I-I thought that if, I could hand, there, then I could hand anything.”
Feather and Pierce where going back to say that they had not seen Inn anywhere in the inn, when they heard talking. They made their way to the sounds, to see the mother and daughter in the middle of their conversation.
“Aww, you got dirty,” said Feather, with look that said she thought Inn looked adorable.
“Yes, she did when she was in Everfree,” said Chrysanthemum, looking at Feather.
This made Inn sulk more, and the playful look on Feather’s face vanished. “She did what now?” Pierce chimed in.
“That is no place for ponies, especially for little fillies. You do know that right Inn?” asked Feather.
Spark was on his way back, when he heard the commotion. “What’s going on here?” he asked, as he came up behind them. “Inn... why are you so dirty?” said Spark with shock in his voice.
“Everfree.” The other three said in unison.
“She did what?!” Inn tried to make herself as small as possible.
“She was trying to overcome fear,” Chrysanthemum said with a sad voice.
Silence. As the adults tried to process the thinking processes of the little filly, it was utterly silent. It was so quiet, and Inn was so tired... the room was beginning to get hazy... with a soft thump, Inn fell asleep.
It had been two years. It was hard to see what had changed, and yet it felt like much had. Inn was a little taller now, and after two years of practice, she could mimic any body part voice perfectly. With many guest coming to the inn, there were many that she could test her skills with. And most opportunely of all, she could go back and forth with almost perfect timing. She was now a master at her own skill.
She now had many books, books on how to use magic and magic history. She may have been able to get a horn, but she did not get the owners knowledge of magic. And she found out if she had wings, that she needed to work out the muscles in them, the good thing was that it can transfer from wing to wing.
The filly still needed to go to school though, and was still teased. She did not have a cutie mark yet and that was just one of many things that were the sources of the jokes made about her.
During recess, the two fillies that where making fun of Inn where on either side her. “Look at that, still a blank flank. Are you always going to be a blank flank Marshmellow?” Exquisite Stone said with a snooty tone.
Elegance looks up at her friend, “Yeah, the freak will always be blank because it is her special talent. Just look at her.”
This went on until it was time to go back to class, just like always. But... Inn was not all as down as usual. Inn was losing her mind, and she knew it. She could only think of one way to satisfy this urge to lower the dementia building in her, pay back. She knew that she would have it soon, and it was just a matter of time.
=============
Late that night, a frantic knock at a small blue, one story house was heard. Elegance answered the door to see a little brown and blue filly crying on the steps. A shiver of fear went down Elegance’s spine, as she looked at Exquisite, face covered in tears and blood coming from the top of her head. The Earth pony was growing a horn.
“Why, why is this happening, Elegance?” cried Exquisite Stone.
Elegance stared for a few seconds, then said, “W-when did this s-s-start? Maybe w-we can find the c-cause there.”
“It, it, it started when I got near you house!” she cried, as the horn grew another inch.
Elegance backed up, her friend was standing there now dripping blood. Exquisite wined and thrashed in pain. Elegance was too worried about her to notice that there was no blood on the ground.
“Aren't you going to help me?” Exquisite cried, as she walked into the house with weak steps.
Exquisite Stone wobbles to the ground and lays there as another inch grew on the horn. Not moving a muscle, and bleeding even more. Unsure of what to do, Elegance panics, and runs to get help from her parents, who where not home.
Exquisite Stone looked up and around. The house was empty. Slowly, she began to laugh.
=============
Inn got home, and was in the attic. The attic was now place a happiness to Inn, for this is where she could do some practicing. The filly was playing with all sorts of “designs.” Making the old stallion look young again, making the young mare look old, and the most fun of all, seeing just what Elegance had seen.
“This has to be the best thing ever!” she said quietly to herself, as she changed into all sorts of other townsponies, and making them look silly or interesting.
Just as she finished, and was about to leave. she saw a small light coming from her flank. She knew what this light meant, and she was so happy to see just what her cutie mark was. Turning her head around, she saw... nothing... but the light of the cutie mark fading.
Her cutie mark was actually blank.
Happiness was replaced with sadness, hate, and confusion, all in an instant.
=============
The next week, Inn was minding her own business in class. But the whispering of the two in front got her attention.
“Do, you want to hang out today?” asked Elegance. “Let me guess, my place?” replied Exquisite. “Ah, ya if you don’t mind,” “Ya, okay,” Exquisite sighed, annoyingly. “Why can’t we ever go to your place El?” Elegance looked down, “Ah, I don’t feel comfortable with it for now.” Exquisite sighs again, “Well okay, but tomorrow, we are going to the park instead of my place, got it.” “Sure.”
Inn smiled. The last week was similar to this day, but now they where not going to be in a house.
Oh the joy.
=============
The park is near the forest, and this is where Inn waited. It was sunset by the time the two arrived. “See nothing happened,” Exquisite Stone said looking to Elegance. Elegance was just getting some color back after the fright she had from seeing Exquisite just pop up at her door steps. The two walked to the parked slowly and found a good place to play hide and seek.
Inn waited for nearly thirty minutes, and then it was time to make a move. She used some of her abilities to change into a stallion, but to make it look new, it was a jumbled mix. Tall and bulky, with light gray coat, mane was blue with black highlights, and to top it all off, a cutie mark of a hour class. For a short time there was a horn, but that was only for the start of this... prank.
Using magic, Inn flung herself into the air back first in the direction of the other two fillies. Trying to make it looking real but also not hurt herself, she used the horn to slow arrest her momentum near the end of the 'fall', but not so much that it would be noticeable. When on the ground again, she quickly got rid of the horn.
Shocked that a grown pony just been thrown through a the air, the little fillies look to try to see what had thrown him. Seeing nothing, they turned their attention back to him. Looking at him, they saw cuts that, while not deep, but instead wide and long.
“Ru-run! Manticore, run or it will eat you!” shouted the injured stallion. Trying to get to his hooves. Fear had paralyzed the two fillies, but after a second, the bolted in the opposite direction.
With the two out of sight, Inn changed back to normal and hopped to the trees of the park. Where there was a back way into the inn. Not three minutes after Inn was safely out of sight, the two came back with an adult mare.
“See, see right th-” started Exquisite Stone, only to stop when there was nopony to be seen. “You fillies need to stop playing these jokes and learn what is and isn't okay!” “But, but...” started Elegance, unable to think of anything to say. It did seem like a bad joke they just pulled.
Inn made her way home with a big smile on her face.
=============
Time passes. More and more of these “pranks” are done. Only to the two that hurt her the most. And, over time, the psychotic feeling was leaving her. This was her own self endorsed therapy. Scaring those that had once scared her. Pay back. Revenge. A long awaited vendetta.
It is not a school day, but it would not really bother Inn too much if it were. Elegance and Exquisite Stone where not bothering Inn as much as usual. They where too focused on the dying ponies they kept seeing every couple of weeks. It was now a few months later, and Inn had thought of a deadline to stop. She would stop in one or two years, depending on how frightened the two were.
After all, what she was doing was worse than what they did. And with that in mind, all she wanted was for them to be just as broken as she was.
Inn had plans for today, and all she needed was a good time to leave the inn. This was made difficult by Spark and Chrysanthemum, who wanted Inn to try working in the inn. Even if it where for just a short time, the two wanted their daughter to see what it was like to work there.
It was a long day, and all Inn could think of while sitting at the front desk and cleaning the floors, was how she would be going to mess with those two fillies tonight.
In arrived at Exquisite Stone's house, it was clear that Elegance was there by the voice coming through the walls. Seeing that Exquisite Stone’s parents where not in the same room, and most likely out or upstairs, Inn started to make her move to set up some more scares. Inn made her way to the top of the chimney and slowly lowered herself down it.
When she was near the bottom of the fire pit, she changed from her normal appearance. Let go so that she would fall into the pit, and showed her new form to the startled fillies. A half burnt mare with a blue coat and green mane. The mane was singed and looked as if some of it it had been burnt off, the tail was almost completely gone. As this sight slowly sank in, the two began to look on in fear... not again!!
“H- h- he, help, h- hel- heelp meeee,” gasped the crisped thing before them. It sounded as if it's lungs had no air and were filled with smoke. This... thing, began crawling towards the fillies, as if it wanted help. The hind legs dangled behind, useless. The fillies screamed and ran upstairs.
Then in a flash, Inn was at the door. Hiding in what would seem like an obvious place, next to the front steps. She had crouched and hid so that all they would have to do is go out the door and look down the left side of the steps and the burnt pony would be in plain sight. But with Inn’s experience, she knew that was not likely to happen.
The parents of Exquisite Stone came down the stairs, and again did not see one of the dying ponies she had mentioned. Looking up the chimney, and out the door they saw nothing and tried to reassure the two frightened fillies of this. But these words meant nothing to them.
Hearing all this made Inn so overjoyed, that she just had to try and find ways to top this one too. She went home shortly after. When she was far enough away from the house, she turned back into her normal self.
But, there was just one problem.
Unbeknownst to Inn, somepony had seen her come out of the house and then turn into another pony.
It has now been many years, and the filly is almost a mare. After the first few weeks, Inn had decided to slow down on the 'pranks' in order to keep herself sane. She did not know why, but it seemed like most of the ponies in town were afraid of her. They had all known her since she was a foal, so why were they only now beginning to go to such lengths to avoid her?
This did not matter that much to Inn, not at the moment. She had other things to do. Spark and chrysanthemum were meeting with some of the townsponies about something. Inn didn't know what, but she didn't really care, it was probably something boring, like scrabble, or the weather. Thus Inn was left to mind the desk. There was a new guest, and he needed a room to stay in. This pony was a bit wierded out by the sight of Inn, but he tried to not let it show.
On the way to the traveling pony’s room, Inn asked if he would like to hear her special talent. The pony said yes, and with that, Inn began to speak.
“This is one of the things that I am well known for. The other being, well... you’ve seen me,” Inn said in the other pony’s scratchy voice.
=============
A crowd was beginning to gather close to the inn. Inn was beginning to wonder what was going on outside, but she had to tend to the inn. As she moved about, occasionally looking out a window, she saw the crowd slowly growing, and with it, her curiosity.
Then the new guest came and asked, “Is there normally some sort of parade?”
“N-no...” stammered Inn. Her curiosity finally got the better of her, she needed to go and see what was going on. Now.
When Inn got outside, she was greeted by a growing mob of ponies surrounding the inn and staring accusingly at her. She began to back up but was stopped. The new guest was blocking the door to the inn, his expression a match to the faces of the others. The mayor stepped forward from within the mob.
“We know what you have been doing, Inn,” she said in a stern voice. “We know that you have the ability to shape shift, and that you have been using this ability to do bad things”
Inn just stood there for a moment thinking about what was just said. The words spinning in her head. She grew a par of white wings and flew up to see how many ponies where there. It looked like the entire town, Even her parents were there, at the very back of the crowd with their heads down. Several pegasi flew up in order to catch Inn in case she attempted to flee. Only to see that it was pointless, as she was all ready on her way back down.
“Wow, l-l-looks, loo-looks like the whole town is here,” Inn said to the mayor. The wings retracting back into Inn’s body.
This was odd to the opposing pony, she had thought that Inn would fly away at that news. “So do you know why we are here?”
“Not, exactly... no.”
The pony sighs, “We have all heard that you have been tormenting other ponies, using a horrifying ability to change your appearance and voice.” Inn seemed unfazed by this. “We don’t take kindly to that kinda thing around here. You should know that.”
“S-s-s-so now what?” asked Inn, no real difference in her tone than normal.
“Now, you must leave our town forever.”
“FOREVER!” came a shout from somewhere in the crowd.
Inn lowered her head slightly for a moment and then raised it again. “Ah, Ms. Mayor, may I ask, where I can go?”
“That is up to you, but you must travel through the Everfree forest to get there. That is the true punishment.”
Inn was laughing inside. Everfree was like her second home, and part of the punishment was to travel in it. “O-okay. I-I-I'll go then.”
“I will bring you to the path out of town. This will be the last place that you can say goodbye, as well as anything else you may want to say.” the mayor hinted.
As they went through the crowd, Inn could feel the hateful piercing stares being shot at her. The feeling was physically painful, and she could not understand why it hurt so much. Inn just kept putting one hoof in front of the other, in a fast, walking rhythm. She made her way past crowd, and to the border between the town and Everfree.
It was a long silent walk.
When they finally got there, the mayor asked, “So, is there anything that you wish to say before you leave here forever?”
“FOREVER!” the voice from the crowd called again.
Inn cowered for a few moments, but then, she looked and saw something she did not expect. Two fillies in the crowd doing the same. Elegance and Exquisite Stone are so frightened of Inn, that even now, they could not stand up tall.
A smile appeared on her face, a big smile. It looked sinister and evil, even though that was not the intent of the smile, it was still just as horrifying. A towns pony thinking that it was them, not the fillies, that she was looking at with the smile, began to throw rocks. Shouting, “Just leave use you evil monster!” the other ponies joined in. There where exceptions, few but exceptions.
The mayor ran for cover and shouted, “Stop!” but nopony would listen.
At first, the rocks hitting Inn made her flinch. But... as her concentration narrowed, she found herself able to ignore the pain.
“I have plenty of last things to say!” said Inn, no hesitation, no stuttering, no fear in her voice.
The rocks stopped flying, as some of the crowd backed away. Knowing the filly, knowing that this was not how she normally spoke, was scared by this.
“I have never had the intention of harming any pony in this town, except for two. Even these two I was not going to harm, physically. Oh no. I only wished to mentally scar them as they had done me.” As Inn spoke each word, she took one step closer to Elegance and Exquisite. Ponies where clearing the way, but only because they thought something bad was about to happen. “All I wanted was for them to be just as scared as me, just as scarred as me. I wanted to repay the scars they had given me!”
As she drew closer, she became more animated. The crowd retreated from the two ponies in question. “I had thought that I needed more time to get the proper revenge on them. But thanks to all this...” Elegance and Exquisite Stone were now face to face with Inn. The constant gaze and smile had scared the two so much that they could not move. “... I see that my vengeance is complete. This was a triumph.”
She chuckles menially and then turns, heading back to the edge of the forest. “I do, how ever, find it sad that I have to leave my parents and the inn. But it’s not like you can really keep me out, is it?” the horrible evil tone was now gone, replace with sincerity. everypony looked at each other.
“Yes, that’s what we are doing right now Inn. We are kicking you out forever,” said the mayor with a stern commanding voice.
Inn laughed slightly. “But...” She turns into a brown and blue filly, face covered in blood, and a horn coming out her heard. “... Are you forgetting that I am the master of disguise? I can change into anypony, real or not.” The two fillies whimpered in fear at the sight in front of them. “I can hold a form for a long time, and it would to bad for the town to be isolated on my account. And you have no way of detecting whether or not it's me.”
These points rage in the mayors head, there really was nothing they could do. Maybe the princess could do something. But as Inn was just saying, She was done, she was going to stop abusing her abilities, at least if Inn wasn’t lying. And why bother the princess for a pointless thing like this? If Inn is lying, then that would be the time to get her majesty involved, but not for a self-subdued pony.
“I'm not even angry, I'm being so sincere right now. I can come back some time and show you just how long I can hold a form, and you'll never catch me.” taunted Inn as she walked into the Everfree forest. She changed into a manticore, this was obviously a clever disguise, but it was not the topic of the murmuring that followed. It was how Inn had said, “I knew I could change into one if I tried.”
=============
As soon as the town was out of sight Inn stopped by a tree and changed back into herself. She needed a break. That was the biggest performance she had ever done. The only way she could stop form stuttering was by acting as if she were another pony. And she had never had such a large audience before. The worst distraction she had previously had been a waterfall that added lots of weight to her, making it hard to concentrate. The rocks were a new challenge altogether.
But she did it. She did all if it. Even turning into a manticore.
A week has passed. Inn had become an extremely efficient predator, catching everything, unable to be caught. She could remain unseen until it was to late, and then if she did not wish to fight, then there was no fight.
And no monster knew to fear her.
She was slowly gathering more material for a hut she was making from bones and skins of the monsters she faced. She moved deeper and deeper into the forest, seeing a strange lack of the creatures that are usually so numerous. She Came upon a house made out of metal. Inn had never seen anything like it before. She was not sure what to expect from a pony living in the Everfree, so she thought it would be safer to leave it for now and make her way back to her new home instead.
She returned to her clearing some hours later. While she was working on the construction of the hut, she saw two ponies wandering by. A stallion with an hour glass cutie mark and a googly eyed mare with a bubbles cutie mark. She had seen the stallion some years ago, but his companion had been different then. This brought up questions in Inn’s head, but she quickly shook them off so that she could get back to her house work.
=============
When Inn had finally finished her hut two days later, she decided to go see what was with the metal house she had seen before. She approached cautiously. Staying low and looking around all the time, taking no chances as she drew close to the odd metal door.
“Can I help you?” an old, cryptic voice asked from behind Inn.
“Eep!” Inn squeaked, jumping nearly a foot off the ground. She flipped over in the air, landing on her back to see the disfigured pony that had been behind her. He was old, really old, and his body looked to be sewn together from others. He had a blue head and neck, the neck was cut a diagonally and had a second color, green, that stretched to the front right leg. He had three colors on his back, all different shades of orange. He had three different colors for his legs, one yellow, one white, one green, and one that had two different shades of gray. He even had an oddly cut in secont green color to his front right leg. His underside was laced with six more colors, almost a rainbow pattern. His mane and tail did not match ether, the tail was solid black, and the mane had blue with three green highlights. One eye was emerald green, the other deep violet. Even his ears were different, one black, and the other brown, the latter appeared to be slightly larger. Most unusual of all, he had blank pink patches where his cutie mark aught to be. He looked like a very bad quilt.
Inn had gotten good at seeing details and picking up on new things, and this pony's appearance made her shake in fear. Out of all the things that had gone through Inn’s mind torment Elegance and Exquisite Stone with, this was far worse than anything she had come up with. It was too weird and scary.
“Is there anything I can do for you, my little pony?” the voice seemed as if it where creepier than last time, but it had not really changed.
A shiver went up Inn’s spine. She tried to regain composure and right herself, but it took a few seconds of working her legs uselessly in the air before she managed to climb back to her hooves. “Y-y-yeah. I am, I-I-I am-”
She was interrupted by the stallion in front of her, “Let me guess, you were traveling and saw my peculiar house, and you wanted some company.” There was small laugh in his tone.
Inn gave a weak nod, it was all she could muster.
Once inside the house, Inn saw that there was a room with a door at the back. After passing through the second door, she saw a massive room with no dividing walls. The kitchen, bedroom, dining room, and bath room all shared the same space. The closest thing to a wall was a makeshift collapsible curtain for the bathroom, and that was gathering dust.
Inn was blown away by the sight of the mostly metal house shining back at her.
“Sit, sit, don’t be shy now,” said the stallion as he went to the kitchen. Inn made her way to the dining room, and sat at the metal table. The chair was solid, and made from a material she could not identify. Each chair was covered in a different colored cloth. Trying to ease her mind from the shock of seeing the stallion, she tried to make herself comfortable in the chair.
There was a commotion from the kitchen. Inn turned to see the stallion getting out metal tea cups and a metal tea pot to put on the metal stove. There was so much to take in; there was a pony that looked weirder than her, which was saying something, and now she was looking at more metal than she had seen in her entire life. The strangest thing of all was how the more normal, non-metallic items seemed alien in this environment.
Inn sat for a few minutes and then heard the flames light on the stove. In no time at all, the quilt-like stallion was at the table with apple cider. “So my little pony, what brings you to travel in Everfree? Did a monster do something to your mane and tail? Do you have a place to stay? Are you all alone out here? Are you going to drink your apple cider?” rattled off the stallion.
Inn wasn’t even ready for the pony to be next to her. Him asking these questions as fast as he did was too much for her to understand. “Wh-wh-what?”
He looked confused for a second, but then he realized something. He took a few seconds, sighed, and then took a deep breath. “Sorry, I can get a bit excited when I have guests over. What brings you in Everfree, my little pony?” he said, much more calmly and slowly.
“I, um, I ah,” Inn wondered if it was a good idea to tell the truth.
“It’s okay if you don’t want to say. I’m here because some years back, my home town got frightened by my curiosity. If only the had as high an interest in learning as me, they would have seen that I am not as scary as they think I am.”
The little white pony, just sat there for a few seconds thinking. His story was very similar to her own. Looking at the quilt like pony again, she also began to think that they had another thing in common... Scary appearances. She took a sip from her apple cider, “This apple cider, is... good,” she said. She wasn't lying, even though the flavor was slightly metallic.
“You think so? I made it myself. It is hard to do here in the Everfree, you need to know just the right tree to get the apples from. I’ve gone to the wrong tr-” A loud whistling pierced the room. “TEA! I’ll go and get it. You just wait right here.”
As Inn was sipping on her apple cider, she heard some more clanging of metal.
The patchwork stallion clattered over carrying the tea on a platter. The cups where on small metal plates. The tea pot was on a wooden disk.
The stallion sat down and took one of the teacups. “Oh, if you like my apple cider, you will love my tea.” Inn did not want to have tea while she still had the cider, so she tried to finish it as quickly as she could.
=============
They talked at great length about the Everfree and the monsters that inhabited it. There seemed to be no end of things to talk about. Inn gradually began to warm up to him, she felt like she could trust this stallion.
“Actually... I ah, I’ve killed one before.” Inn said over her seventh cup.
The stallion's eyes widened, “How did you kill a manticore? Did you have help?” he asked.
“Ah, n-no. I killed it all by myself. I’m... good at, ah... well, stealth. I’ve, um, ah, also killed other monsters you mentioned as well.”
“What do you mean by stealth?” he asked, with great interest.
“Well I can mimic things, and blend in,” said Inn, using the stallion’s voice.
A big creepy smile went across his face. “Ohh, I see!”
“And, this is the reason why I am here in Everfree. I was seen... transforming, or something... I still need to work on my stealth,” Inn said with a laugh. And to make the point of what she can do, she transforms into the stallion.
The stallion stood, walking in a slow circle around Inn, examining her disguise “Is that really what my mane looks like from the back?” she heard him mutter. He gave a low and slow laugh. “You know, I just thought of something... Do you want to see the rest of my house?”
Certain she had nothing to fear, Inn agrees. The stallion led her trough another door beyond witch a metal staircase spiraled down into semidarkness. Inn starts to talk about some of her fears. That she will never see her parents again, or that they fear or even hate her. When they get to the bottom of the steps, the stallion says, “Oh, my little pony, no need to worry so much. Some things in life are bad, they can really make you mad, and other things just make you swear and curse. When you're chomping on life's bit, don't grumble, give a whistle,” he pauses to whistle a short marry tune. “And this will help things turn out for the best-”
“I-I just noticed...” inn said, cutting him off “we have y-yet to introduce ourselves. I’m... Inn Cog, Neato, you can call me Inn.”
The stallion stood still for a few seconds thinking, “We haven’t, have we? Well my name is Doctor Moonstone Specter. Just call me Moonstone.”
The lights came on suddenly, and Inn was amazed by how big this room was. It was bigger than the one above, and it had doors leading to other rooms. Looking around to see all there was, Inn noticed many odd things indeed. There were many tables with metal ponies that had bizarre strings coming out of them. One metal pony was black, and looked more like armor than anything else, and was not dangling parts like the others. She moved toward it and asked, “Wh-what is this, M-Moonstone?” Moonstone saw Inn looking at the black pony thing, and answered with, “Oh, I have somethings that I work on. That one is Tex. Shes not quite done yet, I still need some more things, and she will be all finished.”
This all seemed... no word seemed to express her thoughts clearly enough. But the... for sake of debate, bizarre, room was overshadowed by a thing of hide hanging on the wall in a wooden frame, a cutie mark of a magnifying glass over a puzzle piece.
Inn was at first frightened by what she was seeing, but then she thought back to how others had treated her and tried to shrug the fear away.
=============
Another hour passed by. Moonstone had been showing off some of the things that he had made and the tools he used. Suddenly he jolted up, “OH my, OH my! You have been here for quite some time Inn. Is your house nearby?”
“Ya, ah, kinda... it's a few hours away.”
“Oh no! That is too far. I can’t let a filly go out into the forest at night, not even you.”
“So... you want me to... stay... here?”
“I only have one bed, but it has molded to my form over the years. If I could, I’d make you one now, but I’m not that fast with bed making,” He said with a smile. “So, I’m sorry to say, but there are three options: The floor, a table, or my old bed?”
Inn thought about this. The doctor looked old, he may need the bed. The only other options where, lay on metal, or lay on metal.
“Ah, the, ah... floor.”
“Okay. This room here is the warmest, you should be fine here,” he brought Inn into a room with a table and many cabinets. There was plenty of room for her to lay down here.
“Wake up. It’s a new day, time to get up!” said Moonstone, as he was trying to shake Inn awake.
Inn slowly got up. She looked around and saw all the metal... she knew where she was. It wasn’t all a dream after all. She felt stiff all over. She thought the floor must be rough to make her feel so bad after only one night. Several of her joints popped as she moved. “Oh, my...” she began, trying to think of a body part to start complaining about first.
“Oh, was the floor rough on you? Maybe you should of taken the table.”
“I s-slept okay. It wasn’t tha-” began Inn, only to fall face first to the floor. “-t bad.” She could not stand on her own.
Moonstone laughs, “Look at that, you can’t stand. Do you want some help up stairs, little pony?”
Inn looked down and blushed, “Y-yeah.”
Moonstone lifted Inn onto his back and carried her to the kitchen table, he helped her into a seat, and went of to make some tea. This time when he was making tea, Inn noticed that there was more going on. Inn tried to turn her head to see what was the cause for the extra noise, but was quickly distracted by more popping from her neck.
=============
There is a loud whistle, and Inn wakes with a start. The tea was done, and there was already a pot in front of her. All she can think is that she fell asleep at the table for at least half an hour. Seconds later, another pot of tea is in front of Inn, being held by a very happy Moonstone.
“OH, your up! I have tea!”
Inn only has the strength to look back with an odd expression.
“I have a straw for you to drink your tea, if that helps. Being on the floor must be tough.” said Moonstone as he puts a straw into Inn’s cup for her. “It looks as though I’m out of apple cider, but that’s okay! Tea can help with getting you back to normal.”
Inn did not believe this, but she did need something to drink. In a few minutes, she felt much stronger, and a little more awake too. “See, it worked out all those kinks.”
Inn went for another cup. “Th-this tea, is better, this time than, last n-night.”
Inn and Moonstone spent the rest of the day talking and drinking tea.
“It sounds like you get to see a lot. I spend most of my time here studying,” commented Moonstone.
“Y- yes, I do. That may ch-change though, s-seeing that I have a P-place now.”
Moonstone’s eyes grew. “Do you think that you can look into what ponies are up to these days for me? I don’t care if it is as small as how they look, or as big as how the princes is doing.”
Inn was a little shocked by the question. She understood that he was not easy to approach and that his house was no different, however Moonstone seemed very social and had a deep urge to learn. Despite all that, this was a shock, a request for her to practically spy on other ponies and give Moonstone her findings.
But, what could be the harm?
“Y-yes. Okay.”
=============
Not long thereafter, Inn headed home. She decided to take a more casual walk back to the hut than the one she took to get to the shiny house.
On her slowed paced though, she starts to notice some things. There were some roads the she did not see before. This was both good and bad, for Inn had some ideas on how to sneak up on the monsters and the roads where made for the ponies that traveled in the forest. The only bad thing was that her not seeing this before meant that Inn still needed to work on her observation skills.
There where so many paths that Inn had not noticed before that she almost got lost a few times. Inn was enjoying the new sights and sounds. It seemed new, but all she had done was not pay attention.
She finally got to her hut, and found it looking... dirty. Had it rained? If it had there was no mud. Maybe the Everfree dries faster than in town. It was possible, everypony always said that the forest was different. When Inn got inside, she saw that the roof was drooping in slightly. It must not of been strong enough for the rain.
Well the white filly was tired from the long walk over and wanted a rest before getting some supplies to repair the damages. This would take almost a completely new build, with even stronger bones to hold up the fur this time.
Maybe she would slay a dragon?
=============
Moonstone had given her some bags of tea before she left, saying she should always have some. Inn drank some of the tea that night before going out to look for some building materials for her hut.
She had seen a cave on one of her previous hunts for materials, this could likely be the home of a dragon, she thought. She had seen some dragons in books before, so she could look like one herself. The only problem was, she did not have much to go on with variety, so she was nervous that the dragon would see through her disguise.
The red and blue dragon went into the cave to look around, but only finding gems she turns around. There was a larger green dragon blocking the exit. Oops.
“Did you think that you could steal my gems?” he growled.
Inn at first whimpered into the corner. But she tried to just stay focused on the fact that she had found a dragon. “No... In fact I was not looking for any boring rocks, I was looking for you!”
The larger dragon got a little bit frighted by that fact that Inn had just used his own voice to utter those words. “Who, what are you? That was my voice! How dare you say that to me with my own voice you!”
Inn just smiled and slowly walked toward him. “Oh, do you hate this? I love it. Come on big guy lets have some fun,” Inn continued to use his voice, sounding seductive and a little malevolent too.
He started to back up, this dragon was really starting to scare him.“W-What?” he said, his eyes narrowing.
Inn started to grow. “Oh come on, I was waiting for you after all. Let’s just have some fun.”
The sight of this other dragon growing made him realize that he had to act, and fast. He lunged forward and made his attack. A sharp spike on the male dragon’s head had hit Inn’s leg, the only place he could hit now, due to her size.
Inn pulled her leg up and whined. She then moved in a little closer, “Ah, what was that for big guy? Are you having a bad day?” Inn held her leg up to avoid putting her weight on it.
He was now unsure of what to do. It almost seemed as if his attack made her more irritated than injured. He knew that he could not fight such a monster, so he turned to fly away.
“Hey, where yea goin’? The fun hasn’t even started yet,” said Inn as she used her uninjured leg to pin the dragon to the cave wall. Inn winced as the sound of his wings braking could be heard echoing in the cave. The dragon coughed up a little blood. Inn shrank so that she was just a little taller than him. She moved to the dragon's side.
“Sorry about that, and this,” she said in her own voice.
=============
A dragon holding another dragon in its talons flew down by the crumbling hut made of monster parts. Inn set him down, being gentle as to be sure to not hit the small structure when laying down the dead dragon, then she changed back to normal.
Inn limped to her hut. Her leg still hurt from the fight. She was going to take a short break before fixing the place up. The pain had been almost to much for her to make it home to begin with.
But if she had looked down, she would have seen no blood, no hole, no injury.
Three years later, Inn decided to watch the sun rise that morning, she had never taken the time to watch the sun rise before, but she had heard it was beautiful, and she wanted to see it for herself. She flew to the top of a tree and watched the horizon.
She sat there for several hours. Nothing happened. She began to think that maybe she woke up earlier than she thought. She began to wander the forest. As she did, there was a loud boom in the distance. Inn could see the trees shake from the force of whatever it was.
She thought this might be interesting, so she went to investigate. The mountainside cliff had shifted causing a large amount a rock and dirt crash to the ground below. Off in the distance she heard a voice. “... Loopty looped around and BAM!” She looks to see a group of ponies walking away, she moves to follow but is distracted by another voice from the other direction.
She soon found two ponies on the path. The same two she saw back when she was making he hut the first time. But the stallion was acting a bit... odd... maybe even insane. He kept going on about how he could hold things with his hoof. It freaked Inn out a little.
Thinking that she could not get any useful information form those two, she went on to look for the other ponies she had seen, but was unable to locate them. Eventually, the white mare flew to a river bed. A thought came to mind. A childish thought. She has not just played or had fun in years.
She jumped into the water and swam for a few minutes. Trying to see how fast she could get from one bank to the other. She tried some different strokes, and did some free style. Then out of nowhere, the water got rough. Inn found herself having a hard time keeping her head above the water. She slowly made her way back to a shallow spot and walked back to dry land.
Inn, wondering what happened, flew around until she saw a purple serpent thrashing in the water. She really liked the scales on this serpent, and thought of harvesting him for upgrades to her hut, but seeing that he was talking to some ponies and not trying to eat them... The thought left her quickly.
Instead, she thought of listening in on what was being said. As she drew closer, she saw that the pink one was looking right at her, she had already been caught. Deciding that there was no point in spying on ponies that had already seen her, she flew away to dry herself off. She never flew at night, and was enjoying the moonlight and shadows.
She just few, long after she was dry.
Suddenly, the sun came out, soaring up high into the sky. The light blinded Inn, who lost her concentration, and her wings. Inn fell down fast, hitting the trees with massive force, which knocked Inn out cold.
=============
Almost a day later, Inn awoke. She felt sharp shooting pain all over her body, especially on her left side. She panicked, too afraid to look around to see where she was because she did not want to make the pain worse.
Her mind was racing, she began to think back to when she was little. She had had a small hiding place that she had made back then, so Inn made a unicorn horn. Using her horn, she levitated piles of dirt and twigs so that they would form protective shell around her. Soon after she was done with that, the weak, dirty, and exhausted, Inn laid her head down to try and sleep.
=============
Inn just stayed in the same place, unable to move more than her head with out feeling intense pain. She looked around, and it almost looked like night. The small shelter she had made was dark and the sun shining in through the cracks of the woven twigs looked like stars.
Whenever Inn could, she made the bubble around her bigger. She thought it was useless, but she still wanted to try standing. It was just as bad an attempt as she had expected, she painfully arranged her legs beneath her, slowly building up the strength to push herself up, but when she finally tried, all she managed to do was flop over to her other side. She could not tell if anything was broken, but she imagined the pain could not be much worse than this.
She been laying there for three days, although it felt like months. When all of the sudden, she heard hoofsteps getting closer. Time seemed to slow down as Inn’s hart raced. The steps sopped at the edge of the little shell she had made. Her mind was bursting with questions.
Is it a pony, or a monster? If it's a pony, is it a nice pony? If it's a monster, is it a nice monster? Is a nice monster even technically a monster? What if it isn’t nice? How can I defend myself? Is who or what ever it is out there just looking, or is it trying to find a way in? All these thoughts rushed through her in under a second, but if felt like minutes had past.
The steps started again, this time going around the bubble. Inn could faintly see many colors passing by. Inn was now staring to hyperventilate. Many colors does not say anything about who or what it is. The steps circled all the way around stopping after a full rotation.
But then, slowly the steps where going on top of the mound, as if the thing was testing it's durability. It stomped on it with little force. Seeing that it was in fact sturdy, it got back onto all fours and paused for a few seconds.
Inn was hoping that that would be the end of it. But there was still one more thing for the thing to do... look inside. The creature started to tear open a doorway. Even though it was painful for Inn to do so, she started shaking.
Inn closed her eyes, too afraid to see what was about to happen. Hearing the sound of the twigs being moved gently and then thrown to the ground. She could not tell how far the creature was, but she knew that the hole it had created could not have been very large when it stopped. “Inn, is that you?” said a familiar voice.
She opened her eyes to see a quilt like pony looking back in shock.
“Inn, why are you in this... cocoon?” asked Moonstone.
“I ah, the sun... it, ah, the night was... I f-f-fell from the s-s-sky. C-can you help me?” Inn stammered, as she tried to find the right words to explain what had happened.
“Well of course my little pony. Let me widen this hole a bit more.”
Tears of happiness and relief slowly started to pour form Inn’s eyes.
=============
Over a nice hot pot of tea, all was explained. Inn was extremely confused, but Moonstone was intrigued.
“It sounds like Celestia must have overslept. In her panic to make up for lost time, she sped up the sun so it would be in the right place. I just wonder what would of made her falter like that,” Moonstone said, thinking out loud.
“W-well, still... thanks. I-I thought...” started Inn, tears forming in her eyes again.
“Oh it was my pleasure. No thanks needed! Anyway, I know all the in’s and out’s of the pony body. Fixing you up was no problem at all!”
Inn sobs for a few seconds, then looks at the tea. “S-s-s-so... the, tea is... g-g-going to, help me too?” she asked, still trying to regain her composure.
“Yes, the medicine inside it will help you recover faster.”
“W-w-were is, that black thing you had b-before?”
“Black th- Tex? Do you mean her?”
“Y-yes, ah, h-her. She looked, interesting. But, n-now I didn’t see her today.”
“Some years ago, I got her working. She is investigating like you are.”
“R-r-r-really! You g-got her to w-work?” asked Inn, her eyes widening.
“Yes, did I not tell you?”
“No, but th-that’s amazing M-Moonstone! I-I-I thought you where h-have a hard time g-g-getting non-living things to m-m-move!”
“Maybe you two will meet up out there.”
With that, the two spent the next few hours talking about Moonstone’s work.
Two months later, Inn was on the roadsides again looking for ponies to spy on. Up ahead she saw a purple unicorn who seemed to be looking for something. Inn got close by hiding in the brush.
“Ahh, where is that red flower? Spike said he knew a good dish to make with it and my books say it can only be found here. Ahhhh!” the purple unicorn muttered. She pawed though the grass, not seeing the red flower.
Inn looked around and saw some red flowers by the bush she was hiding behind. She picked them and crept out form behind the brush. Inn put the flowers where the unicorn could find them, then starts to head quietly for the other side of the road.
The unicorn, fed up with the spot she was looking in, started to look in another spot, but she spotted something else first, a white mare crossing the road. “Wait!” she called out. startled, Inn quickly made herself as small as possible, slowly turning her lowered head toward the unicorn. Just as she feared, the unicorn was looking right at her.
The purple mare looked at Inn in confusion. “Where’s your mane and tail?” She shook her head and changed the question, “No, never mind, Can you help me find these red flowers? I’ve been looking for hours, and still can’t find them.” she pulled a book out of her saddlebag, opening it to the appropriate page, and sent it to hover in front of Inn.
Inn turns around and looks at the flowers she set down on the path, slowly backing away. “Th-there...” Inn said with a quiet trembling tone.
“Oh, thanks.” The pony looks at the flowers and saw they were already picked. “Did you pick these?”
Inn was almost all the way hidden by the trees and bushes by the time the unicorn looked back. The unicorn tried to follow, but she saw no trace of the strange pony. A few feet away, a small white bunny hopped across the road.
=============
Inn wandered for the rest of the day. It was quiet. The only pony she had seen was the unicorn. Inn was almost ready to give up, when she heard her call out. “Pony! Pony that helped me! Where are you?” The purple unicorn was still looking for her? She must be really persistent.
Inn could not let this go on, but she could not show herself ether. So she turned into a pony with a white mane and tail, and both a horn and wings. There was no way that the unicorn would know it was her.
Inn walked up to the unicorn’s side and asked, “Hello, who are you looking for?” Inn’s voice was softer and gentler than normal.
The unicorn looked at the mare and said, “Oh, I’m looking for this white... mare...” she stopped as she noticed that the appearance of the pure white mare in front of her.
Inn looked at herself, then back at the unicorn. “Do you mean me?”
“No... your an alicorn!” the purple one exclaimed.
“Why yes I am. If you where not looking for me, then what other white mare where you looking for?”
“Ah, yes, I was looking for a pony that doesn't have... well... everything you do have, actually.” the unicorn tilts her head slightly as she says this.
“Wings, horn?”
“Neither, and no mane and tail ether.”
“Oh!”
“Yes, just a white earth pony, I need to say thanks for finding a flower I needed. Only thing is, I can’t find her.”
Inn was a little confused, “Is that all?”
“Yes, kinda... She picked them for me, and I wanted to also know how she knew I needed them, and where she found them.”
Inn chuckled, “Ah, so I take it that you did not see any more of the flowers that you where looking for then?”
“No I found the flowers that she pointed me to. I think she was just going to leave a hint and run off,” the unicorn said with a smile.
“Ah, that was so kind, and you’re so kind for wanting to find her just for that.” Inn started to turn around and spread her wings. “Here, I can fly. I’ll go and see if I can find her for you and say that...” Inn paused to let the unicorn introduce herself.
“Oh, my name is Twilight Sparkle. What’s your name?”
Inn had no name planned, so she thought one up and she thought it up quick. “Ah, Feather.” Inn thought of the first name that came to mind, and it did seem to fit. She was using Feather’s mane and tail style.
Twilight looked at Feather’s flank, “Oh you have no cutie mark?”
Inn thought this might be good time to have some fun. “Oh my. Let me fix that!” Inn lit her horn, and a light began to cover her flank. The cutie mark that was left behind was three hearts forming a circle. “There, that’s better. Now I must go and look for that other pony. Bye” said Inn just before she flew off.
Inn took a good look at Twilight’s face, a look of complete shock. Inn tried not to laugh at the sight as she flew off.
=============
A few days later, Inn was just sitting in front of her hut. This was her self designated day off. She was relaxing outside, reading books on magic that Moonstone had given her. The grass was getting softer as the years went on, making it all the more comfortable to lay down on.
She had mastered eighteen different spells, and was well on her way to mastering the nineteenth and the twentieth. She had only to grasp a few small concepts mentioned in the books.
Suddenly, Inn was distracted by the sound of sticks and leaves being moved around behind her. Inn dropped the rock she was trying to turn into a tea cup. Inn did a 180 degree spin jump that pointed her towards the source of the sound. Looking at the cowering white unicorn, was a confused purple unicorn.
“Is there an entire family of albino ponies living here?” Twilight asked.
“Wh-what do y-you mean?” asked Inn. She had never heard the world albino before, so this was very confusing to her.
“I saw two more ponies like you a few days ago. They where all white, unlike other ponies that have multiple colors.”
“Oh, ah, yes... I guess,” Inn thought she knew what albino meant now.
Twilight was stumped by the answer. How can somepony not know if their own family lived near by? Inn was inching closer to her hut. This drew Twilight's eyes to the rather small structure. It was green and scaly, with an interesting look to the walls as if they were being held up from the inside like a very badly constructed tent.
“Is this your house?” asked Twilight with wide curious eyes.
“Y-y-y-yes” Inn answered, not sure if it was the right answer to be giving.
“Wow, it’s amazing! What’s it made out of?”
“A-a-a dragon, f-five chi- c-chimeras, and a-about nine or t-ten m-manticores. I-I think that there is m-more, b-but I can’t r-remember.”
Twilight was shocked to hear that it was a actual monster parts that where used to make the house. “O-oh, I-I see. So do your live here alone?” Twilight’s curiosity was growing by the second.
Inn nodded her head as she inched even closer to the door. “I- it’s been that way for a few y- years now.”
“Wow, you’ve lived here for years? Does it get lonely, or scary?” Twilight was just trying to get Inn to talk now. Obviously Inn was scared of many things, and Twilight was trying to help Inn talk it out.
Inn was now at the door, and going for the door handle, which appeared to be a dragon's claw. Inn did not see where she was though, as she had her gaze fixed on Twilight the entire time. she was grasping at the wrong side of the door.
The purple unicorn saw this, and went to try and help the white unicorn open the door. Twilight's approach, however, was met with more cowering form the other unicorn. Twilight stopped, concentrating on the door handle for a moment, as both her horn and the handle began to glow. With a simple swing of the door Twilight says, “Is that better?”
Inn looks at the door, then scurries inside. She hides in a corner and says, “Y-you can come i-in if you w-want.”
Twilight entered the house, looking with astonishment. Twilight was not a good decorator, but this was still better than what she could design. It was simple, but the simplicity was what made it seem so nice. The walls where made out of manticore furs, and the ceiling and floor was made with chimera furs. It made the entire room look soft and comfortable.
There was a table in the room, and a book shelf full of spell books. These things where made out of various bones and leathers. Tea related items likes pots, cups, and a glass bottle with tea grounds where all near a metal stove, these seemed oddly out of place here amongst all the fur and bones. Those were the only items in the house, there was not even a bed. But with such a soft floor, a bed may not be necessary.
Next to the bookshelf was Inn, shaking. “S-s-so w-w-what do you want with m-m-me?” she asked.
“I want to be friends,” said Twilight, her face reflecting the same kindness as Feather's.
“F-friends?” The two closest things that Inn has had to friends were Feather and Moonstone. But neither really counted as friends.
“Yes, by the way I’m Twilight Sparkle, what’s your name?”
She needed a new name again. Inn started to think of all the unicorns in town, all three. “I-I-I’m G-G-Gem Shine.”
“Nice to meet you Gem.” Twilight looks at Gem’s flank. “Ah, no cutie mark?”
Gem saw this as a good chance to continue the joke from before. “Ah, s-s-s-sorry!” She lights up her horn and makes a cutie mark of a shiny gemstone appear. “B-b-better?”
Twilight, in her shock, quickly asks, “How can you do that? The last albino pony I saw did the same thing when I asked about her cutie mark.”
Gem looked at Twilight, “I-is it b-bad?”
“No no no, but... I’m good at magic and I’ve never seen a spell that can do that.”
“W-w-well, I... ah...” Gem was cut off. She made a small wince of pain as her self made cutie mark appeared to be burning her, a thin trail of smoke rising from it. “I-I thought i-it was n-n-normal.” Without showing it, Inn was laughing at the answer she had just given.
“Are you okay?” asked Twilight, who rushed to Gem’s side.
“This, happens wh-when I do, the sp-spell. It’s o- o- okay.” when Gem was done talking, there was nothing left of her cutie mark, other than a black impression.
Twilight and Gem just sat and talked for a few hours. Twilight saw that, over time, the singe marks where fading away. It did seem like it wasn’t really a big deal after all.
It was a beautiful sunny day, even the ever dark Everfree seemed a bit brighter. Inn did not feel like doing her spying duties today, and decided to just enjoy the lovely sunshine. she needed to stretch her wings, so she decided to do some flying. This was a good chance to get something useful done. She flew off to look for a good place to start practicing.
Inn flew low, keeping the morning glow on the horizon in sight, careful to avoid any possible sneak attacks from other flying predators. She started off slow, only trying to warm up her wings. It took longer than she had expected to get warmed up, she was rustier than she had thought. she finally felt her wings getting used to the rhythm and began to accelerate, still just warming up.
She could feel the wind in her face as she flew, the trees a blur as they rushed by below. She smiled at the warm sun on her back as she pushed herself to go even faster.
