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#Post#: 1068--------------------------------------------------
Re: For the Hundredth Time
By: Ivory Star Date: October 5, 2016, 10:21 pm
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~The rain is falling through the mist of sorrow that surrounded
me.~
Ivory Star hummed, singing softly as she paraded herself around
town, seemingly without a care in the world. Even under normal
circumstances, the jubilant mare would have been incredibly out
of place as she danced and sang to her own internal rhythm,
tap-tap-tapping away in her head as she bounded from street to
street with an infectious smile. Tonight, however, the
cobble-stoned streets were quiet and empty, save for herself.
With nary a star in the dreary night sky, the warm, twinkling
lamp posts served as her guide, casting a gloomy haze through
the droplets of ice-cold rain. Despite the inclement weather,
which forced most, if not all of the town's residents into their
warm, dry abodes, Ivory seemed completely and totally
unperturbed as she sprung herself into puddles with splash and a
giggle. The cold and the rain hardly bothered Ivory; she and her
sisters had grown acclimate to the Baltimare environment, often
playing on the docks until they were drenched from head to hoof.
While it would ultimately end with a good scolding from their
mother about catching a cold, Ivory and her sisters continued to
play in the freezing rain. Here in Ponyville, however, there was
nopony to drag her inside by the ear, so the mare was free to
relive those small, joyous moments despite not having her
sisters around all the time.
~The sun could never thaw away the bliss that lays around me.~
In no particular hurry, the mare ventured further and further in
town, crooning a bit louder as she approached its center. She
was looking for something... Or somepony. One of her sisters,
actually-- Isabelline, the eldest and the busiest of the three.
She had promised to meet Ivory at the Traveler's Inn, located
about a block from the Town Hall which now loomed in her field
of vision. Considering Isabelline's unique position in the Lunar
Guard, it wasn't very often that Ivory was given an opportunity
to visit outside of military business. What made matters even
more complicated, unfortunately, was that Ivory was part of the
Lunar Guard as well, and technically subservient to her oldest
sister. And, surprise surprise, Indigo, the middle sister, was a
member, too! This made planning anything incredibly difficult.
Ivory had been trying to organize a dinner party for weeks! But
for now, the mare was certainly content in meeting up with
Isabelline. She beamed, fluttering happily as she pranced her
way past the Town Hall.
~Let it rain, let it rain, let your love rain down on me! Let it
rain, let it rain, let it rain, rain, rain.~
Ivory sang out, excited as she approached the Traveler's Inn.
Despite her enjoyment of the icy rain, the inn's awning was
quite the welcome sight. With all of her bouncing and singing
from the complete opposite end of the town, the mare had worked
up quite an appetite. When was the last time she had something
to eat, she wondered... Oh, right, a bowl of hayflower and oats
the night before... Hardly a meal, she thought, leaping
underneath the wooden awning with one final splash before
shaking off with another giggle. In her eagerness and enthusiasm
to leave her humble home on the outskirts of town, Ivory had
forgotten to carry her leather-bound bag of bits with her. No
matter! She could just use Isabelline's tab. Having family in
high places came with its own perks, after all, although she
might get an earful later. The mare shrugged, humming softly to
herself once more as she took a step inside. Her sharp, golden
eyes jump from corner to corner, seat to seat as she surveyed
the area for Isabelline. The bar, front and center complete with
old-fashioned, wooden signs and soft, glowing lights was still
open, but relatively empty, save for a couple of Earth ponies
who had turned to look at her. To the left, a small dining area,
complete with stained-oak tables covered with dark, maroon
cloth. Ponies of all shapes and sizes bustled to and fro as
waiters and waitresses weaved between tables, carrying pots of
honey-roasted coffee-- the inn's best seller. The kitchen in the
corner clattered and clanged with activity, busy filling orders
from the influx of guests that had arrived to escape the weather
outside. To the right, a large, cozy lounge lined with
moss-green sofas and ottomans. A warm fireplace crackles at the
end of the lounge, inviting ponies to bask and relax while
listening to the radio or playing a game of cards. It was
perhaps the coziest place in all of Ponyville; the perfect
chance to forget all of your worries and strife with good food,
drink, and rooms that could outshine a regal, five-star hotel.
