A Lonely Life

Chapter 8

Inkwell trotted out the Boutique along with Rarity. They had their saddlebags packed and were going to meet everypony else at Sugarcube Corner. Inkwell hadn't expected, but wasn't surprised, that Pinkie Pie had a hot-air balloon at her house. While on their way Inkwell and Rarity talked about what the city was like and what there was to do there. Inkwell was a little shocked when she told him about the wings Twilight had given her. He didn't know any unicorn had that much magical power, with the exception of the princesses. After a few minutes of walking, the sweet shop finally came into view, with a balloon next to it.

"Hey you guys! Hurry up! We need to leave soon!" Pinkie Pie called out to them as she bounced up and down next to the balloon. Inkwell wasn't sure how they would all fit, but decided to cross that bridge when he got there. Turns out he never had to cross said 'bridge', because they all fit with room to spare. Most of this was because Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy flew alongside the balloon, instead of riding in it.

"So Inkwell, have you ever seen Cloudsdale before? From the ground I mean?"

"No, I sure haven't Twilight."

"Well then in that case, you are going to love how amazing it looks!" She smiled and looked to the north. Inkwell followed her gaze and saw a large cloud mass off in the distance. He assumed that this was Cloudsdale, considering the rainbows pouring off and smaller clouds drifting away. This sparked his curiosity, and he turned to Twilight.

"Hey, do you think we could go and visit the weather factory? It would be neat to see how weather is made, especially the rainbows."

"We actually went last time. We can most certainly go again. But you can't see how rainbows are made, at least not the individual colors. Nopony really knows why." Inkwell saw Rainbow Dash give a slight twitch as she said this, he wanted to figure out why, but decided it best not to ask her about it. He sat there for a moment in the silence, but then an idea struck him.

"Hey everypony, how about some music?"

"Music? You know how to play an instrument darling? Oh this is simply wonderful!" Inkwell gave a nod at Rarity, and walked over to the edge of the balloon that his bags where on, and pulled out his new ocarina he had bought back in Ponyville.

"This is one of my favorites." He held it up to his mouth and began to play a very beautiful melody. The rest of the group sat in awed silence while they waited for Inkwell to finish the song he was playing.

_____

After around three minutes, Inkwell finally brought the ocarina down from his mouth. Everyone in the balloon had their jaws on the basket floor. After a few moments, Twilight was the first to speak up.

"Inkwell, that... that was beautiful. I didn't even know you played an instrument. Much less one so complicated. When did you learn to play?"

"A long time ago, back when I was just a colt. I got one for my birthday and decided I really wanted to learn how to play. It isn't my special talent, obviously, but it's close to it."

"And the song? Where did you learn that?"

"My... my mother taught it to me. She really loved it. It was the last song she played in church, just before she..." Inkwell started to tear up. He couldn't bear the thought of what happened.

"Just 'afore she what, sugarcube?"

"Nothing, it doesn't matter now. I... I don't want to talk about it."

"Alright darling, we won't push you. But if you ever need somepony to talk to, just know that as your friends, we are ready to listen." Inkwell nodded, and turned back to face the fast approaching city. They all sat in silence, nopony said a word, not until they landed. When the balloon touched down and they had unloaded their things, Inkwell spoke up on the walk to the hotel.

"Hey, everypony, I just wanna' say thanks."

"Fer what sugarcube?"

"For being my... my friends. It's been a while since I knew anypony who I could consider real friends. So I just wanna' say thanks."

"Hey, no thanks necessary! Now I have somepony else to give feedback on my aweome tricks for the Wonderbolts! You would be the first stallion in my audience too!"

"Yes, and I can have a male form for the suits that I make once in a blue moon. Big Macintosh is good, but he's such a large stallion. You would be much better, and besides, we love having new friends!"

"Darn tootin'!"

"YEAH!"

"Yay."

"So AWESOME!"

"We're glad to be your friends Inkwell. And we're glad you consider us friends as well." Inkwell found himself unable to breath. Not because all of this friendliness was so amazing, but because he had six mares pressed up against him in a tight hug.

"Can't... breathe..." He let out a sigh of relief when they let go. He then started to laugh a little, then he was guffawing with all the others soon joining in right beside him. After a few minutes of hysterics, they collected themselves and headed for their hotel. Inkwell hadn't been told what hotel they were staying in, so he just followed behind. Twilight, who was leading, eventually turned into a Mareiot and walked up to the front desk to check them in. She came back with four hotel room keys, two for each of the two rooms.

