Awake? (Lonely Inky)by ThinkyPieChaptersChapter 1Chapter 2Chapter 3Chapter 1Inky wiped her muzzle. She turned on the hot water, and looked at her reflection in the mirror over the sink. She had black bags under her eyes. Her face and inner thighs were crusty from dried body fluids. The slight acrid smell made her wrinkle her nose. It was funny how somepony could stink of sex and still feel alone, she thought. From the bathroom, she could see Silver Chain still laying sprawled out on the bed. Inky knew she would leave as soon as she woke up. In fact, she wanted her to. She didn't like having Silver in the apartment after sex. She might do something weird, or try to start a conversation about things Inky didn’t want to talk about. She splashed her face with water, and dried it with a dirty towel. Silver let out a low moan. Inky looked at the clock on her cell-phone. It was late. Maybe she should make up an excuse. She went back into the living room. Looking down at the bed, she frowned. Even though Silver was a small earth pony, Inky's bed was a single, so she took up an awful lot of room. “Silver.” “Mmm?” “I gotta go to work soon, and I need to get ready.” A small silence ensued. Inky opened her mouth to ask if she'd fallen asleep again, but Silver groaned and rolled out of bed. She found and put on her studded collar without looking at Inky. “Coffee?” Silver asked while checking her phone. In the dim room, the screen lit up her face. Inky looked sideways, her hair covering the left part of her face. “N-no. All out.” Silver sighed, and went into the bathroom. She didn't close the door, but came out soon afterwards. “Yeah, I need to get going anyway.” The two ponies stood in front of each other, neither of them moving. After a brief pause, Silver gave Inky a quick kiss on the cheek and left. Inky picked her blanket up off the floor. It was filthy, and stank, but it was her last. She would have to do laundry. She sniffed it again, and a slight smile crept onto her face. The smell reminded her of ThunderSmash. NO! Inky shook her head. ThunderSmash wasn't real. It was all in your head. Stop thinking about her. Her phone rang. She looked at the display. It was Clear Smiles, her psychologist. Inky thought about not answering it, but Smiles would just bring it up during their next session. “Yeah?” “Hey Inky, it's Smiles. How are you doing?” “Okay.” “How are your meds?” Inky looked at her windowsill where several small bottles stood. She had only been taking half her dosage. “They're making me sleepy. I can barely function at work.” “Yes well, we talked about how it might be a good idea to find a new job. Have you given any thought to that?” No. “I haven’t found anything good, yet.” “That’s okay. I have some news that might interest you. I’ve heard from my colleague in Baltimare, it seems they’ve had some good trials combining duloxetine with a new form of modafinil. In theory, it should help combat the drowsiness, without affecting your ability to sleep at night. The preliminaries are looking very good, and I thought that you might want to try it.” Inky didn't want take any more drugs, but after her episode with ThunderSmash, she didn't trust her own judgment anymore. Not that she trusted Clear Smiles, but she didn't know what else to do. It was over a year ago, and that morning still haunted her. “Can... Can we talk about this on Monday?” “Sure. See you Monday.” The rain was coming down hard, as Inky walked along, in a mass of blank faced ponies. It was Friday, the start of another working weekend. She was glad. She never wanted to have the weekend off. Why would she? Either she would sit at home alone, or Silver would call and tell her to come drink with her and her friends. Inky pushed the door open into CopyFlex. The shop was done in all white, and hummed from the many printers and screens running. Flick, a brown unicorn with a dirt-white mane, looked up from behind the counter. “There you are, you're late. I gotta drive an express shipment to the UDS, before they ship to Stalliongrad, so I need you to hold the fort. I've got a bunch of t-shirts in the Plaster, they should be done in 20 minutes.” Flick levitated the cars keys into his pocket. “Also, we got an odd order for a hoodie. The customer has a lot of pictures, and a pretty vague idea. See if you can whip something up.” Flick went out the back, closing the door behind him. Inky sat down at the computer and rubbed her eyes. She needed some coffee, or she wouldn't last. She clicked open the customer file. The first picture that sprang into her eyes was a radiation symbol, in white. Just like ThunderSmash’s cutie mark. She looked through the pictures. They were mostly gray apartment buildings, with some industrial complexes in the background. In three of them, there was a pale sunrise, with the radiation symbol faintly visible within the sun. The customer hadn't written a name, only a short description of what they wanted. From: fuchsia-cake@p-mail.equ "I want a hoodie, something based on these pictures, that shows the solitude that is this city’s heart. Shirt color can be black, gray or blue”. Inky looked through the pictures again. It was strange seeing Thunder’s cutie mark. Inky rubbed her eyes. Was this a coincidence? She started browsing the net, seeing if she could find the same pictures elsewhere, but wasn’t having any luck. Maybe she could contact the customer? She could make some suggestions for the design, and then throw in a question or two about where the pictures came from. If she had seen them someplace before, maybe it could