And yet... There was no sign of Isabelline. Ivory frowned, but
only for a moment as she wiped her hooves and shook out the
remainder of the rain from her shining, silvery-blue coat. She
extended her wings, her entire body almost glowing underneath
the soft, warm light as she combs out her dual-colored mane and
tail with her hooves; the stark white stripe contrasted well
with the midnight blue, complimenting her sheen which seemed to
add to her glow. A pair of earrings, black and white, jingled
softly against her right ear, leading up to the unmistakable
pointed tip of a Noctral. Comparatively, Ivory was a bit smaller
than her Noctral counterparts, especially when standing next to
her two sisters. Despite her smaller appearance, her body was
incredibly lithe and well toned, almost like a spring ready to
burst with energy. Perhaps her training in the Lunar Guard
helped her figure after all. With a grin that showed off her
pointed fangs, Ivory adjusted her necklace; an ornate, white
metal that housed a brilliant aquamarine jewel, gripped with a
spiraling, black border. Brushing the long side of her mane out
from in front of her face, her golden eyes landed on the two
ponies right in front of her. Well, a Griffon and a Pegasus, to
be exact, and fresh out from the rain by the looks of it. Ivory
trots up with a hum, looking the pair up and down with an
infectious grin.
"Hi!~ Are you new here? I don't think I've seen you two
before... And I'd certainly remember a Griffon with a laurel and
a jersey along with a Pegasus with a gorgeous mane like that."
The Noctral giggles, offering a little curtsy for the two. "I'm
Ivory Star. Half Noctral, half Pegasus, one-hundred percent hard
working pony~"
#Post#: 1069--------------------------------------------------
Re: For the Hundredth Time
By: Star Dust Date: October 6, 2016, 12:19 am
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A hoof rose at Claire's words, moving as if to rub at her
cheek--only to pause, remembering that the muddy paths outside
had sullied her coat, leaving her hooves muddied. Instead, she
turned, busying herself with shaking the umbrella freee of
clinging droplets so as not to track any water inside. She felt
for the griffon, but she had no idea what platitudes or advice
to give her. She knew neither the griffon's plight, nor the
griffon herself, so to say she was currently at a loss was a
slight understatement.
To Star's relief, however, the conversation lingered on that
subject no longer, and instead moved to the inn itself. After
laying the umbrella beside the doorframe, out of the way of
other ponies, Star took a few steps into the building, her weary
hooves clopping on the wooden floorboards as her head swiveled
around. She had to give this place its dues: it was far cozier
than she'd given it credit for in her assumptions; its
atmosphere was homely and welcoming, its aesthetics pleasing and
familiar. The bar in front of her was an obvious hot-spot for
meeting old friends and making new ones; the dining area off to
one side came close to rivaling some of the cafes in Canterlot
she'd had the fortune of patronizing; finally, there was the
lounge on the other side. It was, by far, Star's favorite part
of the inn so far. Just the look of it was relaxing, somewhere
Star could see herself coming to with a nice book, maybe with
some nice jazz music to go along with it...
Her gaze wandered a bit, searching for instruments. She found
none, to her disappointment. Live music would have been the one
thing to make the whole scene perfect for her, though she
supposed that trying to fit as much in a place this size would
have been a task far easier said than done. The din from the
kitchen in the far corner brought her out of her thoughts once
more, the aromas wafting from the area invading her nostrils,
causing her stomach to growl again in urgent need, once more to
Star's embarrassment. "Ah... I suppose, I should go and find
myself a pl--"
The mare's sentence drifted off as a new voice greeted them. She
turned to face the source of said voice, only to blink. A...
noctral? She'd not met many of those in her travels, so seeing
one before her now, in a town as small as Ponyville, was a shock
to the pegasus--though not an unpleasant one. That warm smile of
hers spread on her face easily, as if second nature to the mare.
Her gaze wandered over the tufted ears, two-toned mane,
earrings, fangs, then finally the necklace worn around the
mare's necklace. There was obvious curiosity, but stowed behind
a friendly, pleasant demeanor.