But then, her enjoying the day was cut short by a blast from above her. Something had just zipped by really fast, and the shock wave had thrown Inn off slightly. Inn looked up to see what it was, only to see a rainbow trail extending rapidly into the distance. What could this be? It couldn't be a pony, nor could it be a monster from the Everfree, so what was it? Inn was curious. it was moving fast, what ever it was, but Inn was faster.
She still needed to stretch her wings, but Inn did not need top speed for this speedy target, it did have a head start though, and that could be a problem. Inn flew faster and faster, her speed nearing her maximum, after a while, the prolonged chase began to wear on her. If this went on much longer she might have to give up.
Finally, a glimpse. It was not the detailed view that Inn wished, but she could see a blue pony.
A blue pony? It shouldn't be possible for a pony to create a rainbow just by flying fast, so how can this one? As she struggled to slowly draw closer, she saw the pony's rainbow colored mane and tail. Was that it?
Just as Inn was beginning to wear out, the blue pony dove down into the trees and was gone.
=============
Inn went back her to her hut and had some tea. It took a little more than an hour for her stamina to return. Then she went back out to practice some more, filling reinvigorated in her few hours brake. She felt inspired, the blue pony had not seemed to be going full throttle. With the day still nice and bright, Inn had plenty of time to warm up. As Inn flew, she could have sworn that she saw some patches of blue between the leaves of the trees. She decided to go and see what it was. Looking for a good place to hide first, Inn made her move.
She sees that it is better to hide in the trees than on the ground. Trying to not make the same mistake as last time, she finds a few good trees in case she has to move from one to another. After getting the more tedious planning and set up part of her job out of the way, things she had skimmed over on previous occasions, she took a good look at what had made the blue blob.
A rainbow mane and tailed pony was strolling along in the forest.
Inn was completely giddy. She had to think of herself as acting in order to not blow her location with cheers and a nice victory dance. She had thought that this pony was long gone, but not only was she here, she was taking to herself. Inn could get some information on her too.
“That joke was like totally awesome last time I was here, those guy were so scared!” said the blue pegasus, laughing at the memory of the frightened faces.
Good! It sounded like she came here often. Maybe Inn could see how the blue mare would like one of her jokes. Inn started to turn into the blue pony, but then she realized she didn't know what this pony’s cutie mark looked like.
As Inn changed trees to get a better view of the flank, the blue pegasus continued, “... Oh and the land slide was a nice touch too!” Inn paused for a minute. Was it possible that it was the same land slide that she had seen? Inn moved in closer. The laughter slowly faded from the blue pony’s voice, as she added, “it was good that npony got hurt by it.”
Inn finally got into a position to see her cutie mark, a cloud shooting a red, yellow and blue lighting bolt. With that there was a double of the blue rainbow pony in the trees.
Inn slowly flew over to the other pony’s side, trying to not let her notice Inn’s prescience until Inn was right there next to the rainbowed one. “Wow, you look just like me! That is totally awesome!” Inn said, trying her best to mimic the mannerisms of the other pony.
The blue pony jumps and looks to her left, seeing an exact mirror of herself just touching down. “W- What the...” she began.
“Oh, do you know what I’m thinking right now?” asked the fake blue pony.
“‘What in Equestria is going on here?’” said the blue pegasus sarcastically.
“No, but that is close, I’m thinkin' we should race!” she got into a low position as if she was going to take of.
The pony was still in shock at seeing another her, but she could not resist the offer to race. “Oh you're on!”
“Great! Just... there aren't actually any clouds today. So we will have to use land markers instead of clouds.” the fake blue pony said, looking up at the clear sky.
The blue pony nodded. “That's cool.”
“Awesome~!” cheered the fake pegasus.
Both pegasi flew up to the treetops, Inn climbing higher. She pointed out the land marks to the other pony. Where they where would be the starting and finishing point. The points to the right and left where a hill with a dip towards the center, and tree that was so large that it seemed to be growing smaller trees on it's branches. Then off in the distance was another three points of reference, what looked to be an old deserted Castle, a mountain peak, and a lake.
The pegasus was shocked. This course had to be at least three miles long, and the other her was asking for three laps. This did not bother her though, it was just that it had to be the longest track shes ever been in. Does this doppelganger really think that she can last the entire race against her?
“Got that? just level flying. I know that you can build up a lot of speed by descending, but this is a pure speed race. Not a tactical race,” finished Inn.
“Yeah yeah yeah, I hear ya. Let’s just race now!”
“Okay,” the double said as if it was a bad idea to rush.
They got into position, getting ready to go.
“Get ready... get set... Go!” they both said, taking off right at ‘Go’ at immense speeds.
They where neck and neck coming up to the hill with a dip towards the center. Making a sharp turn which was masterfully executed by both ponies. The rainbowed one looked to see if the other her was still close only to see her eye to eye. The ruined castle was fast approaching. She had to lose the other her here.
When they approached the ruins, she sharply increased her speed. Looking to her side again to see if the other was gone, she saw herself looking back with a big smile. In no time, the mountain peak had crept up on them. Another sharp turn, and another spike in speed. This time the pegasus was only focusing on winning and not seeing if the double could keep up.
In a blink, the lake was just below them. Trying to not look back the blue pegasus continued to gather speed. The straightaways seemed to get shorter and shorter, as she executed a sharp 110 degree turn at the large tree and saw the end of the multicolored stream left in her path, and another blue pegasus fly by with forelegs crossed behind her head as she flew backwards. The smile on the faker's face made the real blue pony mad that she was showing such cocky behavior in the race, and that she had lost the first lap.
With a massive increase in speed, the rainbowed one rushed ahead. The pony looked back to make sure she had regained the lead. just then a few things clicked. First, her opponent had a rainbow stream just like she did. Second, the fake was enjoying the race more than anything. Third, she was keeping up with her. Finally, she saw that the other's stream was not as long as her own. In an instant, the fake passed her again.
A little distracted by these new thoughts, the blue pony did not speed up right away. When she hit the second stretch, she snapped out of it and darted ahead of the fake to take the second lap win.
Meanwhile, a bouncing pink pony was out in the forest below looking for a particular type of tree sap. She heard a loud boom overhead and looked up. “Ooh~! A double Rainbow~!”
The third lap was very intense, mostly due to the speeds at which they both where performing such sharp turns. They where increasing their speed at every check point and hitting each one with a forty-five or ninety degree turn. the last lap only took a few seconds from start to end.
The real Pegasus won. Barely.
They land, with one out of breath and the other cheering.
“Yay, yay, that was fun!” one of them chanted, bouncing around. “Let’s do that again!” she said planting her hooves firmly on the ground, face to face with the exhausted pony.
“Ah, y-yeah. Like maybe another time. It was fun though. I never have to go all out like that.”
“Do you think it's more how long the laps where? That's what I'm thinking!” asked one, with no response from the other. “So like what’s your name?” the fake knew the question would be coming up soon and wanted to beat the real one to the punch.
“Rainbow Dash, ah, and you?” she asked in return.
“Rain Rush!” she shocked herself with the fast answer.
“Well Rain, you, are, good,” complemented the wheezing Rainbow Dash.
“Yeah, you too. I saw you earlier, but I hadn’t flown in like forever, so my wings where to rusty to catch up to you. But as I was warming them up, I saw you and was just like 'I had to race you!'”
“S- so you’re still trying to warm up?” Rainbow was shocked by this, she had had a hard time with Rain as it was, but if she were still just warming up... Rainbow worried that she may have found her better.
“Ah, not much, I think that last lap did the trick. You do seem to be the same speed as me though. Which is like totally awesome~!” Rain said.
This did not give the tired pegasus any comfort. After a short talk about flying and stunts, they parted ways.
The forest was back to being its normal dark self the next day. Inn was trying to get some studying done before she left for work. She had some of her books on the floor around her as she read, going back and forth between them constantly.
She was almost done when there was a knock at the door. Who would be out in this part of the forest this early in the morning? She thought about it as she slowly walked to the door. Twilight? It would be nice of her to visit. Just in case, Inn grew a horn for a disguise.
Inn opened the door, and saw three young fillies with youthfully curious eyes standing in front of her.
“You've got a nice little place here ma'am. What's it made of?” a yellow and red filly asked.
“Yeah, it’s so cool!” exclaimed an orange and purple filly.
“What happened to your mane?” asked a white coated filly with a pink and purple mane.
All the fillies spoke nearly the instant the door opened. Inn was caught off guard. The nearest town had to be a few hours away, and that was for a fully grown pony, it would take even longer for such small foals. Is that where they came from? It was still early, and the sun was just coming out, so how long had they been up?
Inn had lost her fear of the forest after being in it a few times. But these fillies were even more adjusted than she was at that age. Were they crazy?
Cowering a little, Inn answers, “Ah, m-m-my hut is made with m-m-monster parts.”
“Cool!” they answered in unison.
Inn jumped at the quick response to her answer.
“Did you make the house yourself?” the orange one asked.
“Y-yes.”
And with that the fillies where hooked on the new pony and her hut.
=============
They talked for hours. The three fillies wanted stories. They wanted a sense of adventure. They wanted ideas on how to get their cutie marks.
"Oh Wow! We never thought about trying that!" The orange one exclaimed. "Maybe I can be a Dragon Slayer too!" She looked to her companions, both of whom looked extremely uncomfortable. "What do you girls think?"
“I-I-I don’t recommend fighting a dragon for a cutie mark,” Inn interjected, realizing what she had done. If these fillies tried to slay a dragon, it would be the end of them.
“Well shoot, if the dragon slayer says it’s a bad idea, then maybe it is Scoot,” said the yellow one to the orange one.
“W-w-well you girls have been here for a long time, d-d-do need help getting b-back to your home?” asked Inn as she began to herd the fillies toward the door.
“No thank you, miss, we’re good. Thanks for the tea and stories!” the white filly replied.
And with that, the three scurried off into the forest.
=============
With no more distractions, Inn could now fly over the forest and have a look around. After yesterday, she had no intention of letting her wings get rusty again. From now on, she was going to fly everyday.
As Inn flew over an open field, she saw something that looked a little odd. Some unusual coloring in the forest. She landed to see a small patch of flowers with petals in varying shades of pink surrounding a yellow center.
“Where are those darn fillies?”
“Now now, we’ll find them, and when we do, Sweety Belle is going to be in so much trouble for coming out here to this icky place.”
“That all y’all can think about sugar cube?”
Inn thought this seemed interesting, so she moved in for closer inspection. She could see two mares, an orange one walking next to a white one.
Just by looking, Inn could easily tell who had said what. The orange one wore a cowpony hat, and had the look of a pony who was used to hard work. The white one, however, Had her purple mane styled perfectly, causing her to stand out from both the environment and her companion.
“Ahh, why is Sweety Belle so inconsiderate of my perm?” the white one asked as she bounced her hair.
“Dont’cha worry about that perm of yours none, we’ll find 'em soon enough.”
For a few minutes the two just called out names, Sweety Bell, Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Cutie Mark Crusaders. Scootaloo? Inn thought back to the three small fillies who had invaded her home earlier. one of them had certainly referred to another as 'Scoots' and the other two bore a striking resemblance to these ponies, they must be related.
Inn decided to have a talk with the two mares, so she changed her appearance. She Began to piece together a disguise using elements she had liked from other ponies. Twilight's purple Coat, The Doctor Moonstone's Mane And Tail With Rainbow's Colors, and feather's cutie mark. she decided to keep the wings. then, just to top it off, Inn made herself into a bulky stallion.
“Where in tar-nation are those fillies?” the orange one asked, her tone becoming more irritated.
“Are you two lovely young mares looking for three fillies?” a voice from behind them asked. It was a naturally intimidating and powerful voice.
The two mares turned to look at the stallion. “Yeah, have y'all, seen... 'em?” the orange pony asked, but was then distracted by his mane and tail.
“Ugh, looks like somepony needs grooming,” whispered the white pony.
“So, what are these fillies like?” he asked, walking a little closer.
“Oh, ah, yeah. There's a little yellow one with a red mane and tail. She has a pink bow too.” said the orange one.
“Then my sister is white with a pink and purple mane and tail. She is a unicorn like me.” the white one added.
“And let me guess, the hyperactive orange and purple pegasus is Scootaloo right?” the newcomer inquired.
The two ponies looked at each other. “How-” they both started to ask in unison.
“I saw them in a hut, some distance from here. The owner talked with them for a while, then sent them home. How long have you been looking?”
“Wait, you’ve seen them?” asked the white one.
“I have and I haven’t.”
“Buster you better start makin' a lick of sense or I'll buck you good!” the orange one said, stomping her hoof on the ground.
“I am a pony that does and does not exist. I am definitely here, but I will not always be here. You are the only ponies to see me, and you are the last to see me. If you wish to see my end, it can come soon, but with my end comes a new arrival. This new arrival will also exist but not exist,” said the stallion, saying much, but also saying little.
“Alright, that’s it!” the orange one said. She began to charge at the stallion, but was stopped by the white one.
“Wait Applejack. I want to say some things first.” Rarity's magic had Applejack by the tail, and after she made her request she released the yellow strands. “First, what have you done, or rather, not done to your mane? Don’t you have any sense of style, or for that matter time to clean yourself? You look downright horrid. Second, are you going to introduces yourself or not? Finally, what is this, ‘I have seen and I haven't seen’ and ‘I exist and I don’t exist.’ If you can really ‘end’ your existence, then prove it, and, as you said, ‘end’ your rude existence.”
Applejack was shocked by the rant. “Wow sugar cube. That was a bit harsh.”
The stallion took a quick bow. “Oh, you don’t like the style I was born with, well that can be fixed. Don’t fret, the owner of the style does not like it that much either.” The mane and tail suddenly changed from the chaotic style of Moonstone, to the messy style of Rainbow Dash. “I now exist. My name is Rainbow Blitz. I can exit this existence, but then I will no longer be Blitz. However, I take it that you don’t like this mane either. I think that to please you my existence must be like you.”
With that, Rainbow Blitz became a new pony. A mare with wings and a shiny white coat. The mane and tail were yellow, and styled the same as the marshmallow mare's. A cutie mark of a bunch of bananas finished the ‘new existence.’
“Mah existence has just begun, an' mah name is Charity,” she said in Applejack’s voice. The two mares where rendered speechless not just by the sight, but also the voice of the new pony before them. Amused by the reaction, Charity opened her wings. “Ah’ll check the forest for yer lost fillies, y'all check your homes.”
Charity flew off, leaving Rarity and Applejack staring after her in silent shock.
Inn woke up to yet another new day. This morning, she felt happy as she got to her hooves. Inn had found some nice ponies and had lots of fun over the last three days. The possibility of having friends was what excited her the most. After her tea, she left to fulfill her duties to the doctor.
Inn flew for a few hours, looking for ponies to spy on, instead, she found a large open clearing. A small gap in the clouds allowed little glimmers of light fall on the trees that circled the clearing, causing them to cast wonderful shadows onto the grass. In laid down in the center of the clearing to enjoy the atmosphere and watch the shadows of the trees as they shifted in the breeze.
After a short while Inn saw an out of place shadow moving between the trees. It was solid, and not moving very fast, so Inn started to make her way toward the... thing. She did not know what to expect, so just in case, she turned into a manticore as she got closer to whatever it was.
When Inn got close enough to see the thing's back, she saw that it was covered in familiar black metal armor. It turned suddenly to attack, and in jumped back to avoid it. “Agh! Wait... Tex?” Inn changed back to her normal form. “You are Tex, right?”
Tex took a step back. “How do you know my name, and how did you change like that?” her voice was mellow, but her words had a hard edge.
“I'm a spy for Doctor Specter like you. He told me he had finished making you some time ago. I've been dying to meet you.”
“You work for him?”
“Yes, he's a nice old stallion, and he's helped me a lot over the years. There are... a few odd things about him, but it's the same for me, so I can't judge him for it.”
“You trust him?” Tex asked, walking a little closer.
“Yes I do, w-why?”
“Are you a creation of his or something?” Some anger was beginning to creep into her tone...
“Ah, yeah sure,” Inn answered, not sure how to answer the question.
Tex started to circle Inn, “Oh, so is that why you ignore his flaws? He made you as dumb as a rock. You're his faithful servant or something, and you don't give a buck about anything, do you? The only thing you can do is what he says, or lay under a rock and die. Am I right?”
Inn thought about these words, coming from somepony she had wished to see for so long cut deep and rang somewhat true. She had done things on her own, but most of what she had done and was still doing now was for Moonstone. If it wasn't for the doctor, she would be dead now.
“I-I-I ah-” Inn started, but she was losing focus, and Tex saw the fear.
“Face it, all you will ever do is work for that horrid doctor and that's it, because that's all you're good for.”
=============
Inn was laying down with her back to a cliff side somewhere in the woods. A few tears slowly ran down Inn's face as she thought.
It seemed as if nothing could distract her from her thoughts, She was wondering where her life was heading. She did not mind living in the forest, but working for somepony she rarely sees, and having this run her normal everyday activity wasn't her idea of a nice peaceful life.
Inn became aware of muted shouting from beyond the trees, but she ignored it. Her thoughts turned to the time she had lost control because of the sudden appearance of the sun. If she could lose such a simple form merely by being distracted, then has she really mastered her talent? Was there really no way that she could have saved herself? If so then why...
“Oh dear, Angel where are you?”
The muted shouting finally got to her. Why was this 'Angel' missing? Who was calling out? Inn did not have to wait long to see who it was, as a yellow and pink pony came out from behind the trees looking frantic.
The pony looked at Inn and winced, making a squeaking sound as she did. She quickly snapped back into position, “Oh, dear. I'm sorry. I didn't mean too... anyway, I'm looking for a white bunny named Angel. Have you seen him?” The pegasus, keeping her head low much the same way Inn does, walked toward the white pony.
“N-no.”
“Oh, well, ah, thanks for your help.” The mare began to leave, but then looked around at her surroundings. The ponies where both in the middle of nowhere, in the middle of the Everfree forest. “Why are you laying down here? Aren't you afraid of the monsters?”
“N-n-no I'm not. I think I-I've killed one of each, and I o-only had a h-hard time with the dragon. E-e-even that went pretty f-fast. Now I'm just here th-thinking,” answered Inn with her head lowered.
The Yellow Pegasus looked at Inn in complete horror for a long moment before she finally spoke. “Ahh, so, um, why are you thinking right here and, ah, not at your home or someplace safer?” the yellow pegasus took a tentative step closer.
“W-w-while I think, I'm waiting f-for that boulder up there to fall d-down this way,” she replied, pointing with her head, revealing her suicidal intentions.
The pegasus's eyes widened. She raced to the earth pony's side. “Oh no no no no no! There's no need to die because you've killed a few monsters,” said the soft voiced pony, misinterpreting the earth pony's reason for contemplating death.
“No, i-it's not that. I met somepony, and s-she said that I was o-o-only good for t-t-two things. We had only just m-met, and she had judged me s-so well u-up to that point, so what was to s-stop her from being wr-wrong about this. I-I should lay under a r-rock to die.”
The yellow mare had to take a moment to let this sink in. She then asked, “What about the other thing?”
“Well, I-I ah, work as a spy for a lonely and curious s-stallion. H-he stays in his house m-most of the time, but likes to learn all he can about other p-ponies. He was nice to me after I was b-banished from my home t-town, and he is one of the f-few who know what I can do, a-and why it is s-so easy for me to spy and k-k-kill.” Inn did not know why she was saying all this, but something about the Yellow Pegasus made Inn feel that she could trust her.
The yellow mare seemed to be thinking of topic as fast as she could. “Oh my, who do you work for?”
Inn just laid there. She did not want to answer this question.
“Oh, okay, ah... what is your talent that makes it so easy to spy... and ah...” she turned her head away, “other things.”
Inn did not respond.
“What's your name?”
No answer.
“Oh, my... ah... Do you live in the forest?”
“Ah, ah, y-yes.”
“Oh, an answer. So um, what kinds of plants and trees did you make it out of?” asked the pony happy to have gotten another response.
Looking down, Inn answers, “M-manticore, ch-chimera, Timber wolf, and d-d-dragon.”
“Oh, oooh...you didn't think it would be easier to make it with wood?” the pegasus sounded shocked and confused.
“H-how? I would need a s-saw to cut down the t-trees for wood, Then some n-nails to hold it all together, and a hammer to h-hammer in the nails. It's not like I-I could h-have-” Inn had a brief moment of realization. “I-I could of d-done it. I-I didn't need to k-k-kill for my hut! I am useless! I do d-deserve to die!”
“No your not useless! You just made bad choices!” the yellow pegasus said as she stood in front of the sulking white pony.
“But I made those bad choices because I'm useless.”
“Okay, if you still think that just try to remember one thing for me...”
Inn looked up. “W-what is it?”
“Always look on the bright side of life.”
Inn was at first happy to hear these words again. The same words that gave her hope before, but did she deserve them now? “W-what bright side? How is there a b-bright side to d-dieing in vain? I've k-killed all those monsters for n-n-nothing. Th-the fear in the dragon's eyes as I-I was-” Inn stopped herself there.
The pegasus stood there for a few seconds thinking, “You did all that for survival, you have an excuse. You did not think things through fully, and made a mistake, but that mistake still saved your life and that was the intent, right?”
“Yeah, but-”
“But nothing, I will not take suicide for an answer!” the yellow pegasus said, stomping a hoof. Immediately she lowered her head and added softly “That is, I mean, Please don't. If you wouldn't mind.”
Inn thought about how a pony she had just met was being so kind. The pegasus was determined to see Inn live even though Inn was looking for death. Now Inn had regained some of her will to live. She stood up, “O-okay, you win.” Inn made her way to the other pony, who was happily waiting for Inn to come to safety.
As they started to walk, a pink and blue butterfly flew over to the rock above where Inn had been laying down. Suddenly, the rock shifted, startling the butterfly, which flew off as the large hunk of stone crashed to the ground, making it shake.
The two looked at the big boulder as it lay in Inn's former place.
“Always look on the bright side of life,” the yellow and pink pony repeated nervously, “if you don't mind”
Inn had gotten up early to report to Doctor Specter. Anguish to report about the new, exciting, and fascinating ponies she has seen, she dashed over quickly. Inn's reports can be long, but are normally short, Inn was thinking that this would be a long visit. She was wrong.
She had been skipping some of the way there, she was so happy about finding these ponies. When Inn finally stopped to press the button for the bells, she heard something in the house. It was over the bells and seemed a bit faint to begin with, but she couldn't tell what the sound was.
The door opens, showing for a brief second that Moonstone wasn't as bubbly as normal. “Oh, my my Inn! Is it time for a report? Come in!” Moonstone said, some of his words sounding a little forced.
Shrugging it off as Moonstone being Moonstone, Inn walks inside. “M-moonstone, I have seen some very n-nice ponies lately. Th-they where-” Inn said as she walked to the 'kitchen' table. She sees a large mess of metal objects scattered across the floor along with some food.
Moonstone seemed to be off in his own world. He was walking around the room thinking out loud. “If I would try this then... no maybe... blast! I know I'm missing something. What?” He didn't seem his normal chipper self.
“Ah, Moonstone, what are you d-doing?”
It was like somepony flipped a switch. “Oh, yes my little Inn? Ah, right. I just noticed that I forgot to try something in an old experiment of mine. No big deal really. Continue. What about these nice ponies you saw?” After that, somepony flipped the switch again.
“Oh, um, okay. T-these ponies where r-really nice, and I even p-played with them. I had so m-much fun!”
“Oh, if I tried that, it would work... right?” Moonstone continued his thoughts as he roamed the large room. He didn't avoid much, walking on the food and scattered plates and cups.
“Moo- Doctor? Are you a-all right?”
He switched again. “Yes my little pony of course I am.” He then continues his mindless passing.
“O-okay... well, um that's all I have f-for now. I-I'll see you next time.”
“Oh wait, aren't you going to stay for tea? I'll go make some tea.”
“I'm good th-this time. H-have a good day M-moonstone.”
As Inn made her way home, she began to think she was over analyzing it. She had never seen Moonstone actually in the moment of having an idea. Maybe she had just seen one side that was missing for her to have a more complete grasp of 'Moonstone, the curious.'
When the fake white pegasus got home, she took a quick tea break. Now that she felt energized and ready for anything, she left her hut. Not long after she was flying away, she had heard some voices. They were faint and in the distance, but getting louder.
Inn hid in some trees. Inn thought she hadn't seen all of these ponies, or at least not all of them together. At first she was shocked, not remembering everything that's happened in the past few months. There was six ponies, and she had seen five in the past week. The sight of the pony she didn't see, is the one that made her remember. A pink pony Inn had seen the night of the landslide.
This pink mare had a darker shade of pink for her mane, which was puffed by wild curls. Rainbow Dash was flying, the others were walking, with the exception of the pink one. The pink one bounced, and high. This was odd, and a little scary to Inn, but nothing worse than what she has seen before.
All the ponies were trailing behind Twilight. She must be bringing them to Inn's hut.
“Twilight, listen to me... there is this other me out here,” said Rainbow Dash, frantic and frustrated. Inn was laughing quietly at this. The fruit of her pranks should bring her some enjoyment.
Twilight chuckles slightly, “Oh yeah I'm listening, but how can I possibly believe you.”
“Yeah sugercube, if yea where beat'n in a race, then yea were beaten. There's no need ta make it seem like yea won,” added Applejack, with her own chuckle.
“Honestly dear, we know you are fabulous at flying. If another pony beat you, we'd like to this this pegasus to give our congratulations,” chimed in Rarity.
“Thanks Rarity, but I did win, but I think that she was holding back. I'm sure that she is faster than me.”
“Ha, ha, ha... yeah, I believe you Dashie!” added the bouncing pink one, waving her hooves to exclaim her declaration.
“I may not be able to account for 'double' ponies, but there is one that catches my attention...” said Rarity, looking at Applejack to hint for her to chime in.
“Oooh, yes, that pony. Ah wish yea hadn't mention... him... her... it. Ah wish to forget that basket of weirdness.”
“You two found an odd pony too. I found a family of albinos,” said Twilight.
“Alwhatas?” asked Applejack.
“Albino, it is a genetic disorder that makes it so that there is no color other than white for ones mane, coat, and tail. All white. It's rare and can not be passed on to family simply because one has it. But, well, I found not one but three. One was even an alicorn. It was as odd as it could get... and then...” as Twilight was remembering the encounters she starts to her tilt head.
“Geez, Twilight, you're like a living dictionary,” Rainbow complemented.
Inn's hushed laughter was interrupted by simple question. “Is that a marshmallow giggling in the tree?”
“Pinkie, why would a marshmallow be-” Twilight started only to stop when she looked into the tree to see a white pony looking back at them.
All the others looked to see the white pegasus shaking back at them.
Rainbow dashed to the pony, “What are you doing in that tree watching us, are you a spy?” With the two ponies nose to nose, Inn was so scared that she shook herself out of the tree. She did a side flip and flew off just before she hit the ground. “Oh no yea don't!” shouted the cyan pony darting after the white flash.
The white pony thought she was safe, miles away and in a dark cave. But then there was a, “Oh, oh, are we playing tag? Are you 'it'? Got you!” from right behind her. It was the pink pony from earlier. Inn was grabbed and then released. “Now you're it, come and get me!” Inn darted off.
Inn was flying and had no idea where to go. She had to go back to the hut to see Twilight, but how long was this going to go on? How long would she have to run from the other two? “Found you spy!” shouted Rainbow as she rapidly caught up with the white mare. “Now tell me why you were in that tree!”
Inn started to spin, as if she was having fun. A look of confusion rushed across Dash’s face. While spinning, Inn looks around and the other pegasus tries to follow, thinking that she was reversing directions. Seeing that this was not the intention, Rainbow turns around to continue the chase with the other mare. Inn then extended her legs like she was stretching. Still spinning, she did anther loop where she instead made a sharp turn when she was level to where she began. Rainbow tried to keep up, but was caught off guard by sudden turn. When Rainbow did make the turn, she found a slow white pony flying backwards. A dumfounded Rainbow Dash just watched the odd white pony as she flew back to her place practically blindfolded.
=============
The two sat in silence, Inn waiting for the others, and Rainbow Dash waiting for the odd-looking pony to finally talk. Inn and Dash where under a tree by the hut, they did not expect to see a pink blur flash before them, dangling from the tree. Nor were they expecting it to be angry.
“Ahhy, you never came to find me!” said the pink one to Inn. Inn stood up and touch the pony. There was a mild pause. “Hehe, that's cheating, you're suppose to look for me!”
“Wh-” started Rainbow, only to stop and see Twilight approaching the hut. “Twilight?”
“Oh, hi Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie. How did you two find this place?”
“The spy brought me here.”
Twilight looks more closely at the white mare. “Are you a relative of Feather and Gem?”
A shy pause. “Ah, ah... ye- yes.”
“I was hoping to see Gem, is she home?” said Twilight trying to be calm, knowing how skittish Gem was.
“She's not he-he-he-here, it's j-ju-just me.” Inn ducked slightly.
Twilight has a mild look of disappointment. “Oh, well do you-”
“Twi, are we gona be waitn' for ever to meet this here pony friend of yours,” asked Applejack. She had just came from the road were the others waited as well.
“Ah, yes, sorry. I guess there is a new pony to meet. Your name is...” said Twilight, blushing.
“Yeah spy, what is your name.” “Dash!” sculled Twilight
“Ah, ah... my, my name is Wh-White... Wing.” White Wing was cowering as she replied.
=============
A small chat among the seven began, mostly due to the quietness of White Wing. Everypony was trying to not startle the little white ball, but it seemed quite hard. The only pony that seemed to have little regard for Wing's space was Rainbow.
“What was with the acrobats before? Why did you bring me to another ponies home? What's with you?” finally asked Rainbow. Her only other comments before was to the others, things like, “I don't trust her,” and “She seems too frightened.” “Are you faking?”
Another pause from Wing. “I-I live in that hut. I have li-lived in that h-hut a-al-alone for a long time. Th-that hut belongs to only me... I, was having some fun w-with you, and my ow-own skills. I had thought th-that you might be able to keep up, I've seen your abilities before, and like them. But I do have to say it was quite funny how I kept on losing you and getting you so caught off guard. It was hard to not laugh at that moment... Blinded by determination I guess.” This was a dramatic change from how she spoke before, making everypony a but two a little unconformable and confused. Rainbow Dash seemed to be more insulted than confused, why was it so funny that she could not keep up with the spear of the moment acrobats.
Wing began to cower as she had realize the looks on the others faces, but the other unaffected pony stepped up. “Oh boy, what is wrong with, howohhowohhow did I not think of this earlier?! We still need to throw your a PARTY! Do you want to go back to Ponyville with us Wingie?” bounced, hop, skipped and flapped the pink pony of pure sugar.
“Oh, yeah, come on sugarcube. Ah think you'd like her parties,” Applejack said, giving a welcoming gesture of her hoof.
Wing just sat there shaking, more than before. “Whatever is the matter dear?” asked Rarity.
A shy shaky silence. “I'm n-no good around oth-other ponies. We scare each other.”
“Oh silly, you're not scary.” giggled the boinging, bouncing ball of wonder known as Pinkie Pie.
“That's okaay~, we can go to your place and pace the party. I always bring my quickly party bombs to get a party going nice~ and quick,” the nonstop noisy thing would not give up so quickly on having a party.
“Ah, oh, okay I guess.”
The group left the road and went to the monstrous hut.
=============
They had the party up and going for a good few minutes. Streamers were everywhere and a random disco ball was on the ceiling. A much more random jukebox was just outside the door, left open, and for some reason balloons were covering the entire ceiling the was left open from the disco ball. Inn was feeling pretty overwhelmed.
Twilight walks up to the shaking white ball in the corner near the bookshelves. “Why aren't you having fun like the others?”
“I-I... I have sl-slain monsters, only ever get-getting hurt o-once, and that p-p-pi-pink one scares me,” responded the shaking Wing. “H-h... How did she... how is... how can she...”
“Oh, trust me, just don't ask how she can do the things she can do. She is just... odd.” Twilight looked at Feather's flank. “Speaking of odd, can I ask a question, why do all the albino pony that I see have no cutie marks?” She only asked because Wing had no horn, and thus no magic to make those painful temporary cutie marks.
Wing looks at her flank, and frowns, on the outside that is, she was quite giddy with joy on the inside. “Oh, ah, does it bo-bother you... s-sorry. Let me fix that,” said Wing, wondering if she was enjoying this too much. And before Twilight could intervene with “Wait, wait... what?” there was a light from a non-existing horn and a cutie mark was born. “Ahh, the ma-mark of the p-p-pink one. I don't like this one,” pouted Wing.
A shocked, confused, and breathless Twilight was just standing there trying to think of what it was she had just seen. Just how odd are these albinos?
The mark starts to leave quickly. “Ahh~, that's b-better. F-faster th-than normal,” Wing said sounding as if she was in pain. The others were too evolved in the small party to pay enough attention to know what was happening.
=============
For a few short minutes Wing and Twilight were just sitting next to each other, Wing cowering, and Twilight looking at the collection of books. Fluttershy slowly walks to Wing.
“In... Wing we need to talk... alone, outside, if that's okay with you that is,” shyly said Fluttershy. Wing flowed her to the door.
When they got outside, they stayed close to the hut but not the door. “You're Inn right?” asked Fluttershy.
Wing nodded.
“Why do you have wings and call your self White Wing now?”
“R-remember what I said l-last time, I'm a-a spy. I needed a n-new name for m-my slightly new l-look. And well, y-you know... like I said wh-when you a-asked about the dragon, I'm s-special.”
“Yeah, about that, if you don't mind me asking... how did one pony make a hut from all these monsters anyway?”
“... I'm... Special. I c-can do it with e-e-ease. There r-really is limited danger t-to me. The worst though was the dragon.”
They made sure to be away from the door, but not the window, which had a now puzzled Rarity wondering what it was she had just heard. The three were interrupted though, the two from conversation and Rarity from her thoughts, by a pink babbling bouncing ball of energy.
“Hay! The party is... Oh!” the pure sugar pink thing sprinted to the plot of the white pony. She just stared at it for a while. The sudden disappearance of the loudest pony was soon noticed.
All the ponies were now outside looking at precarious puzzled pink pony looking at the confused white pony. “Pinkie what are you doing?” asked Twilight.
Gaze still fixed the pink sugary wonder answers, “A weird~ cutie mark. I only just now noticed it.” “Wait! What makes it weird?” asked Rainbow Dash in a hurry. “I couldn't see it before now.”
“Wh-what do you mean you couldn't see it before?” asked a concern and confused Twilight.
“I don't know... It blends in. It's just so weird that nopony noticed it.”
Wing looks for herself. It takes her a few minutes to see it. “Is it a fa-face... or a... m-mask?” With that the others began to take the claim seriously.
“Ah ha, see nopony noticed it! Not even the owner!” the propellant pink sugar pony bounced.
With that, every pony gathered near Wing's flank to see the allusive cutie mark. Wing looked at Twilight and Fluttershy, “I like this cutie mark.” A small shiver went up Twilight's spine.
“I think it's just wonderful,” Fluttershy said with a smile.
Inn was on her way to her hut after a long days work. She had seen no pony but had seen many new sites instead. Maybe she could use these places to find a ponies sometime. The most interesting thing to Inn though, was a caped pony wandering the forest. The only pony that could be seen this long day, and only at the end of it.
The pony was wearing a starry purple wizards hat and cape. The color scheme of the mare's coat and mane made the clothing seem appropriate. She was walking slowly on the road, almost like she was lost or thinking hard about something. She seemed to be mumbling to herself as she was wondering the expansive woods. Inn starts to wonder; just how many ponies talk to themselves?
“Oh, The Great And Powerful Trixie, should not have to deal with this dreadful place. Ah, I'll show them, I'll show them all. Trixie is the best, and they shall all know it!” huffed the blue pony.
What was up with this pony? She seemed so frustrated and angry. Inn looked at the next tree that the pony was going to head to next. It was still quite some time until she would need the use of the tree.
“Trixie will show them that she is better than that no-talent hick. The Great And Powerful Trixie will be known as the best pony ever!” the pony said as she made a log float to her side.
Trixie seemed a bit rude. She spoke a little oddly but that does not giver her the right to call other ponies names and.... did that pony just levitate that log? She's a unicorn? The horn must be hidden by the hat.
“Ah, that purple pony will rule the day she out showed Trixie!”
Purple? Inn started to think of the closest town. From what she can imagine, Ponyville is the closest. The town from Twilight's description made it out to seem really close. Could Trixie be talking about Twilight? She was the only unicorn that could pull of the transportation spell so many times that Inn new of. Well The Slow And Loud Trixie had stopped and did not walk for a little while, so Inn got inpatient and was going in for what she wanted.
A green and orange earth pony walked up to Trixie. He began to speak only to be cut off by The Fast and Loud Trixie. “Oh, does The Great and Powerful Trixie have a fan to perform for?” Her posture was improved at the sight of another pony walking up to her.
“Wh-, ah, no. I'm wondering what you were talking about. I could hear you from far away,” he seemed to be caught off guard by the question.
“What? Have you been spying on Trixie?” she asked, a mix of shock and glee in her face and tone.
“No, you're loud.”
“Oh... Well The Great And Powerful Trixie was in this town where a hick purple unicorn faked a victory over Trixie. I was on my way to find some monsters to practise my magic and then show this horrid equine that Trixie is far better than her.”
The gears began to turn. “So what is your show by the way?” he said sounding genuinely interested.
“Trixie does magic. Any magic. If there are naysayers, then Trixie show's them how great and powerful she is.” She got into a very vain pose, it made her look as if she was standing on stage or something.
“So~, you're that good? Can I see?”
Her eyes lit up. “Yes my fellow pony, you may. Watch and behold the wonders of Trixie!” She began to do some magic starting with small things. She made flowers appear out of thin air. She made firework explosion appear. Then she made the leaves rustle about the ground as if they were forming a tornado.
“Is that it? I know it's rare to find some ponies that can use any kind of magic, but is that all? It's kinda... small scaled,” he said without enthusiasm.
“Wha-, you mock The Great And Powerful Trixie! Fine, if you think that you can do better than Trixie, let's see it. Anything you do Trixie can do better!” the level of irritation from the show pony was almost too much for Inn to not laugh.
“So I can do anything and you will top it? Even if I fly, you will fly a better pattern at faster speeds?”
“Wha-, ah, ah, How dare you challenge Trixie in such a vulgar way!” The question itself had caught Trixie off guard, but she had never thought of the full implications of what her challenge meant.
Rolling on the ground laughing, he answers, “Haha, does that mean I won? You could not refute it or even come up with a new question that was as good! Too easy!”
Trixie's face got red. “How dare you mock Trixie. Find a new challenge, and The Great And Powerful Trixie will be supreme!”
He stopped his laughing, and got back to his hooves. “So the best two out of three I see. Well, I have a dozy for you!” When he was done speaking, he turned into Trixie. “Behold The Loud And Obnoxious Trixie!” said in Trixie's voice, of course.
Trixie steps back, tripping over the log. She was speechless.
“Oh have your lost to The Arrogant and Boastful Trixie. Don't worry, it always happens to the lesser of equines.”
“How, how did you do that?” Trixie asked, shaking like a little filly.
“Oh it is quite simple,” she turns into a cerberus, “I am a horrible beast, slay me with your puny magic,” the three heads all said in unison.
Silence.
“What's wrong. This is a good chance to practice as you said you wished to do. Is this too small?” Just then, a fairly small dragon, but one large enough to be frightening had replaced the small three headed dog. “How about this my dear? What? I have big teeth? Well that is to make eating you easier!” boomed the dragon.
Trixie runs in fear.
The dragon turns into Twilight, and uses magic to poof to Trixie. “What's the matter?” the voice was Trixie's. “Oh, ah, how about now?” The voice was now Twilight's.
“You! You are the one that ruined The Great And Powerful Trixie! Now you come to mock?” Jackpot!
“Oh no. I do not own this body, but you seem to know its owner.” She then turned into a mix of Twilight and Trixie. Trixie's colors were used while in the form of Twilight in this funny mix.
“Who else would wish to mock Trixie?”
“I am nopony.”
“Well Nopony, why have you teamed up with that purple pony?”
“I don't work for her, I've just seen her. I find it funny that you have met her, and apparently were beaten by her like you were by me. Again, I don't work for her, and I am but a monstrous beast that The Cowardly and Beaten Trixie could not defeat.”
Trixie stammers nonsense, looking around as if there was somepony that could help her out of this. She then uses a smoke-bomb that enveloped herself. She ran away, but the laughter of Inn could still be heard by her.
=============
Inn was on a high for making a rude pony feel bad. The laughter was almost nonstop when she finally got home. When she slept, she had good dreams of a cowardly, shaking, and fleeing blue pony.
In the morning, Inn started her work early, skipping her tea and just rushing out to see if there were any other fun ponies like Trixie. She flew for a few hours before finding a familiar set of colors. Twilight.
She may be looking for Inn again, not Feather, Wing, or Gem. If that was the case, then Twilight must not give up. Inn began to wonder what else could she have for entering into the forest. Two of her friends had little sisters that seem to get into lots of trouble. Could that be it? Could she be looking for her friend's sisters.
Either way, Inn needed to see this pony as herself. There was a chance that Twilight is just trying to find and say thanks to Inn. Landing in the road ahead of Twilight's path, Inn gets rid of her wings, so she is just Inn. To make it not seem staged, Inn curls into a ball.
Just making her way to a wider point in the road, Twilight sees the little white ball. “You! I thought that I would never see you again. Did... Feather give you my message?” Inn's nerves got to her, and she started to shake. “Oh, you don't have to be afraid of me.”
Lifting her head slightly, Inn answers, “I-I-I... I got your message. I'm h-happy that you found the flowers.”
“Oh, good. So... ah, you seem a little skittish, don’t you have any friends out here?” said Twilight as she slowly moved in closer.
“It can.. be h-hard to make friends i-in the f-forest.”
“Do you want to be my friend?” Twilight was now looking into Inn's eyes.
Twilight was so nice, befriending Inn not once but three times. This made Inn cry.
“Oh, ah did I offend you? Stop crying.”
“N-n-no, it's n-not that. Y-y-you have to be t-the nicest p-pony I've seen.” said Inn, with a weakened voice from the crying.
Twilight was caught off guard by this response. All she had done was say thanks and offered friendship, there was nothing spectacular about it. “Well, ah everypony should have friends, it's something I learned.”
=============
The two talked for a little while. Inn showing happiness in other ways than crying, and some other thoughts coming to her mind.
“So, ah, ah, why w-were you wondering in the here a-anyway?”
“Well I could ask you that, why do I always find you here, and all the other albino ponies, in Everfree? Can I guess that you live in that hut made out of monster parts?” This kind of questioning was not being done before now, and thus made Inn a little bit shy to continue asking questions.
“Y-y-yes... I do l-live in a hut. Have for a f-few y-years. A-a-alone.”
“Why is for flank blank? I do not mean that you should have one, just why? All the other albino pony I've seen did not have cutie marks ether, and they could make one of their own.”
Silence.
Twilight sighs, “Well I'm looking for three fillies. All we know is that they were last seen heading into the forest, and the older sister of one filly said that she heard something about caves. Seeing as how you live here, do you know any place that might have lots of caves?”
Inn didn't say anything for a few seconds. Then it clicked, the fillies that liked her dragon slaying story. “Oh no... Th-they may f-find dragons!”
Twilight mimics the reaction Inn had, and they rushed to the nearest mountain littered with caves.
=============
Quick searches were done by the two ponies. A mountain with many caves would be the most likely to have the fillies. As they were looking for them, another pony joined them. Applejack had found herself at the same mountain as Twilight and Inn. She had some questions about Inn but they were quick to return to the hunt for the roaming fillies.
“M-maybe we should s-split up?” Inn weekly asked.
“Ah'r you crazy? We might get lost or trapped. Ah think we should stick together. Safety in numbers,” retorted Applejack.
“Yes that's right. We'd do better as a group,” said Twilight, as she looked at Inn.
“Oh, ah, s-sorry I said it,” said Inn, lowering herself.
It had been about three hours, and still no fillies. This was getting to everypony, more so Inn. If she could just transform without the others seeing her, she would be able to find them. All plans to have a legitimate reason to leave the others would be quickly countered. Maybe she should use the big guns.
“I... I k-know this place well... and ah... I've killed a d-dragon on my own b-before. Do, do you think I-I can leave you t-two, and look on m-my own?”
“Whoa Nelly, hold it! You could not of won a fight against a dragon without help and we would be that help.” “Wait! You have slain a dragon? Did you do it on your own?”
“Yes.”
“To slaying, or to fighting a dragon on your own?” asked Twilight.
“Ah, yes.”
Twilight didn't say anything for a few seconds. “Okay, I believe you.”
“What! Have ah lost my gosh darn mind, or have you?”
“But I would like an explanation after we find the girls. Deal?”
“Ah, ah... deal.” Inn did not expect that at all.
=============
When Inn new the others could not see her, she transformed. A small green and red dragon looked on the other side of the mountain to find the fillies. She tried to not be seen the Twilight and Applejack as she flew around the mountain, timing as best as she could the times that the others would be able to see her.
Within twenty minutes, she found the fillies, and a dragon. Inn rushed into the cave, attacking the dragon. She bit the back of her neck and slashed her claw at the dragon's wing. The other dragon broke free, only to see that her new meal was being protected. The green and red dragon would not give them up or even care about the gems.
“That is my food that walked in here. You can't have it!”
“You have plenty of gems, and I wish to protect these ponies.” The ponies in question were shaking behind the hind leg of the new dragon.
“If you do not wish to eat them, then why not let me eat them?”
“I do not want them harmed. I know them.”
“Is that how it's going to be? Then I'll fight you for them.”
“If you lose, I'll kill you and take your treasures. Does that sound like a deal?”
The dragon was quite threatened by this. She had just noticed that the other dragon sounded just like her, and the quick threat of death was very sudden. “Deal!” She felt sure of her bigger stature to be able to win.
“You three get under me!”
“Y-yes ma'am,” said Sweetiebell as the three did as she said.