explain why she had imagined them on ThunderSmash. Inky closed her eyes and pushed away from the screen. No, don't go there. Talk to Clear Smiles about it on Monday. The front doorbell rang. Inky looked up to see Silver Chain slip in. She was wearing a long-sleeved woolen shirt. Inky cringed a little, remembering their first night together. While relaxing after all their excitement, she’d mentioned the faint scars on her partner’s forelegs. Silver had ignored the comment, and soon after began wearing long-sleeves everywhere. “Hey Inky.” “...Hey Silver. What are you doing here?” “O-oh, nothing. I just... thought I’d stop by and see how you were doing.” So you don’t want to meet with your other friends. As far as Inky knew, Silver’s social-circle consisted mainly of punk and goth fillies. Half of them ran around at night painting graffiti and committing acts of vandalism, while the other half sat in dark bars and moped. Not much of a social life. At least she had one. Inky got up. She needed coffee, but also knew Silver would ask for a cup, and that meant it would take her longer to leave. She paused for a moment, considering the choice. Dammit, she thought, as she walked into the kitchen and started pouring water in the pot. Silver came and stood in the doorway. “Do you want one?” Inky asked. “Yes please.” She placed the pot on the machine, flicked the switch and sighed. “I need to get some t-shirts out of the Plaster.” “I'll help.” In silence the two ponies emptied the machines, laying out four stacks of red t-shirts on the boxing table. They went back into the kitchen where Inky poured them each a cup. “You don't get a lot of customers here.” mused Silver as she leaned back against the counter. “No, not at night. But my boss keeps this place open 24/7. We get so many orders, that the machines run almost constantly. Just need somepony to monitor things, take care of special orders, and the odd customer.” Silver nodded and took a sip, looking down her cup. They stood in silence. “Inky... is there somepony else?” Her voice sounded choked. Inky looked up. Silver’s eyes were glazing over. She'd never really seen her display any sort of emotions before. At least not emotions that seemed real. “W-what do you mean?” “Oh, you know.” Silver tried to causally dried her eyes with her sleeve. “I know we're not... exclusive or anything, it's just, well...” She cleared her throat and looked up at Inky, “You always seem so far away. Even when we have sex, it’s like you aren’t even in the same room. Is there somepony else you’re seeing?” She swallowed. “I mean, it's cool if you are, I just... wanted to know.” Inky opened her mouth, closed it again and looked at her cup. What could she say? That she was longing for a pony who wasn't real? She took a sip. “So there is somepony else?” “I-it's... complicated. I don't want to talk about it. I’m sorry.” The clocked ticked off several seconds. Silver exhaled. “Is it me?” Inky looked at Silvers face, and wrinkled her brow. She knew that Silver slept with at least 2 other mares. Silver was fickle, having had at least 2 girlfriends and 3 boyfriends in the year since Inky had met her. “No.” “And you won't tell me?” “Sorry.” Silver put down her cup. “I... If you want to go exclu-... I mean... if you want me to stop seeing other ponies. I'll do it.” “Why?” Inky bit her lip. Silver swallowed. “What?” “I mean-” Why would you want to be with me? “I didn't mean it like that. I'm just not-” You're talking nonsense, shut up! She clenched her eyes shut and sighed. “I just need some time. Please.” Silver nodded “Okay.” Silver turned her cup in her hooves. “This... this isn't to push or anything, I mean we're cool, but... Combipony is playing next weekend.” Inky frowned slightly. “We could meet up afterward. They’re playing at The Sewer anyways, you could just come later. It'll be fun.” Silver smiled, but her lips quivered. “Okay.” “Great.” Silver got up. “Hey, I need to get going. Text me later.” “Sure.” Silver put her cup in the sink and left. Chapter 2Inky lay in her bed, and looked at the ceiling. She had been thinking about Silver all weekend. Going exclusive?... Silver as my girlfriend? Inky couldn't help but like the idea. She hadn't really notice it before, but looking back Silver always treated her nicer then her other fuck-buddies. If Inky wanted to hang out, Silver would always cancel her other plans. But if she leaves me? If she's not... real. Inky clutched her head. Silver was real. She was certain of that. She took her medication, and Smiles said she had made great progress. Inky rolled out of bed, and wandered over to her laptop, to double check the bus-schedulel. She didn't like waiting for the bus, so she tried to time it so she had just enough time to get there. She should talk with Smiles about all this today. She only mention Silver in passing during their sessions, but Inky suspected that Smiles already had guessed that she liked her. Smiles would likely say it would be a good idea to try and include Silver more in her life. Inky absently opened her mail, while she was cheked the bus-listing. Inky picked up her phone, and looked at it. Maybe she should just text Silver, before her session with Smiles. She could write that she wanted to come too the Combipony concert. They could even meet before. Maybe get some food. Inky started feeling warm and giddy with excitement. Inky deleted all the spam, but stopped at the last unread mail. It was from fuchsia-cake@p-mail.equ. Wasn't that... the costumer with all the photos? Flick had stopped her, even before she got around