"Alright, I was able to book us connecting rooms, but three of us are going to have to stay in the same room as Inkwell. Now, I have already decided who was trustworthy enough to put in the same room as a stallion: Rarity, Fluttershy, and myself. So that means that AJ, Pinkie, and Rainbow are going to share a room together. Any questions?"

"I've got one. I can understand you and 'Shy, but why Rarity? What makes her so special huh?"

"Because, Rainbow, Inkwell has been staying with her for the past three days, and nothing has happened. It was the most logical decision. Anypony else have a question?"

"Um Twilight. Where are the bathrooms?"

"Down the hall and to the left Pinkie. Hey, you know what? How about we all go, that way nopony gets lost trying to find the rooms." And so off they went, on the usual routine of a vacation. Everyone stays together, everyone uses the bathroom at the same time. It was like clockwork. They went to the restroom, went got unpacked, and where headed out, into the city of Cloudsdale.

_____

They were about halfway to the weather factory, their first stop, when three pegasi landed in front of them. They all apeared to be jocks, as well as jerks, if what the first words out of the brown one's mouth were anything to go by.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't Rainbow Crash and her pathetic group of loser friends. Oh wait, and is that Fluttercry over there too? What are you losers doing here huh?"

"Yeah, what?" The tall orange one on the left seemed to mimic what his ringleader said, while the shorter gray one jus stood there wordlessly and laughed at the jokes and insults.

"None of your business jerks! Now leave us alone!"

"What's the matter Rainbow Crash? Afraid to get your precious little feelings hurt?" They two pegusi on either side of him laughed.

"QUIT IT!"

"NO!"

"LEAVE HER ALONE!" Inkwell stepped up from behind everyone, and took matters into his own hooves for a change. "The lady said to go away, now LEAVE!"

"And just who are you to tell me what to do huh?"

"My name is Inkwell if you must know, now get out of here."

"And your gonna' make me? Huh... Stinkwell?" His two 'henchmen' guffawed at the name their leader had given him. What the brown one didn't know was that Inkwell had been called this before. Many times before, by everyone in his entire school, this was the teasing nickname he had put up with for his whole life, and it stuck home in Inkwell's mind. Despite his best efforts, he began to tear up again, all the memories of his life being a living hell, putting up with everyone he came into contact with, insulting him, teasing him. He had just stashed all the anger and hatred away, knowing violence would only make it worse for himself.

"Ohoho, check it out guys. Stinkwell's crying. What's the matter Stinkwell, you need your blanky, your wittle bottle? Your slut of a mommy?" Inkwell couldn't contain his rage any longer, insults against himself he could handle, but his late mother? Never.

"MY MOTHER"S DEAD YOU JACKASS!" And then, without even waiting to see his expression, Inkwell turned around and bucked the leader right into the nearest building, which was about thirty yards away. He turned back around and gave the other two a menacing glare, that would have made some of the toughest ponies in Equestria scared out of their minds. The two got the message and flew off as fast as they could, not even going to help their fallen leader. Inkwell turned back and faced the girls behind him, all previous rage gone. They were all staring at him in shock, unable to believe what they had just witnessed and heard.

"Um, girls?"

"Inkwell, your mom is... dead? I'm... I'm so sorry." Twilight gave him a hug, but pulled away at what he said next.

"Not just my mom, all of my immediate family, my aunts, uncles, grandparents, even my little brother... all dead."

"My stars darling! What on Earth happened?"

"This is where I owe you six another thank you." They looked at him confused, before he continued. "Discord, he... well, I won't go into the details as to what he actually did to them. I can give you the story though. It was when I was in college, it was Christmas, and my family was all at my parent's house. I was running a little late, and was almost to the house, when I heard an explosion. I saw Discord flying in the sky. He had just been released, and needed something to subdue his blinding lust for chaos so he could think straight again. He needed to head straight for the nearest area with the most ponies gathered together in one building, and he chose my parent's house. He did things to them I would rather not recount, but none of them survived. None of them. But you six stopped him. You avenged my entire family. So thank you." Inkwell had begun to cry for the third time that day, and was embraced by all six of his new friends for the second. This time though, the hug was much more gentle and caring.

"Inkwell, if you want to go back to the hotel after all of this, we understand. Do you want to go back?"

"No, it... it's okay Twilight. I'll be fine. I haven't gotten over what happened but, I can cope with it." Twilight nodded in understanding and they continued on toward the weather factory. As they passed by one of the buildings, a brown stallion was pulling himself out of the crumbled cloud structure. At the sight of Inkwell he turned and ran. The group of friends shared a laugh and continued onward.

End Book One