Inn grew to halve a size more than the dragon, nearly doubling her size. This frightened the dragon, as now her only advantage was lost in an impossible feet. Quickly the dragon took swings at the bigger dragon, only to be blocked or to miss entirely. Inn did not swing for a few minutes, toying with her pray for once. Only fire hurt, but It was not noticeable to anypony but Inn herself. The dragon though herself doomed just before Inn wrapped her tail around the dragons neck. “Your treasure is mine.” With a snap the dragon was on the ground.
Inn lest out a sigh, “Are you fillies okay?”
“Ye-yes... but how do you know us?” asked Apple Bloom.
“Oh... ah... well cat's out of the bag I guess,” she turns into her Gem form, “I'm the pony you met a little while back.”
“Wow, that's so cool!” bounced Schootaloo.
“I-I thought that I t-told you d-dragon slaying is not a good i-idea for cutie marks! Now T-twilight and Applejack are l-looking for you. You three s-should go back h-home, it is v-very dangerous here!” snipped Gem.
“Oh shoot, that ain't good! We better get home fast!” exclaimed Apple Bloom.
“Oh and one more thing, can you tell Twilight to meet me at my hut in a... a week or so?”
“No problem miss dragon slayer!” replied Scootaloo.
Horror. Total Horror. Inn had not have such fear, not even when she was fearing for her life. For a few days after the party, Inn increased her reports to Moonstone. She wanted to see what he was working on. Today, Inn got to see just what made Moonstone act oddly almost a week ago. She wished that she had not seen what she just did.
For weeks, Inn could hear moaning from the basement of the metal house. Now she knows why. There was... halve ponies. Moonstone was doing experiments involving life, and he made these almost ponies. Ponies that had only one side or one halve. The ponies normally did not move, but one or two that flinched a few times.
The thing that added to the creepy factor of it all, Moonstone acted like there was nothing wrong at all.
=============
Inn did what she could to stay at Moonstone's place for a few hours, but the image of the almost ponies was too much. She also needed to wait for a guess at her hut. She got back to see that a tree branch had fallen on her hut. It did not do much damage, the roof caved in, but the dragon bones were not damaged. Inn just thought that she hadn’t it made it sturdy enough.
There was one bit of damage, the inner lining of fur had ripped. She was needing new fur parts. She went for the parts, trying to stay close to her hut in case Twilight came to visit.
She found a small group of manticores, so she just waited until one was alone and killed it. Inn dragged the carcass back to the hut, only to hear a fearful cry.
“Ahh, what are you doing here?” cried a battle ready Twilight.
“Oh, you're here!” said the manticore. Twilight never heard a manticore talk, so she backs away. Inn turns back into herself. “I ah, have some r-repairs to make,” blushed Inn.
“You ah, how did, what the, the manticore, wha?” stammered Twilight.
“Oh, y-yea, I, ah...” Inn started, only began to think that her stuttering and stammering might be a little distracting. After Inn clears her throat, she continues, “I wanted to tell you about what I can do, then show you. It seems that that is no longer an option now, is it?” said Inn, as she looked down.
Inn and Twilight went into the hut to talk things over.
=============
Inn and Twilight talked for hours. Inn telling the story of how she was picked on as a filly. How she found her ability. How she first used her ability. How she was banned. How she made her hut. Finally, how she is a spy.
“That's terrible! How could young fillies be so mean?” asked Twilight, looking in fear at her cup of tea as she spoke.
“I don't know, but it was that harsh treatment that made me not want to be near other ponies,” Inn looked down at her cup of tea, “and also why it felt so satisfying to see their scared faces.” Inn's face got a little distorted as she said the last bit, having a big wide smile, and wide open eyes that made her narrowed pupils look much more smaller.
Twilight looked up when Inn made the comment, only to lean back and shake.
Inn could see this and composed herself. “Sorry, lost my head there.”
Leaning forward again, but still shaking, Twilight response, “No, n-not just them... You too. You should not of done what you did, regardless of what they had done.”
“But if I hadn't, then they would have gone and picked on other ponies later in their lives. Now they are too afraid to do what they did to me. My only goal was to make them just as frightened of the world as me. Nothing more.”
“You could have stopped them in other ways.”
“Like how?” asked Inn as she tilted her head.
“Like... like... like ahh...” stammered Twilight, as she tried to think of ways to be more peaceful about getting bullies to stop.
“It's not that easy. There may have been one, but I was just a filly. Do you think that an emotionally and psychologically scarred filly could even comprehended the concept, let alone think of one of those solutions?”
“Ah, ah-”
“The only way would be if it just happened. Like if I was starting to transform, but was seen, and a rumor of me being a horrible pony eating monster scared them to leave me alone. Eventually I could use that to scare them into leaving others alone too.”
“Well-”
“And that would be by chance. Not my own planning.”
“... Okay I get it.” submitted Twilight. She looks at the bookshelf. “Oh yeah! I was also wanting to ask you a question. During the party, I was looking through your books, and seen an odd book. I wrote my teacher an asked about it. It is a very rare book. In fact... the Canterlot library is missing it. Do you mind if they borrow it so they can make a copy for the collection?”
“Oh, ah, those books aren't mine. They belong to somepony else. I'd have to ask him.”
“Oh, when did you find this other pony?” asked Twilight, shocked that Inn did not talk about him.
“Oh, ah, well... Not long after I made my hut for the first time. He's odd, and can be a bit scary, but funny and nice,” Inn said as she looked away slightly.
“And now I know more about you, I think that you should visit the town I live in. Maybe open an inn like your parents.” Twilight had a big welcoming smile on her face as she proposed the option of living in town.
Inn's face looked a little worried. “Do... do you think that I could really do well in a society now?”
“Yes, all you have to do is try.”
“But what about the others? What will they say about my appearance?” Inn looked at Twilight with a worried face.
“There aren't that many ponies that will treat you badly, I swear.” Twilight's voice was very welcoming and smooth.
“O-Okay, I'll try. Sometime, it may not be soon, but sometime.”
=============
A few days later, there was a knock at the door. A little visit from Apple Bloom.
“O-oh. Ah, come in. What brings y-you?” asked a shocked Inn.
“My big sis wants me to work at the farm, but I want to play with my friends. Can you fill in for me? You know, turn into me for a little while,” asked the little yellow filly.
“Ah, well... I-I ah-”
“Please~,” pleaded the filly, with big wide eyes. “We just learned how the others got their cutie marks, so we are going to try racing for a little while.”
Inn thought it was funny that they were thinking that others talents might be their own, but she pushed that thought aside for now. As Inn turned into Apple Bloom, she said, “Okay.”
=============
Inn made her way to the farm from the clubhouse. She had to help with the applebucking and put the apples in the baskets. It sounds simple enough.
“Apple Bloom! Now where in the hey have you been?” shouted an angry Applejack.
Inn jumped. “Oh, ah no where sis. Just hanging out with the others.”
“Oh really! Did Ah, or did Ah not tell your to get ready for some applebuck'n after we ate at Sugar Cube Corner?”
“Sorry sis,” said Inn as she lowered herself.
Applejack sighs, “It's okay, li'l sis. It seems there are some other things ta do. Go to da barn and ask Big Macintosh to get some new barrels for us. The old ones are broke and worn.”
“Okay sis.”
=============
Inn stumbled around the farm, looking for the right barn. All the buildings looks like houses or barns, but only one of them would have this Big Macintosh in it. She must of looked for almost an hour, before finding a barn with bales of hay, and a large red stallion.
“Oh, howdy,” he greeted with a deep voice.
Going only on his height, Inn made the long-shot connection this stallion was Big Mac. “Hey Big Mac, big sis says that we need some new barrels for the applebucking. The old ones are getting- old.”
“Ah, alright then li'l sis, it may take me some time ta make them. We ain't got any new ones lay'n around,” he said as he turned back around to continue what he was doing. He paused. He just noticed something about Apple Bloom. “Sometin bother'n ya Apple Bloom?”
Inn panicked a little. Did he notice that she was worried? From the moment Big Mag turned around, her heart was pounding. “Is it going to take you long big brother? I was hoping to play with my friends before we had to work.” Inn bent a foreleg up and turned her head as if she was going to dart of any second.
With a smile, he answers, “Eeyup.”
With a bounce and a dash, the fake Apple Bloom was gone.
=============
Inn was now in town. She felt overwhelmed with emotion as she explored this foreign place. She still felt hot from when she met Big Mac, who was bigger than any pony she had seen, and had a heavy looking thing around his neck. Now she was wondering a bigger town than she had ever been in. If she did not know better, she'd call it a city do to the difference from how big Ponyville is compared to Trottingham. The number of ponies didn't help either. It was like there was a as many or more ponies as in Trottingham everywhere she went.
Something that helped to calm down Inn was a sugary looking pink shop. It has been so many years since she had some candy, and this looked like a candy store. She walks in and is blinded by a quick blur of pink.
“Ohohohoh! Hi Apple Bloom! Did you want some more cupcakes?” asked the fast pink frizzy fuzzy pony.
Inn jumped. “Oh, ah Pinky. Yay! I'd love another cupcake!” Again, Inn was just guessing that Apple Bloom was having cupcakes before she came to Inn's hut.
“Oh yes you could if I had more!” She bounced to the back of the counter. “All I have for now are marshmallows! Do you want one?”
Oh those bucking marshmallows. “No, that's okay. Thanks anyway Pinky.”
The bouncing ball suddenly stopped flailing and frowned. “Oh... okay.”
“I could go for cake or cupcakes, not marshmallows. Sorry there Pinky.” This was the only time Inn has seen a non sugar high from the pink wonder. It kind of scared her.
“Okay~! Hope I have the ingredients soon so that apatite of yours can be un-apatited.” And now an even more scarier thing, a second sudden shift to the normal happy bouncing ball of the pink pure sugar.
“Yay... okay then, I guess I should going then... bye,” said Inn as she backed up to the door.
=============
The little pony roamed the streets, seeing some familiar faces from her job as a spy. There was the crazy pony, and all the mare companions he had. She had seen the other friends of Twilight. She even found Apple Bloom and her friends. She, of course, tried to avoid being seen by them.
Then she had seen it. Near the end of the street, a boarder a the town and open fields, was an empty building. A glorious wooden four story building. For sale.
It was getting close to the time that Big Mac would have some nice new barrels. Inn wanted this place, it was too perfect to pass up.
She quickly galloped to the farm and looked for Applejack. It took Inn faster to find her than she expected.
“Sis, I have something I need to do! If Big Mag finishes those barrels before I get back, then I'm sorry! I just have to be fast with this!” exclaimed Inn. She quickly turned around and ran so quick that AJ did not have time to respond.
When Inn was far enough away she grew wings and flew to a hidden cave, the cave of whom bones line Inn's hut, and holds her first and second dragon victory spoils. She used a temporary transformation spell to make some leaves into a saddlebag to store many gems.
Another quick flight, this time back to town, and looking like Wing. She had made a sudden stop as she was right above the available structure. She had to see if there was any paper saying where to go and ask about paying. There was a small addition to a paper but it read as follows:
Going Price 5000 Bits
Go to Sunny Flower Garden to ask about buying
From 20th to the 31st, go to Carousel Couture Boutique
Inn could not remember what day it was, but with a good long gap of time where she would have to go the boutique, it would be best to go there first.
=============
She found the boutique fast, in about five minutes fast. She composed herself before entering, the joy of having a second home that can double as second job was a big thing to Inn.
Composed. White mane and tail with darker highlights. Mind clear. She was ready.
She entered the large white and purple building. “Hello?” she called out.
“Hello, welcome to Carousel Boutique, where everything is chic, unique, and magnifique,” called out a familiar voice from an unseen room. The owner of the voice came walking out of a nearby room with a measuring tape around her neck. It was Rarity waring small red glasses. “Oh dear me! That bag is hideous. Are you here to get a new one?” she rambled with wide eyes.
“No, ah...” Inn was pausing due to the constant circling Rarity was doing. “... want to by that empty building near the edge of town. Can you help me?”
Rarity snap out her fit, and started looking more focused at the topic. “Oh~! Yes dear, the owner is out now and she left me in charge of it. What are you wanting to pay for it?”
“Well, I never bought anything before, and this will be a big firstbuy. For homes and property I don't know if you are supposed to go up or down on the going price, but I can easily pay 6000 I'm sure.” She pause to open her bag and pull out some gems. “My biggest problem is I don't know the going rate for gems.”
Rarity's eyes lit up. Gems! Again she had to snap back. “Oh ah, darling you should never say that you don't know how to buy things. That makes it easier for others to take your money. Oh, and those gems, if that bag is full of them, you should be able to pay over 100,000, depending on what you have.”
Inn's face lit up, she could pay for the deserted building.
=============
A few minutes after finishing the farm work, Apple Bloom came to check up with Inn.
“I'm done, so race'n ain't what we are good at.”
As Inn turned back into a variation of Wing, she giggled.
“Aye, what's so funny?”
“You don't understand the way one gets a cutie mark,” giggled Inn.
“Hay!” Apple Bloom was offended by the remark. Taking a second to relax, she asks, “So how'd the applebuck'n go?”
“Great! Oh, ah... I may of made a mistake. Just act like everything is normal and AJ is crazy. That should fix it. Oh! Tell me how it works too, I would like to see her face but ah.... I have some work to do!” said Inn, as she grabbed her new gem studded bag from it's hiding place.
“What's with the fancy bag miss? So you have some tools in there for the next job you have?” Apple Bloom was impressed by the many gems lining the bag's design.
“Not really,” Inn pulls out a few gems, “gems to buy the tools I need for my next job.” After putting the gems back into the bag, Inn skipped back into town with a shocked Apple Bloom watching her leave.
=============
Inn needed to make a quick stop before she was ready to work on the new place she got. She asked around and found what she was looking for.
Three soft knocks at a door, followed by a long short wait.
“Hello?” asked a little dragon as he answered the door. He jumped back at the sight of a mane-less tailless white earth pony. “Agh!”
Inn's playful nature took over. “I need food! Where is the delicious Twilight Sparkle?!” And with that he ran screaming.
Wondering why there was a baby dragon running around in the library, screaming, and laughing, Twilight came down stairs to see what was going on. “Spike, What in the world is going on?”
“No Twi, run! Monster!”
More harder laughing.
“Inn? You came!” Twilight said as she ran down the last few stairs to the open door. She looked back at Spike. “Do you mind telling me why he is running in a panic?”
“He he, g-guess it's just my ch-charm. Anyway, I don't have a-an answer to you question about the b-book, but I do have a q-question for you. D-do you want to help me t-tidy up this empty building into an n-nice presentable inn?”
Twilight's eyes widened as she smiled, “So... you're going to live here?”
The end of the week came, and Inn still went back to her hut. She lived in the inn, but she also lived in the hut. Inn was tending the inn this morning, waiting more than working. She had some plans for the day.
A bell dinged. “Welcome to Inn, I'm Inn, this is my inn. How may I help you?”
“Hi Inn, how's business?” asked Twilight.
“Oh, just the p-pony I was waiting f-for. I'm going to leave for a w-while, do you mind watching the inn for me? I'll p-pay you,” asked Inn.
“I guess, but I have the library to tend to. Why are you leaving so soon?” she replied with a tilted head.
“Going home!” Inn said playfully.
Twilight’s eyes grew wide. “What?”
“Back to Trottingham, to see my parents.”
Twilight tilts her head again, as she raises an eyebrow. “Aren't you banished?”
Inn turned into Twilight. “Can they really banish me?”
“Oh ah, well ah, yea, I see what you mean, but you aren't going to honor it?” Twilight asked worriedly.
“I promised to show them how long I can hold a form. I don't know myself, but I did promise. On my way there I'm going to talk to the owner of the books and see if he will let you and Canterlot make a copy.” Inn paused for a minute. “Who is your teacher that is living in Canterlot anyway?”
“Oh, that's right, I never said did I.” Twilight to think if that was true or not. “It's Princess Celestia,” said Twilight in a nonchalant manner.
Inn sighed as her eyes widened, her pupils grew large, and she lost control of her transformation. She bounce, “Noway noway noway! That is to cool! Have your ever seen her? Is she nice? How is she? Is she really smart? Oh, this is too cool!”
Twilight was a little stunned by the turn of personalities. The questions where in such rapid fire, it may of be Pinkie asking her these questions, and not the shy stuttering Inn. “Ah~, I can try and see what I can do and get the princes to see you sometime. If you like that is?”
Inn fainted.
=============
Inn had made her way to the metal house. Moonstone was still trying to work on things with the experiments from before, but he was confused on things and just trying to make sense of them. Over apple cider and tea, the two talked.
“I-I ah, may be seeing the p-princes soon.”
“Oh splendid splendid! Good news indeed! How did you come by this offer to see royalty, my little pony?” said a very happy Moonstone.
“Well, o-one of the b-books you lent me, it seems to be rare. The Canterlot Library is missing it. A p-pony that knows h-her highness asked about it... and... ah... they would like to k-know if it w-would be okay to make a c-copy. They need to borrow the one you l-lent me though.”
“Oh, why of course they can use the book. Every book should be in the Canterlot library, if they don't have this one, then by all means go ahead and let them use it. Was it the pony that saw the book that got the arrangement to see Princess Celestia?”
Inn felt relieved that she did not have bad news for her friend, and the two went on to talked about all the ponies she's seen this week.
=============
Inn walked in the forest, she did not fly. She took in the sights. The old memories. The places she had slain monsters practically on her way to her hut. Like she was following a trail of blood back home. Many monsters were not useful for home making, like those Ursa Majors and Hydras. Many unfortunate killings. Pointless killings. A trail of blood to follow back home.
Finally after walking down grim memory lane for several hours the border of her home town and the forest. She turned into a stallion that was green and orange. She made the mane long and the tail short. A unicorn horn and a cutie mark of a few pink butterflies.
Inn walked into across the border, seeing the inn just ahead of her. After a slow walk, she enters her old home. Something seemed off, but she could not help the feeling.
“Hello, how are you today my good sir?” asked a stallion with a deep, worn, aged, and as if it were a demanding old teacher tone of voice.
What happened? This is Inn's dad right? How did he age so much in about three years? Is he sick? Inn kept her composure. “Oh, I'm traveling, and thought this would be a nice town to visit. Do you have a room I can stay in? I don't know how long I'll be here, but I have plenty to pay for the room.” Inn's voice was unintentionally demanding, and she spoke so softly.
Wait! What was this? Thought Inn's dad. This stallion has Inn's dad's old voice and Inn's mom's speaking patterns. On top of that, a unicorn with such a color pattern? It may not be unheard of, but it sure is rare. “Why yes there is a room open. Just give me your name, and I will show you your room.”
“Oh, my name is Spark Cog Chrysanthemum.”
Spark thought this was a joke at first, pausing to hear the real name. Slowly it sank in, “Oh, darling...” he hug Cog, “... It's been so long! You'll have to tell me what you've been up to these many years!” Tears were rolling down his face.
=============
“What?” asked Spark, confused by what Cog said.
All three were in a room talking about what would be done during this visit. “Yes yes, I know. It is a tall order, but you two are the only ones I can trust here. Not to mention the only ones I wish to see.”
“But Inn honey-” started Chrysanthemum.
“I have no fear of the other townsponies finding out who I am. Most of my time will be here with you two.”
“Okay but, how are we going to leave our duties here at the inn to watch you around the clock?” asked Spark.
“Only one has to watch me at a time, the other can stay at the counter. I'm sure that if we leave for a short time to enter town together, if you simply have a note saying something, nopony will mind.”
“Ah, okay Inn. We are just happy to see you again,” Chrysanthemum said. Spark was lost in thought at this point.
“Oh, one more thing. Nopony should know I'm here, so call me Cog. I don't think anypony knew me by that before I was... you know.”
Silence. They nodded in agreement slowly.
=============
A few weeks pass. Cog is still under surveillance by her/his parents. They are so very confused by this. Cog would enter the lobby to see what was going on ever so often. His normal place was in his room.
“Really?” asked Spark.
“Yes! I have friends! They live in Ponyville.” Cog voice didn’t betray her happiness
“That's so great!” He had a big smile, which changed to a lesser smiler, “Do they know?”
“Two do. I haven't told the others.”
“They still don't mind?” he seemed shock.
“Worried, not much more.”
He sighs, “Well, I guess that's good.”
“One even invited me to live in town after I told her.”
“Oh that's spectacular!” his voice and smile back to where it was before his depressing thought.
=============
Weeks pass. Slowly more stories of what Cog has done is told.
“Yes, not just one, but two.”
“That's so dangerous!” voiced Chrysanthemum.
“Is that where you got the gems?” asked a wide eyed Spark.
“Yes. Oh, and do you see any injuries on me? I'm fine! I can handle a puny dragon,” gloated Cog jokingly.
“Well I'm just glad that you didn't fight an Ursa Major. They are hard enough to banish,” commented Spark.
“Killed one. Easier than a dragon strangely.”
They gasp in shock.
=============
Cog had been in town for about two and a half months. She was still in the for she entered in with. The only sign of warring down, was it took Cog a second or so longer to stand or sit.
They were now looking around town. Seeing the park, they stop and rest.
“So why did you make your hut out of monster parts?” asked Chrysanthemum.
“Not thinking. I thought it would be easier.” Cog looked down.
“Ah, so, ah... how that Moonstone fella treating you? Good I hope,” said Spark, trying to change the topic.
“He's... odd. He's nice, just odd. He looks very scary too.”
“You haven't said what he looks like, just that he looks scary. Why?” asked Chrysanthemum.
“Ah, put it like this. When I was having fun with those bullies, I thought of many horrible things, scary, and disturbing things. I would never of had thought of this, nor would I use it. Does that help?”
A quick thought hit their minds, no topic is safe to talk about.
=============
Two more weeks pass. Cog feels so heavy now. It is getting harder and harder to lift her body. Once she is moving though, it doesn't seem so bad.
“I- Cog darling are you okay?” asked Chrysanthemum. She just saw Cog have a hard time getting out of bed.
“I... think so. Maybe I'm just tired.”
With a raised eyebrow, she responds with, “Okay dear.”
“What's for breakfast? I feel so hungry.” She moaned as she walked around the room, getting use to the feeling of walking.
“We are having eggs and toast. Is that good?”
“I think that I may need five eggs, and ten things of toast.” Just then Cog's stomach grumbled.
“I see.” Chrysanthemum walked to Spark and shook him awake. He slowly opened his eyes and yawned. Chrysanthemum motioned that she was leaving, left the two in the room.
“Why are you walking in circles?” he asked.
“I feel drained, tired. It helps.”
“So are you about to lose control?”
“Don't know. Never done anything like this before.”
Spark's eyes widened. “What? You don't know what will even happen to yourself at all, do you?”
“Nope.” She sounded so calm.
“What? You might die!”
“Yeah, I guess I might,” Spark looked as if he would faint, “but it's more likely that I'd faint first. Like holding your breath or something.”
=============
Cog had been in town for a little over four months now. More often Cog was sleeping longer. He was losing track of time. He was eating much more. He would lay down more often. It took him almost a minute to get up. Random bouts of wheezing and coughing made Spark and Chrysanthemum worry.
“No, I'm (cough)(cough)(cough~), I'm fine. Really,” said Cog as he wheezed to catch his breath.
“No you're not. You're getting worse. What is going on Inn?” asked Chrysanthemum, worry filling her voice as well as a tear in her eye.
“C-.... Cog.” corrected Cog. “I'm telling you (wheeze)(cough)(wheeze) I'm okay. No need for worries.”
“Inn Cog Neato! This has gone on long enough! Stop! Turn back!” demanded Spark.
Cog started to stand. He did not respond until he did finally stand. There was lots of coughing and wheezing that made Spark and Chrysanthemum worry more. “I don't think it will be much (cough)(cough)(cough~)(cough~)(cough) much longer. I-I think we should just wait it (wheeze) it out.”
The shaking legs and sickly look of Cog, almost made his parents want to take him to a doctor. Only seconds later, she almost dropped down to her knees. As she was working on getting back up, poof, there was Inn. Over Four months and one week. This was the limit.
“He, he, see?” said Inn. She went for a step.
Darkness.
=============
Slowly Inn opened her eyes. She had a hard time raising her head. She did what she could to look around. Inn was still in the same room, alone. She put her head down, and seconds later the door opened.
“We need a doctor! She is not doing well!” argued Chrysanthemum.
“All we need to do, is keep her fed and watered.”
“That does not seem to be working!”
“She used up a lot of energy, may she just needs energy. Plain and simple.”
“How can you say that?”
“Look, just trust me.”
“H-hello,” said a weak Inn. Both the parents jumped and looked at Inn. Within seconds they were crying. Chrysanthemum was sobbing more than crying, as she hugged Inn. Spark pulled back and stood there as he stared at a conscious Inn.
“Oh thank Celestia! I thought we lost you!” cried Chrysanthemum.
“Inn, dear, are you hungry?” asked Spark.
“Yes. H-how long have I-I been o-out?”
They looked at each other and replied, “About two weeks.”
“O-oh. I-I got some sleep. Heh, heh.” She paused to catch her breath. “Didn't... I-I tell you it might b-be like holding your b-breath?”
Spark chuckled, “Yes, yes you did, and you were right about it!”
“Dad? I have a question.”
“What is it?”
“Why do you both look so old? It's only been a few years.”
=============
Three weeks pass. Time for Inn to leave. She did not have all her strength back, but she had enough back to walk normally. Inn grabbed her bag. She went to pay for nearly five and a half months of being in an inn room.
“No, you don't have to pay.” said Spark.
“Y-yes I do. I've been here a-a long time. I was a bit of a pest too,” said Inn with a smile.
“No, no,” they said with smiles on their faces.
Inn shoveled up ten large gems. “This s-should to the t-trick!”
“N-no. Those are your gems honey.”
“I h-have plenty. In f-fact...” she dumped the bag full of gems on the desk. “Here. Have th-these too.”
Sparks mouth was just left open as she left saying good bye.
=============
Inn walked back to the hut. Unable to transform still, she was trying to be careful. But there was something big on her mind. Something she did not really think was real.
The answer her father gave her three weeks ago was still floating in her head. It could not be true.
Inn had been sitting at her hut for the past few days. Her energy was not at its full potential. She tried a few times to transform, with no results. Inn was debating with herself if she should go see Moonstone, or go back to Inn inn.
If she went to see Moonstone, it would only be to say she can't work for him for... well an unknown amount of time. She already told him that she would be with her parents for an unknown amount of time. On the other hoof, Twilight was running a library and an inn. Shouldn’t she go there first?
She thought about it for a few hours, and grabbed the book that Twilight talked about. Being careful as she left on her journey.
Again, Inn walked slow. This time, she was trying to be safe, while in the open. She did not want to mess up the nice bag she had, or damage the old raggedy book with twigs.
Eventually she could see the town. She walked more quickly as she entered the town. Trying to get to the inn quickly and relive Twilight. She stopped. What if Twilight is at the library. Inn makes her way to the closer place, the library.
She knocks at the door, and quickly gets an answer. The baby dragon answers the door like last time. “Hello, how can I agha~” said the little dragon. The scream made Inn laugh, feeling drained for doing so.
“Do you k-know where Tw-Twilight is? I need... t-to give her this b-book, and say she can stop t-tending my inn.”
“Sh-she not here.” Inn Spike looked cute shaking as he answered. Better than a dragon trying to kill her.
“Okay thanks Sp-Spike. I think I-I can find her.” She began to turn around, but then stopped and looked back at him. “Oh, d-don't feel bad about b-being afraid of me. I-I have that e-effect on dragons,” she said with with smile. Then she left for the inn.
Inn walked from the library, and quickly found a another pony. A filly. She zipped pass on her scooter and soon after stopped, and looked back. “It's you!” she shouted.
“Oh, h-high Scootaloo. How are you?” asked Inn as she continued walking.
“How are you Miss Dragon Slayer? It's been months. We tried to find you, and you haven't been at that cool house of yours.” asked Scootaloo. She stayed on her scooter, going at the same pace as Inn.
“Oh, tired. I-I went to see my parents.” “That was like a really long visit!” “Yeah, I guess. M-most of the time, I was transformed.” “That's like so totally cool! You can do that?”
“I g-guess I can, it w-was my f-first time t-trying.”
“Can I ask for some help?”
“W-with what?”
“Well my parents want me to go to this totally lame party. I need to wear this gagie foofooy dress. Mind talking my place?”
“W-when?”
“Later today.”
“Can't, my visit w-with my parents h-has me to tired to t-transform right now. It may b-be a few months. I d-don't know though. Sorry.”
“Oh, that sucks. No dragon slaying then ha?”
“Nope.”
=============
Inn got here her inn. Big bold letters reading “INN” all caps. She only knew it for a short time, but it was a sight that felt like home to her. She enters to find Twilight, Applejack, and Rarity talking at the counter.
“Welcome-” they started at the sound of the bell.
“Oh, h-hi to you too,” said Inn as she began to pull out the book. “I h-have something s-special for you Twi.”
“What? Oh, is it the book?” asked the purple unicorn.
“Book, shouldn't she of brought it to the library sugarcube?” asked Applejack.
“Not one of my books. This is one of her friend’s book. Celestia says it is missing from the Canterlot Library's collection.”
“Oh, y-yes. I forgot. How is the meeting c-coming along?” asked Inn as she handed the book to Twilight.
“Thanks. No word yet really. I told her you were out, and that I did not know when you would be back. So it may be soon. She seems very interested.”
Everypony looked shocked. “W-what? J-just w-what have you t-told her?”
“Yes dear. That is a very good question. Did you say that she banished a dragon or something?” asked Rarity.
“Well... She has killed a dragon singled hoofed, and she has many other traits too.”
More stunned faces. “You've got'a be pullin my leg Twi. This little thing could not have done that.” retorted Applejack.
“W-well...” Inn's face turned red, a mix of her shyness, some shock, and anger whelming her, “... I just killed a-a-another recently.” She looked up, still blushing, but now smiling, “And I played with the weak foal.” After a few seconds she looked down, and her smile lessened. “B-but, I-I'm too tired to do it again f-for a while.”
Now Twilight looked shocked. “I thought you were going to your parents? Did a dragon attack the town, or was it on your way back?”
“No, like I-I said, she w-was a just as w-weak as the last one. I hit her w-with a one hit kill. Easy. This was just b-before I-I told you a-about myself. No, due to, w-well one of my... other traits... and... my h-history.” She looked deep into Twilight's eyes, hoping that she would remember the day that Inn left to see her family. “I tried something new. Think. I-I think y-you know what I'm talking about.”
The shocked looked was frozen on Twilight's face for a few seconds. “Oh, yes! Wait! You didn't try that before? How did it go?”
“I fainted. Was out f-for two weeks. Took some t-time until I could walk.”
Twilight was frozen.
“Oh my! How did that happen? It sounds positively dreadful. How bad were the medical bills for that?” asked Rarity, shocked that such a problem happened on a pleasant visit.
“Well, ah, ah... nothing. It h-has to d-d-due with my h-h-hist-history.” Inn started to back away.
“How were your parents?! They had to be worried!” shouted Twilight.
“Yes they were. I heard them, argue about g-getting a doctor, a-as I woke up. They were s-so happy t-to see me awake, th-they c-cried.” Inn started to tear up after saying this.
Silence. It lasted for what felt like an hour. Then, the bell.
“Ah, sis, are ya going to be here all day?”
The sight of Big Mac made Inn feel hot again. “No, Ah, guess that Ah can come back now. Inn's back, so she can do her job here. Good bye ya'll.” said Applejack, as she left.
After Applejack and Big Mac were gone, Rarity looked at Inn. “Do you like him? Your face was beet red the instant you saw him.” she said slyly.
“Yeah, I'd have to agree with her. Your face is so red right now. Do you like him?” asked Twilight.
“Ah, w-, oh, ah, ah, not really.” stammered Inn.
They giggle. “Oh, I think that's a yes,” said Rarity.
“What?” Inn's face grew redder.
They continued like this for a few more hours. Talking about Inn's possible love interests, and moving on to fashion for getting stallions, and then books on how to get stallions.
=============
The next day, Inn gets a visit from Twilight. She looked happy, and in a hurry.
“She's coming!”
“What? Wh-Who?” asked Inn.
“Princess Celestia! I told her today that you were back. She is coming in a few minutes. Come to my library now!”
No question. They were out the door, and down the street.
=============
They were at the library just as a white chariot touched down. The excitement was almost too much for Inn.
“Is this Inn?” asked the tall skinny Princess Celestia.
“Yes.” said Inn and Twilight. Spike, who waited outside, said “Maybe.”
“She's the one I told you about princess.”
“Well let's go to the castle and talk, shall we?”
“Yes!” said an excited Inn.
They all piled into the chariot, and flew off.
=============
It was a long silent fly to the castle. A long silent walk to the conference chamber. A long silent pause that seemed as if it would never be broken even after they were all sitting in preparation.
“So, I here you can use magic.” said the princess.
“Y-yes your hi-highness.” answered Inn, a little scared to admit it to her.
“This is quite odd. Is this how you look normally?”
“Yes,” nodded Inn.
“Do you mind showing me what you can do?” Twilight gave a look like the princess was not acting like herself.
“Sorry, I-I-I can't now. I don't mind. I'm just t-to tired.” Inn look down in shame. It seemed that the princess was interested in Inn's ability to shape-shift, and she couldn't do it.
“Why not?”
Twilight could not take the brash questioning anymore. “Stop princes! The reason-”
“Twilight Sparkle, I think that Inn can answer for herself. Don't you?”
“Yes ma'am.”
“I... I used my p-powers too long. It t-took a few weeks f-f-for me to even w-wa-walk after that. I think it's been o-over a month s-sense I used my a-ability too much, m-ma'am. S-s-sorry.” Inn shifted her gaze slowly to and away from the towering princess.
“So, can you answer me why you would just kill a dragon?” the tone in the regale princess was getting more intimidating.
“Ah, ah... ah,” she was curling up as she backed away, practically just scooting herself along the floor, “first time... home... second... to save three fillies.” Inn was now crying in fear.
The princess was confused by the 'home' part, while Twilight was confused about three fillies part. Seeing that Inn could not take any more, the princess redirects her questions. “What does she mean the first time was for her home?”
“She lives in a hut. It's made out of monster parts.” Twilight seemed to be a little afraid of her teacher too.
“Do you what fillies she is talking about?”
Twilight thought for several seconds. She looked at the quivering Inn, and it came to her. “Yes, the Cutie Mark Crusaders. I heard that they found a dragon, but did not hear that it died. I guess she killed it to save them.”
“So, why is her hut made out of monster parts? Where is it?”
“I don't know why she made a ‘monster parts’ home, really. She use to live in the Everfree Forest. She travels back and forth between the hut and her new inn a in Ponyville.”
“Okay,” answered the princess, calming down a bit.
“Ah, well, it has something to do with why she can't use her shape-shifting ability right now.”
It took some time for Inn to get back to her self, and stop shaking and crying, now standing firm as she talked. “I-I was banished from my home town for using my ability to show dead ponies to two bullies for a few years. I knew the Everfree Forest well, and had a hard time trusting new ponies, so I just stayed in the forest.
“The closest thing to a friend I had for a few years was a odd pony that gave me an assignment to look for ponies and tell him what I saw. That was it, if I saw a pony walking, he liked to hear about it. Just knowing of other ponies is all he seems to want.
“Eventually I found Twilight and her friends, with the exception of that pink blabbering bouncing ball of pure sugar. One of them knows about as much of me as Twilight does, but not all of my history; that would be Fluttershy by the way.
“I told the Cutie Mark Crusaders that I have hunted monsters on my own, and when they were saying that they wanted to do that too, I told them not to, but they still did. That second dragon I gave a choice to live or die. She choose death. I got gems. Cutie Mark Crusaders got to live.” Inn rambled, trying to stop her stuttering as much as she could.
Inn went back down, and said, “H-have I-I-I left anything you w-wanted out?”
Silence.
The princess was stunned. She got more than she bargained for. She didn’t inspect an entire life story told in ten seconds. This pony may have insane reactions and ideas, but she also seemed nice and redeemable. “Guards!” she called out.
Inn's reflexes kicked in. This did not sound good. She had to act fast. Faster than she noticed the reaction fast. The ground moved away from her. The princess backed away, and looked in aw, amazement, and shock, and fear. Just as Inn could tell that all this had happened, her vision got blurry, then dark.
Inn slowly opened her eyes. Aw, deja vu. An empty room. She didn't think that she'd be left alone in the palace, but here she was, alone in a white room with many beds. She felt lucky that last time there was something to recall. This time, she just has fuzzy fragments of memory on why she's here. She laid there for a few minutes. Then a door slowly opened. There was some low voices coming into the room.
“I'm sorry, I just don't know. It may only be that she fainted.” said one voice.
“You can't tell what caused her to faint?” asked what sounded like Princess Celestia.”
“No your highness. Going off what you gave me, a guess is all I can give you now.”
The princess sighs. “Thanks. You have done well.”
“M-morning.” Inn tried to raise her head again but found it hard.
The two jumped. “Oh, let me see if you're okay!” asked the nurse, voice now at normal volume.
“Inn, do you know what happened back there?” the princess asked.
Slowly some of what had happened did come back. Things like she saw the floor go down, she spoke fast, she cried, and a few other minor bits of key things. “Kind of? Did I t-transform?”
The princess nods. “Yes. You turned into me!” she said with a little shock.
Inn was unfazed and that made the princess more shocked. “But... how? I-I'm too tired.” She pauses. “Wait! H-how long h-have I-I been asleep?” asked Inn in shock.
The princess and the nurse look at each other. “About ten hours,” the nurse slowly answered.
Inn gave a sigh of relief. “Oh, t-that isn't so b-bad. Last time I-I was out f-for two w-weeks.”
They talked about Inn's health, and then Princess Celestia left.
=============
Inn seemed to be doing better this time. She could walk, even if it was wobbly, in only a few hours of waking up. She was slowly making her way to the kitchen.
A magical force grabbed her, and lifted her over it's owners head. “You don't look so good,” said a dark blue alicorn. “So where are you going in a hurry?” she asked with a big smile.
“I-I need some f-food.”
“Wobbling like that, you must need something big. Well, I'll bring you to the kitchen and get the chefs.”
“T-thanks.”
Jokingly, the alicorn says, “There's no need to be afraid of me!”
“I've s-slain manticores, c-cockatrees, hydras, ursa m-majors, dragons, and m-m-more signal hoofedly. Hardly ever getting h-hurt. I'm n-not scared o-of a single little a-alicorn,” said Inn with her own smile.
The alicorn almost dropped the pail white pony. “A-are you kidding? Only me and my sister can do those things.” She had a dreadfully shocked expression.
“N-no. So, ah, who's your s-sister?”
“Tia.”
“Wh-what's your name? You t-two sound s-strong.”
“Luna.”
Inn's heart sank. What her dad said was true. “Oh, ah, how long... have you... been back?”
Luna could hear the disconcert in Inn's voice. “About half a year. Maybe longer.”
“Thanks. Th-that helps me alot.” Inn sounded a little depressed.
Luna stopped. She looked up at Inn, “What are-” she got hit by two salty water drops in her face. “What's wrong?”
“I h-have lost time. L-lots of l-l-lost time.”
=============
They talked about what it's like to not know what happens over a long period of time. The feeling of being totally removed from the world. A long talk, as they waited for their food. When their food arrived, so did Princess Celestia.
“Inn, I see you're doing better? And you met my Luna too. Good,” said the Princess Celestia.
“N-no, actually... she-”
“I found her stumbling in the corridors to come and get some food. So I gave her a lift,” answered Luna, interrupting Inn to speed up the process.
“Yes.”
“So you still can't stand to well. Perhaps, I think now is as good a time as any, I called the guards so that I could tell them to get those you spoke of,” said Princess Celestia. “That reaction though...” she said, as she loosened her posture, and raised a bent leg.
“Tia! What did you do?” asked Luna defensively.
“N-nothing really. I just, t-turned into a tall wh-white princess alicorn, with a magical m-mane and tail,” Inn said, sounding as if she had done something normal. Her playful nature seems to have a bit of bad timing.
Luna went from looking mad, to looking shocked. “What?”
“Unless Inn here can pull of another 'life story in ten seconds', let's just say it's transformation. A bizarre form of transformation. She's very skilled, but she is worn out, and can't use it. That's why she's wobbly.” This was Princess Celestia's best attempt at Inn's 'life story in ten seconds'.
“Ah, about t-that... I-I let something out. M-maybe thirty y-years.” Inn looked down and away. “I... I don't know how or when. M-my first clue, was w-when I v-visited my f-family recently. My dad t-told me, I didn't b-believe it. B-b-but me and my dad, after r-reading the fairy tail of t-the Mare In T-the Moon when I-I was a little filly, we would c-counted the years u-until the thousandth y-years of the banishment. I should... should... should be fifty-two now.”
“Oh, my...” Luna's face had written on it. “I... I don't know which is worst: what happened to me, or what happened to you,” she said.
Princess Celestia was speechless.
=============
After they finished eating, there was a meeting to get to. Seeing as how Luna was now part of those that knew Inn in some way, she had to join too. They all walked in silence, as ordered by Princess Celestia. When they got to the conference chamber, there were many friendly faces waiting for them.
When all the ponies were in formation, Princess Celestia started with, “You all have to tell me what you know about Inn.” She demanded obedience, not only in her voice, but in her posture. She had such a harsh tone, and in a firm towering form. “I will ask you all one by one. Do you have any- Twilight Sparkle!”
While the princess spoke: “Inn, are you okay? Princess Luna carried you in, and you can hardly stand. Do you-” whispered Twilight.
“Twilight Sparkle!” :Caught up? Good. Even if you said no.
“Don't talk while I'm talking!” demanded the tall princess.
“Sorry.”
“Well, you will all be separated. I do not want any of you talking to the others about Inn. This will help to make that happen. Now, guards!” Six guards came out from the room behind the princess. “With the exception of Luna, all of you have guards that will escort you to a random room. I will talk to you first Princess Luna.” Princess Celestia looked at Inn. “First would you help Inn and her guard. He will be a good gentile colt and carry her, for as we can all see, she can hardly stand.”
Inn rested on the guard's back, as every pony but the princess left. Inn was taken to a closet. He had laid down so that she could get of and lay somewhere else in the small room. Her and the guard stayed there for a while. Inn started to feel her eyes get heavy, and then she was asleep.
=============
A shake. Another shake. Inn slowly raised her head. Her eyes still needed to focus, but she could tell that Princess Celestia was standing in front of her. Looking around, she was still in the closet, and the guard was standing next to her at attention.
“Sorry to wake you, but now I need to see you.” Princess Celestia sounded nicer than she had the rest of the time. “Guard, can you carry her to the room?” This was more a demand, as the princess walked away without an answer.
A short walk, but one that seemed long, to the conference chamber. They got into position, Princess Celestia standing in front of a throne, the guard staying out of immediate sight but still in the room, and Inn laying down at the bottom of the steps.
“I've spoke with the other ponies. Inn, Luna says you are sad, kind, and joketive. The Cutie Mark Crusaders say that you are a protector. Apple Bloom is a little mad that she is in trouble for what you did, but she understands it fell on her to do what she asked you to do. Fluttershy is worried about you, she does not know if you will go back into a another bout of depression. Besides that, she thinks you are a kind pony, even if you make the wrong choices.”
She took a few steps to Inn, and continued. “Then my faithful student Twilight Sparkle is worried that you may go crazy or take your life if you stay alone. She thinks that there is a lot of good in you, so she wants to work on trying to help you be better.”
She took a few more steps, and continued. “Inn!” her voice got even more harsh with a single word. “I will trust my faithful student,” now she sounded so soft and gentle, which confused Inn.
Inn, had been cowering the best she could, but when the tone of the princess changed so much, she looked up. “W-what?”
“You don't have to worry my little pony. The questions are done. You are free to leave, and you are free to come back. My castle is open to you,” said the princess with a smile. She had bent down so that she could be eye to eye with Inn.
Inn was now back in Inn inn. It has been some time since she and Princess Celestia where on good terms. This did not mean that Inn and her hadn't talked to each other. Princess Celestia just scared Inn.
She was getting ready to go to the store to do some shopping, but then she heard something. It was faint and in the distance, but as she left, she could hear large blasts of fire. It came from the library. She made a mad dash to see what was going on.
Halfway there, she could see a big balloon, rising.
Inn flew after the balloon. Then she noticed that she was flying. Thinking about it, Inn goes back down onto the ground, and to the library, retreating the wings. She sees a worn out dragon murmuring to himself.
“Why do I have to do everything around here?” he complained.
Inn just smiled and tiredly walked to the store.
=============
Cleaning the inn takes lots of supplies, and when Inn, was on her way back, she was overloaded with the day's cleaning supplies. When she had slowly made her way to the halfway point from the store and the bags flew up. Magic had gripped them. Inn sees a tall white and blue unicorn with a large horn and well kept blue mustache.
“Well my dear, let me help you there,” he said, lifting at least half the bags with his magic. “It would not be very coltly of me to let a fine little mare like you struggle with all these bags, now would it?” he said offering a smile to Inn.
Inn was flattered by his comment. She looked at his cutie mark, three crowns, and tux. Not many ponies in town had tuxedos. “Oh, ah, thanks s-sir.” They began to walk in the direction that Inn was going.
“So, where may I say we are taking these to?”
“To, to my inn.”
“Oh, that's great. What is it called?”
“Inn.”
“Ah... are you saying it's Inn inn?” he asked looking puzzled.
“Yes. I-I ah, like the... name,” said Inn with a funny smile.
“Oh, is that so? May I ask what your name is? I'm Fancypants.” He bowed his head, seeing as they were walking.
“Inn. N-nice to meet you, P-pants.” Inn bowed her head, trying not to make the food fall off her back as she did it.
Pants pauses. “Oh. Well I need a place to stay for a few days. Miss Inn, can I say in your inn called Inn?” he said, thinking fast so he could ask a relevant question, and make a joke.
=============
Inn and Pants were back at the inn. They were getting things put away, when the question came up again.
“So, do you have any open rooms? I will only need to stay for a few days.”
“Oh, ah, y-yes I do. Let me go and g-get the book for y-you Pants.”
“Call me Fancypants. It just sounds weird to be called Pants.”
Well Inn got Fancypants in a room. He explained that he was here to see the princess before she left the Cloudsdale. They spoke about the event in the clouds. Inn did not know of it, nor did she know that the princess was going to watch it. She eventually told him that she had seen the princess recently. It wasn't pleasant but she had seen Princess Celestia.