to mailing the costumer. Apparently the credit-card bounced, so there was no need to fill the order. Maybe the customer wanted to complain, but why write to her private mail? How did the costumer even get it? She clicked open the email. “Is the party over, sister dearest?” Nothing else. A cold shiver ran its fingers up Inky's spine. Fuchsia was a pinkish color. Cake... Pinkie Pie. Inky backed away from her laptop, starring at the email. Fuchsia Cake. It was someone who pretended to be Pinkie Pie. It couldn't be the real Pinkie. She died over a year ago... Inky remembered the day Blinkie called to give her the news. She was making a daffodils and dandelion sandwich. Inky didn't really eat that many flowers, but that day she'd had been hankering for at good flower sandwich. She had picked up the phone, without looking at the display. She was suprised to hear her sister's voice. In a matter-of-fact way, Blinkie said that Pinkie had died in the asylum. She told her, that she had taken care of the formalities, sorting through Pinkies few belongings and arranged the funeral. She would be buried in two days. The funeral had been weirdly surreal. It seemed more like a business transaction, then a goodbye. Inky was surprised how hard it was to feel anything. She had loved Pinkie, even though Blinkie said she was adopted. Now she was gone. Inky got up, and found her backpack. Her bus was leaving soon. Was someone playing a trick on her? Who knew her private email? Flick? Silver? No. Why would they do something like this? She didn't know anypony who would do that. She could feel her heart pounding faster Keep calm. Inky shouldered her bag and got out the door. She went one floor down and stopped. She looked at the apartment door where ThunderSmash had lived. She walked up to the door, grabbed the doorknob, and took a deep breath. This is real. I'm not dreaming, and there is nopony living behind this door. Her heart stung. Would it be that bad, if this was the dream? What if she woke up, next to ThunderSmash. Maybe this horrible year had be the nightmare, and now she was back. She pulled. The door was locked. She let go of the handle. She turned around, and walked outside. The sky was gray and cold. Up the street, Inky saw the bus coming, and started to run. Still stuck on the email, she couldn't think of anypony who would do such a thing. Her life consisted of visiting Smiles, working, staying in her apartment and hanging out with Silver. Maybe somepony is playing a trick on me. But who? She got on the bus and sat down. Who knows my email? Thunder's cutiemark? My.... dream Inky could feel her stomach clench. ClearSmiles. Inky stepped off the bus, and looked at the floor housing ClearSmiles office. Inky shook her head. She didn't know what to believe. ClearSmiles was trying to help her. She didn't believe it was her. Couldn't believe it was her. It made no sense. Inky took out her phone, and check her mail again. It was still there. She called Smiles. “Hello Inky.” “H-hey. Flick is sick, and I have to come in and cover. Could we move my time?” Inky could her a faint sigh. Smiles didn't believe her. “Okay, but you know I have to bill you for this session.” “I know.” “Very well then. Two a clock, next Tuesday?” “S-sounds good.” “Okay then. See you Tuesday.” “See you” “Oh wait.” Inky stiffened. “Remember to bring in your old prescriptions next time, and we can swap to the new medication.” “Okay.” Inky started walking to the next bus stop, wracking her brain. It didn't make sense. Smiles was the only one who knew what Thunder's cutie mark looked like, but there was no reason she would do it. Maybe I could track down the email? But how? Can regular ponies even do that? Tracking emails seemed like an easy thing in movies, but it was probably very different in real life. Did she even know someone who was good with computers? She knew Flick was a fairly good programmer, but she couldn't ask him. Maybe Silver knew someone? But I can't tell her why. I need to make an excuse. Maybe... Inky got out her phone and started texting. Inky stood with a knife in her hand and looked at the cutting board. The dinner was almost ready, and Silver would be here any minute. She bit her lip. Maybe it had been a bad idea inviting Silver over for dinner. Inky never cooked and Silver probably thought they where just going to bang. It felt like she was taking advantage of Silver, now that she wanted something from her. Just go with it. If she wants to then fine. Nothing wrong with it. But still, Inky didn't really feel like having sex. There was a knock on the door. Inky went into the hallway and let Silver in. “Hey.” “Hey.” Silver gave Inky a long kiss on the mouth. “Come on in.” Silver went into the living room, and sat down at the table. Inky got the flower-salad from the kitchen and put the dish on the table. “Mmm. Looks good.” Silver said. “T-thanks. It's just a salad. I'm not the much of a cook.” Silver grabbed her fork, scooped a large helping onto her plate, and began eating. “Tastes good to.” Inky blushed a little, as she sat down. They ate in silence a bit. “So you really wanna come to the concert?” “Y-yeah. I mean. I listen to them a bit, and it might be fun seeing them.” “Great. Have you heard their last album?” “No.” “Well.... Silver kept talking about the band while they ate. Inky noticed that Silver ate rather fast. She probably wanted to get done quick so they could... You need to ask her! They clean the table, and sat down on Inky's bed. Silver started to rub her neck. “Actually, there is something I wanted to talk to