Chapter 1: Visitors Bring Flashbacks
It was a peaceful day in the small town of Ponyville. Sun was shining, birds were chirping, and a large house on the edge of town was bustling with energy.
“MOM!” a small colt yelled from the top of the stairs. A quite frazzled looking dark grey mare shook her head in annoyance, her multicolored spiky mane bouncing upon her forehead.
“I'll be right there, Spectrum!” Electronic Flair shouted back. She heard a small chuckle coming from the entrance to the kitchen. “What are you laughing at?”
“Oh, nothing… nothing at all!” a light grey stallion said, still trying to contain his laughs. Flair rolled her eyes.
“Oh please, Echo. You should try listening to his rants all day,” she said. Echo Drive shrugged inwardly, and trotted up to his wife.
“You know you look beautiful when you're angry,” he said, wrapping his hooves around her. Flair grumbled something inaudible, before quickly pushing out of his reach.
“I should go see what he wants. You on the other hoof, go take out the trash or something,” she said, spreading her wings out and pushing off to the second level of the house.
Echo hummed slightly as he heaved the large bag to the dumpster at the front of the lawn.
He suddenly heard some noises coming from just besides the house, and quickly whipped his head to see what was going on.
He could only make out a wisp of dark brown, before it vanished just as quickly as it came. Echo scrunched his eyebrows in confusion, and nevertheless continued to work, not bothering to take another look at what was happening around him.
“Spectrum! Get right back here!” Flair yelled to her five year-old son.
Spectrum quickly stuck his tongue out at the older mare, as Flair gave out a deep sigh.
“Where do you get your personality from?” she mused.
“Yeah… I wonder…” a new voice chimed in. Flair quickly turned around to see a green and brown maned stallion looking at her with his left eyebrow raised.
“Just go back to your computer thing,” she said absentmindedly. Echo scoffed.
“I would at least expect my own wife to know what her husband’s job is!” he exclaimed with a dramatic move. Flair shrugged.
“Oh well…” she said, going back to her son.
DING DONG
Flair scampered to her hooves and quickly rushed to the door of the room.
“I got it!” she yelled, disappearing suddenly. Echo chuckled.
“Why do I think you did that to get out of taking care of Spectrum?” he remarked, going to his son and picking him up. “You're adorable.”
Electronic Flair quickly rushed to the main door of the large house, and opened it wide, setting her eyes on a tall pink unicorn with a very long, curly, two-toned brown mane. She had deep bark eyes, and a heart with a piece of paper and a pencil as a cutie mark.
“Electronic Flair!” she suddenly yelled. Flair raised her eyebrows. She knew she had met this mare before!
The unicorn grinned.
“It's me!” she exclaimed, trudging a large black suitcase behind her. Flair suddenly gasped.
“Oh! I remember you! What was your name… Irk Mooge, right?” she said, trying to remember the mare’s name. The mare rolled her eyes.
“I'm Ink… Ink Mage. We were in school together, remember? Same seventh grade math class?” she said. Flair suddenly widened her eyes in shock.
“Oh! I remember you!” she said, before flinging her hooves around the taller mare. Ink giggled lightly, before hugging her old friend back.
“No duh! I located your address and-” Ink started again, before cluttering of some sort was heard from inside the house. Flair groaned, knowing exactly what it was. Ink tilted her head in confusion. “What was that?”
“That was Spectrum… and quite possibly my husband... SPECTRUM! ECHO! GET DOWN HERE RIGHT THIS INSTANT!” Flair yelled, as the stomping of hooves was heard. Ink gasped as she laid her eyes on the light gray stallion.
“Echo Drive? Flair… you married ECHO DRIVE? The same Echo Drive who you were dating all those years ago?” she exclaimed, suddenly becoming very giddy. Flair nodded, taking her son out of Echo’s hooves.
“Yep! And this is our son, Spectrum!” she said happily, bouncing the young colt in her hooves. Echo suddenly turned to the unicorn in surprise.
“Hey! I know you! You were the mare who always crashed Flair and I's dates!” he said, his voice getting lower after each word. Ink gulped.
“Uh… yes… I think that was me!” she said nervously. Echo gave her an unreadable expression.
“We were having a nice, romantic dinner, when BAM! You come into the restaurant and completely ruin our date!” he continued. Ink started to sweat heavily.
“Uh…”
“Oh! Don't forget that we were trying to keep the relationship a secret for the longest time… before SOMEPONY ruined it!” Echo said, pouring salt in the wound. Ink took a few deep breaths, unsure of what to do. Flair just rolled her eyes.
“Okay, Echo. We're done with the teasing!” she said, putting her hoof on the grey stallion’s shoulder. He chuckled.
“Oh, alright. Ink, I'm just teasing you. It's all in the past!” he said. Ink sighed in relief, and nodded. “Except… it wouldn't be if something like that were to happen again…”
Ink suddenly stopped, and gave a nervous laugh. “Don't worry about me! I won't interfere! Hopefully… WHICH REMINDS ME! I have to ask you two a huge favor...”
Echo and Flair raised their eyebrows, and gestured for her to continue.
“What is it?” Flair asked. Ink nervously smiled.
“Well… my publisher… he-”
“Publisher?” Echo suddenly cut in. Ink’s eyes widened.
“Oh! Didn't you hear? I got a job as an author in Canterlot!” she said. Flair grinned.
“Really? Awesome! You were always good in English class!” she said. Ink nodded.
“Yeah… anyway, my publisher thought my newest idea wasn't worth showing the public… so he kind of kicked me out of the business,” she explained. Echo raised his eyebrow.
“What? That's pretty harsh…” he said. Ink nodded again.
“Yeah. He said that until I can get a new book completely written… I can't be part of the business. And here's the deal… where I live… It doubles as my office. And since I was kicked out of the office… I don't really have a place to stay…” she said, trailing off at the end. Flair groaned.
“So you want to stay with us?” she guessed. Ink nodded.
“Yeah. Would that be alright?”
“Sure! We have a few guest-”
“Wait up! Flair, we barely even know her! Do you really want to let her in?” Echo cut in. Flair nodded.
“Echo, please. She was my friend a few years ago. She's harmless,” she said. Echo gave her an uneasy look, before shrugging, and nodding.
“Well, okay. Ink, you're welcome to stay. But don't touch anything!” he said, leading them all back inside the house.
“So, what do you have planned for your new story?” Flair asked her unicorn friend. Ink gave a thoughtful expression.
“Well, my manager AND publisher both really like horror and tragedy stories… so I'll probably make a thriller,” she said. Flair grinned, and nodded.
“Oh! Awesome! I wouldn't mind hearing how it goes!” she said. Echo nodded.
“Yeah! How about everyday right before bed, you read is what you got!” he suggested. Ink and Flair nodded.
“Yes! That sounds great! Just make sure Spectrum’s in bed. I plan to make this story very scary,” Ink said. The couple nodded.
“Yeah, that's fine. I'll put Speck to bed tonight, and Flair and I can take turns alternating every evening,” Echo said. Flair nodded, turning back to Ink.
“Sounds great! Does anyone want dinner?” she asked, looking over to her son.
“YES! MOMMY MAKE FOOD! I’M HUNGRY!” Spectrum instantly started yelling, banging his hooves on the floor.
“Okay, okay! I'll make you something! Do you two want anything?” Flair asked her husband and old friend. Echo shook his head politely, while Ink vigorously nodded.
“Food sounds great, Flair. Echo, I know you want dinner. You know it too,” she said slyly. Echo stopped, quickly shrugged, and trotted straight into the kitchen. Ink giggled. “Ha. Told you!” she said, before following the stallion.