Fancypants was nice to Inn before, but after hearing that she had seen the princess, he seemed even nicer and more eager to learn more about her. They talked about the castle and how big it is. They talked about his horn, and how big it is. They talked about her having no mane and tail.
They were hitting it off.
=============
Inn went out to see if there was any way she could do her other job, by simply walking around town. She did not even have time to shut the door all the way, when there was a ground shaking boom in the sky. Looking up, Inn could see a rainbow fragment coming her way.
She was shocked, amazed, and confused. Either way, she had a long awaited job to do.
=============
In a few days, Inn had just came back from the hut. She did not have any more tea at the inn, and had a craving to have a pot or two. When she had gotten back, a blue pony was flying over head. Rainbow dashed to Inn when she noticed her.
“Ha! Trying to sp-? Wait, where's your wings?” said Rainbow, as she had a few thoughts run through her mind just as she began the interrogation.
“Oh, hi. I-I'm Inn. Nice to m-meet you Rainbow D-dash.” Inn had a smile on her face, part show, part unable to hide her laughter well enough.
“What? How do you know my name?”
“E-everypony knows the G-great Rainbow Dash. The only p-pegasus to of crashed i-into every house, st-store, and tree in Ponyville at least o-one.” Rainbow looked mad. “And maybe, t-the fasted pegasus.” Now Rainbow looked happy. “If only y-you'd stop d-destroy our homes, y-you'd be awesome,” Inn said with a smile, that got bigger to emphasize awesome.
Awesome, not awesome. “What does that all mean? Are you just playing with me?” ask an angry pegasus.
“I was a-about to m-make tea. Do you w-want to come in and h-have some? I have some great tea.” Inn had an odd looking smile. She was annoyed that Rainbow did not get the message, but instead got mad.
Rainbow gave an irritated glance at Inn. “No, I'll pass. I have cloud duties.”
Inn gave a little giggle. “Everypony knows y-you blow that o-off. It sounds l-like you are a-afraid of me!” teased Inn.
“What!? No way! Rainbow Dash is afraid of nopony. If any thing, you are afraid of me!” retorted Rainbow.
“That's the spirit! Come on. When w-we are done, I-I have an offer f-for you,” said Inn like she was the sliest pony in town. They had started to enter the inn, when she adds, “Oh, and I'm not a-afraid, too. I-I stutter do to t-two fillies f-from my p-past...” she has a small pause, her face beginning to look a little distorted, “they know who to fear now,” her voice was harsh and dark, but it all changed in an instant, “b-but that's a-all in the past. Well with t-the exception of the d-dead dragon.”
Suddenly, Rainbow had some doubts and fears creep in.
=============
They had finished the tea. Rainbow was obviously waiting to hear what Inn wanted to ask, but the silence from the odd things that Inn would say, seemed to prolong her question somehow. Such as she could slay dragons, and not everypony knows just how long they have known her. Odd things. Things that came and went without being provoked.
“So-” Rainbow had finally started.
“I-I want to race you,” blurted Inn.
Rainbow was shocked, then offended, then she was laughing. “You want to race me? You think you can send a chance? Oh~, that's rich.”
Inn was still not laughing, but instead had a serious looking smile on her face. “A flying r-race.” Rainbow fell out of her chair from laughter. “D-do you want t-to pick the p-place or me to?”
=============
The two found themselves at a long winding gorge.
“Here?” Before, Rainbow wasn’t sure if the white earth pony was sane, but now she felt it was certain.
“Yes, t-the safest place I-I know,” said Inn with a cheshire smile.
“First you say that you want to race me in flying, now you say that you think this place is safe! How many screws do you have loose? How are you even going to fly? You're an earth pony, they can't fly if you haven't noticed?”
“T-the fuzzy fat flying p-pony known as P-pinky Pie flies... I think.”
“No she-” “Yes, I think s-she can. It's the o-only explanation a-as to how she g-gets to some pl-places. And no pony c-can bounce as h-high as Pinkie Pie.” “Well, well okay. You may have a point there. But Pinkie is Pinkie. How could you do it?”
“I'm Inn Cog Neato, The Great Unknown!” said Inn, doing her best impression of Trixie without using her ability.
“Ookay~ then... let's just do this. Sorry in advance for beating you so badly. It's just too unfair of a race,” said Rainbow as she shook her head and prepared for the race.
The race this time had some new things to the list of rules, but was still a little similar to last time. All forms of cheating was banned. They could go up and down now. This race though, was one long seven mile lap with obstacles.
The pegasus sighed. “Your funeral. I'm telling you, you won't win a flying race.”
Ignoring that, Inn got into a ready position, “Ready... Set... GO!”
Inn knew what she was doing. Just as she said 'Go', she turned into a copy of Rainbow. They both had darted off, but Inn had a third of a second delay due to transforming.
There was a fairly short stretch before a bend. They both had done zig zags in the strait away, going in the opposite direction of the other. When they got to the bend the where neck to neck. Simple pillars and trees awaited them. While Rainbow zigged and zagged again, Inn just went through, making mild changes to her height or angle. Inn looked back, and Rainbow looks as if she just seen a ghost. Inn goes through a tunnel that had strong wind currents going through it. Inn continues through the strait away, and find a forest of thorny plants.
Looking back, Inn sees that she has a major lead. When Inn can finally turn to see Rainbow's face, Rainbow snaps out of her stupor and gets a boost in her attitude. “Yeah!” shouted Inn, as she changed into a small bug and flew through the gaps. Do to her small size, Inn lost her large lead. Inn got it back, and just as she did, she found a large number of holes in the sides of the gorge faces. She knew what this meant. She turned into a jumbo red and purple eel that had wings, mane, and a tail. It looked like an odd mixture of a Quarry Eel and Rainbow Dash. Some of the eels popped out about half way and then stopped as Inn passed by. Now Rainbow had to know about the eels too, right? Looking back, Inn sees that Rainbow was out flying most of the eel. The ones she didn't, she had graceful moves to get around them. It was a bit of a straight shot from there for a few miles. Inn turned back into Rainbow, and the two began to race to the finish neck to neck again. The two looked at each other, and made climb up to the top boundary of the gorge. Once at the top they both made a steep dive down. Making a mad dash for what would seem to be the ground, they built up so much speed that they were forming a cone around themselves. When their speed and cones had hit their apex, they got a sudden large boost of speed, there was a massive boom, and two rings where deffing and eye catching.
They both looked back at their creations, a rainbow moving across the gorge, intersecting with a white cloud doing the same as the rainbow. “Wha~” they gasped. Using the speed to continue on, it was a short stretch to the finish. The results were like last time.
“Oh, oh, oh~, that was so cool,” said one Rainbow in an almost mocking tone. “Did you see I won?”
“Yes, I did... and now... I think...” stammered the other Rainbow, “... I.. need to stop... for a while.” She then turned into a little white mare. Inn's legs were wobbling.
“Two times now! Count them, faker! Two! Am I awesome or what?” Rainbow would not stop gloating.
“C-c-can you... h-... help me... t-to... Inn inn?” asked Inn, as she lost control of her legs, and fell down.
“Oh what? The Great Unknown can't stand losing, so you're trying to turn me into a slave? No way! It's an act, and you can do some good some ones too!”
“No. I'm... serious... I have no... energy... left. I... was.... recovering. Go... ask Twilight... about... the meeting with... Princess Celestia... about me... if you don't... believe me.” Inn was slowly lowering her head, unable to hold it up for much longer.
“No! One, why should I waste my time believing a deceptive spy. Two, you lost, you pay the price for it!” Rainbow was making it clear that she did not like Inn too much.
No response.
As she starts to leave, she looks at Inn, and Rainbow just could not leave Inn laying there. After Inn is on Rainbow's back, she says, “I'm just doing this to be nice, I don't trust you.”
They had been going on hoof for a while. They both did not say a word to each other for most of the walk back. Eventually Inn whispers with a weak voice, “G-good.. r-r-race. Good, r-race.”
The next few days, Inn got some help from Twilight and Fluttershy. They would help make some tea for Inn, and go get the other tea bags from the hut. Quickly, Inn started to get some strength back. Inn could not stand too long on her own though. Today was the day Fancypants was checking out. He was at the counter paying, and saying his goodbyes.
“In the end, it seems this wasn’t the town I was looking for. It was still fantastic to be here and see what there was in this quaint little place.”
“H-hope you come b-back sometime.”
“By the way, I never got the name of this little town. I thought is was Hoofington, but I must of done something wrong, and now I'm here.”
Inn wanted to play with the fancy pony. “Well, I-I'm new here too.”
Fancypants chuckles, “Oh, I see. Well, I'll still have to come and visit here some time.”
=============
Inn had been putting something off. Now she knows that she might have to go and check something. She asked Twilight and Fluttershy to help her go into the forest. When the three got to the large metal structure, Inn asked to be set down and for the two to go hide and wait for Inn to come back out. A bell rang, echoing throughout the building. Twilight and Fluttershy looked at each other with confused faces.
“Oh, how are you today? It's been nearly seven months my little pony. Come in, come in,” said Moonstone. Twilight and Fluttershy could see some of him, and got the idea that he look more than odd.
Inn hesitated for a few seconds. This was not the Moonstone she knew. “Y-y-yes. We need t-to talk.”
Inn walked into the house, leaving two confused and frightened friends behind.
=============
Inn was sitting down, sipping some tea. Telling the new Moonstone about her visit with her parents, and her drain of energy. After some time of talking, Moonstone made more tea, making lots of noise as he did it. Inn told him that there was a nice pony she met recently. She told him about the visit to the royal castle, and he really perked up. Inn could feel her strength returning to her.
“Oh my Inn, this is great. Just great! Hope you feel better soon, and can work for me again soon too.” Moonstone got up to make some more tea. They were drinking it fast.
Inn could now see all of what was different about Moonstone. His face had two colors, blue, and green and the muzzle was almost the same. One half of his body was a new thing of colors. He had a new green going down his left leg, a patch of purple on his shoulder and a orange patch for his stomach and back. His hind left leg was now orange, green and red. The pink patch for the cutie mark was now gray. His chest was a bright fiery red. Then his mane, it it was orange, and looked like a much more clean and groomed mane, with thick yellow highlights. This was too weird for Inn. On top of everything else, this was just too weird.
“Can I-I get some more tea? I seem to b-be running out, at my h-h-hut,” asked Inn, shoving Moonstone's offer to the side.
“Oh deary me. You can have some more no problem!” he said, as she went to grab some of the bags.
Inn watched him carefully, she did not know what to expect now.
=============
They talked for about one and a half hours. When Inn walked out, that's walked and not stumbled, she was greeted by two eager hellos. Her friends were still there waiting for her.
Inn walked up to them. “Okay, I-I'm ready to go now.”
“Who... who was that?” asked Fluttershy, shaking at the image she had in her mind.
“H-he is a pony t-that helps me. His name is M-moonstone. I'm... I'm starting to w-wonder about him t-though.” Inn then turns into a Goldhorn. “Oh yes, this is far better than how I felt moments earlier.” The large dear had an echoing booming voice. “I will now be the one to give you a lift.”
Fluttershy's eyes was fixated on the two stubby horns of gold. Twilight was fascinated by the size, which was doubling or even tripling theirs. “Wait, wait! You can't be serious. There's no way you can go on for long in your condition,” pointed out Twilight.
“I am good. I could possibly hold a form for a month now. All thanks go to Moonstone, I think I may have figured out his trick.” Inn laid down. “For now, we should go.”
“What a beautiful animal,” Fluttershy said finally.
=============
Two scared and tired ponies feel relief to see home. As a huge Goldhorn went fast through the forest, making a half to three fourths of an hour trip, in just ten minutes, dodging trees and forest life as it zipped past.
“Land!” called out Twilight.
Fluttershy was still too scared to know that she did not have to hold on for dear life.
Inn turns back to normal. “Oh, t-that was fun! Let's do it a-again!” bounced Inn, still with a shaking Fluttershy holding onto her neck.
“No!” they shouted in unison.
“Ah~!” moaned Inn.
“Well, me and Applejack are doing somethings to day. Have a nice day.”
“Bye,” whimpered Fluttershy.
“Bye, have n-nice day.”
=============
Inn goes back to the Inn with Fluttershy still on her back.. It took nearly fifteen minutes after Inn got back, to clear of her back. Shortly after making her back lighter, Inn had a guest. Rarity can in to ask Inn a question.
“Oh, Inn my dear, I need you to come to my shop.”
“Ah, okay.”
All three left the inn, two going one way, and Fluttershy going another way.
=============
Rarity guided Inn to the designer’s room. There was a six pony dummies made for clothing design.
“Oh, okay, ah, what d-do you want?” asked Inn.
“Where should I start?” Rarity pauses to think. “I know about you, or at least I think I do. I heard you and Fluttershy talk, and I have seen what I can only describe as you but not you.” Inn looked at Rarity skeptically. “Well, I need to make some absolutely fabulous dresses for the others... Can you turn into them for me so I can see how the dresses look and be sure that they are as fantabulously fantastic as possible?”
“Wait, ah, you know?” asked Inn as she backed up a little.
“Yes. isn't that what I just said? Now do you mind giving me a hoof with the dresses or not?”
Inn blushed, “C-can I have one too?”
“I'll make you one as payment. The only thing is, these dresses are for the Grand Galloping Gala. How's that?”
“Okay.”
=============
The main six dresses were done. They were resting on the six manikins, and the only dress left, was Inn's. She was laying down as the fashionista went to work with on paper to draw up the dress. In just twenty or thirty minutes, there was blueprint for the dress, and they were back to work.
“This, seems... odd. Wh-where are you g-going with it?” asked Inn, as she took a look at the uncompleted dress she was wearing.
“Inn, dear... are you saying my work is horrid?” replied Rarity, shocked and appalled by the question.
“No... isn't this d-dress suppose to r-represent me? At this point, I-I don't see i-it. How is this dress m-me?” explained Inn. “I'm sure that y-you're good, but I can't tell. I d-don't have a taste for art. I'm just lost.”
“Oh, dear. Where to start. You are a very mysterious pony that blends into her surroundings. In the back there is a strip of black lacy fabric. It's to look like a tail that isn't there. The same will be done for a mane, only I will make it more stilted. The portion on the back is fashioned black saddle to help with the distinction of the white on the rest of the dress. The white part of the dress will be two parts, and the over layer will show cut outs of your cutie mark agent the same color background cloth. The only way to see them, will be to look hard, and have good lighting. The rest will be something like a... stylized casual. To show how simple you can be.” Rarity said this all while she continued to work.
“Oh, ah, nice. You thought about everything.” Inn took another glance at the dress, and could see what the fashion designer had seen too.
“Oh, ah, Inn... I can I ask of you another favor?” Rarity's tone seemed to be different, but it also seemed as if, she had not done anything to change it at all.
“What?”
“I'm going to show these in a small fashion show. It would be nice to have a little music going as my wonderful dresses are being shown. Can you play music in any way for me?” Rarity's eyes got big and puppy dog-ish.
“I-I can try. I n-never have before.” Inn started to look down and away.. “That would b-be new for me. A-are you s-sure you would w-want me to-?”
“If you can change your appearance, no pony will know it's you.”
“O-okay, I'll think a-about it.”
=============
Inn looked for the next two days. She was trying to find out just what to turn into, looking at the mixes and matches that would work the best. She thought that a simple look for the fashion show would do fine.
The only other thing to do was learn about music. She had been doing so for some time, and was told that the only needed to time listening to the music. She was sitting in Inn inn, when she looked at the clock. Inn was about to be late for the preshow.
Inn rushed to Rarity’s shop. Just as she had closed the door, she turned into her musical pony self. The white unicorn looked around the messy boutique, trying to see if Rarity would pop up. “Yo, Rares, where are you? Yea have a guest!” she called out. An oddly disordered Rarity came down stairs. “Whoa, what's up with the new hair due? Are you okay there?”
Rarity looked at the new pony. “Who are you dear? I'm sorry but I can't make a dress at the moment. If you wish to have one made, then come back tomorrow,” growned Rarity.
The unusual tone in Rarity's reply made Inn back up a little, and look at Rarity skeptically. “Yo, it's me, Inn.”
Rarity had walked to a dress that was on a manikin. Inn thought all the new dresses looked quite bad. After the introduction though, Rarity paused and looked at the guest again. “Oh, darling! I'm so sorry for that. It's been so hectic here lately. The show will start soon. Do you have a good cover name?”
Not two seconds after the question was asked, Applejack came down the stairs. “Now Ah know it don't take that long ta get a dress. Need some hel-” she started, stopping as she had seen what had been taking up Rarity's time.
A pony with a blue mane and tail, including two alternating hues of blue. A set of blue sunshades were on her nose too, making the white unicorn look a little hip. On the flank was a music note cutie mark.
“Oh, ah, Applejack, yes, ah this here is-” started Rarity.
“Yo, I'm Vinyl Scratch. I have a small music mixing company called DJ Pon3, that's pony with a three,” said Vinyl, smoothly.
“Y-yes, ah, Vinyl. She's here to do the music.”
“Yep, I'm here to for the show thing. Seeing as how someponies know me as DJ Pon3, ya can just call me that if you wish.”
“Okay. Nice to meat you DJ Pon3. I'm Applejack.”
It took a few minutes for the show to start. Scratch was rushed into her position, only told to start the music when the lights got low. She waited patiently looking over the crowd. She had seen what looked to be a big shot fashion pony come and sit next to the stage.
She seen the light go dim, so she started the music. Instead of the great dresses from before, Scratch saw the horrible looking dresses from the boutique. She looked at the dresses confused. She know that there was good dresses, so why was there these bad ones? Everypony else seemed the share the opinion that Scratch had. The dresses look just horrible.
“Oh those amateurish designs look like a miss mash of everything but the kitchen sink,” commentated the big shot fashion pony. The comment resulted in the crowd laughing. “It's a travesty, it's what it is. Those outfits are the ugliest things I've ever seen, oh for shame! I demand to know who has subject our eyes to these horror, not to mention wasting my valuable time!” he continued.
Is Spike dumb, can he not see that Rarity was just being mocked? Thought Scratch, after Spike encouraged Rarity to come out and give a bow for her “good” work.. Eventually Rarity came stalling out slowly.
=============
Inn had tried to cheer up Rarity, but it seemed to only make things worse. So for the past few days, she only tried to see if her friend would cheer up on her own. Inn was at the hut keeping some things tidy. She was neglecting it the past month or so. Out of the blue, there was a knock.
“Yo, you in there?” called what seemed to be Rainbow's voice.
Inn goes to the door and sees Rainbow looking a little excited standing at the door. “Wh-what is it Rainbow?”
“We have this totally awesome plan to help Rarity. We just need your help. Can you turn into animals?” Rainbow said rapidly.
“Oh, ah... yes I, ah... guess. What animal did y-you have in m-mind?” Inn felt a little unsure about the situation.
“Oh, it's the best plan ever!”
=============
Little, as littler than have been before. A small mouse scurries across the floors of the boutique. This mouse was looking for something. An unusual pray for a small mouse. This little brown mouse was looking for a white cat. A cat the was at least ten times its size.
Yes, Inn was setting up a trap for Opalescence. Sadly for Inn though, she was the bait. As she went from one object to another, she couldn't help but shake. When she was in the middle of the shop, it suddenly got darker. Looking around quickly, Inn sees a towering white fluff ball, smacking its lips.
“Eek!” was all the little mouse could say in response as she scurried off. The cat was fast, but the mouse was also fast. The upper hand that the mouse had, was obviously size. Using this advantage, Inn would hid under some cloth or behind some manikins until it was moved or pounced on. Her only goal now was to buy time to think of a way out.
After a few seconds it clicked. Inn made an additional trap. This one was more about wits. Inn kept on dodging Opalescence's attacks, moving towards the door little by little. It was so simple, and yet it works every time. This time was no exception. She did what she could to say at least two feet ahead of Opalescence, as she looked for the tree next to Rarity's room.
This gap was good for Inn learned that the type of mouse she turned into was not capable of climbing trees. She looks back and sees the gap being closed, so she quickly changes her pause into claws so she can climb the tree. The cat followed the mouse up the tree... and to a branch... the tasty looking mouse turning into a pegasus, and flies off.
Another pegasus lands on the branch. “Thanks Inn. You were a big help,” said Rainbow as she waved by to Inn.
A few weeks later, Inn is finishing entering in some final information about three new travelers. She was interrupted by the sound of the bell. Fluttershy was coming into the inn.
“Oh, h-hello Fluttershy. How are y-you?” greeted Inn.
“Oh, ah, I'm fine. Me and the others are going to the gala tonight. I simply can't wait! All the animal and plants that will be there will be so nice!” said Fluttershy, with a hint of enthusiasm.
“Oh, ah, are you w-wairing that dr-”
“That dress from the fashion show? Oh my no. Me and the other girls learned that we have bad fashion taste, and should leave it up to Rarity,” she interrupted with a shy little smile.
“So, ah, w-when is the gala? I may be there tonight.” Inn started to twirl her hoof on the floor.
“Oh, you have a ticket too? That's good to hear. It will start at 6:00 tonight. Hope I see you there!” said a shocked and happy Fluttershy.
“Well... I-I don't have a ticket. But I can still go right? I-It's me w-we're talking about!” responded Inn, as she stopped twirling her hoof, and gave a big cheshire smile.
The yellow pegasus's eyes widen. “What? But, but, but that's theft! You have to buy a ti-... well, I have a ticket. One not stolen! Don’t know what the princess would so if she ca-”
“Luna is a friend of m-mine. She would b-be happy to see m-me. On the other h-hoof though, her sister Princess Celestia. I don't know what s-she thinks of me. I-if she would punish me, she'd go e-easy because me and L-luna are friends.” Inn seemed a bit full of herself to Fluttershy, but Inn did not care. She knew that she was right, and could get in to the gala easily.
“Oh, um, sorry I said anything.” Fluttershy looked down for a few seconds, then back up at Inn. “Wait, what about Inn inn? You can't just leave it all by it's lonesome, can you?”
Inn shivered. “That's why I-I want to go. I just g-got these crazy g-guest. I've o-only known t-them for a few hours, and can barley s-stand them.” Inn looks at the inn roster. “The w-weirdest one is Inquisitive P-pony. He says the m-most bizarre things I-I've ever heard. Then t-there's Relic Naysayer. He... he is j-just odd, and angry. Finally Bum... at lest h-he's happy and ch-cheerful.” Inn shivers again.
“Oh, dear. Sounds like you have your hooves full.”
=============
Inn got into her gala dress at 4:30. She was ready to go to the biggest gathering she had ever seen. She made her way to a large gathering of ponies traveling to the castle. It was a long walk to there, but they got there before 6:00. This gave Inn some time to explore.
Inn sees an unguarded spot that just called out to her. This open roof with a stairway going down into the gala's neighboring room seemed too easy. On Inn's way to the gala room though, she bumped into a tall white unicorn with a long blond mane and tail.
As he regained his footing, and composure, he said in a rude tone, “Watch where you’re are going! Do you know who I am?”
Inn brushes herself of, and then glares at the rude stallion. “Well excuse~ me. How am I suppose to look out for a bumbling idiot like you anyway? You, with such large stature, seem so un-noticeable, oddly enough. If you were more important or something, maybe just more descent, I may have noticed you. Well, that's all in the past.. The very recent past, but the past nonetheless. By the way I'm Inn Cog Neato, The Great Unknown, just who might I ask are you?” said Inn in a calm tone, keeping her angry glare fixated on the stallion.
Stammering a bit before replying, he finally says, “I'm Prince Blueblood.” He sounded so proud in the title.
“Wow, so they make princes lame now ha?” said Inn as she walked past him.
=============
Inn looked around the gala, trying to see if Luna was at the party. After not seeing her, she left to go explore the castle. There was a small problem though, the closest and possibly best way up to the royal chambers, was being blocked by Princess Celestia, and Twilight.
The attention was mostly focused on the group of ponies going up the the gala. If Inn could use that... wait... she could just go out the way she came in. There was another set of stairs that went up, and it would let Inn bypass the princess's watchful eye.
So after she uses the stairs outside, she can see the room in which she was being interrogated in a few months back, just down the hall. It would not be long until Inn found Luna's room. She finds Luna just reading in her room, books about the new world that she has missed.
“Inn?” said Luna as she looked up from her book to find Inn in her doorway.
“Yep, long time no see, ha?” greeted Inn.
“How did you get in here? Aren't there guards?”
“What? What guards? Have you ever had guards?” said Inn with a big smile.
“Oh, yes, you can blend into anything. That's right. So how have you been?” said Luna with a slight giggle noticing what she had forgotten.
“Oh, y-yes. I had a rematch with t-the fastest flier I-I know. I lost again. But it was still fun to spread out my wings and fly like that.”
=============
The two just sat there talking and reading books. They read a book about pony that would chop up other ponies to learn about them, and how he was banned from all towns. It was an old book, where it's print date dated back over three hundred years ago. They read magic books that had vital information in how to make learning a new spell easier. Inn liked these books the most. She had been having some trouble learning a twenty third spell, and these books are just what she was looking for.
“So, ah, you still don't know much about why you are missing thirty years of your life?” Luna finally asked, looking up from her book and at Inn.
For a few minutes there was just silence. “No.” Inn did not look up from her book.
“There is good in what happened, even if it is overshadowed by some gave horrors. Do you think you even wish to know?” Luna's eyes had sorrow, pity, hope, and fear in them.
“I-I don't know. I'm fine with n-never knowing w-why it all happened actually. It's w-what I came to after having m-many long hours a-alone in the inn these few m-months. I-I... I don't u-understand the intent behind it. Is it s-sinister or s-sincere? If it was s-some sort of evil i-intent, I may do something m-more horrible than anything I-I have done before. Now keep in mind, pr-princess, I have dramatized fillies for doing t-the same to me, k-killed monsters so I can have a home, and one o-of those monsters I practically t-taunted. I-I wish to move away from all this. Learning why I have l-lost that time will make m-me go back to how I use to be for sure. M-maybe... even worse than before.”
The stuttered rant by Inn, who did not even look at Luna, made Luna understand just how hard this hits Inn. “Okay, well in that case... I hope you don't find out. So we can be friends like this for a long time,” said Luna with a forced smile.
=============
The night was growing old, and the two ponies were not tired in the least. Luna seemed to be a little antsy about what had been said by Inn earlier. She was shifting around more and changing books more often. Inn finally looks up at Luna, curiosity getting the best of her.
“What's wrong, L-luna?”
“Well... ah... sorry if this is too forward, or hits a nerve, but well... I love learning. It just pains me to not know something, especially something big. I've been thinking about your missing thirty years for the last few months, and was hoping that when we met up again... I could try something.” Luna seemed a little unsure about saying this.
“Ah... o-okay...” Inn looked a little worried and intrigued.
“Well ah... I was going to... try teaching you how to make your own spells... by showing you how to dive into your own mind.” Luna kind of shrank back a little, fearing that she may have just lost her first friend since she came back from the moon. “And, well, ask if you'd mind if I looked, or if you told me. Well... like you said, it would be a bad idea for you to find out if there was any ill intent.”
“Oh, ah, well, um...” Inn walk up by Luna. “You c-can look if you w-wish.”
Luna looked up, a little shocked. “Really.”
Inn nods, “Yes, i-it's okay. It's only me that can't know right?”
“Oh thanks Inn! You have no idea how much this has been eating me up.” Luna got into position. “Okay here's how the spell works; I dive into your mind going backwards in your memories able to see all that happens, even what is happening around you. In other words, it's much more than mind diving. You won't have all the memories that I will see. This will let me see just what happened. Okay?”
“Okay, r-ready when you are.”
=============
Inn found herself shaking in a corner. She could not look up. Nothing seemed to make sense. Why was Luna yelling at her?
“I demand that you explain why you are in our room! Why does thou not answer when addressed?!”
Whimpering was the only response from Inn.
“Why does thou shake and whimper when we speak? Now, we demand that you speak now!”
The sound of many hoof steps drew the attention of the two ponies. “Oh b-b-buck, P-princess Celestia's g-going to b-be mad when s-she see you l-l-like th-this!” Inn finally said.
“What? Tia? Just what is going on here? I demand answers this instant!” Luna seemed to calm down a bit after hearing her sister's name.
“What is going on in here Princess Luna ma'am? We all can hear you all the way down the hall and there was a boom,” said one of three guards that came to the aid of Luna.
Just behind the guards was Princess Celestia. “Luna what is-” the princess notices her little sister's physical form. “What is up with your mane? Are you taller?” Worry grew in her voice.
“Tia? What are... no there's nothing wrong with our mane. We are the same height as always. What's wrong with you? Can not thou see that?” Luna goes from looking at Princess Celestia, to looking at Inn. “That pony there seems to know something! She will not comply to our demands of answers!”
Whimpering again.
Princess Celestia looks at the pony in question, only to see it's Inn. Now she knew for sure that something was going on. “Oh, Inn. Come with me and explain what is going on.”
=============
Inn and Princess Celestia went to that room again. This time, there was four guards in the room, and a curious ear resting on the door. The tension was thick in the room. Inn thought it was so thick, she may be smothered to death by the tension before the princess could do anything.
A long silence was broken by a sharp voice speaking. “Tell me what has happened to my little sister. She speaks and sounds just like she did when she got back from the moon. She almost looks like she did when she was banished. What can do this?” demanded the princess.
Inn whimpers and stutters, not really saying anything.
“I gave you my trust because my student has such trust in you. If you don't want that trust to whither away, answer me.” Seeing that Inn was still too shaken, Princess Celestia changes her approach. “I see you are in a dress. Were you at the gala?”
“Y-yes. Kinda.” In was still shaking.
“Where were you? I didn't see you in the room.”
“Well, I, ah, I-I was visiting Luna.” The shaking seemed to get a little worse.
“How? I did not see you walk past me or Twilight in the hall.”
“How do y-you think I s-single hoofedly s-slay dragons? I'm good~.” Inn’s ego was showing.
Princess Celestia looked like she was caught, her eyes went from wide and shocked, to a 'Da, why didn't I think of that answer first?' face, complete with blushing. “Well yes, I guess you really are Inn Cog Neato, aren't you?” chuckled the princess.
“We, just t-talked for a while. Then we r-read books, and she asked m-me about my m-missing past.” Inn pauses for a little bit. “I told h-her that I don't think i-it's a good idea for me t-to know about it. A-after some more books, she said that s-she wished to kn-know for herself, if that wasn't a p-problem with me.” Inn pauses for a few minutes, shaking as she tries to say just what happened.
“Okay, that's enough.” Inn jumped, but after a few seconds, she started to shake less. “I think I get it now, even if it does not make that much sense. Luna is good at magic. She would not fail a spell so badly. What was she trying to do?” The conference chamber doors cracked open slightly.
In Luna's voice, Inn repeats what Luna told her about the spell. “D-does that help?” said Inn back in her own voice.
A purple cloud came up behind Inn. “What is this? How can thou change thy voice with such ease?” asked the cloud. It soon formed into Luna, making Inn jump a little.
“Luna, Inn. I think something happened in your mind,” said Princess Celestia, looking at Inn. “And that would explain why you are acting the way you are little sis,” said the princess, looking at Luna now. “I know that you don't fail spells so badly, even such advanced ones. It's the only explanation.”
After some more talking to Luna about what happened, and who Inn is, it had became early morning, and time for Inn to go and sleep.
But as Inn had her back to the other ponies, she had a wide, mad, twisted smile planted on her face.
It's been about a week, and Inn is seeing less of her friends. She has been spending more time at the hut than the inn. She's been exploring the Everfree. Just flying around. Inn was a unicorn, using magic and not wings to practice her magic. This seemed to work. Not as well as Inn hoped, but still well enough to where she did not need those books for a little while.
She had spent the whole night out. One thing though gets her attention. A large lightning bolt in the clear night sky. Inn flies to the sores of the freakish bolt. At a ruined castle, she finds a frightened filly unicorn.
Wow this must be some powerful pony. I wish I had such skills. She must not be teased at all, thought Inn. Not long after Inn got there, a flash of light was seen in the room. Oh, got to fly.
=============
Two days later, Inn is now trying to use her magic to power her flying speed as she uses her wings. Magically induced speed.
“Yes~!” shouted an exhilarated Inn. “I can now make five rings? This is too much fun!” She was looking at the five rings of clouds that formed form their own massive boom. She may now be five times faster than Rainbow.
=============
After a total a one and a half weeks of nothing but training, drinking tea, and eating some wild fruit, she finally made her last trip to the hut before heading back to Inn inn. There was a few guest waiting for her at the inn though. Twilight was sitting at the check in counter, Fluttershy was sweeping the floors, and Rarity was adding in some new decorations to make the inn look better.
“Ah, hello,” said Twilight and Inn at the same time.
“Why are y-you all here?” asked Inn with a tilted head.
After setting down the mop, Fluttershy chimes, “Well, um, we were looking for you. When we saw that you were gone, we thought it would be a good idea to keep things tidy for you.” She then looks down and blushes. “Hope you don't mind.”
“Yes,” Rarity began as she neatly set down her eloquently designed tablecloths, “may we ask where it is that you have been for so long?” Rarity was twisting Fluttershy’s words... “It's been nearly two weeks dear.”
“Actually it's closer to one and a half weeks, but still where have you been for so long?” Twilight was looking at how tired, sweaty, and messy Inn was..
Inn slowly walks up to her friends. “Oh, ah, well, ah... I was training.” She tries to giggle and make everypony feel better, but it just sounds forced.
“Doing what?!” they asked in unison. Oh how that is so fun to hear.
“I was t-training my magic, and f-flying.”
“Wait,” began Rarity with a raised hoof, “I think that I'm lost. You have to work on those skills? It doesn't just come to you?” She begins to twirl her hoof for emphasis, “You know, like everything else.”
Happy with something of a topic change, Inn smiles. “No, I-I have to work on it.”
“What were you doing training for so long?” asked Twilight with a raised eyebrow.
Short lived topic change. “Ah, I'm t-tired. Do you m-mind if I j-just go to s-sleep? I-I'll answer you la-later.” Inn did not think that this would really work.
All three look at Inn skeptically. “Fine, but how long ago was the last time you slept?” said Twilight.
“Ah, when I was last here,” replied Inn.
They all gasped. “What's wrong with you dear? That is not good for your complexion, not to mention your health!” Rarity advised, dramatically placing a hoof over her head.
Just then, a blue streak came flying in through the window. Or ah, crashing in is more accurate. Luck for Inn, for all attention was now on Rainbow.
“Wow, Rainbow Dash, that was a bad crash. Are you okay?” asked Fluttershy.
Rainbow staggers up to her hoofs. “Yeah, I'm fine. I do that all the ti-” she stops when she sees Inn.
“Yeah, you d-do it a lot, d-don't ya?” teased Inn.
“You! It's you! Why are you here?” shouted Rainbow.
Inn walks up to Rainbows side. “This is m-my inn, you so happen t-to have crashed into,” she said, gesturing with her hoof to show that Rainbow had landed in Inn's inn.
Rainbow started blushing. “You know what I mean! Why are you back?” Rainbow looked at the faces of her friends and decided to drop the topic. “Ah, forget it. It's good timing that you came back. Are you up for another race? I feel like creaming a good flier this time.” Rainbow got into a ready position.
The others looked at each other, a look that said, Did Rainbow know of the secret too? “Oh, you are the one with good timing. I just got back from practising my flying. I'm good for a race,” said Inn in Rainbow's voice.
“Great, then let's go!”
=============
Inn, Rainbow, Fluttershy, and Rarity all went to a far of place for the race. Twilight said she had something to take care of, so she wasn't there for the race. They talked on the way, making preparations for the race. This race would be like the first, three laps on a four and a half mile long track. It will also have some of the elements of the second race, where there are obstacles, and a looser set of rules. There are forty walls of clouds, that have holes in them. The object is to fit through the holes, not hit the walls, and not go around them. This time, they can fly up and down, and even hit the other racer.
“Wait wait wait? Did you say that you want it to be okay to use magic? You do know that I can't use magic, and that would only be you using magic right?” asked Rainbow, a little shocked by the suggestion.
“I think it was Applejack that told me this; you and her had a race, and you-” Inn began, still using Rainbow’s voice.
“Oh okay, I know where you are going. Fine! That's so cheap.” Rainbow turned her head away from Inn for a second. When she turned her head back, Inn look like Rainbow.
“Now we are ready to race.” Inn turned her gaze upwards, like she was looking at her own head. “Oh, wait.” Inn adds on a unicorn horn as big as Princess Celestia's. “Now we're ready.”
Rainbow looked at the horn with big wide eyes. “Oh that is so awesome.”
The others were working on not getting in the way, mostly by being quiet. Even them, though, almost gave out a gasp in amazement.
The two ascended to the first cloud. They got into position, “Ready!” yelled Inn. “Set!” yelled Rainbow. “GO!” they shouted together, darting off. They were neck to neck for the first three check points. Rainbow decided to take up the offer of bumping and hitting 'other racers' and just before getting to the fourth checkpoint, she did just that. Inn crashed into the wall forcing her to go back around to go through the hole in the cloud.
Inn did not mind though. She sped up to Rainbow's tail. Every so often Inn would tug at Rainbow's tail, making the blue pony a little off her game, and frustrated. “Stop that!” shouted Rainbow.
“Okay,” replied Inn, as she snatch the lead for the forty-second check point. Both Inn and Rainbow started to pick up speed after Inn captured the lead. When Inn hit the hundred and fortieth check point, she makes a sudden stop.
After Inn saw Rainbow finish her first lap and take the lead, she lit her horn, and flew with just magic. Rainbow got curious about what just happened, so she turned her head and saw a glowing Inn catching up with out wings. Inn was not as fast with magic as she was with wings, and Rainbow was getting faster as time went on, so it was the ninety-first check point that they were once again neck to neck. Inn started to do loops around Rainbow, which made her mad. Trying to get her to stop, Rainbow tries ramming Inn.
Rainbow could not follow where Inn was, so the attempt failed. Instead, she had thrown herself of course. Inn won this lap, but only by a little bit. While Inn was at the end of the last checkpoint, she plummeted down almost to the ground. This scared her friends so much that they screamed and ran to try and catch Inn. Inn however, when Rainbow was at the first mile mark, Inn darted straight up, making two booms that were accompanied by cloud rings, and shock waves.
Everypony was staring at Inn, or the best that they could that is. Inn leveled out right at the first cloud hole. It was at this point that they all could see Inn was using wings and magic, for there was a short tail of light from the magic around Inn's body not fully keeping up. The track was being blown away by the speed that she was going. As Inn past up a dumbstruck Rainbow, she had another cloudy boom, that almost destroyed the next quarter mile of check points.
The shocks continued, as Inn still had the dexterity to move through the obstacles without flaw, and again, at about the second mile mark, another boom with a cloud ring occurred. The third and a third mile mark held another boom boom. Inn could not be followed by pony eyes at all any more. When Inn hit the finish line, she tried to keep to her past rhythm of sudden stops. But this was not like the last two laps.
Just as Inn made her sudden stop, she unknowingly made another boom. This mixture of forces, where one was stronger than the other, did not only knock Inn out cold, but also flung her for several hundred miles strait in the air.
It took the three a few seconds for it all to click on just what happened. When they saw Inn's body floating down to the ground. They all darted to help Inn, Rainbow dash and Fluttershy flying to her rescue.
=============
Inn slowly opens her eyes. She begins to think that this is happening too much lately. She finds three friends huddled around her. Looking worried as they waited, and quickly relieved as Inn looked at them. She stands up and starts to talk but is stopped by her friends.
“Wow! That was simply amazing, Inn! How did you go so fast? It's just so cool how you were able to out match Rainbow Dash! That's not easy you know? Hope you're okay, after what happened that is,” rambled Fluttershy, who was very energetic and, for her, loud.
“Oh, my darling! How could you use magic like that? It was a phenomenal sight to behold indeed!” Rarity said, almost over Fluttershy, thinking that there was pauses in what Fluttershy rambled.
“Oh, don't think you've won yet! You had to use magic to finish that race! I'm still the fastest pegasus in all of Equestria!” gloated Rainbow, doing the same as Rarity, making what was all said a little jumbled.
“Ah, what can I say. I'm fastest, most magically gifted earth pony there is,” said Inn hearing Rainbow's reply better than the rest, and trying to be funny with her own reply. She goes from having a happy smile to having a somber smile. “You six ponies are the best friends I've ever had. I guess that doesn't really say much, seeing my past, but I can't see having any better friends than you.”
The three look at each other. “What's with this all of the sudden? Inn... are you okay?” asked Rarity.
Inn almost lost control of her transformation, it flickering in and out. She also had a very crazed smile creep across her face for a second. She regained herself though, her smile being a truly happy one. “No, I'm fine. I'm just so happy to have been around long enough to have such great friends.”
It's now a week sense Inn won the race with Rainbow and a few days after Inn’s much awaited victory, night eerily lingered on a days. Inn has repeated the idea of practicing over friends. Seeing the lingering night though, she checks up on Inn inn, to see how the many confused and scared travelers are doing. She could not help but think this was all her fault somehow, that somehow Luna turned into Nightmare Moon.
On Inn's travel around thee forest's tree tops, she got an idea. With the night lasting for so long, it was cold outside, and getting colder. Inn thought that she could use a coat. With that thought, Inn makes a dive.
=============
Three knocks at a door. Slowly, the door is cracked open and Rarity looks around cautiously. Seeing nothing there, Rarity opens the door some more, giving the knocks and the outside a more typical response. She looks down, and sees hoof prints. The tracks seem to only lead from the boutique, to glowed white and purple, and had Rarity's cutie mark embedded on every hoof print, which was glowing purple.
“What is this?” Rarity asked nopony in particular.
“Follow,” answered a voice, that seemed to have no origin, or a singular voice, making an echoing sound as it spoke.
Hesitantly, Rarity obeyed the voice. She looked around trying to see if she could find the source of the voice and hoof prints, but finding nothing. Eventually, Rarity was in the Everfree Forest, and she was now scared about what would happen. With the trail ending, Rarity looks for her guide, but finds something else instead. A massive manticore was in a ready position, teeth showing, and eyes wide open.
Rarity gave a loud scream as she moved her face away from its face. The manticore did not move though, instead there was laughter. This chuckle was coming from Rarity's side, not the motionless manticore. Rarity looks to see what was laughing at a time like this.
“Oh~, that's too... too g-great!” laughed Inn. She was laughing so hard she fell over on her side.
“Oh my dear Inn, this is no time for laughing! There is a...” she turns to look at the manticore, “there's a... a... Why is he not moving?”
Inn tried to calm down. “Th-that's why I brought you h-here. I'm l-looking for a c-coat. Can y-you make one from his f-fur?” Inn was still laughing a little. Rarity looked at the manticore in horror, and back at Inn, seeing that she was not joking. Inn stopped laughing, and whimpered, “If y-you c-can't handle sk-skining.. then I-I'll do it f-for you, n-no problem.”
Rarity still looked shocked. “Oh darling, that's not what I'm mortified by. Did you kill an innocent creature for clothing? Why didn't you just come to me sooner?”
Inn curled up, and began to cry. “Oh n-no, I'm d-doing it a-again!”
Rarity rushed to Inn's side and she rubbed Inn's back to make her relax. “It's okay. I understand that you lived in the forest for some time now.” Inn seemed to cry a little louder despite Rarity’s attempt to the contrary. “Hush now. Calm down.” She lifts Inn’s head up to have them both looking at each other. “If you want me to make you a coat,” she looks to the motionless beast, and grimaces, “from... that... then I will. Just don't make it a habit, okay?” Rarity finished, trying to give her best hopeful smile.
=============
Later that day, Inn was still crying. Just, she had calmed down some after having time alone. Nothing Rarity said would make Inn feel at ease. Inn was getting ready for the skinning of the manticore. She had, after all, not wanted his death to go in vain. He was killed so that Inn could have a coat, and she could, so she will not waste the death.
Inn had done this so often, and had gotten so good at magic, that she did not even need to think about what to do. She just created seems along the legs and the belly. With one quick movement, the hide was all perfectly removed from the body. So well done that there is no further preparation other than drying.
But, for Inn, there was more to do. She had read that dead bodies produce nutrients for the ground and plants. So she normally takes the various body parts to many other location that may need it. Inn continues to magically hold the carcass high in the air, as her magic rips of one part like it was just sliced by the sharpest sword in the world.
When Inn was done with spreading out all hundred plus parts and organs, she found herself more than splattered in blood. She looks for a stream of water to wash up in, finding a small river next to a waterfall. She slowly walks into the flowing water. Inn looks on with a frown at the red dye that flows of her and into the water's current.
She continues on into the water, it reaching neck level when she stops. She takes a few deep breaths. She took a long exhale and put her head under the water. She stays under for several seconds, letting the blood flow off her head. She continues to stay under when she starts to feel a little compression in her chest. She tries to wade deeper.
As she had just gotten her hoof locked with a misplaced tree root, her thoughts went to Fluttershy. She would be sad about Inn's death. Last time, it was Fluttershy who pulled Inn out of suicidal behavior. Inn opens her eyes, frees her hoof, swims to where she can stand once more, and raises her head above the water. She coughs up some water, and gasps for air. “No!” she said to herself. Inn watched the shining dark red stain of death continue its staining of the water for a few more seconds. She went from having a sad depressed face, to one with an almost evil smile. A large twisted smile, that would give any pony that had seen it nightmares for years.
“No... I still have something to do...” said Inn, almost like she was holding back a laugh.
=============
On Inn's way back to the tree holding the fur, she saw a familiar face. She sneaked up behind the caped pony and grabbed her hat. Inn danced around with the starry hat on her head.
“Who dares to take Trixie's hat?” said Trixie.
Inn gets into Trixies pose, “I, Inn Cog Neato, The Great Unknown!” she said with Trixie's speech pattern, but Luna's voice.
“Wait, are you a fan of The Great And Powerful Trixie?” asked Trixie, still as arrogantly boastful as always.
“Yes, in a way. I'm a fan in how I keep beating you.” Inn got back to all four hooves, and look more serious.