you about.” Silver tensed, and her eyes opened wide with fear. “I've been getting some weird emails.” Silver relaxed and started rubbing again. “I think there might be somepony stalking me. I'm not sure, but I want to trace the emails. Find out who is sending them.” Silver stopped rubbing, but let her hoof rest on Inkys neck. She looking puzzled. “Do you know the pony?” “N-no. I mean, I don't think so. But I want to be sure, before involving the police.” “Okay.” Silver wrinkled her brow a bit, looking confused. “Do you know somepony who can track an email?” “Hrmm." Silver sat for a moment, thinking, "I might... an old collage friend of mine was really into computers and shit. He might be able to help, but we haven’t talked in like... forever.” “Could you maybe ask him to help me?” “Well, I can try hitting him up, but I can't promise anything." Silver gave her a concerned look, "Are you sure you don't know the pony stalking you? Your not afraid?” “No no. I don't think he or she is dangerous in that sense. I... just want to be sure.” Silver started pulling Inky's head towards her mouth. “Okay. I'll call MakeShift tomorrow. I do you a favor, you do me a favor.” Inky closed her eyes, and let Silver pull her into a kiss. Chapter 3Inky didn't know what to do with herself. She, Silver and all of Silvers friends sat around a table, on the balcony overlooking the concert hall. The floor was filled with ponies in dark clothes and makeup. Many had bright stripes in there black manes, and some even had gas-masks on. Silver laughed at a joke, and Inky tried to as well, but it sounded hollow so she stopped. Nopony seemed to notice, but Inky still felt embarrassed. Why am I so bad at this. She looked around at the six ponies sitting at the table. She didn't know the others that well, and felt like a fifth wheel. Silver lay a hoof on her left foreleg. “Are you sure, you don't want to come down and dance when they start?” Silver took another large swig of beer. “It's going to be fun.” “Y-yes I'm sure. You go.” Inky quickly looked to see if anypony notice that she didn't want to dance. Didn't look like it. “Are you sure MakeShift will come?” “Yeah, don't worry about it. He said he was planing to come to the concert anyway. He should be here any minute.” The crowd broke out in cheers. The band was walking out. “Alright.” A skinny yellow pegasus, named Shock, got up. “Let's get down there.” He and the other pegasus grabbed Silver and a gray unicorn, and flew down to the dance floor. Inky could hear a guard shouting something about no flying. The two ponies left, two unicorns, sat almost in each others faces and whispered. Ínky turned her half-empty beer bottle around in her hooves. The crowd was still shouting. A tall dark blue stallion came up the steps. He looked around, seeing Inky, walked over. “Hey” he said in a deep voice. “Names MakeShift. Your Inky, Silvers girlfriend right?” Inky nodded. “Yes.” “Cool. Hey there.” He lifted his hoof in a greeting to the two unicorns. They smiled at him, and returned to their conversation. “Want something to drink?” MakeShift said with a big smile. “N-no thanks.” “'kay. Be right back” MakeShift went over to the balcony bar and ordered a drought-beer. They crowd kept cheering as more members walked onto the stage. Inky could see the lead singer walking along edge of the stage, slapping the hooves of the fans who held them out. MakeShift came back. “So what do you-” MakeShift was cut of by a deep bass. It started thumbing rhythmically. He raised his beer and let out a long shout. The two unicorns went to the rail. Inky took a sip from her beer. The music was so loud it almost rattled her teeth. How was she going to talk to MakeShift in this noise? She looked sideways at the the earthpony. His mane was a soft purple color that didn't go to well with his coat. His cutie mark was a laptop. He looked very intensely on the scene, his head bobbing to the music. Inky turned her head to the concert hall. She would have to talk to him after the concert. Get him alone for a few minuts. She would have to tell him that whoever was sending the mails was impersonating her dead sister, but she didn't want Silver to know yet. Could she convince him to keep it secret? Why didn't I think this through. He is bound to tell Silver. Should I just tell her? No. That can only lead to me telling about ThunderSmash. I can't do that, She'll think I'm crazy. I'm... I'm not ready. Oh Celestia, Why didn't I plan this better. MakeShift tapped her shoulder. He was smiling and holding out his phone. Inky took it and read the screen. How did you and Silver meet? Inky bit her lip and wrote: We meet at a bar, kinda by coincidence, and became friends. She handed the phone back. MakeShift read and nodded like it confirmed something he already knew. Inky wasn't really sure what Silver had told him about her or her situation. He handed the phone back. She tells me you want to trace an email. If it's just a regular email like from p-mail or Equestria-online it shouldn't be too much of a problem. I don't mind helping, and owe Silver a favor anyway ;P I can swing by tomorrow, around 5? MakeShift smiled big and took a sip of his beer. Inky smiled. This was perfect. Silver had to go to her part time job tomorrow. She wrote: That would be great. Thanks a lot. She handed the phone back. The base halted, the music becoming a cacophony of weird sounds. This might just work out. I just need to tell him not to tell Silver to much. She wasn't crazy about the thought of having somepony over she didn't knew, but it was to late