"Ah, you're far too kind, sweetie," Star responded to the
compliment to her mane, offering a curtsy in kind, the action
smooth as if familiar with doing it. "Some days it's a hassle
more than it is a boon, though I couldn't imagine life without
it like this, now. I'd look so silly if I ever cut it," She
said, giggling softly. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Ivory. I'm
Star Dust, all pegasus, and professional aide, of sorts," she
parroted Ivory's introduction, before gesturing to Claire. "And
a griffon I just met, Claire, somegriffon down on her luck.
Which reminds me, dear, don't give up hope. None of us can see
the future. Many, many things can happen, even in just a month's
time." She smiled reassuringly to the griffon before turning
back to Ivory. "I take it you're from this town? If so, I don't
suppose you'd mind chatting with a new arrival, would you? If
you've nowhere else to be first, of course."
#Post#: 1079--------------------------------------------------
Re: For the Hundredth Time
By: Claire Date: October 6, 2016, 11:13 am
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"I really hope you are right." Claire said looking up. The mare
was right, she really shouldn't give up so easily... she is
still new to Ponyville, perhaps somepony here can help her out.
The griffon greeted the new arrival with a new smile and a wave.
"Hiya. I'm new here too... Well I arrived a few days ago so I
guess you could say I'm not as new as Star over here. It's a
pleasure to meet you Ivory. 100% hard working! I like that. That
was on a banner in our old locker room." She nodded at what Star
Dust asked interested in noctral as well.
#Post#: 1090--------------------------------------------------
Re: For the Hundredth Time
By: Ivory Star Date: October 6, 2016, 10:36 pm
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Ivory beamed from ear to ear as Star spoke. The mare's voice was
almost melodious, much like her own, and being responded in kind
with "sweetie" filled her up with even more joy... If that was
even possible at this point. Most ponies don't seem to
reciprocate Ivory's actions very well, often dismissing her
"antics" as silly or senseless. To those who know her well,
however, the mare just simply enjoyed life and laughter, ever
eager to spread it wherever she goes. It was nice to run into
not one, but two individuals that didn't immediately dismiss her
as "that one crazy Noctral". She was also quite pleased that
neither of them seemed to balk at her appearance. While Noctrals
were not all that uncommon to find wandering around at night,
Ivory seemed to be the only one in Ponyville, at least to her
knowledge. Most residents had never even seen one until she had
arrived a few years back, and even then, her chipper attitude
was usually met with some form of distrust. Everypony was a
critic... Until they heard the mare sing.
"Nice to meet you, too, Star Dust! Professional aide!" The mare
giggled and tucked her small wings back to her sides. "Sounds
like a nifty title, like something you would see captioned in a
book or movie. Oh! And your first name is the same as my last
name. What are the odds!~ Wait... Don't answer that one. There
were like..." Ivory paused, tapping her hoof in place as her
face almost scrunched up in thought, which looked rather silly.
"...six?...seven?... There were at least five different Stars in
my academy class. I tried to convince them to start a band with
me and name ourselves Constellations, but that didn't go over
too well. Still! That's so cool!" She almost prances in place,
turning her attention to the Griffon with a small hum. "Welcome!
It's nice to meet you, too, Claire!~ I love your laurel." The
mare paused again, giving further attention to Claire's navy
jersey with, emblazoned with a golden twenty-four. While Ivory
was athletic, she was never particularly great at sports. The
games she participated in, however, were thrilling. "Oh, oh, do
you play airball? I'm not great at it, but I can get the ball
from point A to point B faster than you can say foul! Which...
is pretty accurate because I heard that word a lot. Still, it
was fun!"
Ivory tilts her head and smiles again, knowing all too well how
goofy she must look in front of everypony. Most of them seemed
to give her an odd look, craning their heads as they tried to
figure out just what the mare was so excited about. She did seem
to calm down a little bit after the initial greeting, though.
"Anyways~, I don't mind chatting for awhile. If you two have any
questions, ask away!~ I'm originally from Baltimare, but I moved
here a few years ago to get away from all the hustle and bustle
of the city life, as well as be closer to my two sisters. One of
them, Indigo Sharp, resides in Canterlot, and the other,
Isabelline Snow, pretty much lives at the Lunar Guard
headquarters. Speaking of, I'm hoping Izzy drops by like she
promised." A look of concern briefly flashed over the Noctral's
features, her ears drooping some, but almost immediately perks
back up as if nothing ever happened. "Where are you two from, if
you don't mind me asking? Oh, you must want to sit down. Have
you had anything to eat? Come, come! You have to try the salad
supreme! It's like a bowl of joy... And you can eat the bowl,
too!" She motioned towards one of the empty tables near the
outskirts of the dining area, her eyes almost pleading as they
twinkled brilliantly against the soft, glowing light.