The Greatly and Easily Offended Trixie looked so very offended. “Just what do you mean you've beaten Trixie?”
“Oh did you forget? Well are you up for another round? I sure am.”
“Trixie will challenge any pony! The Great And Powerful Trixie does not require you to lie about having had won a challenge before. Let us see what you can do!”
Inn made a horn grow from her head slowly, which made The Scared And Regretful Trixie back up. When the horn was at full size, it started to glow, along with Inn and then Trixie. Both went shooting off into the sky, Trixie went straight into the sky while Inn orbited her. Trixie was scared as buck right now.
As Inn made an obtuse turn along the direction Trixie's back was facing, Inn changes her flying pattern, her ‘orbit,’ so that it isn’t as simple as before. Trixie was too preoccupied to notice that they were going down, and not up. Now Inn is popping in and out of the corners of Trixie’s vision, going from one corner to the opposite; such as top left to lower right.
Inn was going faster and faster, to a point it was hard for Trixie to follow Inn's movements at all. As they approach the tree line, the two split up into opposite directions and Inn still had some speed and acrobatics as she broke off.
Trixie started to spin widely, as if there was something she was spinning around. Inn's patterns were much more complex this time around. She was darting up and down above and below and around Trixie, in an exaggerated oval shape. As she was doing this, she was twirling around and flying backwards, as if there was a fine pole marking a path around Trixie, and Inn had to not touch it. On about the fourth or fifth pass by, Trixie noticed the set of wings on Inn's back.
After they had gotten to the clouds, They both started to go back down in a spiral, that grew and shrank, repeatedly. Trixie was stunned as she saw Inn with a blue coat, then a lighter blue mane and tail, then a crescent moon and magic wound cutie mark.
The entire light show could be seen in the far off distance. One particular observer was in fact watching from far away, where she had sat on the rooftop of a bakery watching the night sky. Her pink curls were standing on end at the fantastic sight.
Seconds after an alicorn Trixie was formed, they touched down. Safety, was all Trixie could think as she sat there shaking.
“So... can you top that my dear little Trixie? I think it was simple enough, but it is for you to decide not me,” said Inn, looking very prideful.
Trixie tried to stand, but her legs were too wobbly and she was too dizzy to do more than sit. Watching her wobble, it was clear that even that was hard for her to do at the moment. “You, you're a monster!”
“Ohh, deja vu! Didn’t one of us say that last time?” Inn takes of the hat and gives it back to Trixie. “Nice to see you again oh Frightened And Weak Trixie. Hope you get better, it will make things fun next time.”
With that, Inn skipped off leaving Trixie shakin and dizzy in Inn's victory.
=============
Inn went to the inn first, where there was only a few customers in at the moment. Inn help them with their various needs, and thought of anything else she needed to do. Coming to a conclusion that there was nothing, she grabbed the large thing of fur and bounced to Rarity's shop. After making her way to Rarity's boutique, Inn knocks gently. The door cracks open. After Rarity peaks out, and sees Inn, the door swings open.
Rarity’s face lit up, she didn’t inspect Inn to be back so soon. “Oh, Inn darling, it's you. What brings you by again so soon?”
“I-I have the f-f-fur ready.” Inn wasn’t shaking as much as normal, possibly only shaking because of the cold air. She stuttered, but her voice carried varied levels of happiness so rapidly and naturally. Most noticeable of all, was Inn’s smile. It seemed as if it was a nice day that didn’t have anything go wrong. She seemed, almost at peace.
Rarity was confused by how Inn was acting now. It was only a few hours ago that Inn was crying. “Oh, that was fast. There's not a drop of blood on your fabulous white coat ether! Oh dear, you are good at that aren't you?” Rarity’s voice had a hint of concern in it.
“Yeah, w-well I have m-made two huts... doing this before,” said Inn blushing.
“I see you are feeling better. Come in, come in. It's too cold outside to just stand around.” Rarity ushered in Inn.
“Well, ah, do you h-have any ideas?”
Rarity looked at the large thing of fur taking up her entire floor. “I think I might. Keep in mind though, this is my first time.. ah, using animal skins. If it isn't fantastic, I do apologize in advance.” Rarity looks back at the fur, and grimaces once again.
“I understand. I chose this f-fur because it is so w-warm. At a t-time like now, that's a g-good thing.” Inn continues her posture even now.
“Oh, ah... I see. Well then, let me get to work with this... coat.” She shivers after finishing that sentence.
“When do you t-think it will b-be done by?”
“It may be a week do to my schedule,” started Rarity, giving an answer quickly so that she could move on to a question of her own, “darling, if it wouldn’t be so rude of me to ask, is there something that you would like to talk about? You seem to be acting a bit peculiarly.”
Inn's posture breaks down a little. “No. I-I'm just fine. A-as I was g-getting the fur r-ready and my-myself cleaned u-up... I r-realized I-I was o-overreacting a l-little bit,” lied Inn.
Rarity did not trust that this was true, but it was clear that Inn did not want to talk about it. “Okay... Just remember, you always have six good friends to count on, if anything is hard or troubling.”
Inn continues to not see much of her friends. The night continues for a little over a month when Inn gets her coat from Rarity. It's glamored with gems, because Rarity could not find a good way to make the fur look fabulous with just what she had. With the sun back though, it is no longer necessary to have such a warm coat.
Inn felt a little lonely when all the guest left. So, she went to see Fluttershy to ask for a favor. Inn found Fluttershy in her cottage, letting go some animals that needed the warmth to live through the long two month nigh.
“Flutter-”
“Eeh!” squeeked Fluttershy.
“Ah, Fluttershy? You okay?” asked Inn, looking down at Fluttershy who was now hiding her bunny angel.
“Oh... Inn, it's just you. How are you?” asked the shaking pegasus.
“Well... I-I think I-I'll go and see my p-parents again. Do y-you mind w-watching my inn?”
“Oh, Inn. It's good that you visit your parents when you can. Of course I will help out the inn while you're gone.”
Inn thought that would take longer, but was happy it didn't. Now she can rush to Trottingham.
=============
Closer to the farm than the forest, Inn decides to cut through the apple farm. Making her way through the farm, she finds a pony that makes her heart pound. Staying behind a tree, hoping to not be seen. She watches him and wonders if she should approach him.
She stood thinking, heart pounding, and watching the red stallion for almost five minutes. Eventually, she got the nerve to go and say something to him. She buffs out her chest, and stands up tall.
Inn got into the doorway of the barn. “H-high!” loudly squeaked Inn.
Big Mac set down the basket of apples he had and looked around confused, until his eyes found Inn. “Ah, howdy there?” he said, unsure of what was going on.
Inn blushed harder. “Oh, ah... yeah. I... I ah...” She began to look down and twirl her hoof on the straw covered floor, “I've seen you around... a-a few t-times. Ah, I've... wanted to um... talk to y-you for a while. I-I... I um...” She slouched her posture, took a half step back and looked back up at the big red stallion, “I find you cute.”
Big Mac blushed and backed away from the cart full of apples that he was checking. “Whoa now little miss, Ah uh, Ah don't evn' know yea.”
Inn looks down slightly. “Oh, ah, sorry. I'm ah.. I-I'm Inn, and ah.. I-I own Inn inn.” Inn shyly looks up at Big Mac. “Me and A-Applejack, and ah, Apple Bloom... are friends.”
“Yea know ma little sis's?” Something clicks in his mind, and his stance changes. “Oh, yea own t'at little place where AJ was staying at.”
“Ah, yes.”
“Well Ah'm sorry miss Inn, but I ain't ever seen yea before. Ah don't really have a clue as to what kinda pony yea is, honestly.”
“Oh, ah, okay then. I'm just g-glad I finally asked... and g-got a-an answer.” Inn smiled happily, the best she could that is.
=============
Inn makes her way into the forest, and when she sees the all metal structure resting against a hill, she stops... blankly stares at it, then moves on.
As she goes along the trail of blood that is only seen in her mind and memories, she thinks of a disguise to use this time around. Her playful nature keeps going back to a mixture of monsters... but that is just not going to work on a visit to family. She tries to not have monsters in her thoughts, with no result. She thinks; a tall pony with a lion head and dragon wings, a pony with only two legs a lizards tail a dragon shaped head and four heads, a gassy pony body with stars two times the normal size of a pony having dragon wings and tail.
She thought these ideas would work perfectly because they don't exist, and she is the only one that can make them look as if they did exist. If she didn't want to be attacked on sight though, she would need a more normal look. Seeing as how she could not come up with a new look that was not monster related, she just decided to use one she had before.
With all this back and forth on a look to go with, Inn found herself already at the border of town. She turns into a white and blue unicorn. She had to make sure to have her glasses on to complete the transformation.
Inn walked to the doors of the inn, but stops. Things look different. The inn is painted pink and blue. There is a new door, it does not have the same design as before at all. But, most notably of all, was a sign that read 'Soft Hay Inn.'
Inn goes inside, hoping that it is all just her parents trying to change up the place. The inside was more fancy than when Inn lived in here, but she could still see the places she would hide and shake so long ago. The desk was not changed much, just repainted to fit the design outside. The thing that stuck out the most, out of all the new decorations and paint, was a new pony standing at the desk.
“Greeting weary traveler! How may I be of assistance to you, today!” said the bubbly pony.
“Wow. What's up with the new look?” asked Vinyl.
“What? Oh I bought this place about two months ago. Maybe just under a week before that crazy long ‘moonlight’ thing-a-ma-stuffers happened. Did you come here before?” the orange curls seemed so hypnotic as they bounced when the earth pony talked.
Vinyl lowered her head slightly. “Oh, well do yea know where the old owners are? Oh, and I'll be crashing here for three days.”
“That will be an amazingly cheap fifteen bits! Hope you enjoy your stay,” said the pony, as she dramatically posed behind the desk for a few seconds. “Well, I don't know where the old owners are, but the mayor might. I had to go to her to pay for it.” The tan and orange pony ducked, and popped up with a log book. “So traveler, what is your whimsical name?”
“I'm Vinyl Scratch.”
“Vi-nyl Scr-a~-ch. Gotcha! If you need anything Vi, I'm normal;y here. Just call out 'Hay Bubble' and I'll be right there. Got it?”
“Can I call you Bubbles, or Bubbly?” laughed Vinyl as she reaches into her bag.
Hay Bubble laughed, “That sound good to me!”
Vinyl pulled out a gem, and gives it to Bubbles. “This should do yea. Give what change you can, and think of the rest as... payment for information. Thanks a lot there Bubbles.”
Bubbles face lit up, with both excitement and confusion. “Vi, this is far too much! Are you sure?”
“It's no brobs. I have tons of those, and I may ask for more information. So this should make us square.” With that Bubbles gave Vinyl one hundred bits, and Vinyl went to look for the mayor.
=============
Vinyl look for nearly two hours before she found a pony that told her where the mayor was. Inn went to the bakery and looked some more for the allusive mayor. Finding her eating a bowl of ice cream, Vinyl walked up to her side.
“Yo mayors, what's hapen'n?”
The mayor wasn't planning on being bothered, so this sudden blurt made her jump. “Oh, ah, hello my little pony. What brings you here?” her voice sounded so much older than the last time Inn heard it.
“I'm looking for someponies, can yea help me out?” asked Vinyl as she took the empty seat in front of the mayor.
“Oh my, I'll see what I can do. Why, who are you looking for, little one?” the mayor asked before taking another bite of ice cream.
Vinyl leaned in close. “I came here like four months, five months ago. I stayed at the inn, and liked the innkeepers. Do yea know where they are?”
The mayor was about to take another bite, but stopped. “Oh deary me. They are no longer here darling. They left this world about that long ago sadly. At least you got to see them be for the departed.”
Inn's heart sank. She was too late to see them one more time. It looked as if the eighty-something year old mayor was going to have a heart attack a the sight of a new pony forming right in front of her. “No... That... They... Why... How?” stammered Inn.
“Inn?!” gasped the mayor. The mayor just stared at the ghost from the past for a few seconds. “Heh, looks like you are as good as you said my dear,” she said, trying to keep hold of what little composure she had left. “Sadly yes, they are gone,” the mayor said, unable to keep that little composure for long and having a sorrowful frown. “They told me of your return, and how long you stayed. I did not believe everything they said though. It was around a week after you left, I think.”
She sees on Inn’s face that there may need to be some explaining. “For the past ten years, your dad was sick, nothing that bad, but it normally does lead to death after many years. Your mom was sick too, with something else, and it took her poor life more quickly. All I can say is, at least they got to see you and die together.”
Inn looked like she would break down. A tear fell down her face, while others seemed ready to do the same. She wiped her eyes and said, “W-well... how are other things?” Inn's composed herself, only a tear still showed on her face. “How is m-my old teacher Ms. B-butter? Are Elegance a-and E-exquisite doing w-well after all th-these years? Oh~, are you g-going to k-kick me out n-now you know I-I'm here?” shakily rambled Inn.
The mayor looked in awe at the mild shift in how Inn's emotions, and topics. “Oh my, the only reason I'd have to kick you out is if you were to repeat in any way what you did nearly four decades ago. I am shocked at how you changed tone so fast though my dear little pony. What is going through your mind?”
Inn looks down at the table and melting ice cream. “I... I-I’ve had some h-hard times. I got friends now, but I-I've still had p-problems that I d-don't want to sh-share with them. It p-pains me to hide things from t-them, but I'm t-trying to l-look at things in a-a slightly d-different way.”
“Oh my, sorry to hear that my dear. Well I'm sorry to say, but after all these years, Butter has gone too. Nopony knows why, but some, like me, think she may have overworked herself.”
Inn laughed. “Oh, no. Ms. Butter w-would not h-have died from o-overworking. Trust m-me, I had her as a t-teacher.”
The mayor looked shocked. “Oh, okay then. If you say so I guess. Well, both Elegance and Exquisite have become shut-ins. They come out so rarely that, a week ago, a pony found that Exquisite could not handle the cold. She too, is gone.”
Inn’s gaze on the ice cream shifted up slightly. “Oh. Ah, would you m-mind helping me with s-something?”
=============
Knocking at a door got the attention of a shaking old pony in a dark room. She gets to her brittle looking hoofs, and walks to the securely locked door.
Looking through the peephole, she asks, “Wh-who's there?”
The mayor replied with, “It's just me darling.”
“W-what did you t-tell me and Exquisite a-after Inn left?”
“That Inn seemed to be honest in what she was saying. That you two had nothing left to fear. To cheer up.”
One lock after another could be heard being unlocked after the mayor gave her answer. With the door open, Elegance says, “Oh, c-c-come on in.” To her surprise though, there was two mayors, enveloped in light and having lit horns.
“I have good and bad news my dear. First you should sit down, look as if you will topple over any second now.” said the two mayors, gesturing and speaking in perfect unison.
“N-no. No! It c-c-can't be!”
“Just sit darling, you don't look so good. The news may be a bit hard to take, and with you in such a state, well... it would be best for you to sit.” They waited for Elegance to sit down, and then they too took a seat. “Let's start with the bad news, Inn is back in town.” Elegance whimpered and shook violently. “The good new is she is not here to do any harm. For the moment though she is playing a little game. Can you guess which is her and which is me my dear little pony?”
“H-h-ha-how can I-I t-t-trust you?”
“I know it's hard dear. All it is is just one little game of 'which pony is which.' If you did not know, several months ago Inn was here a for a few months. She truly does not wish to harm you anymore.”
The shaking pony looking back and forth between the two mayors. She let out a little squeak as she moved to the floor and curled up into a ball. “Ah, ah... t-t-t-the one...?”
The mayors went to the floor, using alternate hoofs, they rested one on each of Elegance's shoulders. “Calm down now little one. It's just a simple hoof point, and it's all done. If you wish, Inn will leave you alone.”
Elegance continues shaking for a few minutes, but then she thinks of something. She sits up, still laying on the floor. She then extends both her hooves to the horns of the mayors. The right mayors horn was not really there. She points at the left mayor, “You... and ah... h-hows the f-forest?”
The left mayor turns into Inn, and the horn of the right mayor disappears. “Good work E-elegance!”
“Oh dear, that was an odd feeling. My Inn, you are good at magic to perform such a spell!”
“I mixed t-three spells a-and transformed. It was h-hard but f-fun.” Inn turned her attention back back to Elegance. “Oh, and by t-the way... if you c-can handle yourself, the forest is not that b-bad. I h-have a hut made out o-of monster hide. It h-has a dragon outer shell. It's strong.”
The two old ponies looked at Inn with gaping mouths. “My word Inn, did you make such a thing by slaying-” started the mayor.
The mayor was interrupted by series of booms and crashes that were followed by screams that seemed to echo across the entire town.
Inn, the mayor, and Elegance all rush outside to see what was going on. They see many ponies running all around town and some trying to fight monsters that had invaded the town on all sides. Inn ran into the center of town, turned into a tall pony with a lion head and dragon wings. Before Inn could hit a cockatrice, she was tackled instead. The frightened stallion attacker watches Inn stand back up and then he runs away.
Inn goes back to fighting off what little she could, but is again attacked. She gave the pony an irritated glare, and he too flees from her. As Inn lays there, she tries to think of what she can do. With her mind running rampid, she was quickly able to think of something. She turns into a very large pony with only two legs a lizards tail a dragon shaped head and four heads. A monster and a pony hit Inn at the same time, just as she turned into her new form. She was too big for them to topple her, but she still got them both to run with a simple glance from one of her heads.
She’s back to the drawing board, still needing a good way to fight and not get hit by friendly fire. Inn then looks at a rampaging Ursa Minor. She had another idea. She now turns into a gassy body with stars the size of an Ursa Major, with dragon wings and tail. She was now being attacked by pegasus, who were using lightning bolts to try and take down this massive monster.
Finally, Inn had enough. She turned into a massive dragon, one bigger than anypony has ever seen. Using it's size, she walls off the town from everywhere else. Her head and tail where almost like they were linked together, they were so close. This most definitely got the attention of every living thing in, and bordering, the town.
The monsters outside of the town where fighting the dragon's long body to try and enter. The ones inside were either continuing what they were doing, or fighting the dragon. The towns pony were all thinking that this was the end.
A third claw extended from the monstrous dragon's back, seeming to have no end as it picked up a Ursa Major and flung it out of town. The towns pony looked at this in confusion. There was another extension of the third claw. It grabbed a hydra flung it too. Another hydra, and another Ursa, and several manticores were flung... one by one. The town began cheering.
There was hundreds of monsters in the town, and thousands trying to get in.
Inn's sides were hurting from the many attacks that were being done on the outer portion of the barrier she made. A growing wall of monsters encircled the massive dragon made enclosure. She felt more irritated than pained from the attacks. She grew two new claws. That worked on sweeping at the monster horde, taking down the outer numbers by the hundreds.
The attacks were relentless. Now even the monsters in town were attacking the overgrown dragon. A second arm was now working on picking off the monsters in town. There were ponies trying to help out, but only getting in the way. Some monsters started to hit Inn in her face, hoping she would lift her head and let them into town.
Inn was too determined to let such weak attacks make her react in the way that they hoped. She was getting pummeled by attacks in every side but some of her tail, and around half of her upper body. She tries to think of a way to stop this, and is distracted by being hit an all sides, being transformed, and trying to clear the town of monsters. It was when the town was almost cleared of monsters that she had an idea.
Inn fused the head and tail into a uniformed link. She could not see though so she made a head appear on the outside of the living wall, and help with clearing the monsters away. This led to another idea. MORE HEADS! Dragon head, lion head, chicken head, hydra heads, heads of all kinds were being formed with long necks so they could reach out far and grab the monsters.
This looked so scary to some of the monsters, that they backed away or ran.
Inn still had a growing mob of monsters to deal with, though. She added more claws to sweep at the monsters. She could not seem to get them to stop coming at her. More and more monsters. The attack had gone on for nearly three hours, and there was still thousands of monsters coming in for the attack. The only two things that Inn had accomplished was that she was hit less, and the town itself was free of monsters. She was starting to feel a little tired after all this.
Inn heard some growls in the far of distance rapidly getting closer. She used three of her many hundreds of heads to look and see what it was. Dragons! Five dragons were on their way to town. Inn was now worried. They could fly and did not have to worry about Inn's attacks that much. Plus, they have fire! Inn doesn't have fire!
Inn quickly got more aggressive with the monsters she had at the time. Her best hope is to clear out the big horde and then put full focus on the dragon invasion. Inn keeps the monsters at bay for a long time, showing no signs of ending. She is scaring many away, it has to be over a thousand that she has scared by now. With more monsters coming into the fight than she scares though, it is looking vary direr.
Inn starts flinging the monsters far away instead if swing at them. This goes over better, but it is not enough. The dragons get into the skies of the town. Inn sees one beginning to blow flames. Inn grows a thick dragon skin membrane bubble around the town. The dragon lets loose it flames, and is shocked at the barrier that stopped it. The towns pony scream in terror as darkened town is lit red and orange with the fire hitting the membrane.
The dragons began unleashing fire attack after fire attack. Inn was uncomfortable, in a little bit a pain, and a bit annoyed by the lesser monster’s attacks. But now, with these dragons, after all this time, she was feeling the pain. She had to not show it, but it was getting hard. Her heads would sometimes have pained looks on them after a blast of fire hit. The monsters where all seeing this, and began rushing at full force now.
Inn turned one of her claws attention to try and grab a dragon, but the dragons would always dodge the claw. Inn tried and tried swiping vigorously to grab even one. But, when she finally got one, the other dragons would attack the claw until the dragon until it was freed. Inn felt rushed, and tired. There were things that she could do with magic, but it would only work if there was fewer monsters.
Inn felt trapped... alone.
She continued to try and stop the monsters invasion, but it was just so large. It seemed endless. She felt defeated. But then... cheers. “You can do it! Keep on fighting!” cheered a still hopeful town. “You are the best! You can win! Don't give up!” Where they doing this for a while? Inn could not tell. Her focus was on the one versus thousands battle. It sounded like they were doing it for a long time. If they hadn't given up, neither will Inn.
Inn grew dozens of horns along her back. Inn felt as if she had more energy now. Each horn was working on making five lightning strikes to hit the dragons. Most would miss, but ever so often, there was a hit that slowed the dragons down. Inn hated how fast these dragons where. If she was only able to move from this spot, she would be able to take them down without any problems. She just continues to shoot lightning and slash.
The dragons were still going strong after another hour of the lighting assault from Inn. There had to still be just under a thousand monsters trying to get past the armed wall. But Inn, she was getting tired from the massive drain of magic, the use of her transformation, fighting off many waves of thousands of monsters, and nearly five hours of being attack nonstop. Now, the only thing keeping her going, was the chants from those in town.
Inn now had another idea, but it requires the dragons to be close to Inn to work. She had to work on a plan to get those dragons down to her rather than up in the air. She dwindle the numbers of the other monsters by around thirty or fifty. The main monsters she was dealing with was hydras, Ursas, manticores, and of course dragons. All small monsters were gone at this point.
She thinks about the situation at hoof. The best fighters were the dragons with the aerial advantage. She should take them down as fast as possible, worry about the rest later.
She took the claws away from the ground monsters focusing them all on the dragons... kind of. The arms went out and up, the talons had spread out and looked distorted in the positions that they were in. The dragons moved to the center, breathing fire at the claws, but stopped, and gaped. The talons grew in size, not a little, this was massive growth. When each claw's talon touched another, it fused into one long appendage. Then when all the claws were no more, and instead, a scaly meaty cage, a webbing made out of the same skin as the bubble below then closed in the gaps.
What got the dragons scared though, was that each scaly link, had a series of horns. Once again, Inn got a rush of energy which she intends to use. All aimed for the center. Inn made adjustments so that the lasts would not hit herself, but instead go out small slivers on the opposite side or to the ground.
Inn opened fire.
The dragons were hit with an onslaught of lightning bolts. They weren’t fast enough for this. Several monsters on ground were getting hit by the bolts that weren't hitting the dragons. Inns many heads and the excess lightning was working on keeping the other monsters at bay.
The dragons did what they could to move down and out an opening near the bottom of the enclosure. They were ambushed by the bubble protecting the town turning into five dragon wings, catching them all.
Inn removes the other bubble, letting in the blinding moon light onto the town. The town's chants stopped, and were replaced by screams and moans of pain from the sudden light change. Inn tried to ignore this as she started to speak.
“You who remain! Know this: I grow weary of this pathetic charade! If you do not wish death upon yourself, then I say this once for you... leave here! I will no longer play this game! If you wish to continue, then I will not hesitate to kill you where you stand! I will give you five minutes to comply! If you stay, then I shall slay!” boomed over seven hundred voices, from over seven hundred heads.
The ground shook at the voices giving demands, but not nearly as bad as over eight hundred monsters fleeing in fear. Inn still held the dragons tightly. In four minutes, the entire group of monsters had fled from the border of the town. All that was left was the captured dragons.
“If I see you pests again, you will lose your lives!” threatened the massive ring of heads.
The dragons were let go. They looked around dazed, and then flew off.
The battle was over. Inn fought off over ten thousand monsters. Over the course of several hours. By herself. She was very tired.
She turned into a white cloud of smoke, and regrouped into the center of town. She was rushed by hundreds of happy ponies. Her body ached, these ponies touching her made her feel worse. She felt herself losing consciousness. She tried to keep her eyes open, but it was all getting to her. She finally blacked out just as they set her back down on the ground.
=============
Inn wakes up in the town hospital. She could hear someponies talking. Why do these things keep happening? She gets up and looks around.
“Sorry dear, I just don't understand. What are you saying?” Inn followed the voices.
“We know that she passed out from shock. We just can't find any injuries.” It was getting closer. Down the hall?
“So... shock she had won then?” Yes, down the hall. There was several room in the hall, and one had the door open.
“No, not likely. She’d have waken up much sooner if it were just that.” Inn sees four ponies. A doctor, who was telling about her.
“So why don't you wake her? She might be able to say,” said the mayor. Elegance was sitting next to the mayor.
“Sorry, we don't know for sure what that might do. We all saw her take some nasty hits. She has nothing to show for it on her body at all. She is remarkable, but working on her is dangerous to her.”
Next to the doctor was Bubbles, who was off in her own little world. “I had such a remarkable pony as my guest. She gave me a gem.”
Inn just went outside. She needed fresh air. She went to the center of town to think back, and was shocked by what she had seen. There was a large statue of herself, normal Inn, but with various heads coming out of her.
There was a plaque that read:
In Remembrance of the Mighty Inn Cog Neato
Master of a Googolplex Disguises
Slayer of All Monsters
Hero of our Town
Inn was touched. They really all loved her. This was possibly Inn's biggest day. As Inn roams the town, many ponies wave and cheer. Some ponies were clapping as Inn walk past. Inn walked around town for nearly an hour, when the mayor came running up to Inn.
“Oh deary me! You had us worried! Are you feeling any better?”
“Oh, ah, yes. Just a mild m-monster f-fight. No need t-to worry about it,” joked Inn. Her big goofy smile was what made her serious tone look like a joke. “I'm fine. I don't know w-why, but s-sometimes I can t-take some p-pretty bad h-hits, and still g-go strong... ish.”
“Do you know why you fainted dear?” asked the mayor, still concerned.
“Pain. Lots of pain.”
“That doctor was right then. He tried to say that you passed out over pain for the last two days now. Now that you are up, I can see he was right on the nose with that one.”
Inn was shocked. She did not know she was out that long. Still, it's not as bad as the last time she came home. “Wow. It's n-not really that l-long, but...”
“I-Inn, mayor? I found you!” cried out a shaky voice.
Inn looks to see Elegance coming her way. “Oh, so y-you did.”
“Inn... I-I... I want to say t-thanks. You t-traumatized me and my b-best friend. Made us s-see d-dead ponies for y-years. Made us t-think that we were going c-crazy. T-then, when you where b-banished, we f-feared more would come. Y-you broke the l-law, and r-returned here a-again... and you now have my trust. I can see you have ch-changed. Me and E-exquisite had d-due p-punishment coming our way. I feel you where t-too harsh on d-dealing it too us th-though, but I c-can say that I understand. Thank you f-for saving the town the other d-day.”
Inn felt touched that a pony she had done so much to was thanking her for something. “G-good to hear! There is a s-small problem. I can't t-think of where to eat.”
“Oh my, what do you like little Inn?” asked the mayor.
“I have no appetite for anything right now, but I'm hungry, and don't want to go to the royal castle hungry,” ranted Inn. She used another personality to help with the rant.
A large dragon flies to the royal city of Canterlot. As it nears, it can see many guards in preparation for a fight. They were not ready for the large beast to go on top of the castle. Many blasts were sent at the dragon, but before one could hit, the dragon seemed to disappear.
Inn changed into a winged mouse, and flew into a open window. That was too easy and too fun for Inn. As she scurried about the castle, looking for Princess Celestia, she felt magic wrap around her and lift her up.
“Tia, look a mouse. Has there ever been a mouse in the castle this high up before?” asked Luna. She seemed to be herself again, just with a magically flowing, stary mane and tail..
“No, that is odd.” Princess Celestia leaned in close to inspect the mouse.
“Princess Celestia, just who I was looking for!” squeaked the little mouse.
The princesses looked shocked. “Ah, Tia... have you ever heard a mouse talk before?”
“No. Tell me mouse, what is it you wish to speak about?”
“Can you set me down first?” Squeak squeak squeak, my what a squeaky little mouse.
“Oh, sorry.” Luna blushed as she let the mouse down.
“Oh yes, that is much better,” it said before turning into Inn.
The princesses jumped. “Oh, Inn... How do I never see you coming?” rhetorically asked Princess Celestia. Inn just smiled, and this irritated the princess. “Let me guess, the dragon invasion just now was you too?”
“Ah, well... yes. I've had a bothersome few days, and just couldn't pass up the joke.”
“Oh, do tell me how bad it was little Inn.” Luna was getting scared by the threatening tone in her sister's voice.
Unfazed, Inn answers, “Oh, but princess... that is precisely what I was coming here to talk to you about.”
=============
“Oh! That was quite a few days!” The princesses eyes were wide. They did not expect such a story that included visuals. “So why did you want to talk to me exactly?” asked Princess Celestia, calm and curious.
“Do you know why the monsters would have attacked like that?” Inn sounded genuine in her question.
“That is a little hard to say.” She pauses to think about it. “There was some things that happened over the course of two to three months, and the results from there made the monster run rampid. There was another who fought like you in Ponyville.”
“Okay, thanks for letting me know-, wait! Did you say another who fought like me in Ponyville?”
The princesses looked at each other. “Yes, we had to drain her power though,” said Luna.
“She was dangerous and we were sealed away by her. It was necessary to prevent if from happening again,” fibbed the princess.
Inn new that there was something up with this but felt it best to let it go. “So she could fight off many monsters?”
“Yes.” said Luna.
Something just clicked in Inn's mind. “Wait! I need to know. How is Luna back to normal... well she still has the magic hair, but she acts normal.”
Princess Celestia looks at Luna and back at Inn. “Me and a group of unicorns worked on making her back to normal. She has a mane like mine because she is the one that took the power from the other pony. I fear the spell can only be used on a pony once, and the efforts will not last pass September though.”
“Oh...”
They talked about how the towns pony were grateful to Inn for the saving the town. How good it felt. How Inn should try and be like that more often.
=============
Inn sat, waiting in her hut. She asked Princess Celestia to send a letter to Twilight to meet Inn at her hut. So Inn sits there waiting. Looking out a window.
Twilight came in the open door in a panic. “What... what is it?”
“When I was just a filly, trying out different things with my ability, I thought I noticed some things.”
“What?” asked Twilight, confused and a little worried.
“They were so little and minor, I just shrugged them off. I was having too much fun transforming.”
“Why are-?” Twilight took a few steps to Inn, only to stop when she was cut off.
“When I needed parts for this hut, however, I got into a fight with a dragon.” Inn looks at her leg. “It had pierced my leg. When I was skinning it, I noticed, that there wasn’t blood coming from the injury though.”
Twilight looked shocked.
“A few more times, things like that happened.” Inn looks up at Twilight. “But, I was just in a massive fight with over a thousand monster. This was only a few days ago.” Twilight gulps nervously. “I have a favor to ask of you.” Inn stands up. “I need to see something. Come with me.” They walked out side.
“Inn, what's going on?” asked Twilight nervously.
Inn ignored the question. “Stand here.” Inn continued to move up farther. She then turned so her side was facing Twilight. “Stab my side,” Inn demanded.
“WHAT!”
“I'm going to change forms, I want you to use your horn to stab me.” Inn turns into a three bodied pony with eighteen legs nine heads four wings thirty horns and no matching colors for the body parts. “Do it now.”
Twilight starts to back away. “No, I can't!”
“I trust you Twilight. Please trust me. Do it.”
“Why are you doing this?”
“Please, I need to know.”
Twilight stands there crying, then she makes the charge. Inn falls over bleeding and in pain, but quickly changes back to her normal self. She looks to see no injury. She changes back to that form and sees it has the hole left by Twilight. Going back as herself she lift Twilight up and shows her the that there is no injury.
Four loud booms could be heard in Ponyville coming from a few thousand miles high in the sky. Inn was going around the world to see the sights and have a few nice days to herself. In just a few hours, Inn was two countries away from Equesteria.
Inn saw nice forest that she sat in for quite some time, before leaving. She loved seeing the new animals, that is, ones not trying to kill her. Plants that were well lit and were absolutely beautiful. She found lots of trees, but also wide open fields that could be found so easily. Inn loved this spot. She could live here for ever.
But... she could not stay for long.
She continues to look for more wonders just like this. She wanted to see more of the Earth. She needed to know more. This was on Inn's mind for a long time. Now she will finally do it.
She finds a waterfall. Oh goodie! This can be fun. Inn goes to the bottom of the waterfall and stands there enjoying the feeling. She had some fun with the water by changing into a taller pony, and back to normal. She then looks up and sees a darker patch in the water.
Inn gets closer to the patch by making her legs ridiculously long. She put up a fifth hoof to see if there was anything going on behind the waterfall. The hoof went straight through. Inn found a cave. She walked in, wanting to see what was inside.
The cave was not quite straight forward, there was a turn not far from the water. When Inn made this turn, she found a dragon eating some gems. Inn's first reaction was to leave quietly. This was not much of an option seeing as how the dragon turned around and looked at Inn as soon as he finished that gem.
“Oh. I see I have a guest. Why not take a seat?” he asked. His voice sounded old and wise.
“Oh, I-I... I think that I-”
“Heh heh, there is no need to be frightened little pony. I am fourteen thousand years old, and have long since lost my lust for bloodshed and random material possessions. All I wish for now, is gems and company.” The dragon was beckoning Inn to take a seat.
Inn slowly walks up to a small pile if gems and sits down. “S-so what's it like to l-live for that long?”
He runs a claw through the pile of gems by nearest him, as if in thought. “I have seen many wars. Many of my brethren fall. Possibly the biggest thing, the world change over and over again.”
“H-how many times?” Inn was truly interested.
The dragon let loose a hearty chuckle before answering. “It depends on the place. I have seen untouched land become a city in only three months of its discovery. I have seen many civilizations come and go. I have even seen forests take over ruined towns. There are so many things can be look at as a world, and I have seen it change many, many times over the millenniums past.”
Inn looked amazed, with widened eyes. “That's so a-amazing. Have you b-been in a w-war before?”
“Yes. Many wars. The first war I was in had me in the front lines. I was weak and only served to slow down the other armies advances. I learned quickly how to fight. The war was over land, and my group lost due to too few good warriors. The last war had me taking down entire towns, by myself. These were all during the reign of the dragon. I have not seen a position in a army fleet for over four millenniums,” the dragon said after letting out a nostalgic sigh.
“Why did t-the dragon reign e-end?” asked Inn.
“To few of us. The pony armies were even getting better equipped to take us down. We had put ourselves in a bad position. Seeing this, monsters and ponies were taking advantage of it. As I am sure you are aware, the ponies won the struggle.”
The white mare seemed to be bouncing. “Wow, i-is there any more you c-can tell me a-about the past?”
“Heh heh, why don't you tell me a little about yourself little pony. Where do you come from?” Dragons like to learn new things too.
“I l-live in Equesteria. It's nice.”
The elder dragon lifts a claw to his chin in contemplation. “Equesteria? I have yet to see it. It is one of the newer countries. Heh, new for me, that is. That is the country that is ruled by Celestia, am I right?”
“Yes, she is the r-ruling princess.”
“Do you mean ‘queen’?”
“No, her and h-her sister Luna c-co-rule, and neither is q-queen,” explained Inn.
“Well that is interesting. I think I may visit there sometime. For now though, I have some gems to eat. Do you have any other questions for me little pony?”
Inn sits there and thinks while the dragon eats a few more gems. “No, nothing is c-coming to me right n-now.”
“Fine then, have a nice day little pony.”
“You t-too big old dragon.”
=============
As Inn flew around, she thought about how nice it was to see a full grown dragon not try and kill her, but instead talk. She flew until she found some small houses. The place she found looked like a miniature village.
She sat on a cloud watching the families move from house to house. She had seen many happy foals playing some odd, but fun games. The older ponies were happily helping out the town in many various ways. There was a lot of happiness in this town that Inn has only just recently seen in her own life.
Inn sat there for about ten minutes, and thought that she should go. She would have some fun with it though. She quickly zoomed straight up in the the sky. She made two loud booms there were seen by the rings she left. When she was out of eyeshot from those on ground she made a 90 degree turn for the next exciting thing she could find.
She boomed her way to another village that had ponies wearing some fascinating clothing. There was a design inside a circle of all the shirts and dresses. These ponies were learning how to do some interesting dances. They were working on it in unison, and that just blew Inn's mind.
She watch them until they had finished dancing and then moved on to other things like hauling water. She flew around the countries, and when she saw all she wanted of that she moved onto the next countries.
Inn flew around, until she got back to Ponyville. She then took a brake on the highest cloud she could find. When she felt good enough to go back out she readied up, and boomed six rings. She had to see if she had seen all she wanted to, and do it fast.
Inn watched the world spin past her. She enjoyed the wind going through her wings as if it just simply should. She had to go back to she thinks she missed due to being lost in the sensation.
The feeling of such speed was intoxicating to Inn. She darted around just to see how sharp she could move without really trying. She could do a 417 degree turn with the effort she normally used for a 30 degree turn. She loved it!
When she finally got back to Ponyville, she made a slow stop, learning from last time. She made a trip around the world in nearly six hours. Inn nearly tempted herself to go back out, thinking that she could shave of nearly thirty minutes if she did not goof around like she did.
Inn strolled into her inn, feeling the adrenalin slowly fade from her.
Inn worked her inn for a few more days. Twilight was still a little shaken up by what happened before, but she would come by and check on Inn every so often. There was things on Inn's mind that always stopped real conversation though. Inn was preoccupied with thoughts that would swim in her mind. Things that have been building since she had Luna look into her mind, and were getting more active over time.
Inn knew why the spell failed. The night was playing in her mind over and over again.
She would stay up late thinking about it. There was just too much to take in. It had been quite some time, and she still needed to sort out some things. One thing was for sure; she knew she would be getting revenge.
What was done to her was far worse than she had ever thought. She was having the hardest time coming up with a way to get her revenge. Nothing she thought of was even half as bad as what was done to her. She was turning red with rage as she was deep in thought.
“Oh, oh my. Is now a bad time?” Fluttershy had dropped by to see Inn, and was shaking at the sight of Inn's furious face.
Inn calmed herself when she saw Fluttershy in the doorway. “No no no. You can come in. Sit, I'll get us some tea.” Inn started going around the kitchen getting the things ready for tea. “So, what brings you here?”
“Well, Twilight says that you have been acting a bit peculiar. She hasn't been able to get you to be like... well... yourself.” Fluttershy began to shy away, but was still trying to be comforting.
The happy mood in Inn depleted. As Inn stood waiting for the whistle of the tea, she asked, “I've been thinking about something. A question... more like a series of questions.” Inn paused, which gave the tea time to finish. Bringing the tea over to the table, Inn sits next to Fluttershy in the little booth.
“They are big questions.” Inn just stared the steaming pot of tea for a while. “Do you mind if I ask you these questions to see how you would answer them?” Her gaze was still fixated on the tea pot.
“Oh, ah... I guess I'll try. I don't know how much help I can-.”
“You will help. Don't worry about that.” Inn looked down, and soon after she did, a shell like... think... formed around Inn's head. Inn felt Fluttershy jump at the sudden addition to Inn's head. “Okay, first, if a pony kills another, what do you think the punishment should be?” Inn spoke with a monotone as she asked the question.
There was a pause before the shaking pegasus answered. “Well banishment. Nopony deserves to die, even if that pony has killed another pony.”
Only a second after the answer was given, Inn continues, “Now, if a pony has killed many ponies before, what would be a good punishment?” She continued the monotone.
Fluttershy gasped, and she had paused to think the question over. “My. These are... um, what makes you think of such... ah, questions.” After not getting an answer from Inn, Fluttershy answers Inn's question, “Oh, well... I'd have to say... um... ba-banishment?” Fluttershy was getting more quiet as she spoke her answer.
Inn again asked her next question almost a second after Fluttershy had finished her answer. “Okay, you're doing good so far, don't worry.” She broke the monotone for just a little bit. “If that pony where to continue killing other ponies, what would be the proper punishment for him then?” she said, back to the monotone.
Inn was shaking purely due to the shaking of Fluttershy. “Well... ah... oh my... ah...”
Inn waited for Fluttershy to answer, but she could not think of one. So Inn asked her next question, “It's okay, even an 'I don't know' helps. Would it be okay, for a pony to intervene in a mass murdering pony's rain, by killing that pony? If it's not okay, then what kind of punishment?”
Inn could hear something coming from Fluttershy, but could not tell if it was gasps, whimpers, exasperating, or even teeth chattering. “I... I don't think... that any pony has the right to harm another pony.”
“So, the same punishment whenever possible? Banishment.” There was no gap, Inn just spoke. Inn removed her bizarre helmet after a deep sigh. Inn had a smile again. “Thanks Fluttershy. You helped me out.” Inn was now sounding so sincere in her words.
“Wh-why Inn? Why are you thinking of... such horrible questions? What... what brought this on?”
Inn smile turned into a frown. “Let's not talk about that.” Inn left the table and untouched tea.
“S-sorry to, to well ah, bother you, but I now need to know.”
Inn got into the center of the room and stopped. “Stop. Please.” She then turned to face Fluttershy, and formed a bubble that was indiscriminate in what it engulfed.
Fluttershy jumped at the new large object's sudden appearance into the room. She slowly moved up to the dome. There was several small holes, so Fluttershy looked in one to see what it was like inside. She saw many narrow beams of light shining on a curled up, and shaking Inn. “Oh dear, ah, Inn... I don't mean to impose, but you have me worried.” She tries to move in a little closer to the hole, but sees that the bubble was not tangible. She walks into the dome, and up to Inn.
When Inn felt a light touch on her shoulder, she jumped. She looked around at Fluttershy confused and shock. She changed her expression the best she could, giving a forced smile. “Oh, ah, I thought that would work longer.” She then made the little lights dance around in a circle and wave up and down. It was a nice slow paced speed.
“Ah... Inn... I can see something is troubling you. What is it? You-.”
The lights were spinning a little faster. “I know you can't handle it. Just... drop it, okay?” said Inn, as her smile got more forced.
“Inn come on. I can help you.”
The lights spun faster. “You have helped. Now I'm helping you by not saying any more.” Inn's smile was looking distorted as it twitched.
Fluttershy looked down, frowning. “C-can’t I help more if I-”
Inn lights where speeding up to a dizzying pace. “Drop it Fluttershy. I can handle it.” Her smile almost vanished.
“Inn, I have one question. Why are you thinking and acting like this? I have answered several que-.”
Inn hopped to her feet. “Drop it!” The bubble went from white, to a deep red before shattering as Inn yelled out her demand. Inn looks at the cowering friend on the floor for a few seconds. As she heads for the door, she says, “I'm going for a walk. Please don't follow me.”
=============
Inn walks around town. She was feeling pressured by Fluttershy, but knew the grim details would be too much. Even when cleaned up. If it were somepony else, she would possibly have said what was on her mind. Not Fluttershy, it just couldn't be Fluttershy.
She walked into the marketplace. She was thinking that she should eat something. Before she could eat though, there was a couple of ponies calling out to Inn.
“High Dragon Slayer!” called out Apple Bloom.
“Inn, Ah need a word with you, “ said Applejack, sounding a little mad with Inn.
“Oh, hi ya'll. What's up?”
“'What's up' is that Big Macintosh told me that you came on ta him.”
“Nice choice Dragon Slayer!”
“What? No! She ain't good enough for our big bro.”
“Yes she is! She is the best pony!”
Inn sat back and watch the free entertainment.
“Big Mac is shy, he needs a strong pony to help him out ever so often.”
“She's the Dragon Slayer! That's plenty strong, and plenty cool for Big Macintosh!” Inn was finding the bouncing of Apple Bloom too adorable.
“Okay, ah, I think that's enough. I asked Big Mag because I had been wanting to for some time now,” said Inn with two red cheeks.
“Well why didn't you sooner then?” asked Apple Bloom.
“Even dragon slayers have their fears,” chuckled Inn.
“You're afraid of Big Macintosh?” asked Apple Bloom.
Inn giggles. “Close enough.”
“Dragon Slayer... you confuse me.”
Applejack cocked an eyebrow. “Why do you keep call’n her 'Dragon Slayer?'”
Inn quickly answers. “Oh, well, li'l Apple Bloom and her friends know me for dragon slaying.”
“Hold your horses there! Are you saying that the shy Inn keeper is a dragon slayer?”
“Yeah, and a cool one!”
“Na ah! Ah ain't buying it. She looks too scrawny to do anything.”
Inn turns into Apple Bloom. “AJ, you don't judge a book by it's cover.” Applejack backed up. Inn then turned into Applejack. “But, Ah have read this book from cover to cover.” Inn then turns into a pony size full grown dragon. She turns back into Apple Bloom. “Yay, a dragon!” Applejack. “We need to hurry up and get Twi. She can handle this.” Twilight. “Why are you asking me? Inn can handle it.” Inn then turns back into herself and falls on the ground laughing.