now. I need to do laundry, the sheets stink and the appartment is a mess. Something caught her attention out of the corner of her eye. She turned her head and saw a pony disappearing down the balcony stairs. Her mane and coat color where the same as Pinkie Pies. Inky blinked That's impossible. It couldn't be her. She stod up. “I need to use the bathroom!” MakeShift nodded and gave her a wink. Inky almost ran to the stairs. The pink pony wasn't there. She looked just like Pinkie Pie. Inky hopped down the steeps, scanning the packed dance floor. The bass began thumping again. Where was she? There! Inky started to push her way through the mass of dancing ponies. She could see the pink pony dancing a fair bit into the crowd with her back to her. The crowd was thick and pushy, but Inky got closer. She stopped. What if it really is Pinkie? No, I can't be. I got to find out. She reached out to touch her shoulder. Somepony grabbed her, turned her around and gave her a big kiss. Inky almost pulled back before she realized it was Silver pushing her tongue in her mouth. Silver stopped and grinned. “You came down to dance!” “Yes, I just-” Inky turned around. The pink pony was gone. She turned around and looked everywhere. Almost all the colorful ponies wore black, but she couldn't spot her. “Who are you looking for?!” Silver shouted next to her ear. The music was deafening. She was gone. There was no pony even remotely pink enough to be mistaken for the mare that she had seen. “What is it!” Silver shouted, her voice strained and concerned. Inky tried to smile. She kissed Silver, then shouted. “Nothing! I just decided that I wanted to dance with you!” “Great!” Silver gave her a quick kiss and started dancing again. Inky tried to follow the beat, which was easy enough. But the Ponies here where pushing as much as dancing. It was a weird mix of a mosh-pit and dance hall. Silver danced very closed with her. Inky noticed the yellow pegasus, Shock, given her looks. She kept looking for the pink pony. She had to be somewhere around her. Silvers rubbed her flank up against her, distracting her. Inky but her forelegs around her, pretending to dance with her, while she looked. Inky stiffened, as she noticed the pink pony right next to her. Silver turned her head, feeling Inky's movements stop. The pink pony turned. It wasn't Pinkie Pie. The pony had a very angular face, and faint blonde highlights in the pink mane. Silver looked at Inky, confusion sneaking into her eyes. Inky swung her around and started dancing around her. That wasn't Pinkie. Inky felt relived, yet confused. Silver grabbed her face. “Are you okay!?” Inky nodded and tried to smile. A new song come on, one that Inky knew. She started jumping along with everypony else. Silver joined in, but kept sending her concerned looks. What is she thinking? Inky put her arm around her as they jumped. Silver seemed to relax and get into the music again. Inky stayed on the dancefloor for three songs, and then went back up to the table. MakeShift was still sitting there, bobbing his head. He was on his third beer. Inky sat through the rest of the concert. At one point MakeShift, already on his sixth beer, bought her a beer as well, but didn't try to start a conversation. When the concert ended the two unicorns went down, as Silver and Shock came up. “The others wanted to go to Doorways, but I said we wanted to stay here. So we'll meet up with them later.” Silver sat down next to Inky, and MakeShift brought even more beer. He kept buying drinks for everypony, saying he had to much money anyway. Shock tried on several occasions to pry Silver away from Inky, but Silver just kept hanging around Inky's neck, making out, and talking to MakeShift. After Shock figured that he didn't have a chance, he left. Inky woke up alone, with a horrible hangover. She stayed almost the entire day en bed. Silver sent her a message, asking her if she was okay. Inky didn't reply. MakeShift knocked on the door, a little after 5. Inky let him in. He came into the living room wrinkled his mussel a bit. Inky cringed. She hadn't cleaned or let in fresh air in weeks. Must smell pretty bad, if your not use to it. He set up his laptop. “Alright, log into your mail.” “Um... There is something you should know, that I don't want Silver to know.” “...okay.” “The email. It's..." Inky waved her hoof, trying to find a way to explain. "It's from someone pretending to be my dead sister. Silver doesn't know that I have another sister, and don't want to tell her just yet. Should could you please not tell her anything specific?” MakeShift looked from the Inky to the computer and back again. “Uh.” He scratched the back of his head. “Well... okay I guess. It's not my place anyway. I'll keep a lid on it. But Silver is more concerned than you might think. She talked to me for hours about how she is worried that you might have a stalker, and won't ask for help. She also...” MakeShift fiddel with is packback, looking for the words. “Well. She worried that you might be seeing someone else. She told me not to tell you, but I think you need to know, that she is really taken with you. She is a lot more insecure then she seems. It would really make her glad, if you could be a little more open. Just saying.” Inky looked at the laptop, not really knowing what to say. MakeShift cleared his throat. “But anyway, log in and we will see if we can trace that message.” Inky turned to the laptop and logged in. MakeShift looked at the mail for a bit, and then started typing. “I'm just making sure that we going through a few