#Post#: 1096--------------------------------------------------
Re: For the Hundredth Time
By: Star Dust Date: October 7, 2016, 12:33 am
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The new arrival's attitude was certainly enough to banish Star's
fuzzy-headed, somber state from the rain, her smile
unquestionably genuine now from the mare's enthusiastic mood.
She'd not met many ponies that had such a pure excited and
fervent demeanor, or at least from what Star could tell, but it
was more than a welcome refreshment after the long, rainy train
ride she'd suffered. The noctral's mind seemed to be working in
overtime, though--first there was talk of book captions, then on
to classmates, and attempted bands... to airball, and her
apparent lack of luck with the sport.
Star fought the instinct to wrinkle her nose again at the
mention of Baltimare, and the rain that seemed to Star to be
ever-constant there--instead, shifting her weight on her hooves
and stretching her large, elegant wings out wide before closing
them shut again, keeping the suitcase on her back nestled
between them. Two sisters... One in Canterlot, one in the Lunar
Guard. Star stashed the information away, making mental notes as
the noctral spoke of herself before laughing softly at the
suggestions that came from the mare in regards to the food. "My,
after such a shining recommendation like that, how could I
possibly say no? A salad supreme, it is," she responded, now
moving over towards the dining area.
Once there, she lowered her suitcase down onto the floor beside
a chair and climbed into it, wings ruffling a bit once more as
she settled in. "To answer your previous question, I'm
originally from Los Pegasus. Though, I've been all over. To name
a few: Manehattan, Cloudsdale, Canterlot... and Baltimare, most
recently. I must say, your excitement is a welcome breath of
fresh air, Ivory. I could see us becoming good friends," the
pegasus said, that warm, relaxed smile of hers having never left
her face. "So! I mentioned questions, didn't I? What is it you
do here in Ponyville? And what sort of work opportunities are
there here?" She glanced over to Claire then. "Aah, by the way,
where is it you stay? I still need to look into living
arrangements, myself. I didn't bring enough with me to stay here
at the inn every single night."
#Post#: 1098--------------------------------------------------
Re: For the Hundredth Time
By: Claire Date: October 7, 2016, 8:04 am
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"Aw thanks. This is actually really special. A friend gave it to
me." The griffon adjusted it on her head before continuing to
listen to the excited bat pony. "I do not play airball. Maybe
you can teach it to me sometime! I played softball and soccer
when I was younger and in college I.... played volleyball and I
boxed. Those were probably my two best sports. Is it anything
like that?"
Her stomach growled. "I'd love a salad supreme... Thought I'm
not sure if I can afford one right now..." After hearing Star
question she began feeling embarrassed and blushed. "I uh....
Don't.. erm... I would definitely allow you to stay with me...
but I don't... really have a... home at the moment."
#Post#: 1125--------------------------------------------------
Re: For the Hundredth Time
By: Ivory Star Date: October 8, 2016, 8:47 pm
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Ivory happily follows Star into the dining area, giving Claire a
slight tug to come join them with another warm smile. She sits
directly across from the Pegasus, admiring her rather large
wings as she settled into place. There must be a lot of power in
those wings, the mare thought to herself, now looking at her own
for a small comparison. If there was one thing she learned in
the academy, those with the largest wings always seemed to be
the most powerful, enduring fliers of the bunch. Those with much
smaller wings, like Ivory, tended to lean much more into speed
and acrobatics, easily dancing circles around their larger
counterparts, so to speak. Trouble was, those that relied on
their speed had the tendency to tire out quickly, leaving them
in bad, bad spot if they were in the middle of enemy territory.
It wasn't often that Ivory was sent out onto the field, but when
she did, she was one of the best fliers around.