“What in Celestia's name was that?” asked Applejack.
“Me thinking how this would all go if it continued,” said Inn.
“AJ, she can transform.”
“Inn, could ya do this the entire time?”
Inn turns into an old form of hers, Charity. “Ah, yes.”
Applejack gasped at the sight. “You, it's you, you... Ah ad'a buck you.”
“I would believe the owner of these mane colors thought the same as you. Did you hear, I beat her in a race?”
“Ah don't believe it!”
“Believe it! The only one who can transform, is the only one you know that can easily win a race with Rainbow Dash.”
“Apple Bloom, she is clearly bonkers. I don't want you staying around her ya hear?”
Inn turns back into herself. “Ask any of your friends about me. The Cutie Mark Crusaders know me for slaying a dragon in front of them to save them. Then there's my hometown. They loved my work so much, there's a statue in my honor.”
“Ah doubt that,” challenged Applejack.
Inn gave a big smile. She grew a horn, that quickly lit. They were all enveloped in light and popped out of town. They popped into Trottingham, in front of the statue. “I saved them all from a massive monster attack that, by the way, included dragons.”
Some towns pony noticed Inn, and they started cheering. Inn waved at them and turned her attention back to the others.
“Oh my, guess ya'll were tell'n the truth.”
“Yes, you should listen to me more often big sis.”
Inn brings them back to Ponyville. “Okay, well I have something to do, good by.” Inn started to walk off.
“See, she is the best pony for Big Mac!” said Apple Bloom.
Inn could feel eyes on her. She ran from there as fast as she could.
=============
After Inn ate, she went next to the Everfree forest border. She was just sitting there thinking. She heard steps coming up from behind her, but ignored it until they stopped beside her.
“Inn, can you explain why Fluttershy is crying?” asked Rarity. Rarity seemed upset, but willing to listen to Inn's explanation.
“I asked some questions. Then I wouldn't explain why I was asking them.” Inn looked up at Rarity, seeing that there may need to be more of an explanation than that.
“That can't be all.”
“I asked her about murderers and punishments for them. She was wanting to know what brought this on, and I would not explain.”
“Well would you be a dear and tell me why?”
Inn turns into a dear. “She wouldn't be able to handle the grim reason why I was asking.” Inn smiled at Rarity.
“This is no time for jokes. Now if you could not tell her, then can you tell me?”
Inn changed back. “Ah... yes.” She pauses for a few seconds, looking at the ground. “Can you guess my age?”
“First, don't change the topic. Second, a lady never talks about some other ponies age.”
“I look about twenty right?”
Rarity sighs, “Yes I guess, but what-?”
“Would you be believe me if I said I was in my fifties?”
Rarity stood in silence. “I would not, no.”
“The reason why I did not explain the questioning to Fluttershy... is... I saw my death. Murdered. Body played with, and organs scattered across several tables.”
Rarity looked shocked and disturbed. “What do you mean? You saw what will happen?”
“When I was seventeen, I was murdered, and didn't even know it until a spell went wrong. He put me back together, and now I am alive thirty years later.”
Rarity looked shocked and disturbed. “Oh, so... that's what you were keeping from our dear little Fluttershy.”
“Yes.”
“Now I'm a little confused... should I treat you like a peer or an elder?” joked Rarity, giving a poor week smile.
Inn looked up and smiled. “Whichever is fine.”
“Well then, Ms. Inn. I like the sound if it,” said Rarity, smile looking more genuine.
“Well my little pony, that sounds fabulous,” joked Inn right back.
“Wait. Inn is there more?”
“Ah...”
“That does not explain why you have been acting so weird. Well not entirely that is. Like, why is it that you haven't stuttered?”
“Promise me that you won't tell anypony.”
“Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye,” as Rarity chanted this, she made some odd leg movements.
“I guess that's a yes. I know who killed me. As soon as I can find something worse than what he did to me, Moonstone will pay.”
Inn left Inn inn early to see her friends Twilight and Fluttershy. She knew that she would have to give Rarity and her some time apart after their talk last night. She changed her mind however, and instead went to her hut.
She got into the hut and started reading some books. The topic of interest, torture. She could not think of anyway to get payback for her death. She wasn't just thinking of herself though. She was wanting to seek revenge for the deaths of many ponies killed by Moonstone.
Her motivation for this was that she had lost many years of what should have been her life. The thing that kept her going though was that she was kind of the Lucky one. She had to stop him.
She went through book after book. As she did, she began to think about her friends. It seemed as if she was the only one among the group that would think like this. She had worked on her revenge for so long, she never stopped to think of the good.
She now has many friends. She lives in a town. She got to see both princesses. She had a beautiful dress made just for her. She is a hero of her home town.
But... there is plenty of bad that comes with Moonstone himself. He kills relentlessly. He shows almost no mercy. He makes many bizarre things that do Celestia knows what. Inn was almost positive that he even uses other ponies body parts as his own.
If she goes through with this, she might lose her friends.
If she doesn't go through with it, then many innocent ponies will die.
If she just tells Celestia, then she may only lock him in a prison where he may escape.
She doesn't know what to do now. She only keeps reading in the books, hoping there may be an answer somewhere in them. A way to torture him, a way to keep him at bay, whether it is better to report him, or anything.
Finally, Inn finds her answer. It was a bit odd, but she found it suitable. It was common for guards and citizens to kill leader after the lead had shown themselves unworthy. She would do just this.
Inn was about to dart of, happy she had an answer, sad she may not get to see her friends, and wanting to get this all over with. She then noticed that she may be needing something for her friends. She goes and rights a note.
When Inn finished her note, she left the note pinned to the door as she left.
=============
Inn walked to Moonstone's metallic house, slowing down every so often. She got to thinking about this a bit more. He did not seem that vile. Moonstone may stop if he has something to make him stop, yes. That something does not have to be death though, does it?
Inn's thoughts were spinning. She had two conclusions, and neither seemed good to do or not do. She watched the patterns of the shadows caused by the raising sun as she walked. She was almost at the house now, she needed to make up her mind.
She could see the house and still her mind was not made up. She continued walking slower and slower as she got close to the house.
Standing in front of the door. Mind not made up yet. She hesitated on pressing the button for those bells. Then it clicked. She can just leave.
Before Inn could Lower her hoof, there was a sudden, “Well hello there,” from behind her.
Inn jumped, back flipping to the ground... again. “Ah, h-high.”
“Oh, it has been so long since you last did that,” chuckled Moonstone. “So do you have any more information to tell me? I so would love to hear about what is going on with the flying monsters. I came out about a week ago to see if-.”
“Ah, well a-actually... I have a question for you.” Inn started to roll over to get back to her hooves.
“Well, fire away little Inn. You know I wouldn't mind sharing what I know about any random trivia.”
“How i-is it that y-you have a multi colored coat? Why don't your m-mane and t-tail match? H-how did it a-all change f-from before?” Inn believes that she knows the answer to these questions, it's just a matter of how they are answered that will help with her final decision.
“Oh, that's simple. I have seen many ponies that have coats that just looks wonderful, and if I can, I use their coats as my own. I of course need a robot like Tex to do the work of stitching it onto me, but it is done with relative ease.” He said this as if it were as common a thing as eating hay.
“I have a-another question. Do you k-kill those ponies?”
“Well yes, I need to experiment with something. It is usually better if the subject is dead for it to work. Well, that is, I have made it better. I can keep body parts living while the subject is not any more.”
That sealed it. She now knew what she was going to do. “Doctor Moonstone Specter... I quit.”
“What!” he said as he took some steps back. “Why all of the sudden?”
“Working for you s-supports your h-horrid experiments. S-so I quit.” Inn just knew that stating what she wasn't liking about his life would get him to change it.
“Why does everypony keep saying that?” he asked, raising his voice a little as he did.
Inn began to doublethink her own choice. “Who else h-has told you this?”
“The ponies from my home town. They all said it. They said that my experiment made them feel scared. Then Tex says that she can't stand to look at me. Why?” There was hysterical confusion in his tone.
Inn stepped closer. “Ponies... don't like k-killing. Even my killing d-dragons is looked down upon.”
“Why? What is it that makes these things wrong?” He was beginning to sound more irritated now.
Inn tilted her head to the side and asked, “What do you m-mean why?”
“Why is it not okay for me to experiment or you to live? I don't get it!” Now there seemed to be no confusion, just irritation.
“Death, i-it's to avoid death. N-not to stop us, to s-stop death.” She said in hopes that this would get across to him.
“AHHH! But why? I don't get it!” he shouted in his frustration of a topic that is clearly over his head.
Inn sighs, “I-I'm going now, bye.” “No, stay!” he demands as he head buts Inn. “Wha-?” is all she could say before the sudden attack.
Inn stammers, and then looks back at Moonstone. “Wha-what was th-that for?”
“No! You can't leave! You can't leave!” Moonstone seemed to be losing it... or what little he had.
“Y-you can-can't keep me he-here.” Inn was just about to change into a taller pony, but then she was head butted again. As she tried to prepare for another head but, he rammed her again and pushed her until she fell onto the ground.
“Don't leave! Don't leave! Stay!”
Inn never knew that old ponies could hit this hard. She stammers back to her hoofs again. She make her fur scaly and hard before she made her reply. “No, n-not e-ever a-.”
He rammed her again, and asked, “Why, why?”
Inn was hurting from the previous head buts, and had a hard enough time changing her fur. So after this ram, she lost control of it. She was getting closer to the house with every ram Moonstone did. Inn did not answer his question, but instead tried to run.
As soon as she lowered her head to sprint off, Moonstone charged at her again. This flung Inn into the house's metallic walls. “No no no NO! I was so close to finding out what it was! Don't go! I need you!”
Inn was too distracted by the pain around her body to hear what Moonstone said. He came for one more head but. He got dizzy from that one. Inn started coughing.
When Moonstone's world was not spinning anymore, he rammed again. Inn's instinct kicked in, and a spike formed at her side. Inn was pushed into the metal with quite some force. Almost as soon as she lost the spike, Moonstone fell to the ground with a massive hole in his head.
Inn coughed. She coughed again and again. She looks under her where she was coughing, and see blood splatters. She has never felt such pain. She now welcomes that time she fell out of the sky do to the sun blinding her.
Inn tires to stand, but passes out.
Revenge Ending: Changed Mind: Chapter 30: Bright Side of Death
When Inn awoke from her pain induced nap, she looked around. She felt disoriented, and lost. Seeing the bloody corpse of Moonstone brought it all back to her. As she coughed, she watched the pool of blood inch closer to the shiny wall.
Then another thing clicked. There was a ‘no longer necessary’ note left for her friends. At least, it was no longer relevant. She had to do something about that letter. Looking at the shadows, she saw that it was still fairly early in the morning.
Inn painfully worked her way to her hooves. She staggered around, walking slowly and poorly to her hut. She could not go fast at all, her coughing was forcing her to stop. When the coughs were really bad, she had to lean against a tree.
She never knew just how long this could take until now. It was four hours later, and she was still only halfway there. Inn was working herself so much that the coughing was getting worse as the minutes passed by.
Inn looked down at the blood she just coughed up. “Heh.. heh... heh heh... I'm l-l-eave a t-tr-trail... of blood h-home.”
She continues her way back, watching as the shadows change directions. She was thinking of all the things she would never be able to do. She would never have foals. She would never have a husband. She is never going to be able to say sorry for how she’s acted lately.
Inn was thinking faster than she ever had. For this, she began to think that she was dwelling on it for too long. Tried to think of what she did do with her life.
She meet the princesses. She learned at least thirty spells. She flew around the world. She is the fastest flying earth pony. She got friends. She had dragons quaking in her presence. She saved an entire town.
Inn now felt at ease. She has just one thing left to do... take care of that letter.
She had been going back and forth with these things so much, she did not notice that she was in eye sight of her hut. She sees more than the dragon scale walls though, she sees Twilight standing by the door.
Inn falls down on the ground. She tries to crawl, but is losing her strength fast. Twilight sees this, and rushes to Inn. Twilight looks at Inn's coat, the crimson still showing up brightly in the night glow.
“Inn?! What's wrong?! Where are you hurt?” asked Twilight as she tried to find the cause of the blood on Inn's legs and underside.
Inn coughs, then says, “I... I didn't do i-it. I was... g-going t-to, but I-I found a-a-another way.” She coughs some more. “B-but that d-didn't work s-s-so well.” She tried to smile, but she was too weak to do so.
“Didn't do what? What happened?” Twilight tried to hold Inn, but saw that it hurt her.
“Oh... you d-d-didn't read the n-note. Heh, heh. W-well... long s-story sh-short... I'm dieing.” Inn was getting so weak, that she was now no longer able to hold her head up. “The st-stalli-on that can b-bring me b-back from th-the dead... is d-dead.”
“No, you can't die! It's too soon for you to die!” Twilight's voice was showing that she was about to cry.
“No... ch-c-cheer up... d-don't cry... be h-happy for l-life is qu-quite absurd... d-death is the l-last word... I-I am facing the c-curtain with a g-grin. F-forget the p-past... and th-think about t-the rest. Enjoy them... as i-if it were y-your last ch-chance t-t-to.” Inn starts lose consciousness, but drifts back. “And... a-always loo-ook on the br-bright side... of de-death. Just, like m-me... who’s... about... to draw... a final... breath.”
=============
Twilight now sat there with her friend lying dead in the grass. She begins to cry, but then things about the letter that was mentioned. Twilight Sparkle goes to the door and reads:
To my friends,
I am sorry to say, but I am leaving. I am about to do something horrible and against the law. I feel it to be the right thing though. I imagine that I'll be long gone by the time you read this. Please don't worry, I know I can make it out there somewhere other than the Everfree and Equesteria. This is not easy, to leave such good friends, but I think that this might be better than seeing me hauled off to the moon for murder. I am going to kill a murdering pony that was banished before, and still kills. This is the only way.
Good bye, Inn
Twilight cried. She put the note in the hut and looked around. She found a bag, which she then uses to hold the paper. On Twilight's way out, she sees Inn laying there. She looks back into the room. Twilight levitates Inn inside, next to the bookshelves. She rests Inn in a curled up ball.
Twilight Sparkle takes one last look at her lifeless friend, and heads back to the library.
=============
Twilight makes it back to her library. She stops at the door and takes a few breaths before entering. When Twilight Sparkle does enter, her faithful assistant, Spike, was right there to greet her home.
“Welcome hom-, wow, were you crying. Your eyes are really red.” The baby dragon looks about Twilight some more. “Hey, what's up with the bag?”
Twilight levitates the bag off, and into the corner. “I'm going to bed, good night Spike.” She sounded so sad as she spoke.
Now Spike knew that something was up. Twilight does not bring home stray bags, or go to bed before him. He could see she was upset about something, and thought if it was a good idea to talk to her or not. He went with good idea.
Following her up stair, he asks, “What's up Twilight? You never go to bed before me.”
She just continues up the stairs.
“Come on Twi, it's me, your best most faithful assistant Spike, you can tell me.”
When Twilight Sparkle got to her bed, she answers, “Inn's dead.”
“Inn? Oh, that white pony monster?”
Twilight gets under her blankets and covers up. “Yes... her. She is a friend that died in front of me.”
Spike tries to think of something that can help. “Well, you got to see her before then right? You got to hear her last word an all. Isn't that something?”
She pulled the covers over her head. “Yes, but they was such dreary and sad words.”
“Ah, well think of this, at least you won't be bothered by her acting weird.” Spike thought that he just made a mistake with that one.
Twilight Sparkle's fast breathing slowed down. She sat up keeping the blanket on herself. “You... you know, you're right. She said something like that too.” She walked down the stairs. When her and Spike were at the bottom, she said, “Spike, take a letter!”
“Ah okay. So you got a report for Celestia then?”
“Dear Princess Celestia,
I have learned recently that, yes life is great and you should live life to it's fullest, but life can also be of little concern. When you look at it, life's a laugh and death's a joke really. It's like a show, keep the audience laughing as you go. Always remember to see the good in life, as well as it's opposite. Look at the good side of them. Always look on the bright side of life. Always look on the bright side of life. Always look on...” Spike noticed that Twilight was just going to keep repeating herself, and put a claw on her shoulder.
“Do you want me to send it, or do you want to keep this one?” asked the baby dragon.
“Yes, let's send this one, but not now, tomorrow.”
The little dragon went to pick up the bag that Twilight brought home. Seeing how light it was, he opens it to see if it was empty. A letter fell out. He picks it up and reads it. “Hey Twilight, it looks like she died trying to help ponies. That's good right?”
Twilight looks to the floor. “She says that she didn't do it. She was trying something else, and it failed. I guess her and the killer she talked about are dead. That or some other pony died too.”
“Well then she didn't go down a killer.”
“Well she-... thanks for the helping Spike. I think I should go to bed.”
“Good night Twilight.”
“Good night Spike.”
=============
“Wake up. It’s a new day, time to get up!” said Moonstone, as he was trying to shake Inn awake.
Inn slowly got up. She looked around and saw all the metal... she knew where she was. It wasn’t all a dream after all. She felt a little stiff all over. She thought the floor must be rough to make her feel so bad after only one night. She saw Moonstone and got frightened, he looked different. Inn tried to shake this off as a possible thing that Moonstone can do, change his fur patches. “Oh, my...” she began, trying to think of a body part to start complaining about first.
“Oh, was the floor rough on you? Maybe you should've taken the table.”
“I s-slept okay. It wasn’t tha-” began Inn, only to fall face first to the floor. “-t bad.” She could not stand on her own.
Moonstone laughs, “Look at that, you can’t stand. Do you want some help up stairs?”
Inn looked down and blushed, “Y-yeah.”
Moonstone lifted Inn onto his back and carried her to the kitchen table, he helped her into a seat, and went of to make some tea. This time when he was making tea, Inn noticed that there was more going on. Inn tried to turn her head to see what was the cause for the extra noise, but was quickly distracted by more popping from her neck.
Friends Ending: New Thoughts: Chapter 28: Incognito
Inn is wandering around Everfree. The past few times she did, she flew, but this time she walks. It's darker in the forest, and she can't stand the sun beaming down on her. Inn had things on her mind. Her death actually.
She now knows... she has known, what the reason for the have thirty years to have pass by her. … The things on her mind related to her death. She was going through the forest, thinking on how horrible it was. How gruesome it was. She didn't just die, she was murdered. A serial killer had done it, too.
Luna's spell backfired (backfire means it didn't work, but it did, and the best way to describe what happened was backfire still), leaving Inn with all the knowledge of what happened, and some of Luna's history... as if Inn used the spell on Luna.
Yes, Inn knows why Luna turned into the Luna that stood before her after the spell. Inn also knows why the spell didn't work the way it was expected to.
To Inn, that all wasn't the most important thing. What was, was questions. How many ponies has Moonstone killed? Why did he do it? Why was he so merciless? Why was Inn alive now?
These questions along with many more, were going through Inns mind. She would feel weak from thinking so much and not eating, so she would go to get tea, only to start getting sick by the thought. She would need some strength, so she got the taste for tea, and sick again. She began to get the feeling of vertigo from the thoughts spinning in her mind. Another reason why flying wasn't a good idea.
She rests on a tree. She’s been walking for the past fourteen hours. She had been trying to use up some of her thinking process by doing advanced spells. Inn was armoring her legs with... well magical made armor, and making her nerves react to halve the normal amount of stimulus. She learned a lot from Luna, but it doesn't do much for her hooves after this much walking.
She looks down at these nice blue flowers the where growing all around the ground. She uses her magic to pick several dozens of these beautiful flowers. Using the flowers around, and her magic, she makes a bouquet of lovely blue flowers. She knew of a friend that would just love these beautiful flowers.
=============
Inn starts to feel a little better. She hasn't been able to do anything special for any of her friends. With these flowers, she just knows that Rarity will love the gift.
Even though she was feeling a bit better, she didn't stop the other spells as she levitated the bouquet to Rarity's shop. Inn seeing that some ponies were looking a little scared as she trotted into town.
Inn knocked on the door, but no answer. “Ah, Rarity, are y-you in?” Thinking that Rarity was just working hard, she enters to drop off the flowers. Inn walks to one of the tables that she sees Rarity normally use for random things. This looks good.
Before Inn could set down the flowers though, Rarity came out of one of the other rooms. She isn't looking where she is going at first.
“Welcome to the Car-” Rarity looks up. Her eyes dart in a panic at Inn and then to what she is levitating. “No! Keep those vile things away!” she screamed as she ran up the stairs.
Inn stood there, dumbfounded. Why did Rarity react like that to these beautiful flowers? Inn just walked out with her head held down. She didn't see the mirror on her way out.
If she did she it though, she would understand a little more why Rarity ran. The reflection of Inn showed floating leg armor, several strands of woven lit vines, and a horn that was glowing. Inn herself was not visible.
=============
Inn makes her way to Fluttershy's house. Fluttershy likes animals and plants, she would like the bouquet for sure. Seeing that Fluttershy is working on helping some animals with getting some food, Inn sees that she may have to wait a few minutes.
When Fluttershy is done, she turns around to see bizarre looking... thing that sends a shiver down her spine. It almost looks like a pony, and like it was walking to her. “Ahh, wh-what do you want?” asked Fluttershy, as she backed up.
“What i-is it Fluttershy? It's j-just me I have f-flowers for you.” Inn put the flowers in front of herself to show what she was talking about.
“Wh-why a-are you giving those to me?” squeaked Fluttershy.
“D-don't you like f-flowers?” asked Inn, as she lowered her head, and tilted it.
“Why aren't you s-saying anything?” asked Fluttershy as she backed up trying to go to her house. She wasn't doing a good job at it.
“What do you m-mean?” asked Inn as she raised her head again.
“Ah!” she ducks in preparation for an attack.
Was it the flowers? Was it the armor? Was it something else? Inn through the flowers behind herself and stopped all magic, even made her horn go away. “Better?”
Fluttershy looks up. Then she looks around. She really trembles. “Where did you go? Did you leave?”
“I'm righ-” Inn stops as she was about to touch Fluttershy's shoulder. Inn can't see her own hoof.
Fluttershy was slowly making her way to her house, looking to see if that thing would come back.
Inn changes into Fluttershy.
After some time, Fluttershy looks back. She sees a double of herself and panics more. “No, Fluttershy! W-wait!” she said, forgetting for second to change her voice. “Ah, I mean, wait!” Inn used Rainbow. Good old Rainbow.
“Wha-, how, how are you-?” Fluttershy watched the other her changed into Twilight, and then Applejack. “Inn?”
“Why can't you see ‘me’ me?” asked Inn.
“I don't know. This is just weir-” she looks back at the blue flowers. “Did you touch those flowers?”
Inn looks at them and then nods a yes to Fluttershy.
“Oh, my...”
=============
The two go to Twilight. Inn couldn't resist the temptation of going as Twilight. Fluttershy wouldn't say what was up, just that they needed to see Twilight or some other pony.
They knocked on Twilight's door, with Spike answering it shortly after.
“Ah, ah~, Twilight, it's you and Fluttershy!” announced the confused dragon.
Inn began to chuckle. She was using her own voice, so she was mute to those around her.
“Twilight... the other you is scaring me right now.”
Twilight came to the door to see that in fact there as another her with Fluttershy. “What's going on? Is that you Inn?”
Fluttershy was about to answer but Inn stopped her. She wanted to have some more fun. “I was w-walking around the f-forest.” Inn was miming her actions by walking around in a circle. “I was t-thinking a-about my d-death.” Inn fell to her side then got back up.
“What is she doing?” asked Twilight. Fluttershy was just as confused.
“To h-help stop the s-spinning in my head...” She spun her head around, and acted like she lost her hoofing. “... I added some armor.” Inn adds armor. “That d-didn't do that m-much, so I...” Inn changed her coat color her own. She also got rid of the mane and tail.
“Ahh~!” screamed Twilight. Fluttershy reacted a little too, she mostly just looked away.
“... tweaked w-with my nerves.” Her synapses lit up.
“Ah, Inn...?”
“Then I l-looked around.” Inn turned back into Twilight, keeping on the leg armor, and then looks around. “M-my hooves hurt.” Inn held up a hoof and looked at it like it hurt. “So I r-rested on a tree.” Inn rested on Twilight's house.
“What are-”
“T-then I saw these f-flowers.” Inn acted like she was shocked at something. “So I picked t-them.” She made a bouquet with magic, the bouquet being magical light.
“Wait, flowers?!” asked Twilight, looking at Fluttershy seeing a nod.
“I brought th-them to Rarity.” Inn made a magic light of Rarity. “But s-she ran.” She made the light run off and poof out. “Was that good enough?” asked Inn, using Twilight's voice.
“Where do I start?” Her face showed her voice's shock. “First, why didn't you just talk?”
“Funner.”
“Um, okay... Why didn't you just get to the flowers sooner?”
“Funner.”
“Oh... Right. And, why didn't you come to me as yourself, and why do you sound like me right now?”
“Weren’t you listening?” Inn changes herself to be her normal self. Then walks to the shocked Twilight in front of her. She jumps on Twilight's back, making Twilight fall to the ground. Having her mouth next to the back of Twilight's head, she says. “Ha, ha you c-can't hear me! S-sucks to be you r-right now ha?”
“What?! This can't be! This happened from Poison Joke?” Inn got off Twilight back, so that Twilight could stand up again. “Well this is easy enough to fix. Spike, get my copy of Supernaturals.”
“Oh, I knew you'd help Twilight,” said Fluttershy.
“Yea, why would I.”
“Here-, Ah, ah, achooo!” said Spike as she was about to give the book to Twilight. When he sneezed he let out a fiery burst that chard most of the first section of the book. “Ah, oh... I'm so sorry Twilight. I didn't mean it I swear!” he pleaded.
“We really need to put a muscle on you or something.” Twilight was being sarcastic, but the hint of frustration made it sound a little serious.
“Oh no. Don't do that Twilight!” pleaded Fluttershy.
“I won't, don't worry.”
“So what did you need it for anyway? Did another pony get into Poison Joke or something? That would be good for a laugh,” asked Spike as he got a little closer to the others.
“Yes, it's for her.” Twilight looked to her right for Inn, but didn't see her so Twilight look around. Fluttershy did the same.
“ME~!” shouted Inn as she appeared next to Spike as Spike, even holding the chard book.
Every pony jumped. They didn't expect that, especially Spike. “Whoa, there's another me! How's there another me?!”
“Why is there another me? Are you a spy? Are you a horrible monster?” asked Inn, pointing a burnt book accusingly.
“Twilight?” pleaded Spike, not sure what to make of this fake him.
Twilight was looking at Inn with a smile before Spike made his plea. “Okay Inn, that's enough.”
“Awhh~, but I was having so much fun.”
“Twi, what is that thing?”
“Well it looks to be you,” she sarcastically answered.
“What's not wha- why is there another me?”
“Well, this would have been fixed with that book. She got into Poison Joke. Now Inn can only be seen if she is some other pony, I guess.”
“Oh, don't forget heard,” added Fluttershy.
“Oh, ah, well, sorry strange... pony? I didn't mean to.”
“Well I thought you may have held a grudge fro- ah, ah, achoo~!” said Inn letting out a fiery sneeze that engulfed Spike.
“Ahhh~” he yelled.
Inn laughs.
“That's not funny Inn. You could have hurt Spike,” said Fluttershy, shocked at Inn.
“No I couldn’t, see.” Inn lifts up her head and flows out a mighty flame.
Inn's flame was large enough to hit nearly a third of the books and the second floor. “What are you doing?!” Twilight asked, trying to shield herself from the flames.
“Eep!” squeaked Fluttershy, as she ducked.
The flames died fast. There was no damage. “See. I can't do fire,” said Inn with a smile.
After a long chat about some bad and good jokes, Inn, Twilight, Fluttershy, and Spike all go to Ponyville Medical Care. Inn is only told that Nurse Tender Care will be able to help. They were now at the nurse's office. Tender Care was delivering a baby, so they had to wait for a few more minutes for her to do some last few things before she could see them.
“Oh, sorry that took so long. Now why did you need to see me exactly?” asked the white and pink mare.
“I lost my copy of the cure for Poison Joke. This odd looking pony needs a dose of the bath,” said Twilight.
“Wait a bath? That's all?” asked Inn.
“Well medical bath.” Twilight thought that she had to clarify.
“Sorry Ms. Sparkle, but not long after your friend gave us the recipe for the bath, we lost it. We don't have many who get affected by Poison Joke, so it didn't seem that necessary to rush getting it replaced,” said Nurse Tender Care.
“Oh my,” sighed Fluttershy.
“Well thanks anyway Tender Care. We'll see if Zacura has her copy.”
“Sorry Twilight,” apologized Spike.
“Well Inn, there is one other chance that we can get you back to normal.” Fluttershy tried to sound as enthusiastic as possible.
“Inn? Inn Cog Neato, Master of a Googolplex Disguises?” asked Nurse Tender Care.
“I actually go with Inn Cog Neato, The Great Unknown, but yea that's me. I picked that one up from Trottingham, why?”
“You single hoofedly saved my sister! Well, I guess it was the entire town, but still... you saved Loving Care! I just wish I could help you. Sorry Ms. Inn.”
“What are you two talking about?” asked Spike.
“I was banished from my home town. I broke the law by going back... but that's me I guess. During the little visit, there was thousands of monsters that attacked. So I stopped them all. Nothing big really.”
“Oh, not a big deal? That is quite big! Inn, you're a hero!” complemented Fluttershy.
“Yea, it's a big deal to save a whole town all by yourself!” added Spike. “Don't you agree Twilight.”
Twilight seemed to have mixed emotions.
“It was the hardest thing I had done, yes, but it helped me noticed some things. Like I can mix monster, animal, and pony bodies together in my transformations. I also learned that if I know the biology, then I can create some other things too.”
“Wow, you can change into a lot can't you?” asked Spike.
“That's what googolplex means. It has a thousand and one places. To be exact, its a one followed by a thousand zeros. Too big to really say the number. It's a good compliment to me.”
Spike give out a whistle while the other look a little shocked. “That's a large number.”
=============
The group was about to head to the forest, but Inn said that she had something to do first. She told the others to wait for her at the border. Inn bounced her way over to the Carousel Boutique.
Inn got knocked on the door as Twilight. It took a little bit until Rarity answered the door. “Oh, Twilight Sparkle darling, it was-”
“How could you?”
“What?” Rarity's eyes widened at the unexpected question.
Inn lowered her head and waggled her flank. “You ran from me. That was so mean. I was trying to be nice, and you ran.”
“What are you talking about? I would never!”
“I got you some lovely flowers and you ran from me.” Inn changes into Trixie. “I, Inn Cog Neato The Great Unknown am so hurt!”
“What? Inn? Oh! Ohh~! Sorry Inn, I just have some bad memories with those flowers.” Something seems to click. “That monstrous thing was you?”
Inn changes back to how she first met Rarity that day. “Yes, and I didn't know.” She changes back to Twilight. “There seems to be a funny plant that can be a little bad. So I need to get it cured with a bath. Something about seeing a pony in the Everfree. Wanna come?”
“Why of course I would. I know all about that, and would love to keep you company.” Rarity seemed to be looking back at bad memories.
“Goodie.”
=============
Inn and Rarity walked for a few minutes. They were talking about Rarity's work. They were interrupted by two loud voices arguing.
“No way! I'm like way better than anypony out there! I'm the best in all of Equesteria!” yelled a familiar blue pegasus.
“Then stop cheating! You can't use wings and a strength contest!” replied a orange earth pony.
“Hey, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Why are you two arguing this time?” asked Rarity.
“Rainbow Dash keeps cheating when we try to see who is better at sports!” Applejack answered simply.
“You're just jealous at how good I am.” Rainbow buffed out her chest. “There is no pony better than-” she stops as she takes another look at Rarity. “I-I mean... no pegasus... better than me!”
Inn, who looked like Twilight, looks at Rarity for a second. Then the gears turn. “Oh, that's what you were thinking Rainbow. Rarity saw an earth pony fly faster than you.”
“I think you should-” started Rarity.
“Oh, how could you have told Twilight about that Rarity?” Rainbow looked a bit defeated and irritated.
“You were out flown by an earth pony? I find that hard to swallow.”
“Hay Dashie, you up for round four? I'll win in one second flat!” Inn changed into an alicorn version of Rainbow. “I've flown around the world in under seven hours. Going fast is so much fun! Racing is fun! Let's mix them!”
“I'll say no... you are much better than me Inn. Ah, maybe if you weren’t using magic, but that last race was pretty crazy!”
“Inn, as in Inn inn? You can do magic? What in tarnation is going on?” Applejack seemed so very puzzled.
“Yes, and right now we need to get you to Zacura's place.” Rarity looked a little irritated that Inn was about to waste her time with a race.
“Why ya'll going there sugarcube?”
“Funny plant thing,”said Inn.
“She got into that horrible Poison Joke.”
Rainbow looked shocked, confused, then started laughing.
“I don't get it. What happened?” asked Applejack, as a pink blur whizzed past them.
“Did I hear somepony mention Poison Joke?! I hate that flower! It makes me sound funny,” said the fast freaky fizzy fuzzy wonder known as Pinky.
“That sounds funny!” laughed Inn.
“Hey!” Pinky seemed upset by that.
“Do you want to see what happened to me?” asked Inn.
“Yes!” said everypony but Rarity.
“Okay here it goes.” Inn then disappears. She then hops on Pinkie, then she breathes heavily on Applejack's neck. She grabs Rainbow's wing, then turns back to look like Rainbow. “I can't be seen or heard unless I am using some other ponies identity.”
The three look a little scared. “Yea, Ah say we need to get her fixed up quick.”
=============
The group made it to the edge of the forest. They gave their ‘hello’s and explanations as to why they were with Inn, were the pink one's was too odd to understand. They were about to go into the forest, when Inn pauses one hoof from entering.
“What's the matter Inn?” asked Applejack.
“I... I have a lot on my mind.” Inn sounded melancholic. The others stopped and looked at Inn. Inn slowly made the first step into the forest. As she set her hoof down, she armored her entire body with the same type of armor that she used on just her legs before. She looked ready for war.
“Whoa, what's up with the new look?” asked Rainbow.
“Oh, the red glowy thingys make it all look so super duper scary!” bounced the pink babbling pony.
“I've got a lot on my mind. Using lots of high ranking spells helps.”
“Really?” asked seriously surprised sugary pony.
“How would that help? It would use up so much cognitive processes that you wouldn't be able to think right at all?” asked Twilight. Rarity shared Twilight's confusion.
“That's exactly what I want,” said Inn calmly as she continued to walk past the others.
“Inn, what would be so bad that it would make you not want to think about it so strongly?” Fluttershy asked.
“I agree, that's some heavy duty stuff to stop thinking about it.” Twilight looked really worried just like all the others.
“Ah, well... I told you Lil Twi. Weren't you listening to me at your house?” Inn tried to speed up. She needed them ahead of her though, so she couldn't do it for very long.
“You di-, oh, the miming. Is that what you were saying? I didn't understand anything other than flowers.”
Inn laughs nervously. “Oh, yea. There... is... a lot to say.”
“You mimed it quite fast though. It can't be that long,” said Fluttershy. “Can you not mime again?”
“He he, ah, yea sure. I guess that I should start with my first return back home. It looked as if my parents aged more than three or four years. Much more. Then I see that Luna is back. This is much more than what I needed to know, that I had lost several decades of my life. I am kind of in my fifties right now.”
“Hold it! How can you be 'kind of' in your fifties?” asked Applejack.
“Yes Inn, I know that ladies don't just say what their age is, but that can't be.” Rarity was mirroring Applejack's confusion.
“I went to see Luna again, and she wanted to learn what was up with the gap of time I have. So she used a spell, to learn about me... That's when things get odd.”
“Things aren't now?” asked Rainbow.
“The spell worked flawlessly and failed at the same time.”
“How can that happen?” Twilight and Spike asked.
“Spells being used for the wrong thing will lead to bizarre result. The spell was for the living, and only the living.”
“So what's the problem, sugarcube?”
Inn paused for a few seconds. With this time Twilight thought of something. “It can't be? How can a spell-?”
“I know what you must be thinking Twilight. But no, a spell didn't bring me back from the dead. I didn't even die naturally. Luna's spell showed me it all.”
“Do you know who did it?” asked Twilight.
“Ah, well... yes. I think you and Fluttershy saw him... once.”
“What?” Fluttershy gasped.
“Remember that time we went to an all metal house? His name is Moonstone.”
“Are you saying somepony you know did this?” asked Applejack.
“Wow. That's heavy.” Rainbow looked gloomy. “How horrible.” Fluttershy looked down to the ground. “Do ponies like that really exist?” asked Applejack. “Man, that's pretty dark,” said Spike. “I can't believe that there really can be such horrible Mc Horriblcins.” The pink one's mane and tail deflated like a balloon, showing none of its normal curls and bounce. “Inn, why didn't you say something sooner?” asked Twilight.
“The spell continues to show me all of Luna's life. Do to it being a glitch caused by my death though, it wasn't as good as when I saw my own history. I, thought,” she moves over to Rainbow and waggles her body as if ready for a race, “got to learn a lot about magic.”
“That's why?!” Rainbow was shocked.
“So this is what's been on your mind? That's not something you push off to the side dear,” Rarity said, trying to get them back on the main topic.
“Well, that got me to it actually.”
“Then what is it?” they all asked.
“I've been wondering if I should kill him, how I should? If I could turn him in, if that would work? What would his other victims think?” Inn just walked on ahead of her dumbstruck friends.
“Turn him in!” they said.
Inn stopped and turned around to her friends. “I think that was done already though. What's to say it would work this time?”
They were silent.
“This is what I was trying to work on not thinking about. This is what I was trying to stop my mind from going on with.” Inn looks at the sad and confused faces of her friends. “Makes me seeing my death look trivial, ha?” said Inn with a smile that wasn't seen do to the armor.
“How can you act happy?” asked Twilight.
“It's normal for me. I've dealt with bad things since I was little. Sometimes if I really need a 'pick me up', I think about the odd funny things I've seen. Like I used to hid in a box outside, and at night, my teacher, and one of three stallions would meet her near there. I find it funny that one time one I was panicking, I acted a little like my teacher.”
“You're an odd one,” Applejack noticed.
“It doesn't always work though, and that can make my head spin.”
“Is that why you need that scary looking armor?” asked the the pink pondering pony, as she impossibly twisted her head around.
“Yes, kinda,” laughed Inn as they made their way to this new ponies home.
=============
There was nothing said after that. They just walked until a hut made out of a tree and plants was seen. Why didn't Inn think of this again? Any way, they knock on the door. A pony with stripes answers the door.
“Oh my word, what a herd? There are so many here, it brings a delightful tear,” rhymed the odd pony.
“Hello Zecura, can we come in?” asked Twilight.
“Why yes my little one. This lights my day like the glowing sun.” The black and white pony motioned the group to enter the house.
Inn saw many odd looking masks and pots around. There were bulls and bottles that looked hoof made. Near the center was an active cauldron that gave Inn the creeps.
“To what honor do I owe? For I see, there is a large pony flow. With that, comes many a questions.”
Twilight looked at Inn, who was just looking around at the scenery. “We need some assistance with her.”
“Oh, it don't look to be acute. Has this one gone mute? Is it the orange tree, Orenji Tsuri maybe?”
“No, just Poison Joke... again.”
“My word Twilight, those words bring great fright.” Inn looks at the odd pony wondering what she was saying. “Have you once again overlooked, the oh so important book?” Inn relaxed.
“It got burnt,” said Inn as she looked at Spike. Spike had a guilty look on his face.
“And Nurse Tender Care doesn't have a copy ether.” Twilight tried to changed to topic of from Spike.
“There is no need for panic. All I need to help is organic.”
The group thought it was good idea to split up and look for this odd pony's ingredients. Inn had the task to look for dragon flowers. They’re red and looked as if it was on fire. She knows that she has seen them before, and tries looking in some places that she has been before.
Seeing as how 'dragon' was in the name, she looks in every place that she has seen a dragon dwell. She looks over every flower, and doesn't find it. She looks where she found the serpent, and nothing. Inn was lost. She looked in all the logical places. Where could she have seen this flower. Trying to think, she flies over the forest.
Over the next few hours, she find some nostalgic places. Inn thinks that landing where she first met Twilight would be best for a brake. It was a nice looking road. The bushes were still there like she remembers.
Something comes back to Inn. As she looks at a tree that had many different flowers, she remembers what Twilight was looking for. A red flower. Inn goes to where she found those red flowers. They were still there. More fiery flowers now than last time.
=============
Inn was back at the striped one's house. She had more than enough flowers for the brew. Inn found that she was the last one to come back. The others were playing games or simply talking.
“Good, good. Now put that in the stew, and soon you will go through a mighty rejuvenation.”
Inn did as told, she still needed to wait for it to be ready though. It was only a matter of minutes until she was able to go into a long awaited medical bath. Before Inn jumped in, literally, she changed into herself. This resulted in a splash that looked as if an invisible ball made the water splash out.
A few seconds later, Inn popped her head out of the water. Inn was normal again. “H-hey?” she said, hoping they would be able to hear her.
The pink one waved a hoof frantically, “Hello!”
Inn could also be heard. It was all normal. It worked.
“My, did the brew go right. It appears to be a bare white pony soaking in my very sight.” The stripy one looked at Inn curiously.
“W-well, how about t-this?” Inn changed into Zecura. Zecura spoke in some other language as Inn talked. “Can it be, that I am still seen? Even if I am not my own gene?”
The pink one looked excited, and the striped one looked scared, while the rest just laughed. They talked for about an hour. They explain what Inn can do. Talked about living in the Everfree. They were normally interrupted by the pink on with questions or random antics. It was getting late.
“Oh, would you look at the time? It is getting late! We must be getting going soon,” pointed out Rarity.
“Oh my, I have to tend to my animals!” noticed Fluttershy.
“I left some cupcakes in the oven!” realized the pink pony.
“It seems to be late indeed,” said the black and white pony, as she stood up.
“I had fun today. Thanks Zecura.” Twilight was heading for the door too.
They made their goodbyes and thank yous. It didn't take long for one of them to start asking Inn some questions. The pink one hopped to Inn's side.
“So what kind of super cool magical magic can you do? You're so amazing with it right?”
“I still n-need to try some things, b-but I've had fun w-with the advanced s-spells.”
“Did you really learn that much from the princess?” Rainbow asked.
“I want to know more on why you didn't say anything sooner about what was going on,” Twilight said, looking worried for her friend.
“I... I didn't w-want to worry you.” Inn looked down. “I only s-said, because I k-knew that you wouldn't s-stop asking u-until I said it.”
“Inn what kinds of things can you do with your magic?” asked Rainbow.
The questions continued to go back and forth between magical abilities and why she didn't say or do anything about Moonstone.
=============
Celestia walked down the halls. She was just enjoying a nice little walk. It was a quiet walk. That is, until she was about to get back to work.
“Halt!” shouted some guards. It sounded as if some of them were out of breath.
“No! I need to see the princess!” came another voice that seemed familiar.
With a crash, Celestia found out why she knew the voice. “Rainbow Dash? Wha-... Wait is that you Inn?”
“You know Inn?” asked the young blue pegasus as she tried to fight off the guards attempts at restraint.
“It's okay let her go.” The guards obeyed instantly. “Now what brings a friend of Twilight Sparkle her so suddenly?”
Rainbow Dash looked smugly at the guards as they left, then turned to answer the princess. “I have a request... and a question.”
“Well... what is it?”
“Well~... I think I should ask the question first.” It looked like it was hard for her to ask the question. “If the victim of a murder where to be able to say what happened... would it be okay to hasten the his judgment?”
Now this was an odd question. “What do you mean 'victim'?”
“Well... that's just it.... a victim. A pony killed by the murderer.”
“How would this pony answer?” Celestia showed her confusion, but also tried to seem motherly too.
“The dead pony is alive?” The confused looked on Rainbow Dash's face said a lot. “There is magic to see memories, to know that the ah, victim isn't lying, right?”
Celestia was a little shocked. How can a dead pony be alive? “I think that might work. Why?”
There was a pause with the blue pegasus staring down the many tiles on the floor. She suddenly puffs out her chest and lifts up her head. “The favor is, can you arrest a pony? From what I was told he is a horrible stallion that kills without remorse.”
“I'll have to look into it, but how do you know of this?” Celestia carried confusion, shock, and a hint of fear into her tone.
“Ah, the victim. Inn.”
Why is it always something bizarre with her?
=============
Celestia continued her day as normal. Only for about another hour at least.
“Princess Celestia?!” called a voiced from behind the princess.
The regal Celestia turns around to see who called her. It was a pink pony. She knows this pony... Pink... something. “Well, who are you my little pony?”
“It's me, silly.” The pink pony gave a giggle. “Pinkie Pie. I have some super duper big questions for you.”
“What are they?”
“What do killer Mc Killerkins get as punishment? Is it worse if they killed many many before? What is the worst punishment?” Pinkie Pie asked this all fast.
“Ah, well if a pony kills, they are punished determining on how bad the killings where. Ponies that kill many ponies are to never enter a town or are sent to the sun or moon, magically based punishments. Ah and that is the worst punishment we have.” Celestia had to think about the legal system for a little bit as she spoke.
“Okey dokey lokey. Well there is this killer McKillerkins named Moonstone. I think he lives in the Everfree.”
“Okay Pinky Pike, I'll get right on that. Can you tell me more about him?”
“That's all I know... Ooh ooh, wait! He killed a pony named Inn!”
Ah, her again. This is serious though. Is Inn alright?
=============
Celestia's day was getting close to an end. She had three more interruptions. All over the same topic, what to do with Inn's murderer. This was evident that the princess has to think about what to do. Why didn't Inn say anything about this to her? How is it that the elements know about it? Is it trust? The princess lets out a sigh.
“I hadn't really treated her like the others, have I?” Celestia had said to herself out of frustration. She sighed again. A few seconds later, a letter poofs in front of her. The regal princess reads it:
Dear Princess Celestia,
I am coming over soon. We need to talk in pony. Let the guards know so they let me in.
Your faithful student Twilight Sparkle
Why is she writing so small? Does she know too? Another sigh escapes the princess. “Guards!” Two guards came to her side. “Twilight Sparkle is allowed in. Don't stop her. Got it?”