proxies. That way it's a lot harder to trace us. A regular e-mail is sent with a piece of information called a header. In the header should be the IP adress of the computer that sent it here.” MakeShift tapped away at the computer. “Then we can find the psychical location of the IP adress. That is of course if they didn't use the same proxy technique that we're using now. If they didn't, I'll send a packed script-” “Um. I don't really get all this technical stuff.” MakeShift rubbed his ear. “Well sorry. What I'm saying is, that if the weren't careful it shouldn't take to long. Then we just have to wait until they download my virus. Don't worry, it's harmless. We just need them to use the internet, and-” MakeShift stopped, and looked at the screen. “Ha. Amateur. All right. They are using the internet right now. My virus will piggy-back in on all the information packages the request from the net. If they are streaming a video, it shouldn't take more then an hour.” MakeShift kept clicking and typing. “Once my virus is in, I can looked through their files. Should give us a few good clues. You can just use your own computer, in the mean time, to do whatever. I need to monitor this.” Inky grabbed her laptop, and sat down on her bed. Maybe she should tell him that she haven’t given her email to anyone, so whoever sent it had maybe hacked into something get her email adress. Maybe if he didn't find any information. She surfed the web for bit. MakeShift looked very concentrated, running three different windows. “Well. I think I have something.” Inky got up, and went over to the desk. “There is surprisingly little information on the machine. But it seems to be set up on a farm, a good bit to the west of here. Near someplace called Rock Junction.” Home? “Can you find out who uses the computer?” “Hmm.” MakeShift clicked around. “The pony uses net-banking. The accounts a registered to a Blinkie Pie. Relative of yours?” Blinkie? Why would Blinke send her something like this. Now she had absolutely no idea what was going on. Why would Blinkie send her something like that? She didn't even know about ThunderSmash. Am I reading to much into the pictures of Thunders cutie mark? “Are you okay. You look kinda pale” Inky looked up at MakeShift. Nothing made sense. Why Blinkie? “I... I know it's a lot to ask, but can you get more information?” “I can try, but it will take some time. Give me a couple of days.” MakeShift looked at the computer-clock. He got up. “Yeah, so I need to get rolling, but I'll send you an email with what I find, okay?” “Thanks.” MakeShift packed his things and left. Inky sat on her bed. Should she call Blinkie? She looked at her phone for a long time, then typed in a call. “Flick.” “Hey, it's Inky. I have a bit of a family crisis. I'm really sorry, but can a get the next 3 days of?” Flick grunted. Inky could hear him typing on a keyboard. “Yeah, fine. You still got some vacation left, you can use.” “Okay.” “Fine. See you Wednesday.” Flick hung up. Inky went to her computer and started checking train-tickets to Rock Junction.
Chapter 1Inky wiped her muzzle. She turned on the hot water, and looked at her reflection in the mirror over the sink. She had black bags under her eyes. Her face and inner thighs were crusty from dried body fluids. The slight acrid smell made her wrinkle her nose. It was funny how somepony could stink of sex and still feel alone, she thought. From the bathroom, she could see Silver Chain still laying sprawled out on the bed. Inky knew she would leave as soon as she woke up. In fact, she wanted her to. She didn't like having Silver in the apartment after sex. She might do something weird, or try to start a conversation about things Inky didn’t want to talk about. She splashed her face with water, and dried it with a dirty towel. Silver let out a low moan. Inky looked at the clock on her cell-phone. It was late. Maybe she should make up an excuse. She went back into the living room. Looking down at the bed, she frowned. Even though Silver was a small earth pony, Inky's bed was a single, so she took up an awful lot of room. “Silver.” “Mmm?” “I gotta go to work soon, and I need to get ready.” A small silence ensued. Inky opened her mouth to ask if she'd fallen asleep again, but Silver groaned and rolled out of bed. She found and put on her studded collar without looking at Inky. “Coffee?” Silver asked while checking her phone. In the dim room, the screen lit up her face. Inky looked sideways, her hair covering the left part of her face. “N-no. All out.” Silver sighed, and went into the bathroom. She didn't close the door, but came out soon afterwards. “Yeah, I need to get going anyway.” The two ponies stood in front of each other, neither of them moving. After a brief pause, Silver gave Inky a quick kiss on the cheek and left. Inky picked her blanket up off the floor. It was filthy, and stank, but it was her last. She would have to do laundry. She sniffed it again, and a slight smile crept onto her face. The smell reminded her of ThunderSmash. NO! Inky shook her head. ThunderSmash wasn't real. It was all in your head. Stop thinking about her. Her phone rang. She looked at the display. It was Clear Smiles, her psychologist. Inky thought about not answering it, but Smiles would just bring it up during their next session. “Yeah?” “Hey Inky, it's Smiles. How are you doing?” “Okay.” “How are your meds?” Inky looked at her windowsill where several small bottles stood. She had only been taking half her dosage. “They're making me sleepy. I can barely function at work.” “Yes well, we talked