"Trust me, you'll love it.~" The mare croons, leaning back with
a warm sigh as wraps her tail into her lap and pulls her chair
up to the table. "Los Pegasus... Manehattan... Cloudsdale,
Canterlot, Baltimare," she repeats quietly to herself as Star
spoke, noticing a distinct lack of fondness every time Baltimare
was mentioned. "Wow, those are all big, busy cities... Coming
down to Ponyville of all places must be quite the change in pace
for you. It's rarely ever busy here, but we do hold events and
festivals from time to time. Plus, the entire town is watched
over by the Element Bearers. A large boon, if I do say so
myself." Ivory giggles again, giving a small little wave to flag
down one of the waitresses. "The more friends, the better, I
say!~ I can certainly help you two out. What I do here, however,
is a harder question to answer..."
Ivory pauses, trying to figure out how to best word it in her
head as her face scrunches up in thought again, which seemed to
look even sillier up close. "Well, I like to think of myself as
a morale booster and a medic for the Lunar Guard. But I also
work as an internal liaison for my sister's specialized group
within the Guard, or a backup tracker and intelligence
operative... So I guess you can say I'm part of both." The
Noctral shrugs and stretches out a little. "In my spare time, I
perform. Sing, dance, play, that kind of thing. I also host my
own yearly festival. As far as work goes, though..." Another
pause as she scrunches up her face again. "Well, my first
recommendation would be the Ponyville weather-team. They're
always looking for Pegasi to help. If that doesn't suit your
fancy, you can probably find work in loads of fields among all
the markets and businesses around here. Somepony is always
looking for help, even the Element Bearers at times. Once your
up on your hooves and have a place of your own, you could try
opening up a business yourself. Many ponies trade or sell their
talents around here; finding or creating work should be no
trouble at all.~"
She turns her attention to Claire, beaming as she prompts the
Griffon to come sit with them. "Airball is really easy!~ Think
of playing something like a cross between football and soccer,
but flying high in the air! It's all physical contact, too, and
takes some really good hoof-eye coordination to score a point. I
was a runner, so I got the ball from one end of the field to the
other as fast as I could. And don't worry about food, silly! I
can get it.~" Ivory grins with excitement, now wondering if she
could get a team together to play some proper airball...
Probably not... But she could try. "Oh! Before I forget, I have
my own place on the edge of town. If you two don't have any
prior arrangements, you are more than welcome to stay with me
for a little bit. It would be like an old fashioned slumber
party!~"
#Post#: 1135--------------------------------------------------
Re: For the Hundredth Time
By: Star Dust Date: October 8, 2016, 10:26 pm
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Star frowned some at Claire's admission she had no true place of
her own, offering the griffon her sympathy once more, though not
knowing what she could say to cheer her up. It wasn't like she
had anything to give as placation, herself... She gave the
griffon's shoulder a gentle pat, trying not to get any of the
mud caked on her hoof on her feathers, before looking to Ivory
as the mare spoke, tail swishing slowly in the air off the side
of her chair. She knew all too well that Ponyville was going to
be a vast change of pace. It was a change she wasn't sure she
was all too ready for just yet, but was a necessary one all the
same. However, she conceded that being in a place where
everypony knew everypony else's name would have been a fairly
decent shift from the friendly distance most ponies in the
cities kept with each other. The walls they all put up, for fear
of what the world might steal...
The promise of festivals and events was exciting, as well. No
doubt such a small place was spirited in their festivities, and
in a place that gave off such a friendly vibe, making new
friends at those events would likely have been an overall simple
endeavor. It was a surprise to Star as the conversation shifted
to work, and what Ivory did--she wasn't expecting the mare to
mention that she worked for the Lunar Guard. She didn't quite
seem the 'military' or guard type, but she of all people should
have known better to not judge a pony by their appearance. It
was less of a surprise when she said she performed, however. She
did seem very lithe, and given her jubilation, Ivory being
center of attention only seemed to make sense.
The snowy-coated pegasus nodded along with the other mare's
words, taking mental notes of her recommendation in work, though
not finding much solace in them. Her best bet was still just
trying to find someone she could aid towards their dream... Star
tuned out for a moment until the mention of sleeping
arrangements was brought back up--and Ivory offered her own
place up for the both of them. Had this been a larger city, Star
would have immediately denied the offer, considering the mare
was still a stranger. But, Ivory gave a trustworthy vibe to
Star, and given this was a smaller town... "I'd be glad for the
opportunity to save on bits, dear. And a 'slumber party' sounds
like a fine idea. I've not had one of those... well, since I was
a filly. Chances are I'm more than just a bit rusty," Star
teased, giggling softly.
