Hollow Mask

Normally, Hunter is not a morning person or pony. Normally she needs a fifth cup of coffee to even get moving outside the blanket lands.

Since her regeneration yesterday, she noticed that things were different. When she woke up, it was suddenly and unlike ever before. She was fully awake within seconds.

While Hunter thought about how unfair the universe is, by making her a morning person, she made herself some coffee.

This could have been a better morning if the coffee didn’t taste so bad. Upon taking the first sip, she immediately spit it back out.

Hunter eyed the cup carefully before making a few statements about herself; “A, I’m a morning person and B, I don’t like coffee anymore.” Her mood reached a new low when she thought about the consequences. The best she could hope for would be at least the ability to stay up late somewhat.

She was so deep in thoughts that she missed two things. First, she had begun to levitate the small cup in a red magical aura, and second, Olivia had appeared directly behind her.

“I see you mastered Telekinesis,” the Angel stated calmly but suddenly.

Hunter was startled by her sudden verbal attack and lost her grip on the cup. Said cup dropped to the floor and spilled the coffee over Hunter. “Thanks for the coffee stains,” she snarled. After she had removed most of the stains, she cleaned the cup and filled it with orange juice.

"I think we left a few questions unanswered yesterday," she stated.

"Maybe."

"Why do I need an Angel following me around?" she asked with an aggressive undertone.

"Technically, I'm not an Angel. If you find yourself in high-class society under gods, it is called an 'Angelic God', but since it is the snob-class, nobody cares. We are kind of the ... military and police force in one. We have pretty much the right to overrule anything as long as it is one the same pay grade as we are or lower.

"On the other hand, or hoof in your case, while we are insanely good at fighting stuff that is more powerful than us, we are almost incapable in magic or reality manipulation in comparison with other gods. Still powerful though.

"And I am here because part of your contract includes a bodyguard of some sort. I won’t look after you all the time, I have other occupations beside making sure you won’t set fire to the local environment."

Hunter narrowed her eyes, "I see." Then she emptied her cup of orange juice, turned around to leave the kitchen, slammed in the closed door of said kitchen and dropped to the floor unconscious.

Olivia sighed, "What did I do to deserve this..." She picked the unconscious Unicorn up and threw her on one of the cushions of the main area of the library.

She sat down beside Hunter and sulked about how unfair the universe was when someone knocked at the door. Olivia had a good idea who it was, so she opened the door with her Telekinesis.

A lavender Alicorn stormed through the open door and towards the two current inhabitants of the library.

“You can’t stay here,” she said between gasping. Apparently she had run all the way from the castle to here.

Olivia raised an eyebrow, “Why not?”

“It’s a library.”

The Angel sighed, “Twilight, as far as I am aware, you lived here for four years and nobody had a problem. Secondly, I am practically a librarian, heck, that was my name for some time, before that jerk named me Olivia, so I’m the best you will get for that job. And at last, I don’t think Hunter would stay anywhere else, including your castle.”

Twilight thought about that for some time before she responded, “But… that was… my library.”

“To bad. By the way, do I get paid?” the Angel inquired.

The Alicorn was stunned by the question for two seconds, “WHAT?”

“Well, if I have to take care of it, I want some bits.”

“But… but…”

“Would you kindly employ me as the librarian? How much do I get paid?”

Twilight didn’t have any choice anymore, “Urgh. Fine. You’ll get what I got, so about one and a half thousand bits per month. ... I hate you.”

Olivia smiled, “Thank you. Now, would you kindly leave?”

Twilight slowly trotted out the door and turned around before closing it, “I hate you.”

Olivia was reading a book when Hunter woke up again. Technically she wasn’t reading, it was more like looking at each page for half a second before turning to the next.

The first sign that Hunter was conscious were a series of loud pops in her back as she stretched. “Thanks for letting me sleep,” she muttered, “Did anything interesting happen?”

“Twilight wanted to throw us out of this nice little place.”

“And?” Hunter asked.

“I’m working as the town’s librarian now. ‘Would you kindly…’,” she smirked.

The orange Unicorn broke down laughing. After a few minutes she had recollected herself enough to resume normal breathing. “Oh man, that is like ten kinds of overpowered. Wish I could do that.”

“In Equestria mind control is forbidden. Dark magic and all.”

“And you?”

“I punched Celestia in the face. I doubt the jurisdiction can faze me. Additionally, I’m not using dark magic... kind of a loophole there.”

Hunter snickered, “I see. Well, I have to find something else than flying to do while I’m bored, eh? Any suggestions?”

Olivia looked up from her book and stared at Hunter, “Fly to space?”

“Ha. Ha. It just so happens that I have a spaceship standing in the backyard,” Hunter answered with dry sarcasm.

Olivia tipped her chin with a finger, “Well, it isn’t exactly in the backyard.”

The left eye of the Unicorn twitched, “You want to tell me, that there is a SPACESHIP outside and I didn’t NOTICE?”

“SEP-Fields are a bitch, ain’t they?”

The eye twitching intensified, “SEP? As in ‘Somebody Else’s Problem’?”

Olivia nodded, “You want to see it?”

“Why now?”

The Librarian was short of facepalming at this point, “The contract states a lot of things, including that you have to discover a few things yourself. Slamming into it at high speeds counts as ‘discovered’ for me. Better suggestions?”

“No,” the unicorn sighed defeated, “Well, onwards and upwards. Beam me up, Scotty!”

Olivia laughed out loud, “No beaming, sorry.” She stood up and waited till the Unicorn on her side was ready for departure.

She opened the door and led her outside. “And here you see your grant and totally awesome ship!” Olivia exclaimed. A few ponies in the general area began looking at her curiously.

“I don’t see anything,” said Hunter disappointed.

“Oh, yeah, I’ll switch off the SEP. Excuse me,” she sneered and disappeared with a plopping sound.

Seconds later Hunter’s eyes were finally allowed to focus on the ship in front of her. A few gasps were heard around her as the other ponies of Ponyville were finally able to consciously see it.

Hunter remained shocked and frozen at the sight of the ship. Olivia was standing on the open loading ramp, a mischievous smile on her face, “I take it you like it?”

“No fucking way,” Hunter whispered. She took a few steps forward and touched the ramp, as if to make sure that it was real. “No fucking way,” she repeated, a bit louder this time.

Olivia grew sick of the repetitive unicorn, “Yes fucking way. Now come in before the pony princess comes and steals it.”

That was enough motivation for Hunter to spring forward. When she passed the inner airlock she stumbled and fell on her face.

Olivia was already closing the loading ramp again when Hunter tried to stand up again. Said Unicorn noticed that she was, once again, in possession of hands. She shot Olivia a questioning glance.

“What? You wanted to fly this thing with hooves?” asked Olivia with dry humor, “Good luck with that. You should still be able to do magic with your hands, or if you find yourself with wings, fly.”

“Shiny. Where is the cockpit?” Hunter asked fanatically.

“Stairs up, left corridor, ahead,” Olivia responded. She watched the Unicorn raced towards her desired location and she slowly followed.

When they entered Hunter stared at the equipment with excitement. She sat down on the left seat and immediately began messing with the switches and buttons.

“Don’t you want to read the manual or something first?” inquired Olivia.

“Nah. Manuals are for chickens.”

She flicked a few more switches on which an loud alarm echoed through the ship and multiple red lamps lit up. A female, computerized voice echoed through the ship, “Alert. Main reactor core unstable.” She undid the settings and the ship returned to a somewhat normal state.

“On second thought, that may be a good idea.”