about how it might be a good idea to find a new job. Have you given any thought to that?” No. “I haven’t found anything good, yet.” “That’s okay. I have some news that might interest you. I’ve heard from my colleague in Baltimare, it seems they’ve had some good trials combining duloxetine with a new form of modafinil. In theory, it should help combat the drowsiness, without affecting your ability to sleep at night. The preliminaries are looking very good, and I thought that you might want to try it.” Inky didn't want take any more drugs, but after her episode with ThunderSmash, she didn't trust her own judgment anymore. Not that she trusted Clear Smiles, but she didn't know what else to do. It was over a year ago, and that morning still haunted her. “Can... Can we talk about this on Monday?” “Sure. See you Monday.” The rain was coming down hard, as Inky walked along, in a mass of blank faced ponies. It was Friday, the start of another working weekend. She was glad. She never wanted to have the weekend off. Why would she? Either she would sit at home alone, or Silver would call and tell her to come drink with her and her friends. Inky pushed the door open into CopyFlex. The shop was done in all white, and hummed from the many printers and screens running. Flick, a brown unicorn with a dirt-white mane, looked up from behind the counter. “There you are, you're late. I gotta drive an express shipment to the UDS, before they ship to Stalliongrad, so I need you to hold the fort. I've got a bunch of t-shirts in the Plaster, they should be done in 20 minutes.” Flick levitated the cars keys into his pocket. “Also, we got an odd order for a hoodie. The customer has a lot of pictures, and a pretty vague idea. See if you can whip something up.” Flick went out the back, closing the door behind him. Inky sat down at the computer and rubbed her eyes. She needed some coffee, or she wouldn't last. She clicked open the customer file. The first picture that sprang into her eyes was a radiation symbol, in white. Just like ThunderSmash’s cutie mark. She looked through the pictures. They were mostly gray apartment buildings, with some industrial complexes in the background. In three of them, there was a pale sunrise, with the radiation symbol faintly visible within the sun. The customer hadn't written a name, only a short description of what they wanted. From: fuchsia-cake@p-mail.equ "I want a hoodie, something based on these pictures, that shows the solitude that is this city’s heart. Shirt color can be black, gray or blue”. Inky looked through the pictures again. It was strange seeing Thunder’s cutie mark. Inky rubbed her eyes. Was this a coincidence? She started browsing the net, seeing if she could find the same pictures elsewhere, but wasn’t having any luck. Maybe she could contact the customer? She could make some suggestions for the design, and then throw in a question or two about where the pictures came from. If she had seen them someplace before, maybe it could explain why she had imagined them on ThunderSmash. Inky closed her eyes and pushed away from the screen. No, don't go there. Talk to Clear Smiles about it on Monday. The front doorbell rang. Inky looked up to see Silver Chain slip in. She was wearing a long-sleeved woolen shirt. Inky cringed a little, remembering their first night together. While relaxing after all their excitement, she’d mentioned the faint scars on her partner’s forelegs. Silver had ignored the comment, and soon after began wearing long-sleeves everywhere. “Hey Inky.” “...Hey Silver. What are you doing here?” “O-oh, nothing. I just... thought I’d stop by and see how you were doing.” So you don’t want to meet with your other friends. As far as Inky knew, Silver’s social-circle consisted mainly of punk and goth fillies. Half of them ran around at night painting graffiti and committing acts of vandalism, while the other half sat in dark bars and moped. Not much of a social life. At least she had one. Inky got up. She needed coffee, but also knew Silver would ask for a cup, and that meant it would take her longer to leave. She paused for a moment, considering the choice. Dammit, she thought, as she walked into the kitchen and started pouring water in the pot. Silver came and stood in the doorway. “Do you want one?” Inky asked. “Yes please.” She placed the pot on the machine, flicked the switch and sighed. “I need to get some t-shirts out of the Plaster.” “I'll help.” In silence the two ponies emptied the machines, laying out four stacks of red t-shirts on the boxing table. They went back into the kitchen where Inky poured them each a cup. “You don't get a lot of customers here.” mused Silver as she leaned back against the counter. “No, not at night. But my boss keeps this place open 24/7. We get so many orders, that the machines run almost constantly. Just need somepony to monitor things, take care of special orders, and the odd customer.” Silver nodded and took a sip, looking down her cup. They stood in silence. “Inky... is there somepony else?” Her voice sounded choked. Inky looked up. Silver’s eyes were glazing over. She'd never really seen her display any sort of emotions before. At least not emotions that seemed real. “W-what do you mean?” “Oh, you know.” Silver tried to causally dried her eyes with her sleeve. “I know we're not... exclusive or anything, it's just, well...” She cleared her throat and looked up at Inky, “You always seem so far away. Even when we have sex, it’s like you aren’t even in the same room. Is there somepony else you’re seeing?” She swallowed. “I mean, it's