=============
It was a little while, not as long as the princess thought it would be, but a while all the same until her faithful student came in. Twilight looked a little down with her head lower than normal and ears folded back. She knew.
“Before we begin Twilight, I think you can help me out with something.”
One ear perked up. “What do you need help with princess?”
“I have a bad pony that needs to be punished. What do you think should be done to him?” “Ah, princess, I was going to-” “This is a really bad pony.” “But-” “I think his name is...” “But I was wanting to-” “Moonstone.”
Twilight was silent. This was why she came here.
“Do you know of this stallion Twilight?” Celestia knew the answer.
“Yes. Do you have him in custody Celestia?” Twilight Sparkle's other ear rose.
“We don't yet. I'm just wondering what would be the best form of punishment for him after a fair trial.” Celestia fibbed.
“I don't think that banishment would work on him.” Twilight looked away.
“And why is this?”
“He was already for something. I, ah, was told that he was killing ponies even from his banishment.”
“Is that so... Who told you?” It had to be Inn.
“Um... Inn.”
=============
Later that night, the tired princess finally sent for Inn. Oh, Twilight Sparkle and Spike must be confused on why they got a letter for Inn. In any case, Inn should be here soon. There isn't much... poof! A flash of light that startled the guards to an attack ready formation. Inn sat in the middle of this light. The guards were going to apprehend her.
“Stop, it's alright. This is who I was waiting for.” Inn looked more... confident than normal. Like that day she came back and asked why there was a horde of monsters attacking towns.
“S-so, why am I here princess?”
“I have a mission for you.”
“What i-is it?”
“There is a murderer in the Everfree forest. I need you to catch him.”
Inn didn't answer at first. It looked as if she was thinking. “Wait!”
“Your target is some pony named Moonstone.”
In less than two seconds, Inn's body was covered in horns. They lit up in a random pattern. A shock wave from the indecisive magic working with no target radiated from Inn's body. It took a few seconds, but Inn composed herself. Celestia was frightened by the display, she wasn't the only one. The guards hadn't moved do to shear fear.
“Can I kill him?”
“Ah, no. He is to be taken in alive.” Celestia could now see just how badly Moonstone must have affected Inn.
“Then I c-can't.”
“Can you help? All we know is that he lives somewhere in the forest and kills.”
“He kills many ponies. He most likely uses some of them for his own body. He also killed me. He gave me life for some reason, but he is the reason for me not knowing the thirty years that passed by,” Inn said, talking like some other pony.
“So tell me how you know about him killing you. It isn't often that one knows of their own death or even lives decades later from it.” This is the question that was bothering Celestia when all the elements were coming to ask some questions on the Moonstone situation.
Inn backed up. “Oh, ah, well, you see...” Her ears folded back. “Luna's spell backfired.”
It took a few second for this to click. Celestia wasn't thinking about it as much as Inn. “That spell?”
“Um, yes...”
“How long ha-”
“Not long after the spell. It took some time for it all to truly sink in. But my death was the first thing that came to me.”
The princess calmed herself down. It wasn't Inn's fault after all. “What all did you learn from it?”
Inn started to shake. “Well... I learned lots of magic. History of magic too. Luna was around a lot of books.”
“You saw Luna's past too!” The guards jumped. “Well, I guess there is no punishment great enough for me to put you through now, is there?” She was calming herself down. “I meant, what did you learn about Moonstone?”
“I saw him kill many ponies. No remorse. He did something to them to make the bodies alive while the... subject... was dead. I have no idea how, but he knew which body parts were mine when to put me back together. Is, is that enough?” Inn's face showed that now she was shaking from anger and not fear.
“Where does he live, can you help us with that?” The princess drew close to Inn. Inn took a few steps back. “I imagine your are quite gifted at magic after your little ordeal with Luna's spell.” The princess's horn lit up a strong bright light. “Twilight is not at as good with magic as what I imagine thousands of years of study and research you have. This is a very advanced spell for teaching magic. It only works on those that can handle it though.”
“Oh yea, You and lil Lu did it all the time didn't you?”
Celestia clears her throat. “Yes we did. I'm going to teach you a spell that will act as a marker. Set it by Moonstone's house.”
“I think, that I can do!”
=============
A humble guard walks the halls. He looks in the cells. All criminals are in. He sees the newest one try and stop him though. It's rare to have criminals, so even though this stallion has been here for over two months, he is the newest prisoner.
“Is there any tea? All I've gotten is water. Oh, and can I have a scalpel? This mouse is quite interesting.” This foul old stallion keeps asking the same few things. “Oh, and my dear little pony, how's your day been?”
“No tea. No scalpel. Do you not understand that you are magically bound to that room to never leave?”
“Oh, I know. It's like the forest. There's just too much for me to learn. Too much to discover. Like that mouse for example. I'd like a scalpel before he goes bad if you don't mind.”
What a horrible old stallion. No matter, he must be near a century old. Ponies don't live that long with the exception of the princesses. He'll die soon enough.
Revenge Ending: Bloody Hooves: Chapter 28: Down One Friend
Inn worked her inn for a few more days. Twilight was still a little shaken up by what happened before, but she would come by and check on Inn every so often. However, there was things on Inn's mind that always stopped real conversation though. Inn was preoccupied with thoughts that swam in her mind. Things that have been building since she had Luna look into her mind, and were getting more active over time.
Inn knew why the spell failed. The night was playing in her mind over and over again.
She would stay up late thinking about it. She was confused on some things... but she knew what happened with the spell. She knew the results of an unexpected situation. She knew what happened to herself. And... Inn was going to have her revenge!
Inn was spending most of her time behind her counter... planning. Taking the occasional break to help a tired wanderer. These brakes though, were always short lived. The only thing that wasn't short lived, was when a friend came to visit, though her mind wasn't spared the total absence of these thoughts during these visits. In fact, this is went it got the most bloody and violent.
Inn kept her head below the desk, not sure if she could control her own facial expressions as she delighted in the ways perform her tortures. A bell interrupts Inn's thoughts, and she looks up with a great big smile that looked almost fake.
“Good afternoon. How may-?” Inn sees it is Fluttershy that walked in. “Oh, hello Fluttershy. How are you today?”
“Oh, um, good. Ah... Inn?” Fluttershy asked. She kept looking away and back to the plain white mare.
“Yes?” Inn asked, her smile looking dimmer.
“Can we, ah, talk? You haven't been... acting yourself.”
Inn was getting tired of trying to dodge this, but she still didn't want to say either. “Oh Fluttershy, I'm fine. Can we talk ab-?”
“You've been saying that, but ah, none of us can seem to believe that.” As Fluttershy was saying this, she began to lower herself and hid her face.
Inn's smile distorted as if she was frustrated. “I don't want to-.” She stopped, and thought for a second. Then a look as if she just noticed something came to mind. “Fluttershy dear, do you mind watching the inn for me? I'll be right back. Ahh~ maybe a few, hours but still,” she asked with a... demanding tone, as she started to fly out the door.
“What?! But, ah um...” squeaked Fluttershy. She stood up trying to get the will to stop Inn.
“Thanks Fluttershy, you're a doll!” said Inn, as she tried to hold back a laugh at the sight of Fluttershy's response as Inn left.
Inn hated to just drop this on a friend like that, but she had another friend to see. A friend that she hasn't had a good talk with in a while.
=============
Inn sat in a dark room... waiting for the lights to be turned on. She had been there in the same position for the last ten minutes, and then the door to the room opens, letting in a long beam of light. The lights were turned on, but the door wasn't shut. Inn listened for the pony to move out of range of the doors swing, and swung it shut.
“Hello Luna. Y-you remember me, r-right?” asked Inn as she looked at the shocked princess before her.
Luna backed up a few steps. “Ah, not really. Just what Tia said, and that one time you came by as a mouse.”
Inn sighs. “Oh, okay. Well still... I th-think that I-I should tell you somethings, and ask some q-questions.”
“Ah, okay... go ahead then.” Luna seemed a little confused and worried by this, but didn't see any harm in at least listening.
“Oh, well should I s-start of with a sh-shocker and work back, or just start from the b-beginning then? Both are great cures f-for boredom.”
Luna looked puzzled as she thought. “Well, I guess shocker.”
Inn bowed down, “You have been the best magical teacher I have ever had.”
Luna's face seemed to blush at this compliment. “Well, ah... thank? Tia never sa-”
“She doesn't know, t-this is your first time h-hearing it as w-well.” Inn stood back up, giving a big smile that showed she just knew this would be a shock.
“Well, this is a shock. How could I be hearing about being your teacher for the first time?” Luna asked as she took a step forward.
“It's time f-for me to g-go back to the beginning. You see I was b-banished from my h-home town. You see... s-scaring others the way th-they did you, is not... civil. I went i-into the Everfree forest and lived t-there for a-almost four-ish y-years. I discover that it m-may just be l-longer when I r-return to the town that banished m-me, seeing that my p-parents had a-a-aged quite a l-l-lot. Then... I h-had some confirmation... w-when I saw y-you.
A hatred built for w-who ever did this. I wished v-vengeance. It was g-going away a-as I had time alone to think about t-to though. I saw you d-during the Grand Galloping G-gala, and you wished to know w-what caused me to loose thirty years o-of my l-life, without it making m-me age. Well... you used a spell. I-it worked flawlessly. Just one problem; t-the spell was made to the the past of living beings. The g-gap in question was a result of me being d-dead, without my b-body p-parts b-b-being d-d-d-e-dead.
I was killed and experimented on. Treated as a toy. Scattered about rooms and tables as such. And... I was not the only one. I was the only one, from what I could see, that got to live again. This happened about four years ago.”
Luna was going to interrupt with, “Yes, I know this/that,” or “I've been told that all ready,” as Inn was starting the story from the beginning. Inn wasn't letting interruptions happen though. Luna had to try and hold the argue to say anything until Inn was done. This however... got too hard for the young princess, as Inn got to answering Luna's old unanswered question. A question that Luna as forgotten about.
Luna was glad the Inn finally gave a brake from talking to let her ask some questions. “You died?! But, but... how is it... why are you? That's awful!” Luna said, showing her discuss at the history just presented to her. “How do you know all this?” Luna finally blurted the question after a few seconds trying to get her head on right after the images in her mind began to seep away.
“I know... because I s-saw it. The spell did a-a... bounce... making me see f-from where I was p-put back together, o-on back to when I was b-born. Then I began to see you p-past. It was fuzzy, and not as... e-easy to n-navigate as my past, but I still learned l-lots of magic from you. Thanks for that.”
Luna sat down, unable to handle all of what she is hearing. “How, how horrible. Seeing yourself-. No wait, you saw me... in... oh. I'm so sorry Inn. I... I never would of-” Luna began to apologize.
“It's okay, you helped me. I n-now know who d-did this. I know who to g-get revenge on now. He will n-never do this a-”
Luna was lost in thought about what was said before, that it took some time until she noticed what Inn was saying. “Wait, what? No! Leave it up to me. I'll send him to the sun!” demanded Luna.
“Do you not feel my pain? I watched him kill me and dozens of other ponies. Taking us apart like we were just objects. I am a victim that would love to handle this my self. With my own hooves!” Inn's voice got louder and more... darker. She stood taller, making herself more threatening.
Luna did not expect this kind of reaction, resulting in her backing up a few steps. She then quickly stepped forward a few times to make herself look more dominating as she responds with, “Yes, I do understand what it would mean like to watch such horrors! My memories from three weeks after I came back from the moon on up to the day I was affected by my spell! You know what horrors I've seen!”
Inn didn't flinch. “How much do you know about magic Luna?” Inn asked with a creepy smile.
“I know a lot about magic, why?” Luna was frightened out by Inn's changing in tone, personality, and face.
Inn chuckles. This chuckle is repeated in some of her words as she explains, “When I was in your past, you were reading some books. Many books hadn't seemed to have been read though. So I read these books. The best I could before the time would go farther back into your past that is. A delightful pony studied how magic was done. Going off what he said, the best I could read that is, I have more magical powers than you.
You have more magical spells. You more experience with magic. You do indeed have a massive reserve of magic. You can use a large amount of it at once.
But!
Me with my fewer spells. Me with less experience in magic. I, Inn Cog Neato, The Great Unknown, have vastly more magic to use. If done like normal, I can't use as much magic as you at one time... but I'm not normal. I told you once before my dear little princess...”
Inn grew over thirty horns that encompassed her body. “I'm not afraid of a little alicorn.” The chuckling in her words had ceased.
“A-are you threatening me?” Luna was shocked, she hadn't been threatened by anypony in over a millennium and the closest was from Princess Celestia with minor chores.
“I'm saying, you don't want me as a foe. I wish the life of one pony by my hoof so I can save many others to come. I can do so~ much.” Inn used three horns. There was light around the room, and Luna didn't noticed the light around herself. “And I can win a fight if I have the upper hoof. Like now.”
Luna took this seriously, and got into a fighting pose. She looked as if she were trying to do something, but was having a hard time. A look of dread sank into Luna's face. “What did you do to my magic?”
“Ha ha ha, I stopped the flow of your magic. You are like a spiky pegasus until I say.” Several horns lit. Things in the room moved about. Lightning was striking all around. Inn was showing off. “I, still can use magic though.” Inn sees the pure look of fear on Luna's face. Inn puts the things back, and stops the loud light show. “Please just let me have this one thing? Revenge. It is all I can see now,” Inn pleaded, not using any of the hostile tone of before.
Luna slowly looks towards the door. “G-guards! Guards! Hurry!”
Inn looked shocked. Then she tried to hold back a laugh. She instead, busted into laughter, resulting in a spiky pony falling over onto the carpet. “Are you not thinking? Do you think that I would carelessly use lighting bolts in here? This room has been sound proofed by me. There is just you and me now.” Inn slowly got up, looking to see small holes in the carpet left by her spikes.
Luna's fears came back. Was this pony going to kill her now?
“Tell you what? If you make a deal with me, I'll make this easy for you,” laughed Inn.
“Ah, ah, what?”
“Give me one day. A mere twenty-four hours. I can do anything I please, and then I can come back. If I broke the law, then I shall be punished. If you don't give me that day... well I'll just have to take it.”
“Wh-what do you mean... take?”
“I'll imprison you for a day. If you agree though... I'll just have some seals so you can't say anything about what I may be doing. Along with your magic of course. I'll let you levitate thing, move the moon and all that, but there will be no leeway for breaking out of the seal.” Inn seemed almost playful in an intimidating way.
“Okay... I'll give you... your day.”
Inn lets out a sigh, “Thank you. You know, we were friends before that spell. Right now, we differ on one thing. When this is all over... I hope that we can be friends again. I do hope.”
Luna looked down, trying not to show her frown.
=============
As Inn flew away from Canterlot, she looked back with a frown on her face. She had hoped that there wouldn't much of a problem, but now Inn thinks that she just lost a friend.
Inn got back to Inn inn. She strolled in, going up behind the desk where Fluttershy nervously worked. Inn grabbed a lot a bits and put them into a small sack. Then, she gave this sack to a confused friend of hers.
“Wh-what's this for?” asked Fluttershy.
“It's payment silly! I always pay you girls back, don't I?” said Inn, as she was starting to walk away.
“Ah, yes, well I guess you do. Ah, what, what's with the two glowing horns?”asked Fluttershy as she was cowering into the wall by the odd sight of a horn being right behind another.
“Ha ha ha. I'm sealing something up for a day. This is so I have a day to do something of my own interest. Heh, I could have longer if I wished, but the deal was one day. Well a deal's a deal, and times running out. I have some fun to do.” Inn’s giggle was a little unnerving, and her current appearance didn’t help.
Inn's friends worried about her before, but with this, Fluttershy was now terrified for Inn. “Inn... what did you... ah, seal?”
Inn's laugh was a... unsettling. “Oh, a power that is beyond you compensation.”
Inn was walking to the door. Fluttershy had just one more question before Inn left though. “W-where are you going?”
“To have some fun. I imagine your animals are waiting for you, so you can go now to if you want,” said Inn, not stopping even as she walked out of the door.
=============
Inn wanted one last hour before she went to see him. In her hut, she tried to plan out what she would do to him. Reading books didn't seem to help, there wasn't anything good enough in them. She decides to wing it and play it all by ear.
She looks at the door before she leaves, and thinks that she should do one last thing. She gets some paper and a quill. She writes a letter, that is left on the door.
Inn hopes this is good enough for her friends.
=============
Inn walked throughout the forest. She felt the anger grow with every step. The desire to hurry swell inside. Without noticing when it happened, Inn found she was racing to his metal house.
It wasn't long until Inn found what she was looking for. She was about to press the button for the bells, but then...
“Hello there.”
Inn turned around. Moonstone looked as happy as always. “Hi.”
“What brings you here? Is it to report about those oddness with the monster movements recently? Wait! Why do you have two lit horns?” he asked in rapid fire.
“Actually, I had some questions I hoped you'd answer for me first.”
“Oh~. I see you are using another personality to get rid if your stuttering and stammering. This must be important. You know you can ask me anything, so go ahead. My knowledge is yours too.”
“Good. First, did you kill me?” Inn asked with no inflection, as if she knew the answer was was just getting confirmation..
“Yes. Why?” Moonstone answered quickly and with a bit of confusion in his voice.
“Okay. Second, did you regret it?” This time she seemed to be asking a true question.
“Yes, in the end. I couldn't find what I was looking for.” Moonstone sounded sad.
“And, what were you looking for?” she asked with curiosity and anger mixed ambivalence.
“Answers. How can an earth pony like you use magic. You don't even have a Pisinamageia lobe. There is no logical reason I could find in twenty years of studying you. So I brought you back to life in hopes that I will learn through there somehow.” And again, he doesn’t have the write attitude, saying this as if it was great work and nothing more.
Inn knew what she was going to do now. She walked up to him.
“So, what's up with those horns? Why are they glowing?”
Inn got a big smile on her face. “Oh it's nothing much really. I'm sealing the lunar princess.”
“Wow! My dear, that is incredible! How did you pull that off? Why are you doing it?” Moonstone was very excited, and deep wanted to learn more about this.
Inn walked a little closer. “Oh it is simple for me really. Right now, you, me, and her are the only ones that know about this.” Inn began to circle around Moonstone. “And you know, for the same reason that Luna is being sealed. I'm going to kill you.”
“Really? Why?” Moonstone didn't seem to understand what was going on exactly.
“You killed me! You killed others! You show no remorse for it! You must die!” Inn was on Moonstone's side, as she lifted herself, and kicked his back with her two front hooves.
He almost fell to the ground but caught himself. “I don't understand. Why?” He looks at Inn, who was about to hit him again. He counters by ramming the middle of her ribs.
The wind was knocked out of her. She almost fell over on her back, but a tree stopped her. “You're a killer.”
“I am a researcher. I will-” he be began, only to stop as his next attempt to ram in resulted in him hitting the tree instead and falling on the ground.
Inn took advantage of him on the ground and tried to stomp on him. He rolled out of the way. Inn's leg and all the way up the middle of her back was throbbing. Moonstone staggered to his hooves, and went to head but Inn again. Inn tried to get out of the way, but her leg and back made her slow down too much.
Inn to hit at the shoulder, and spun around. Moonstone is strong for an old pony. She felt something rising up her throat, but she swallowed it down. Inn looked back at the pony that wasn't dying easily. She may have to transform for this.
Inn thinks about this. She had a plan. A good one.
Moonstone stumbles around, after the hit he gave. He gives himself some time to get his balance back, then makes another charge. Inn stands there looking at him. When she thought he was close enough, she lowered her head. Two glowing horns pierced Moonstone's head. One almost like it was tearing it scull open as it pointed out.
Inn took a big blow to the head. A blow that knocked her unconscious.
=============
Inn woke up an hour later. Coughing and being in a wet pool where the reason for her short nap. Inn tries to lift her head, but find it heavy. She opens her eyes and sees Moonstones dead head in close to her own. She panics and tries to move away. Forgetting that she had impaled him, she stand, and panics some more.
“No! You can't be-” Inn stops as she walks backwards. The memory slowly coming back as she sees his body flop down after she scurried away. She lets out a sigh of relief that is short lived. Her injuries were bad and still needed to heal.
She winced and moaned from the sharp pain that seemed to suddenly come all around her body. She slowly lowered herself to the ground. She somehow stopped in a spot where there wasn't blood pooling, and was glad of that.
Revenge Ending: Bloody Hooves: Chapter 30: Mighty Fall
Inn woke up again. It had to be several hours later this time. She looked at the sun set. She knew she had to start leaving. As she staggered to her hooves, she looked at the bloody mess in front of her.
Should she go and destroy his stuff too? Hurt and tired, Inn started to fly to Canterlot, mostly do to how bad her legs still felt.
=============
Luna watches as Inn leaves her chambers. Was that threat for real? Can she really not say anything about Inn's plans? She waits for Inn to turn down the hallway. Now's her chance, she will see if she can tell a guard.
“Guard... doing good... keep it up.”
“Ah, thank you your majesty.”
Nope. Nothing. She goes to set the moon... wait... magic! What can she do with magic? She levitates a book, she lets it follow her to the balcony. She watches as she lowers the moon. She tries to change into a cloud. Nothing. She tries to multiply. Nothing. It looks as though she has the basics for her normal life and that's it.
“How did I let this happen?” asked Luna, as if talking to the moon would help.
“Let what happen?” asked Tia.
Luna jumped as she wasn't expecting her sister to be at the balcony just yet. “Oh, ah, I haven't read this book for the past few weeks now.” Still, nothing. That is some spell, it may be a class S. Can Inn really hold it for a day?
“Oh, well then, I guess you should start reading it then,” said Tia with a big smile on her face.
“Heh he, ya... I should.”
=============
The two sisters were eating, and all Luna could do was look at the clock. She would take a bite every few minutes or so.
“What's wrong Luna, aren't you going to eat?” asked Tia
“Oh, ah... yes. Sorry, I just have a lot on my mind.” Luna changed her focus to her sister instead of the clock.
“Waiting on something?” asked Tia slyly.
“What?! No! Just lost in thought,” defended Luna, still unable to control her own words.
Tia looked curiously at Luna. “You can tell me. Is there a lover in your new life? Are you planning a surprise?”
“I don't want to say.” Darn, can't say 'can't.'
“Oh why not lil' Lu? I can keep a secret. If it's something for me, then I can act shock when you show me.” Tia wouldn't drop it... like normal.
“I will prefer to keep it to my self for now.” Luna made a funny shift in her posture as she said this. So, the spell goes as far as to include body language. There was no escape, was there?
“You don't talk to me like this. You don't resist like this. What's going on? Luna... are you being controlled?” Tia looked worried.
“No Tia. You're just not on your game to day.” Come on Tia, try what I think you're going to.
“If you are being controlled to not say something, say orange.”
Yes! “Hah ha, Tia I'm fine. Really. Your are just not all here today, that's all.” NO! “Oh, by the way, banana,” said Luna as she continued to eat. Nonono no NO! This is truly a S rank spell. Inn's good.
=============
Luna and Tia were having another meal together. Again like the last two, Luna does more watching of the clock than eating.
“Okay Luna, what's going on? You've got me worried.” Tia had finished her dinner and was looking at Luna's almost full plate.
“Nothing. I'll be going soon though.” The clock was about the hit he twenty-four hour mark from when Inn said she would be back. Just another twenty more minutes. Luna starts to down her food.
“Go where? Can I come?”
“Yea, why not?”
They walked down the halls. They were about to go inside the conference room when, Tia spoke up. “What is this all about? Why aren't you trusting me?”
“He he, who said I wasn't trusting you? You're coming with me right? I'm not stopping you.”
“Then why aren't you-?”
“Just sit and wait at least five more minutes. It's going to be clear soon.” Even now. She wasn't kidding, Inn can really hold this spell for the whole day.
Another seven minutes pass. “What are we waiting for?” Just after Tia asked this, a thing of light filled the room and passed by quickly. “Was that it?”
Luna looked shock herself. “No not really, but I guess that was her. She's late.”
“Who?”
Why fight it any longer? “You'll see soon Tia. You'll see.”
Tia just sat there staring at Luna, hoping that she would give an answer.
=============
As Inn walked through town, many ponies looked in horror. Inn was covered in blood. Only little patches of white that were mostly where on her right side, the didn't lay in the pool of blood.
She flew steadily to the castle, but when she was close, she found it necessary to walk instead. Inn saw a guard getting close to her.
“Halt! You-” the guard was interrupted by the sensation of being projected.
Inn wasn't in the mood to deal with random interruptions. She just wanted this over with. A bubble of light followed the guard, but was faster than him. The bubble was so massive, it engulfed all of Canterlot and then some.
Inn walked her merry little way up to the room that she has come to know so well after all this time now. She saw many guards, but none did anything.
She enters the room, closing the door behind her. Princesses Celestia and Luna were waiting for her on their thrones. Princess Celestia turns her head from Luna to see Inn, a bloody, wobbly, coughing mess. “What is this? Luna is this why we are here? Say something now! One of you!”
Inn got to the center of the room and sat down. “So Luna... you can... see what my (cough) fun was. Do you want to do anything. I'll take it.” Inn coughs a few more times before Luna responds. Everypony, with the exception of the guards, looking at the splatter of blood that came out at the end.
“Yes... I can see. Was it worth it? By the way, can I ask about what you are doing now?” asked Luna, who's eye was drawn to the lit horn.
“What is going on? Answer me!” demanded Celestia.
Inn was getting to have a hard time sitting. “It's nun of your (COUGH)(cough)(cough~)(cough)... business Luna. You are free though. And Celestia dear, (cough)(cough) there is too much to say for now. The most (COUGH) important thing for now... is that... I killed my killer to stop (COUGH)(COUGH)(cough)(cough)(COUGH~)... him from killing.”
“What?!”
“Please Tia.”
“Wh-what?!” Princess Celestia was stunned, Luna doesn't speak like that to her. In her attempt to think things through, she looks at random points in the room to help clear her head. Then she sees something, the guards. They weren't reacting to anything going on in the room. Why? Why did Inn close the door on her way inside.
“Inn, what is wrong with you? What happened?” asked Luna.
“I tried to (cough) play with (cough)(COUGH)(cough) with him. He's strong.” Princess Celestia noticed that Inn's horn was flowing with magic, in a unstable fashion. Every so often, an extended pulse would shoot through. This was telling the princess that Inn was having a hard time with the spell, and that it was massive.
“Inn... you-”
“Inn, are you doing something to my guards?!” asked Princess Celestia.
“Heh heh he, (cough)(cough)... no. Well... not exac- (COUGH)(COUGH)(COUGH)... exactly. More us and... what we... do.” as Inn coughed, the opposite of what Princess Celestia saw happened. There was small surges of the light that seemed to dip to the horn, not from the horn.
Soon after Inn finished what she was saying, she saw blackness. She fell forward into a small puddle of her blood. The horn on her head stopped glowing, and shocked guards came to see what the buck was going on.
=============
Twilight Sparkle was just about to leave to see Inn. Just as she opened her door though, there was a yellow pegasus friend fixing to enter. Fluttershy was shaking.
“What's up Fluttershy? Why are you shaking so much?”
“Oh, ah, Inn... I think she's gotten worse. She's ah, scary now.” Fluttershy lowered her head to try hiding it in her mane.
“Oh Fluttershy, how can she be that bad?” asked Twilight, not giving the idea any real thought.
“No, it's true. She had two horns. She left the inn unattended, saying something about going to have some fun today... She still didn't sound like herself. She didn't stutter at all.”
“Oookay, that does sound worse. So, do you know where she is? Maybe I can help her.” A Shiver went down Twilight's spine as she remembered the last time she went looking for Inn when she wasn't in Inn inn.
“No, she just ran off. She had me watch the inn for about three hours, then payed me over nine thousand bits for it. As soon as she did, she was about to leave when I started to ask question, and... well you know.”
“Okay thanks Fluttershy. I'll see if she's at the hut then.”
=============
Twilight makes her way to the hut, trying not to draw the attention of the monsters. She sees a note before she enters though. She reads it.
To my friends,
I am sorry to say, I am most likely not coming back. It's not you, but me. You see, I died, over thirty years ago. Murdered by an evil pony who kills with no regard for what he does. This is what has been on my mind. I have seen my death for a few weeks now. Seen him kill others as I was dead. Don't ask how, it's a long story. I am going to stop him, but I don't know what will happen after. Do know that I will always think of you if I never come back. Please don't forget me.
Good bye, Inn
A swirl of emotions hit Twilight Sparkle. She was mad, sad, confused, worried, and just wanting to try and help Inn with whatever she could.
She looked around, hoping to find a way to see where Inn has gone. It was useless. Inn was gone. Twilight walk back home slowly, sad that she didn't even get to say goodbye.
=============
Twilight Sparkle gets home to see Spike cleaning. She slowly walks to her table.
“Oph, you don't look so good Twi. Are you okay?” asked the helpful assistant.
“I didn't get to say goodbye to a friend who left for an indeterminate time.”
“What?” he asked, sounded more confused by indeterminate.
“Unknown. She may not ever come back.” The depression was clear in Twilight's voice.
“Wait, who left?! Please don't say Rarity!”
“No, not h-”
“Was it Fluttershy. Is she becoming a hermit or something?”
“No, i-”
“Wait, it's got to be Rainbow Dash! She's joined the Wonderbolts right? That's Great!”
“NO! It's the white pony Inn.” Twilight Sparkle was getting frustrated by this and tried to say who it was a fast as she could.
“That white monster pony?”
“Yes her.”
“Well I'm glad she's gone. She did nothing but scare me.”
=============
Twilight was sulking over not being able to see her friend before she left. There wasn't even any idea on how long, if at all, Inn would be back. She was just sitting in her room waiting for lunch. She didn't have anything to do, and now she had a new thing to think of, regardless of how sad.
“I got it!” she said to herself. She went down stairs to Spike. “Spike, take a letter.”
“What?” he asked, scratching his head in confusion.
“Take a letter.”
“Is this really the time? We're about to eat.” he protested.
“It will go by fast, just do it and then we can eat.”
“Fine.” He grabs a scroll and quill. “Ready.”
“Dear Princess Celestia,
I have... not quite understood what I learned this week. It seems a little conflicting to me. Trying to make a friend say what is on their mind may close them off. This can make them think that there is no pony that can be trusted. I also learned that it is not good to keep things to yourself. You should tell at least one pony about what is going on, or else it may result in bad decisions later.
Sincerely, Twilight Sparkle“
“Okay, got it. Can we eat now?”
“Send it and then we can eat.”
=============
A few hours later. A burp of green fire brings out a letter.
“To my Faithful Student Twilight,
What friend taught your this lesson? Let me know as soon as you can.
Celestia”
=============
Inn woke up with a mask on her face. She is lost on where she is. Trying to sit up, she notices some pain going down the middle of her back, and something around most of her body. She looks around trying to see was she can.
Inn sees a machine that was helping her breath. She was on a bed, bandaged. Most importantly, There was bars on one side of the walls. Inn was in prison.
She could hear some hoof steps coming her way. Was it a guard? Was it the princesses? The nurse? Inn just hoped that it wasn't her friends. She didn't want them to see her in this place.
Luna stood at the cell door with the nurse. “So how much longer?” asked Luna.
“It's hard to say. We didn't even think she would live. She still may not.”
“S-so, what's my sentence?” asked Inn.
“Well I guess she's up now. You have a fifteen year sentence. Tia has drained you of most your magic, and now she is overwhelmed and tired at the same time by the power. You weren’t lying, you are overflowing with magic. I hope nothing really bad happens sometime soon, we won't be able to handle it right now with just me.”
=============
Inn sat in her prison for three weeks. Only needing to let some small bits of her internal injuries heal up. Something happened to day though. Something odd. The walls turned into water, the floor into sand, and the bars candy canes.
Was Luna trying to let Inn out early? Oh well, don't look a gift horse in the mouth right? She started to eat the bars. “Capillary soop?” What was this? Oh well, Inn just continued to eat her way through the bars. She got out and walked around town. Nothing looked right as Inn walk around the city. The houses were paper thin. The clouds where pink. Many ponies didn't act right ether.
Inn wanders, puzzled by it all. She finds what looks like the road to Ponyville, and follows it. As she is almost there, she hears a voice behind her. “Found you.”
A sharp feeling in her back was felt. Followed by a sensation of a cold fluid entering her vanes.
She blacks out.
=============
“Wake up. It’s a new day, time to get up!” said Moonstone, as he was trying to Inn shake awake.
Inn slowly got up. She looked around and saw all the metal... she knew where she was. It wasn’t all a dream after all. She felt a little stiff all over. She thought the floor must be rough to make her feel so bad after only one night. She saw Moonstone and got frightened, he looked different. Inn tried to shake this off as a possible thing that Moonstone can do, change his fur patches. “Oh, my...” she began, trying to think of a body part to start complaining about first.
“Oh, was the floor rough on you? Maybe you should've taken the table.”
“I s-slept okay. It wasn’t tha-” began Inn, only to fall face first to the floor. “-t bad.” She could not stand on her own.
Moonstone laughs, “Look at that, you can’t stand. Do you want some help up stairs?”
Inn looked down and blushed, “Y-yeah.”
Moonstone lifted Inn onto his back and carried her to the kitchen table, he helped her into a seat, and went of to make some tea. This time when he was making tea, Inn noticed that there was more going on. Inn tried to turn her head to see what was the cause for the extra noise, but was quickly distracted by more popping from her neck.
It's been a few days, and Twilight is still thinking that there is something up with Inn. She comes to visit, asking the same few questions, “Are you okay?”, “Is everything alright?”, “Bit for your thoughts!” Inn got the pattern down. It was early morning that Twilight would show up.
Ah, the memories of getting up early to go to school. Now she does it to talk to a friend. Today though... she doesn't want to hear any of the questions. They are getting rather annoying. So she is out getting thing for Inn inn.
Inn is at the food court and sees Applejack. She was just setting up her stand. “Good morning, A-applejack.”
“Oh, Inn... yea know I've been mean'n ta talk to you.” It this didn't sound good, the face that Applejack was giving didn't make it look good either.
“O-oh, what about?” This didn't seem like it was going to be a good morning ether. Buck!
“Big Mac told me you came onta him.” Applejack looked at Inn as if she were inspecting her.
Inn was a little shock. Was that all? “Yes, I, ah did. Why?”
“Big Mac's big, but he's a softy. He ain't need no softy marefriend. He needs some mare that will buck him up.”
Big Mac's a softy? Wait, Inn just noticed that she was denied by Applejack for being to soft. “I'm n-not too soft!” Inn's whiny voice was a nice touch to her fake anger.
“Show me other wise. All Ah seen from you is shaking, and stutterin. How do you think that's not soft?” Applejack looked smug, as if she won the debate.
“W-want me to show you?” Inn looked around as if she wasn't wanting to. She is so going to the moon for this.
“How can you? If you can, then do it!” Ah, she looked so smug.
“Whatever you say.” Inn used a deep voice.
“What th-”
“Lets go!” Inn said as she sprouted a horn that instantly glowed. Both of them were enveloped in light, as they were lifted into the air.
“Hey, wait a-”
“Hold onto something... tightly.” Inn then sprouted wings. In just an instant that had they darted off. Not long after they were over the forest, there was three booms that quickly happened. Inn changes directions rapidly. “Wrong way, he he.”
Inn could see Applejack was scared from the height. “How are yea doing this?”
“Do you need help back there?” Inn changes into a dragon. “Do you want to ride my back?”
“Ahhh!”
“Geez, a simple no would do.” There was another boom. Inn did some acrobatics. “It feels so weird doing acrobats as a dragon. Do you think they do it often themselves?”
Applejack looks back to see a large cloud ring disappear. “How should Ah know. And where are we going anyway?”
Inn thinks, then she turns back into a pony. “Oh right... I past it up. Hold on tight?” Inn did a big turn around. She could handle fast stops now, but Applejack couldn't.
It didn't take them long to get to the town of Inn's choice. “Here we are!” bounced Inn. “What do you think?”
“It's a town.” Applejack was not amused.
“Not just any town, one that I was banished from!” Inn didn’t sound very affected by this.
“What! Why?” Applejack did sound very affected by this.
“Traumatizing some classmates,” whispered Inn. She went back to bouncing, and Applejack followed.
“You did what?”
“Oh, oh. That's not even the best part. See, this happened when I was a filly. A few weeks ago, I made my second illegal visit.” They turn a corner, and a statue of Inn can bee seen. “I saved them, and became their hero.” A few ponies setting up shop started clapping as they noticed Inn walking by. “Can you guess what I did?”
Applejack was a little too shocked to answer.
Inn grabbed one of the cheering ponies. “Can you tell lil AJ what I did for this town really fast?”
The stallion was more than eager. “You saved us all from thousands of monsters! There was five dragons, and you took their fire like it was nothing! You save us!”
“So... what was that about me being too much of a softy for that hunk of a brother you have?”
=============
A humble hometown pony is just shocked to learn that there is a magical earth pony. Applejack goes to see her good friend Twilight Sparkle to ask if there is any logical explanation for it. Not long after she gets to Twi's house, Spike says that she hasn't come back since she took Nyx to school.
AJ looks around town. She eventually sees Twilight coming out of Inn inn. “Howdy Twi!” greeted the orange pony.
“Good morning. I thought that you would be at your apple stand Applejack. What brings you all the way over here?”
“Ahh shoot! The stand is unattended. Can you come with me while Ah ask you some questions? Ah think that it may be up your barn.”
“Why not?”
They walked back to the stand. Twilight answered Applejack's question with a simple, “I have only seen one.” AJ asked if Twilight would know of a way to give magic to an earth pony. A lot more questions were asked, similar in nature. It didn't matter though, they all where 'no' answers. Not long after they got to the apple stand, AJ turns to ask her last question.
“Say, Twilight... what 'one' pony did you see?” Applejack looked at Twilight with inspective eyes.
Twilight Sparkle leaned back to get away from Applejack's pressing face. “Oh... just a pony.”
“Yea, a pony that seems to only exist on her own, right? She ain't got no equal. That's odd, don't yea reckon?”
The purple book worm backed up. “Well yes but-”
“So what ain't yea saying then? Who is it?” prodded Applejack.
“Wait, do you know?”
“Well... Ah know of one...”
“What magical earth pony do you know Applejack?” Darn that smug Twilight. She had Applejack.
“Inn. Not the inn Inn, but the innkeeper Inn. Ahh~ did you follow that? Ah don't think Ah did myself.”
“How long have you known? When I learned of what she could do, I looked in every book for an explanation. When I didn't find one there, I asked Princess Celestia.” Twi lets out a soft sigh. “Still no logical reason for it.”
“Well Ah just found out when she showed me her home town. That pony sure can fly!”
“Yea, I know that too... I'm worried about her though.”
=============
Twilight finished explaining what she is fearing about Inn. Applejack and Twilight think that it might be best if all six of them watch Inn for a while. Twilight made her way to Fluttershy's house.
Twilight saw that Fluttershy was feeding some animals, so trying not to be too loud, “Hi.”
“Eep!” squeaked Fluttershy as she dropped the animal's food.
“Sorry I tried not to scare you.”
“Oh, it's okay. I just don't normally have visitors at this time. So, ah, what's going on Twilight?”
“Ah, it's Inn.” Twilight didn't know how to say it. It was just worries, but Fluttershy may take it worse than anypony.
“Inn, what's wrong? Is she okay? Is she sick? Can I help?”
Twilight tried to stop Fluttershy sooner, but she was rattling off her prancing questions too fast. “It's not that. Inn's been acting... peculiar.”
“Like how? You do know that she is odd right?” reminded Fluttershy.
“Yes, I know that. She is acting... reserved. She doesn't talk to us, or at least me, as much as she use to.” Twilight couldn't hold back the look that she wasn't saying everything.
“Twilight, is there more?”
“Ah, well...”
“Oh Twilight, you can trust me. Say what is wrong.” Panic seemed to creep into Fluttershy's voice.
“She said... she wanted to see something.” Twilight fidgets around trying to say it in a... Fluttershy friendly way. “She wanted me to stab her. I don't know why, but she-”
Fluttershy's face washes over with fear. “Is she alright? Did you do it? Why did she-”
It was Twilight's turn to interrupt. “She wouldn't stop asking me to.” Twilight paused to let this sink in. “I, I ah, I did it. She doesn't have any injuries.” This time, Twilight pauses more like what she was saying still needed to sink in to herself. “She is physically fine. Mentally... not to sure.”
Fluttershy looked shocked, scared, and afraid. “Did I tell you how Inn and me met? I stopped her from letting a rock crush her.” There was a brief break, it seemed as if Fluttershy was trying to think fast. “She promised to looked on the bright side of life. I hope she hasn't broken the promise she made me.” Fluttershy looked as if she was about to cry.
=============
Fluttershy walks around town. She needs to find her other friends and try getting them to help with watching Inn. Fluttershy didn't know where to begin. She just wanders the streets hoping to find Rainbow Dash, Rarity, or even Pinkie Pie. A thought hits her like a large rock; look in the most obvious places, their homes.
This realization was short lived though, as Rainbow Dash crashed in front of Fluttershy. “Oogh, that didn't work.” Dash was just getting up. She noticed that Fluttershy was staring at her as if the crash hurt. “Oh, high Fluttershy. I just lost control of a new trick, happens all the time.” Rainbow Dash was trying to be comforting.
“Are you sure? That looked like it hurt.”
“Yea, nothing much. By the way, is there anything going on? I've seen you roaming the streets for some time now.”
“I've been looking for you, Pinkie, and Rarity. I need to ask you all a favor, if you don't mind.”
“Shoot, I'm all ears.” Rainbow sat down to give emphasis.
Fluttershy fidgeted a little. “Well, me, Applejack, and Twilight are all worried about Inn.”
“Wait!” Dash held up a hoof to stop Fluttershy. “Are you saying that you are worrying about a speedy, stuttering, stammering, shaky, shy, shape-shifting spy?” asked Dash with a little bit of a laugh in her voice. “Honestly, it's like being worried about Ny-” Rainbow Dash stopped herself as a thought rolled in. “Oh, well, maybe there is some room for concern.”
“Ah, we are going to keep an eye on Inn. She's been acting... not herself.” Fluttershy knew that she was hiding things well.
“What are you saying? A spy will act one way one minute and another way the next. This doesn't seem right to me.”
Fluttershy began thinking as hard as she could. “What I'm saying is, we need to spy on her. Make sure-”
“Spy on a spy! Count me in!”
Rainbow Dash was out of sight faster than you can say 'Bye'.
Friends Ending: Harmony Wins: Chapter 29: The Forest
The one and only Rainbow Dash was looking all over Ponyville for Inn. Of course, she was doing it all in the air, so if Inn was in a building, then that would make it up to one of the others to find her. Well, if Inn isn't in Ponyville, she would be in the forest.
Rainbow Dash flew for a little while as she looked in the trees and sky for a spy. After some time, she finds a white dot floating in the sky. That must be Inn. Why is she just floating there? Well, spy on the spy, right?
Right when Dash got a good view of Inn, seeing that she had wings and a horn, Inn took off. Three rapid fire burst almost got Rainbow to fall to the trees. In an instant, The great Rainbow Dash lost Inn. Dash rose up to look for anything that she could notice as 'Inn'.
Boom!
Boom!
Boom!
Where were they coming from? It sounds so far away. Rainbow Dash looks frantically, there's no rings for the new 'booms'. There was silence for a few seconds.
“Oh, h-hi Rainbow!” greeted Inn, as she snuck up to Rainbow Dash's side.
Somehow, Dash jumped while flying. She managed to stop herself from falling, only just. What a sneaky spy.
“I didn't think y-you as a-”
“What? Scaredy Pony? I think any pony would be scared of they saw you there, then not, then then pop up next to them!” shouted Rainbow Dash.
Inn just laughs. “Oh, you saw m-me start the l-lap?”
“Yes...wait... what lap?”
“Around E-equesteria.”
Rainbow had one wide open mouth. Did the spy say she had done a lap around Equesteria?
Inn laughed harder.
“Well, you seem fine to me.”
Inn slowly stopped laughing. She wiped away a tear, and said, “What do you m-mean?”
“The others said that you have been acting a little off. You seem normal to me.”
Inn gives an odd chuckle. “Ah, th-thanks. W-well, I-I got to g-go. S-see yea!” Right after Inn said bye, she flew in the opposite direction of Ponyville. Instantly there was a boom, then boom boom, boom,boom boom boom,boom boom boom.
=============
A lovely pony named Rarity was leaving her store. She had just closed the door when she heard her name being called. Turning around sees it was Twilight. Turning the corner was Fluttershy, and both Fluttershy and Twilight looked at each other before continuing to Rarity.
“Rarity, we need to talk,” said Twilight Sparkle.
“It's about Inn,” said Fluttershy in her typical meek way.
“What's so important?”
Fluttershy kicks at the dirt. How unseemly. Twilight spoke up in what might have been Fluttershy's place. “Have you noticed anything odd about her lately?”
“She doesn't stutter all the time like normal. Ah, there are times that she seems more... happy.... no... happer... Maybe closer to Pinkie Pie than Inn. Does that make sense?” Rarity didn't know how to answer the question. It seemed odd.
“Sorry if it seems odd, but... have you felt worried about how Inn's acted?” continued Twilight.
“Twilight Sparkle, every time a pony acts odd, I get worried.”
“That's what we all thought.”
“We are going to watch over Inn,” finally said Fluttershy.
Rarity took a step back. “Do you think that is really necessary? She's a grown mare, if she has a problem, she'll say when she's ready. Wouldn't doing this betray her trust?”
=============
The bestest of best party throwing ponies is going to her bakery. Pinkie Pie had just finished a birthday party for one of the towns pony. She was happily bouncing back, when she got a twitchy, twitchy twitch. Some pony was going to betray another!
“Betraying a friend's trust is the fastest way to lose them for-evvv-errrrr!” She popped up in the place in which the twitches were guiding her.
There was screams and eeps from the three. No pony expects a random Pinkie Pie!
“Oh, Pinkie... It's you. We needed to talk to you anyway.” Twilight was still trying to catch her breath.
“I would like to know more of what is going on Twilight!” demanded a pouty Rarity.