"I suppose work will be simple enough to find here. I'm not sure
any of what you suggested would be thigns I could do. I don't
like the rain, so I wouldn't be much help as far as weather's
concerned, and I don't have any ideas for a business--unless,
somehow, for some reason, it'd be possible to open up a 'Help'
shop, here. Since, that's what I'm best at. Helping other ponies
achieve their dreams. But, ah, that aside... I must admit I
hadn't taken you for being in the Lunar Guard. You're... mmh...
Energetic. Not that that's a bad thing. Just caught me off..."
She laughed again. "Off-guard! Hehe, sorry. That wasn't
intentional, I promise."
When the waitress arrived moments later, Star greeted the mare
with that same warm smile she'd had the entire time, and gave
her order. "Good evening, miss. I'd like some green tea, and a
salad supreme. With that, if you three will excuse me, I really
need to wash my hooves. Off to the little filly's room with
me... Back in a few moments, dears." She rose, lifting her
suitcase and settling it on her back before meandering off to
the restrooms to do just as she'd said she would, all four
hooves still caked in mud from earlier.
#Post#: 1137--------------------------------------------------
Re: For the Hundredth Time
By: Claire Date: October 8, 2016, 10:51 pm
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"I do love me some contact. I actually played a bit of football
back when I was a wee griffon. Then the team wouldn't let me
play anymore because I was a girl so I took my physical
abilities to boxing." She put her talons up and playfully
lightly punched Ivory. When the waiter arrived the Girffon began
to feel guilty again.
"If it's really alright... I'll take a salad supreme as well
then too..." Claire was really embarrassed. She felt like she
was mooching off such a nice bat pony. "Oh... place to say?
Wel... Slumber parties are nice haha.... I had a few of those
growing up... but I got some things I gotta take care of at
night... You know training stuff..." She already felt terrible
about having to have another pony cover her meal, but she
couldn't let herself accept the offer to stay at the nice
Noctral's house. "I got to wash my talons. All muddy and
wouldn't want to eat a salad with them!"
She darted to the mare's room and didn't even see Star as she
looked at herself in the mirror and took deep breaths to calm
herself down before scrubbing her talons clean and returning to
the table.
#Post#: 1160--------------------------------------------------
Re: For the Hundredth Time
By: Sona Nocturne Date: October 9, 2016, 12:47 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
Not far from the train station, a hooded figure passed silently
under a streetlight. Her hooves made no sound as she transversed
the cobblestoned streets. She paused in a dark stretch and
pulled back her hood to reveal black fur and a matted golden
mane. Her orange eyes scanned the rainy darkness warily, and she
sighed quietly. She knew she had followed the train tracks the
wrong way.
Sona had never had any trouble with directions, but then again,
she had never strayed far from the village she called her home.
But either way, this town was far too small to be Los Pegasus.
She knew she needed to figure out where she was. There were few
things she hated more than not knowing something important. One
of those few things was having to ask somepony about
aforementioned important information... She might as well get it
over with.
By now her mane was getting plastered to her head, no longer
protected by her hood, but Sona didn’t seemed to notice. She
closed her eyes and her horn lit up with a dull silver glow. She
needed to find somewhere public, a place with a lot of ponies…
In her mind’s eye, she could “see” the dim outlines of the towns
inhabitants, going about their business as electricity raced
through their bodies, keeping them alive. No… no… there! Near
the center of the town, Sona could see many ponies and other
creatures gathered together. Her horn’s aura faded and she
opened her eyes. Setting off at a brisk trot, she headed towards
the Traveler’s Inn.
She arrived a few minutes later, and paused at the window,
peering in with a critical eye. After a moment, she strengthened
her resolve and entered, shaking her head like a dog as droplets
of water flew off her mane, most likely spritzing nearby patrons
in the process. She looked around, studying her surroundings
more thoroughly. The inn looked nice enough. And though she
wouldn’t admit it, it was rather nice to get out of the rain,
which was starting to come down even harder.
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