Fluttershy was still shaking. Sorry, Aunty Pinkie didn't mean to.
“Oh, oh, what are you talking about? I want to know too!” bounced the great party pony.
“We, we need...” Fluttershy tried to speak.
“We need to watch Inn,” said Twilight Sparkle.
“Oooh, what is she doing?! Is she doing tricks? Is she-”
“They say that they are worried about her,” Rarity rudely interrupted.
“Yes, she isn't acting herself.”
Fluttershy nodded in agreement.
“Is this spying? Are we going to become spies?” Pinkie enthusiastically asked.
“Yes, I guess,” said Fluttershy.
“No! It's wrong! We'd be betraying her trust!” protested Rarity.
“She' isn't saying what's wrong,” said Fluttershy.
“She might.”
Twilight cleared her throat. “Did you or Fluttershy say anything before things got out of hoof back when Fluttershy was fashion star? Did I tell Celestia about Nyx before things got out of hoof? Did she say what was bothering her before things got out hoof?”
“Yes, well-”
“I just don't want that to happen to Inn. That's all.”
“Ooh~, that's a lot of good points.” Pinkie's face was showing her giganticly big amazingly amazed shock.
=============
All six of the friends met up and came to the conclusion that they would need to enter the Everfree forest. They were going to watch Inn from her hut. They were watching Inn from the windows. It was hard because Inn would always look up, making them have to duck out of the window.
“All she's doing is reading books. This doesn't seem too bad at all.” Rainbow Dash wasn't feeling as worried now.
“Those books are odd though.” Twilight said as she took another look in to see the titles. “They are history books of wars. All of them. That's not like her.”
“So, she has a new interest other than magic.” Rarity was still looking for a reason to not be doing this.
“No, I don't think so. She's like Twilight, a real egghead and a genius at magic. If she has new interest, she would have it in addition to magic,” Rainbow Dash said, showing just how much she was wavering.
Inn gets up to get another book. Twilight ducks. After a few seconds, she gets back up and sees what book Inn just got.
“Magical Torturers of the Past”
“Ah, she got a magic book.”
“See, she is-” started Rarity.
“It's on magical tortures.”
“Oh dear,” Fluttershy whispered.
“Alright now I think there's something wrong with her. She has to be hiding something worse than the possible reincarnate of Nightmare Moon.”
“Yes, That don't sound good at all!” said Pinkie Pie.
“How long do you think we should keep our lips zipped any way? This seems good enough to me to start asking some question,” Applejack asked.
“You may be right about that. What do you girls say?” Twilight asked.
They looked at each other. “Yes. Let's go.”
=============
Inn was looking at lots of books. She was being bothered by something she couldn't tell her friends. Something she felt she just had to do on her own. She was going to kill a horrible, horrible pony. She just didn't want to kill him right out though. The books that were going to help her, were proving to be useless.
Knock, knock, knock. She goes to answer the door, but then thinks, who would come here? She puts the books back on the bookshelf.
“Hello?” Inn answered, confused as to why her six friends were there.
“We really need to talk to you.” Twilight didn't look as if she would back down.
“Yes, you never told me you could shape-shift. That would be perfect for some pranks!” Pinkie Pie said, sounding a little bit angry.
The others looked at Pinkie, and then Applejack said, “Ah never took you as a show off. You suddenly bragging that yea were able to take on thousands of monsters single hoofedly, that's just weird to me.”
“Wait, she did what? That's pretty awesome.” Applejack gives Rainbow a glare. “Ah, yea, you have me worried too. I've never seen you dash off like that.”
“I... I... why did you ask Twilight to do... you know? Have you forgotten your promise?” Fluttershy asked, looking as if she was about to cry.
“I do admit that I have many worries about how you have been acting lately. But, what has gotten my attention, is your choice in literature. How can you-?”
Both Twilight and Rarity were levitating the books that Inn was reading. Inn sprouted a horn, that quickly glowed with a dim white glow. The books fell with a thud as the horns of Twilight and Rarity stopped glowing.
“So you have been spying on me. What is it that concerns you? They're books on war.”
“My magic!” shouted Twilight and Rarity as Inn spoke.
“What did you do?!” asked Twilight as she tapped her horn.
“I'm using a spell to block off your Pisinamageia lobe. You have no magic for as long as I say.” Inn was sounding a little intimidating.
“Now why are you spying on me? I don't really mind, I just want to know why.”
“We know that something is bothering yea,” said Applejack.
“You... haven't been talking to us. We just... got worried,” said Fluttershy.
“Oh. I was trying to not worry you. Seeing as how that failed...” Inn started to walk past the weakening friend wall. “I have some memories. Memories that I shouldn't have.”
Pinkie Pie let loose of big gasp. “You stole memories?!”
“No. They are no pony's memories. If anything, they belong to me.”
“How is that?” asked Rarity.
Inn continues, disregarding Rarity's question. “These are horrible memories. Disturbing. For a few months I have been wondering what to do. Now I know.” Inn was walking deeper into the forest.
The others followed behind Inn. “Wh-what are you... going to do?” asked Fluttershy.
“Kill a killer.” Inn sounded downright diabolical as she sped up.
“What?!” they asked in unison.
“A pony that has killed, been punished, and still kills, will die by my hoof.”
Rainbow dashed in front of Inn. Only to go limp on the ground. Her eyes were wandering around in a panic.
“What did you do to her?” asked Pinkie Pie. Pinkie was lifting Rainbow's wing and letting it flop down.
“She got in my way, I paralyzed her. That is, until I'm done.” Inn used her magic and lifted up Rainbow.
It was now quiet as they continued their walk.
Friends Ending: Harmony Wins: Chapter 30: New Moon... Stone
They walk for hours. Only the sounds of rustling trees and grass giving their ears company. Then they saw it. They all saw a shiny metal house.
“Stay here. If you don't want to see me kill him, then leave now.” Inn made a clear glass like wall between them and herself.
“We would never do that to you,” Twilight said. Fluttershy ducked and covered her eyes. Applejack sat down. Pinkie, with straight mane and tail, sat down. Rarity was about to sit, but then noticed that she was about to sit in dirt, so she stood. Rainbow Dash was released, and she floated in place.
Inn sighs. “Okay then.”
Just before Inn got to the door, Moonstone comes up from behind. “Oh. It looks as though I have many guests. It's been some time my dear little Inn. How are you?”
Inn turns around slowly. “Moonstone, I have questions for you.”
“Oh I hope it's not about the odd behavior of the monsters... was it two weeks ago? I don't have answers for that.”
“Why do you kill?”
“That's simple. To learn.”
“When do you plan to stop?”
“When I have learned all I can, of course.”
“How long have you been trying to... learn all you can?”
Moonstone pauses to think. “I can't remember. It may be close to two or three centuries? Is that right?”
“That's imp-” started Twilight Sparkle.
“Do you think that is long enough?”
“There's still stuff to learn. I just can't seem to find out what it is sometimes.”
Inn sighs. “I thank you for my life, I hate you killing. Now it is your turn to die.”
“Why?”
“I think I may explain the next time I die,” said Inn, just before she charged at him. He almost dodged it. Only his flank was scraped by her. “What?”
She bucks him in the jaw. Moonstone then notices that Inn isn't messing around at all. He turns around and charges. Inn evades the attack by pure chance. She was about to charge him, and ran to his side. She looks for a way to slow him down.
“What's the matter Inn, can't you use magic on him?” asked Dash. The face's of everypony, except Fluttershy, showed this same question.
Inn gave a glare to her friends. If they thought that she was this weak with magic, she'd show them. The wall stopping them from entering became a cube. Taking the ground with it, the cube flew up into the air and spin slowly upside down. The gasps and screams made Fluttershy open her eyes and join the screams. When the cube was completely upside down, everypony noticed they were still on the ground. The not-right-side-up floating ground.
Moonstone gave out a whistle of amazement.
Inn was binding magic of two unicorns, making an impassible barrier, lifting a large body of land, and manipulating gravity.
“I want to kill him with my own hooves. Not with magic, or transforming,” Inn said as she was putting the remove earth back.
Before Inn could set the missing chunk of Everfree back, Moonstone took his chance and rammed Inn. This sent her into the side of the metal house, her horn leaving a long shallow gash as it lost it's light. The magic that Inn was doing was cut off. This sent the floating mass, which was almost in place, crashing down.
The six on the crashing land fell and rolled. The land wasn't in the right place, or the right angle. Five of the six were pretty much fine. Pinkie's leg, on the other hoof, was trapped in the the shifting dirt after she rolled down.
Moonstone was standing over Inn. He was wondering the best way to bring her inside. Bam! Moonstone was rammed by a flying rainbow.
“AJ, help Pinkie Pie. Rarity and Fluttershy, try and get Inn awake. Me and Dash will try and stop Moonstone,” said Twilight as she got herself into position.
“Hurry up too, I want to give him a good bucking for hurting Inn!” shouted Pinkie Pie.
“Don't worry Pinks, he won't hurt her again.” Rainbow flew in to ram Moonstone again, as he was going for Rarity.
“Just don't hurt him too badly!” Twilight reminded.
Moonstone stood still after a few more rams to stop him from going after the others too. He was pinned. If you was able to out maneuver Rainbow Dash, Twilight would trip him with a stick.
“So, what did you do to Inn to make her come here?” asked Twilight.
“Yea, that's a good question. I'd think she would go to Celestia or something. But why does she want to kill you instead?” asked Rainbow.
Moonstone looks confused as he answers. “I don't know.”
Now the others looked confused. “Oh oh! Did you do something to some pony she knows?” Pinkie asked as if she thought herself smart for thinking of the question.
“Not that I know of. I can only think of killing little Inn.”
Rarity double checks Inn's vitals. “She's not dead.”
“Oh, don't be silly. Of course she isn't. I gave her life again.”
Rainbow Dash lets out a whistle, as if she is impressed, and shocked. Twilight, on the other hoof, asks, “How can you do that? It's impossible. On that note, how can you be over one hundred?”
“Simple. In my studies, I learned that there is a compound in the Pisinamageia lobe. It isn't only found there, but it is most defiantly common there. Mixing this compound with others has just as interesting results as the compound itself. These results include; prolonged life to tissue, revitalization and construction, and a jump start to life. It is quite a find.”
Twilight shivers at a thought. “What is the Pisinamageia lobe?”
“A bizarre lobe found only in unicorns. It seems to be where they get magic from.”
They stood there in silence. The only exception to this was Rarity and Fluttershy who were still trying to get Inn awake again. Slowly, after about a minute or two after the silence started, Inn opened her eyes.
Inn looks around. Her vision was a bit hazy. Her vision showed a yellow and pink pony sitting in front of her. “Oh thank Celestia you're okay.”
After a cough, Inn asks, “Where...a-am I?”
“No need to worry dear. We are trying to get Moonstone to calm down. Just lay down.” Rarity stroked Inn's coat in hopes that it would calm her down.
Inn starts to lay her head down, but then it clicks. They were dealing with Moonstone. “I need to... deal with him.” Inn staggered to her hooves. “I need to...” Inn paused as she turned to where Moonstone stood.
“Kill him for killing you? Will that really make it all better?” asked Rarity.
Inn turns her head to Rarity. “How-”
“Twilight and Pinkie questioned him. We now know what you meant by memories that aren't yours but yet should be. Or at least I think we do.”
“It's not just my death. He's killed many. He will kill many. I don't see what telling Princess Celestia would do to stop him.” Inn coughs again.
“There has to be another way,” said Fluttershy.
Everypony was looking at Inn. Moonstone didn't think that there was a good chance of getting Inn back if there was all these mares around to attack him if he flinched. He had another opening. Rainbow Dash was on the ground, so he rams her and turns to ram Twilight. His is lifted into the air before he could though.
Inn got him just in time. Applejack just got Pinkie's hoof free too. “Do you know who you hit? You hit one of my friends. I won't let any pony do that.”
“If you truly want to be a good friend, let us help. Talk to us more. Listen when we say that killing him is not the right thing to do,” pleaded Twilight. The others gathered around Inn to show they agreed with Twilight.
Inn sighs in defeat then coughs once more. “Okay. You win. At first I didn't want to know why I had thirty years of my life missing for the fear that I would do just this. When I found out, I couldn't help but think of, not only revenge, but stopping this monster.” Inn uses her magic to squeeze Moonstone a little.
“I can say that there is a bright side to my death,” added Inn
“No, don't s-” Fluttershy started.
“The bright side is, if I hadn't died, I wouldnt of had, not only the best friends anypony could ask for, but also my first. The bright side of my new life is that I have learned so much. I have seen so much. It is all thanks to you six.”
“That's a good thing to learn,” said Rarity with a smile. “Oh, don't flatter me,” said Applejack as she blushed to Inn's little speech. “I'm you first friend?!” asked Pinkie as she bounced with her curly hair back. “How can you look on the bright side of death?” Fluttershy asked herself. “It's cool that I've already started to touch ponies hearts,” said Rainbow Dash as she twisted it a little to suit her a little more.
“Learning about friendship is probably the best thing you can do. The main reason I was looking all over for you after we first met, was I had learned the importance of friendship. The magic it can bring, and the evils it can take down. You seemed so alone that maybe you could learn from it too.”
And another cough from Inn. “I'm sure that there is no way I could have imagined what having friends was like until I met you all.”
Suddenly, six balls of light formed over Inn's friends, that shortly turned into gold gem encrusted jewelry. Most of them where necklaces with the gems formed as the cutie mark symbols of the one wearing it. The only odd one, was Twilight's. Her's was a crown.
As the balls of light changed into jewelry, Inn involuntarily let out a long pink beam. It went straight up as if it were endless. After a few seconds, Twilight's eyes shined a bright white and all seven floated into the air. All of them, except for Inn, shot out a color, forming a rainbow. This rainbow matched speed with the pink blast and they both went straight to Moonstone.
“Fabulous! Absolutely fabulous!” was Moonstone's reaction.
The, now one, beam wrapped around Moonstone. A blinding light filled the dark forest. The the light was done, every pony lay unconscious. The pink beam was all that was left. It split in the middle, the two ends at the top curl. It formed a pink flamed heart. It sat there for a few seconds before dissolving, it's little lights forming a necklace on Inn's neck.
=============
Six mares wake up. They look and see some familiar items. They look around, their friend was still out cold. She too, had a necklace. They didn't dream that. Rainbow Dash looks to see a quilt like pony who is also still asleep.
“Whoa, that was pretty crazy. What do you think happened to him?” the rainbowed one asked.
“Isn't it like with Luna? Wouldn't it be something like he is... at the very least... evil?” asked Rarity.
“Should we walk the sleepy heads up?” asked Pinkie Pie, she was about to jump on Moonstone.
“Let's get Inn up first.” Twilight was already shaking Inn to try and wake her.
Inn twitched a few times. She then put her leg in front of herself, like she was going to get up. Inn coughs. Red drops line her hoof and leg.
Twilight sees this. “Inn!”
“Oh, I-I'm fine.”
Fluttershy looks at Inn, seeing the blood on her leg. “No you're not fine. Not at all!”
The others swarm Inn. “Inn darling, you shouldn’t try moving.” Rarity looked very worried.
“That sounds like a good idea to me. Just lay down and rest up. You need it,” said Rainbow.
“Wait! What happened... to... Moon... stone?” Inn tried to get up but was too tired to stand.
“Don't know. We're waiting for him to wake up,” bounced Pinkie.
“What?” Inn didn't even understand what the lights and jewelry were all about. She was so lost.
“These necklaces are the embodiment of harmony. They can be call out through friendship and times of need. We only used this once before, to stop Nightmare Moon,” explained Twilight.
“So what element is Inn?” asked Pinkie Pie as she looked at Twilight.
They were all confused. No pony had any idea. “The element of glue?” asked Dash.
Every pony glared at Rainbow.
“What, she's white and has many shapes. Right?”
Some moaning came for behind them. Moonstone was waking up. They all watch him closely.
“Ow, my head. What a blast of light that was,” he said. He didn't have the normal youthful attitude to his voice like before. He also spoke more slowly.
“Moonstone, what do you feel right now?” asked Twilight.
“Ah, Twi, what are you doing?” whispered Applejack.
“I'm trying to think back to what Princess Celestia asked last time and change it to Moonstone's situation.”
“My head hurts. It feels as if my brain is larger. It may of swollen from that thing, that light thing.”
“Do you understand the things you have done is wrong?”
Moonstone struggles to his hooves. Leaning on a tree as he thinks, his eyes begin to widen. “Yes. Yes I do.”
“Do you feel like it is okay to continue doing what you were doing?”
“N-no.”
“Hey it worked!” cheered Rainbow.
Inn coughs again. A little more crimson is added to her white coat. “That's good... news.”
Moonstone's eyes dart to Inn. He staggers over the best he can, falling over a few times. “Sorry. I don't know what I was thinking. Sorry for it all!” It all wasn't heard though, as Inn past out not long after he started to apologize.
=============
It's been a few days. Inn is still in bandages after she broke a few ribs and punctured a lung. She was to see the princess as soon as possible. The guards are on alert to let Inn pass and to informed the princess. This made it so much easier for Inn. A guard helped carry Inn to see Princess Celestia.
“Inn. I see you can finally leave the hospital. That's good,” Celestia said, giving Inn a smile.
“I-I had to rest up. No pony w-would get m-me tea.” Inn gave a chuckle, thinking that Princess Celestia didn't understand.
Celestia didn't look to pleased at the mention of tea. “I have already seen Doctor Moonstone Specter. He said what he has done. Do you understand what he put in the tea?”
Inn looked down at the shining floor. “No. I d-do know it has t-to be awful though.” Inn looked back up. “His t-tea is a miracle drug. It has h-helped me a lot o-over the years. I learned of w-what he had done a-and the tea was j-just a reminder of him.” Inn looks back down. “It almost m-made me sick to drink it. I did, h-how ever drink it for it's medical u-uses, or to keep up my 't-tea drinking ways' around m-my friends. I didn't want to w-worry them.”
“And you want the medical use of the tea now? The others may have thought you didn't know.”
“What?”
“Moonstone told me all of what he has done. Most of your friends were there too. They may have thought that you didn't want to drink... his horrible tea.” A smile returned to the princess's face.
Inn looked back up at the princess, confused. “They did b-bring me tea. It just wasn't 'h-his' tea... as you can s-see.”
“They may have still wanted to help give you what you wanted.”
“Y-yes... I guess...”
“Now there is a reason that I wanted you here.” Celestia got off her throne and walked in front of Inn. “It is rare to find new elements of harmony. The last one found was nearly a thousand years ago. The first being found around three thousand years ago.”
Inn sat quiet and enjoying the history lesson.
“The elements were once able to only be used as magic. Now, they have been formed into magical items. The only element to be found after this conversion, is the one you found.”
“Isn't t-that once an item too?”
“There seems like there is more to learn about the Elements of Harmony. This is what I was wanting to talk to you about.”
“Wh-”
“Will you help us learn more about this new mystery element? It would be easier if you are here.”
Twist Ending: The Creator: Chapter 28: To The Moon
Inn was ignoring Twilight's constant visits. Twilight was concerned for Inn, but Inn just had too much to think about to really even pay attention to Inn inn. Some of her friends would come and try talking. Inn's mumbling, tempts to answer questions, was making the others fully aware that Inn had divided attention.
Inn knew that she had to do something. Two things came to mind. She needed to act on one. Her mind had twisted and turned to get to this point, and now it must go even farther to pick one. The problem she had was not that normal. Not normal at all, actually.
There was a killer at large. A pony that has killed many before. He will kill again.
Inn sees two options. Kill him, or bargain with him. She knows his weakness, and she may be able to exploit it. Or, that is she thinks she knows it. Going off his personality, she more than likely can persuade him to stop. This would be giving her life away to do this though.
Killing him, on the other hoof, would mean that she needs to leave everything behind. She has found herself in a catch twenty-two. No matter what she does, she will be dead to the world.
Inn had a few tricks for making calming her ramped thoughts. The thrill of speed and rushing wind would help to calm herself. Then she could use very advanced magic for long lengths of time to slow down her thinking. Just one would work, but they worked best together.
She stands from her seat, making Twilight look at Inn a little confused and worried. “I need to do something. Watch the inn for me.”
Twilight was about to ask 'What do you need to do?', but Inn was out of the inn. Almost instantly after Inn was outside, a THOOM rattled the entire Inn. It seemed almost like it was going to fall apart. Inn was out of sight before Twilight could even open her mouth.
Not long after Inn blasted off, there as a boom that came from a good distance outside of Ponyville. It rattled Inn inn too, but not as badly as when Inn was near the door. Twilight sat there... confused... worried.
=============
Inn had been flying for a few hours. She was making her way around the world again, when she thought about something. A new trip. Something of a first time visit/ revisit. The Moon.
She never really went, but she knew what it was like... kind of. Going to it, not experience it, would be nice, and would require lots of magic. Perfect!
Inn shot into the sky. As she rose, it got colder. Inn raised up a spell to keep herself warm. She began to lose her breath, it had to be her leaving Earth. Inn grew another horn, and used it to keep a bubble of air around her. The spell was converting the air, while not letting it out. Inn was finding new problems and fixing them with magic. In the end, she had seven horns controlling spells so she could live on this trip in space.
Inn keeps going... and going... and going. The moon didn't look much bigger. She kept on sprouting horns. The moon was getting much closer now she was using twelve horns for just speed.
It was a long trip. Flying for at least half a day, Inn make's it to the moon.
She isn't seeing it from an others memory. This time, Inn is really here. She walks around for a while. Her mind is racing with new thoughts.
How gray it all is. There sure are a lot of craters. These craters are deep. Did she already see that one?
It was fun but tiring. Inn was getting the feeling of fatigue after about an hour on the moon. She had so much more to do and see though. The best she could do was take some little reminders. Inn levitates four moon rocks.
As Inn starts flying back, she feels as if she won't make it. She spawns three more horns... they do nothing... she feels better.
=============
Inn gets back, tired. Keeping the fourteen horns, but not using them, she makes herself tea. Inn is almost too weak to make it, let alone drink it. It took some time before she was able make more tea without shaking.
Inn didn't let a single horn fade until she was back to full strength. Even when she was back at full strength, she didn't go back to the inn, she stayed in her hut.
Inn had came to a conclusion. She just needed to gather the guts to follow through with it. Sitting down by the bookshelves, she didn't know what to do first. It seemed as if one solution only came to another problem.
She probably waited nearly twenty minutes before she had her final conclusion. Inn had some unused scrolls on top of a bookshelf. Grabbing one and sitting down at the table, she writes a letter. It was a short letter. After she finished it, Inn grabs two moon rocks, a raps it in the letter.
“Hope this works,” Inn said to herself. She has done many new spells, and attempted several new things, too. This spell, Inn would not know if she did it right or not. She grows a horn, and the letter disappears in a poof of light.
Inn goes and gets another scroll, and returns to the table. This letter is a little bit longer than the last, but still short. Inn raps only one rock in this letter. This letter too, was poofed away by the light.
Inn sighed... a relieved sigh. She trotted over to her old back and fill it with some books and the last moon rock. She looked around one more time, then left the hut. As she closed the door, she stood and looked over the old memories.
The familiar moon was rising into the sky as she left the hut for the last time.
=============
Twilight has been worried about Inn for a little while now. Hoping to learn what is making the white morph act oddly, she has been going to see Inn everyday after dropping Nyx off at school. After seeing that Inn had just left, and was gone the hole day, Twilight Sparkle didn't sleep well that night.
There was too much to worry about the white pony, and now she goes and does another vanishing act. Twilight Sparkle tries to see if Inn is back at the inn the next morning. It looked empty.
The purple unicorn goes to the desk, and sees a scroll. Using some magic she unrolls it. A single rock dropped out. Twilight jumps at this unexpected random thing. Using magic again, she picks it up and inspects it. Twilight puts the rock back on the desk.
Twilight Sparkle reads the letter:
Hope this makes it. It's suppose to go to Inn inn.
My Friends, I am leaving. I can't say why. There is two possibilities that I may not come back. They relate to my past, and have nothing to do with you. Please don't worry.
There should be a rock from the last place I visited. It was far away, and for a pony that can go around the world in less than a day to say that, you know it's far. I only got four. It was a bit hard. Enjoy it. Goodbye, Farewell, Have Fun, Have Good Lives,
Inn.
P.S. I don't think I'd need my inn any more, do with it as you wish.
At first Twilight Sparkle was panicking. She didn't know what to make of this letter. How can she help? Is there any way she can help? Is Inn still close? Wait, what was that about the rock?
Twilight didn't know to answer first in her thoughts first. She did know, that if there was anything she could do, she'd do it.
After sometime, Twilight reads the part about the rock again. What would be farther than going around the world in less than a day? Every rock is on Earth... but the ones in space. Could Inn really go in space?
Inn walks through the forest. Flying didn't seem right this time. Walking was more like the first time, and most appropriate for the last time Inn will make this short journey. This was a journey to where she died, and where she may kill her first pony.
Inn couldn't get the images and memories out of her head. Memories she got from a bizarre spell's backfire. These memories go from after Inn’s new life started, back to when Inn was born, then, not as clearly, Luna performing the spell on Inn back to her birth. To Inn, she feels decades of years old now.
Some of what will to be done, is thanks to Luna's spell performed a few months ago.
Inn was just walking... as if it was longer than last time. She was beginning to over think the decision she had made. These thoughts were going on for about two hours, before she saw it.
The shine of a metal making its way throughout the night forest. Inn found the metal house of Doctor Moonstone Specter. She inches closer. The snails pace sped up as she got closer to the shiny object.
Inn reaches the door, and stands there. She looked at the door, back where she came, and back at the door. She began to go back, but then stopped. Inn stood tall and entered the house, going straight for the door and not for the button that makes the bells ring.
Once inside, Inn only took a few steps in and stopped again. Using magic, she closed the door. A glassy wall of magic formed along the wall the door is on. Inn looks back at is as the magical wall, as it spreads along the other walls, the floor and the roof. As it was about the reach the other side of the room, Inn stops the spreading of the wall. Instead, just limits it to the first room.
The new wall is now invisible, as Inn goes into the massive room. It's just as odd as always, many 'rooms' but technically only one room. As this door closes, another glassy wall forms along that side.
After this wall seems to disappear, Inn moves towards the lab where Moonstone works. When Inn was just half way there, Moonstone came out.
With a dumbfounded expression on his face, Moonstone asks, “Oh, did I not hear the bell? Sorry, sorry. Sit down, have some tea... after I make some that is.” He quickly went to the kitchen to make some tea.
Inn took a few steps closer to Moonstone, opens her mouth, and doesn't say anything. She turns and sits at the table. Then she asks, “How... h-how have y-you been?”
“Oh, just great! I have been working on some new things that are just so fascinating! I have much more to do, but I think that I may be close to an end in the discovery.” He was skipping as he was making the tea and talking about his work. “Ah, what about you? Do you have any new things to talk about? I would like to know why the monsters were acting so oddly... was it a week... no...”
“Ah, I have s-some good information for y-you.” Moonstone didn't see, but Inn was sulking in her seat.
“Good, good! You must tell me during tea!” He came to sit down with Inn. “I have a new brew, let me know if you like it!”
Inn shuttered, and then asked, “Did I-I tell you how I k-killed a dragon?”
=============
The two had been up so long talking about things that Inn had seen Moonstone's work. Soft thuds could be heard form where the two sat. Inn looked around while Moonstone tried to listen more closely to the door.
After many bells rang, Moonstone jumped up. “Oh goodie! More visitors! This is quite some night!”
Inn took a few more sips of her tea as she watched Moonstone dart to the door. After she took a few sips, she slowly got up and followed him.
“Who, just who could it-?!” Moonstone was bouncing, leaping, showing pure joy... before he got zapped.
Inn walks past him. “I'll get it.”
“Did the door just...”
Inn walks into the outer room and uses magic to open it. The mild light of day shined through the doorway. “How can I help you?”
A stallion stood there, shocked by Inn's appearance. “Oh, um, I was traveling and was wondering if you had any food that could at least hold me over? Until the next town that is.”
“I don't think that there's much, but there should be some in this room. Help yourself.”
From the doorway inside, Moonstone asks, “What's going on? Why can't I leave?” He tries again, only to get shocked again. “There wasn't any... shocky thing before.” He tries again only to be shocked... again.
Inn looks around the room for some extra food. She creaked open metal cabinets and shuffled around inside them. Inn finds some of Moonstone's food that is made to last for several years. “I found some, hope it taste good.”
The stallion was... confused by the two 'host' that he was seeing. Glad that the scarier pony wasn't able to come close to him. “Ah, thanks?”
“I think it best if you left after you ate. I'm going to talk to sparks there, have a nice meal.” Inn goes back to the room where Moonstone was trapped in and sits back down by her cup of tea. “M-moonstone, come sit down. I need to t-tell you some things.”
=============
For hours the story was told. How Inn found herself six good friends. How Inn's visits with the princesses have been. Finally, Inn tells Moonstone about Luna's spell.
There was many pauses do to Moonstone's interjections and one from the stallion who gave a 'goodbye' and 'thank you' before he left. As Moonstone beings another pot of tea out, he asks, “So what then? How did the spell go? This is just too exciting! Did Princess Luna actually tell you what she saw?”
Inn can never seem to truly get past his energetic nature, and it seems worse when she talks about something big like this. Inn takes the last sip of tea before she answers, letting Moonstone refill her cup as she spoke. “It backfired. Worked, but worked in the wrong way. This made... bizarre backlashes occur as well.”
“Oh you just have to tell me what happened! You have such a build up, it has to be oh so fascinating!” Moonstone was practically jumping out of his seat and onto the table, making the metallic tea set clang together.
Inn took a slow sip of tea. “Luna acted different and forgot a large chunk of her memories.” She then took another slow sip of tea.
“Oh my, oh my! That is quite a backlash! Did Princess Celestia find out? Was it soon? Oh you just have to say!” The clattering of the tea set grew.
Inn looks at Moonstone's still empty cup and back up at him. “Princess Celestia is the one who calmed Luna down.” Inn used magic to fill Moonstone's cup. He looked at it and seemed to mentally kick himself for forgetting the tea. “I was the one that had to give an explanation... the best I could that is.”
“Are you visiting them often?” Moonstone finally took a sip of tea.
“No.” Inn took a sip of her tea, a long sip that almost finished the cup in one go. “You asked if I knew about the odd behavior of the monsters?”
“I did, and you didn't say anything after I did ask. Why?”
“The last time I had seen the princesses, was to ask why I had to fight off thousands of monsters and five dragons who were trying to enter a town.” Inn finished her cup of tea.
Moonstone's eye's widen, his irises grew to fill almost all his eyes. He looked as if he was about to explode with joy. “THAT IS FANTASTIC! DID YOU DO IT BY YOURSELF OR DID YOU HAVE HELP? OH MY, OH MY! THIS IS SIMPLY FANTASTIC!”
Even though Inn was expecting something like this, she still had to close her ears. “Can you lower you voice?”
“Oh... sorry...”
“I think that I may need to explain a little bit more. The spell that Luna did... affected me too.”
“How how?”
“I didn't quite understand it at first myself. I did what I could to... test things.”
“Test?! Test what? Can I test it too?!”
Inn refilled her cup as she continued. “I tried some new spells, some spells that I was having a hard time with before, and even tried to see if I could make my own.”
“Did you-”
“Not all of it was successful, but I had nearly doubled my... magical inventory. To top it all off, I had a better understanding of my magic limitations... all magic limitations to be more accurate. I even learned ways to quicken myself when flying.” Inn takes a sip of tea and stairs at the table. “You might say... I have the knowledge of thousands of years to work with.”
Moonstone's eye's lit up again, as he shook violently. “So you got Princess Luna's memories?! That is too perfect, too extraordinary, too... positively, absolutely grand news!!!”
Inn sighs, making even Moonstone calm down a little bit. “I have her memories, yes. They are fuzzy though, and are not easy to... go through.” Moonstone seemed to go into deep thought. “There was more than her memories I had gotten though, and they are much more clear.”
Moonstone looked as if he was going to burst once more. Joy was just one thing he was getting too much of in these last few hours.
Before Moonstone could ask who's memories she had gotten, Inn answers, “The memories I had gotten, where my own. They spanned from just before you brought me back to life after you killed me, to when I was born... To when you created me.” Inn slowly raised her eyes to look into Moonstone's.
He looked a little confused. “Didn't you have those memories already?”
“No.” Inn stood up after she had taken one last sip of tea. “These memories included your... work... on me.”
“Oh, I can see how you wouldn't have these memories.”
“I have one question.”
“What is it?”
“You seem to kill a lot of ponies... a lot. I want to know what it is that made you not kill my mom and dad?”
“If I remember correctly, they came and said something about not being able to have a foal of their own. Even if I'm remembering wrong, I made them a little filly of their own. They were happy, and when I saw you a few years later, I was shocked. Maybe I was more happy... no... amazed... was it all of those? I didn't make you to have magical abilities, or not intentionally.” Moonstone notices Inn's glare. “Oh yes, sorry. I don't kill everypony that comes and sees me. I guess it is a lot though.”
Twist Ending: The Creator: Chapter 30: Bittersweet Reunion
It had been a long day. The process of trying to keep some memories before Luna turns back into 'the other Luna' isn't really that simple. The little princess could tell that the older princess had done her job for the night, so she had gone and done hers.
On her way back from raising the moon, Princess Luna thought it would be fun to mess with Tia. This should be good for a few laughs. Going back to her room first, Luna got some things to use in this 'fun.'
The little princess walked to the older princess's room, trying to be very, very quiet. She was at the doorway, she peeked in, and saw her sister standing at the bedside with a scroll and something else.
This was perfect! Tia wouldn't suspect a thing!
BANG! BANG! POP! POP! “BRAWARRR!” As Luna popped in, two poppers popped, and two noisy party favors sounded. Lots of smoke and confetti.
Tia jumped, and before she spoke, she set the letter down on the bed and the other things under her pillow. “Ahh, Lu-, what are you-?”
“Hey, what's that?” The little princess got close to the bed.
Tia looked as if she was trying to hide the pillow and show the rolled up scroll. “Oh, just a letter from Twilight Sparkle. She was report-”
“No, not the letter. What are you hiding under the pillow?” The moon princess used magic to grab the unknown objects, trying to beat her sister to it. It didn't really take her close examination to know what it was. To know what they were. Moon rocks.
“Why did you do that Lulu?”
“Why did you hid them from me, Celestia? How did you get these?” Luna's eyes moved to the letter. She darted over to read it as quickly as she could. It was a short letter. “Who is 'The Great Unknown?' How did this pony get moon rocks?”
Celestia looked down. She needed to think, and when she got her thoughts together, she looked up again. “I didn't know how you react to the rocks. I had a thought, but didn't know for sure myself on just where the rocks came from.”
Luna just eyed the paper and alien stones.
“So now that you have seen them, how is it that you feel about it? Do you want to talk about it?”
Luna seemed a little confused, both by her sister's question, and her own feelings. “Happy... and... scared. I love the moon, and am happy that I can touch it, even it it is a little piece of it. But then again, I'm scared. Why would a pony go to the moon and get this... for me or anypony? How would this pony be able to do that, and live? Is this a warning, or a gift?”
Tia looks at the scroll and back at her little sister. “I think it may be a gift.”
=============
An aging unicorn maked a trip to a far off town as per request by Princess Celestia. The unicorn hated having to leave the classroom to a sub, but this just sounded like so much fun. It had been ages since she had done anything like this, and the royal guards not able to escort the old instructor made it that much more fun. She could take in the sight more and learn more by walking than flying in a chariot.
The purple unicorn was done with her mini mission, and was on her way back. Going into a town, she sees a slightly worn statue. It looked a little... unusual and scary. A plaque notes that it was in honor of one her dear old friends. If she only know how long ago this was. It looked a bit old.
Entering into the nearby forest, the instructor has memories of her librarian days. She forgot what path it was that she had taken, but knew the general direction to take. On her trip down memory lane, the mare finds a shiny metal home. An entirely metal house.
Intrigued, she goes and investigated it. The thing that seems the most bizarre, is that such a small house has a door bell. Could there be more... 'house'... inside the hill?
The unicorn presses the button, and waits a few seconds. She first hears some rustling and yelling. After a few more seconds, there was a sound as if there was shocking going on, and cries of pain.
A muffled voice could be heard yelling, even over the cries. “Didn't I tell you... Move you plot! … Do you want... to you?! … Bumbling buffoon!!”
The magic instructor backs up from the door, not sure what to inspect.
The door opens, and the unicorn can see that there is another room behind the white pony before her. A quilt-like pony tries to leave the room only to be zapped. “How are you to-” started the white pony with no mane and tail.
“Can it be?” asked the unicorn with widened eyes.
“Twilight, it's been a while. Come in... oh just this room,” ushered the pony.
“It's been so many years, how can I even express-?” Twilight's words seemed to cut off by her thoughts.
“Come in, come in. Let's talk. It's been a while, right?” The pony took a seat at a small table away from the doors and pointed to an empty chair.
The aging instructor went inside, taking another look at the stallion who was getting shocked again. Still gaping at the sites she was seeing, Twilight Sparkle asks, “Inn, why do you look like that?” When Twilight had last seen her friend, they were about the same age. Now Inn looked to be an older friend of Twilight's daughter.
Inn looked as if she was trying to force a smile. “Ah, can you tell me how long it's been since I left?”
“Are you not going to answer me? Well fine, I think it's been twenty, thirty years? Why?”
“Oh, that long.” Just then The fake smile went away.
It looks like Inn is a little upset that she didn't have some sort of 'gift' worked out. “You don't need to show me a fake version of yourself, just show me you.”
“I am. This is how old I am. I bet Rarity would kill for these looks right?” Inn gave a forced laugh at her joke.
“Hello I'm-” the quilt-like stallion started, only to be cut off by being shocked, again. Is he dumb?
Inn turned around to look at him, she used magic to push him back and shut the door. “Moonstone drives me crazy!” Inn peered down at the table and then up at the cabinets next to it. “Want some water?”
Twilight looked at the cabinets behind her and then said, “Sure, why not?”
Inn was almost done getting everything ready when she asked, “So, why are you here? What brings you into the forest this time?”
As Inn asked this question, something clicked in Twilight Sparkle's mind. “I had a little something to do for the princess and it required me to travel. I was on my way back to Ponyville actually.” Twilight eyed her metallic cup of water. “Say, Inn... why water?”
Inn looked down at her cup, keeping her eyes away from Twilight Sparkle's. “What?”
“Don't you normally serve tea?”
Inn took a little while to answer. “Let's not talk about that.” “Okay then, how about you explain why you're here?” “Later.” “Why you left?” “Not now.” “Why aren't you stuttering... are you-?” “Let's make a deal.” “What?”
Inn looked up and had given a big hopeful smile. “I've wanted to know more about what is going on out there, can you say what is up with you girls first? After that, I'll answer any question you have.”
The magical instructor stood in protest. “But I'm-”
Inn turns her head slightly. “How does this sound? I'll give you something that you maybe thinking about asking first. Is that okay?”
“But, but...” Twilight Sparkle just sighed and took her seat. “Okay, it's a deal.”
“You want to know why that stallion is always getting shocked right?”
“Yes, I think it's a barrier though.”
Inn looked back at Twilight, and has a big grin on her face. “It is. I made it. Don't go past, the most dangerous things there are me and him. The entire house, which is very big, is made to have two barriers, one for me and him, and one for him. This way I can't kill monsters and he can’t kill... anything but me.”
“What?! You don't have to go to such extremes for that!” Twilight took a few deep breaths and then said, “Wait, you made the barriers?”
“Yup.”
“But, making such barriers is so...”
“It was easy. I can teach some time If you like,” Inn said with a smile that made her look as if she was bragging.
“Why did you do it? What does he kill?”
Inn looked away again. “Later.”
“Fine!” Twilight turned her head way too and they sat in silence for a few minutes. “Ponyville has changed a lot. In fact, I'm now a teacher at a high level education institution there. I teach magic, naturally!”
Inn looks back at her friend. “Sounds like you.”
=============
Sever hours go by, and Twilight tells all she can to Inn. They shared laughs at some of the funny things that seem to always happen. They had a good time, but Twilight Sparkle still wanted her answers.
Twilight looks at her empty cup and then turns to Inn. “So, I told you all I can think of... are you going to keep you end of the bargain?”
Inn turns her back to Twilight Sparkle. “Oh, yea, sure.”
“Where did you get this rock from?” The unicorn levitates a rock out of her bags. “You gave me this along time ago. A note said that you got it... I guess not here on Earth.”
Inn's eye's lit up. “Yes, that right! Can you guess where I got them from?”
“No! That's why I'm asking.”
“The moon.”
“What?!”
Inn looked pleased by the shock. “It wasn't that bad of a flight. It was just tiring... and not that good of an idea..”
“What?!”
“Yea, I almost died due to overuse of magic.”
“That's not possible!”
“It is for me.”
“No, you'd faint first.”
“Not me, not all the time.”
Twilight was at a loss of words, and started to think of what to change the topic to. Hesitantly, the purple mare asks, “So, why don't you stutter any more? Are you using another's personality?”
“No. It's me. Being around that pain in the plot Doctor is what I think got me to stop stuttering.”
“Why do you look that way? You know young?”
“This one... is hard.” Inn stood up and got close to Twilight. Inn lit a horn and then touched it on Twilight's head. “Okay, we are 'talking' with our minds now. If Moonstone is eavesdropping, then he won't be able to listen to us now.”
Twilight was a little startled by this. She wasn't just good at magic, she taught it. This was new to her. There was a dark world where the two could see one another and not worry about their physical actions being seen.
Inn, in the mental world, got closed the wide gap between them. “I have lost count. If I had to guess, I'd say it's at least seven times now. I do know of one, bloody, gory, and both messy and clean time for sure.”
“What? What are you talking about?” Twilight was taking a few steps back.
“The times I have died at the hooves of that stallion you saw in the other room.” Inn looked away unable to keep eye contact as she finally said it.
“What?! That's imp-”
“He does like his most wondrous creation to live... but it is in his nature to kill to learn. He knows it is useless to have me dead to learn why I can use magic... but again it is in his nature.”
“This doesn't make sense.” Twilight took a step closer to Inn.
“He made me. He didn't mean for all of what I am to be, and that make him curious. When he is curious he kills. Simple enough. That's him. All I can say is, we are both dangerous, he is the bigger threat.”
Taking two more steps, Twilight Sparkle says, “No, you aren't a threat!”
“I won a fight against ten thousand monsters and was tempted to kill after I had just gotten my resolution to not kill anything ever again. At the point that I had thought I won, I made a threat, it was meant to only be a threat, but it sounded so good, I almost just slaughtered them all. It was a long and draining fight. I may have just been exhausted, but that's no acceptable excuse. I.. I..”
Twilight had gone to her friends side. “You are far better than him, and even yourself from back then.”
Inn looks up at Twilight's comforting face. “Thanks. It's nice to hear.”
“So why did you lock yourself up with him?”
“We have both done crimes, and I am his creation. I thought it was either this or kill him. He had been punished before, and look where that got him.”
The aging mare gave a forced smile. “Well, that is the better of the two options.”
Inn looked a little bit down, just not as much as before. She seemed to perk up as she ask, “Have you heard where or not the princesses liked my gift to them?”
“No, I never even heard of you giving them a gift before.”
=============
Celestia was making her way to her room, it was time for her to go to bed. She was almost to her room, when a bright smoky poof dropped something on her head. Shocked, Celestia took a step back and looked down at the object. A scroll. Going by how heavy it was when she was hit by it, she can tell that it has something inside.
As Celestia unrolled the scroll, two rocks fell out. The note read:
Princesses, Got you two a rock. Hard to get. Lulu knows where they're from. Enjoy.
The Great Unknown
Celestia levitates the rocks up close to examine them. Who is this 'The Great Unknown'? How is it that these rocks are hard to get?
Celestia ponders this as she walks to her chambers. Just she was about to lay down on the bed, she thinks of some other good questions. Why would Luna know about these rocks. “Are these-?”
=============
It had been a long day. The process of trying to keep some memories before Luna turns back into 'the other Luna' isn't really that simple. The little princess could tell that the older princess had done her job for the night, so she had gone and done hers.
On her way back from raising the moon, Princess Luna thought it would be fun to mess with Tia. This should be good for a few laughs. Going back to her room first, Luna got some things to use in this 'fun.'
The little princess walked to the older princess's room, trying to be very, very quiet. She was at the doorway, she peeked in, and saw her sister standing at the bedside with a scroll and something else.
This was perfect! Tia wouldn't suspect a thing!
BANG! BANG! POP! POP! “BRAWARRR!” As Luna popped in, two poppers popped, and two noisy party favors sounded. Lots of smoke and confetti.
Tia jumped, and before she spoke, she set the letter down on the bed and the other things under her pillow. “Ahh, Lu-, what are you-?”
“Hey, what's that?” The little princess got close to the bed.
Tia looked as if she was trying to hide the pillow and show the rolled up scroll. “Oh, just a letter from Twilight Sparkle. She was report-”
“No, not the letter. What are you hiding under the pillow?” The moon princess used magic to grab the unknown objects, trying to beat her sister to it. It didn't really take her close examination to know what it was. To know what they were. Moon rocks.
“Why did you do that Lulu?”
“Why did you hid them from me, Celestia? How did you get these?” Luna's eyes moved to the letter. She darted over to read it as quickly as she could. It was a short letter. “Who is 'The Great Unknown?' How did this pony get moon rocks?”
Celestia looked down. She needed to think, and when she got her thoughts together, she looked up again. “I didn't know how you react to the rocks. I had a thought, but didn't know for sure myself on just where the rocks came from.”
Luna just eyed the paper and alien stones.
“So now that you have seen them, how is it that you feel about it? Do you want to talk about it?”
Luna seemed a little confused, both by her sister's question, and her own feelings. “Happy... and... scared. I love the moon, and am happy that I can touch it, even it it is a little piece of it. But then again, I'm scared. Why would a pony go to the moon and get this... for me or anypony? How would this pony be able to do that, and live? Is this a warning, or a gift?”
Tia looks at the scroll and back at her little sister. “I think it may be a gift.”