cool if you are, I just... wanted to know.” Inky opened her mouth, closed it again and looked at her cup. What could she say? That she was longing for a pony who wasn't real? She took a sip. “So there is somepony else?” “I-it's... complicated. I don't want to talk about it. I’m sorry.” The clocked ticked off several seconds. Silver exhaled. “Is it me?” Inky looked at Silvers face, and wrinkled her brow. She knew that Silver slept with at least 2 other mares. Silver was fickle, having had at least 2 girlfriends and 3 boyfriends in the year since Inky had met her. “No.” “And you won't tell me?” “Sorry.” Silver put down her cup. “I... If you want to go exclu-... I mean... if you want me to stop seeing other ponies. I'll do it.” “Why?” Inky bit her lip. Silver swallowed. “What?” “I mean-” Why would you want to be with me? “I didn't mean it like that. I'm just not-” You're talking nonsense, shut up! She clenched her eyes shut and sighed. “I just need some time. Please.” Silver nodded “Okay.” Silver turned her cup in her hooves. “This... this isn't to push or anything, I mean we're cool, but... Combipony is playing next weekend.” Inky frowned slightly. “We could meet up afterward. They’re playing at The Sewer anyways, you could just come later. It'll be fun.” Silver smiled, but her lips quivered. “Okay.” “Great.” Silver got up. “Hey, I need to get going. Text me later.” “Sure.” Silver put her cup in the sink and left.
Chapter 2Inky lay in her bed, and looked at the ceiling. She had been thinking about Silver all weekend. Going exclusive?... Silver as my girlfriend? Inky couldn't help but like the idea. She hadn't really notice it before, but looking back Silver always treated her nicer then her other fuck-buddies. If Inky wanted to hang out, Silver would always cancel her other plans. But if she leaves me? If she's not... real. Inky clutched her head. Silver was real. She was certain of that. She took her medication, and Smiles said she had made great progress. Inky rolled out of bed, and wandered over to her laptop, to double check the bus-schedulel. She didn't like waiting for the bus, so she tried to time it so she had just enough time to get there. She should talk with Smiles about all this today. She only mention Silver in passing during their sessions, but Inky suspected that Smiles already had guessed that she liked her. Smiles would likely say it would be a good idea to try and include Silver more in her life. Inky absently opened her mail, while she was cheked the bus-listing. Inky picked up her phone, and looked at it. Maybe she should just text Silver, before her session with Smiles. She could write that she wanted to come too the Combipony concert. They could even meet before. Maybe get some food. Inky started feeling warm and giddy with excitement. Inky deleted all the spam, but stopped at the last unread mail. It was from fuchsia-cake@p-mail.equ. Wasn't that... the costumer with all the photos? Flick had stopped her, even before she got around to mailing the costumer. Apparently the credit-card bounced, so there was no need to fill the order. Maybe the customer wanted to complain, but why write to her private mail? How did the costumer even get it? She clicked open the email. “Is the party over, sister dearest?” Nothing else. A cold shiver ran its fingers up Inky's spine. Fuchsia was a pinkish color. Cake... Pinkie Pie. Inky backed away from her laptop, starring at the email. Fuchsia Cake. It was someone who pretended to be Pinkie Pie. It couldn't be the real Pinkie. She died over a year ago... Inky remembered the day Blinkie called to give her the news. She was making a daffodils and dandelion sandwich. Inky didn't really eat that many flowers, but that day she'd had been hankering for at good flower sandwich. She had picked up the phone, without looking at the display. She was suprised to hear her sister's voice. In a matter-of-fact way, Blinkie said that Pinkie had died in the asylum. She told her, that she had taken care of the formalities, sorting through Pinkies few belongings and arranged the funeral. She would be buried in two days. The funeral had been weirdly surreal. It seemed more like a business transaction, then a goodbye. Inky was surprised how hard it was to feel anything. She had loved Pinkie, even though Blinkie said she was adopted. Now she was gone. Inky got up, and found her backpack. Her bus was leaving soon. Was someone playing a trick on her? Who knew her private email? Flick? Silver? No. Why would they do something like this? She didn't know anypony who would do that. She could feel her heart pounding faster Keep calm. Inky shouldered her bag and got out the door. She went one floor down and stopped. She looked at the apartment door where ThunderSmash had lived. She walked up to the door, grabbed the doorknob, and took a deep breath. This is real. I'm not dreaming, and there is nopony living behind this door. Her heart stung. Would it be that bad, if this was the dream? What if she woke up, next to ThunderSmash. Maybe this horrible year had be the nightmare, and now she was back. She pulled. The door was locked. She let go of the handle. She turned around, and walked outside. The sky was gray and cold. Up the street, Inky saw the bus coming, and started to run. Still stuck on the email, she couldn't think of anypony who would do such a thing. Her life consisted of visiting Smiles, working, staying in her apartment and hanging out with Silver. Maybe somepony is playing a trick on me. But who? She got on the bus and sat down. Who knows my email? Thunder's cutiemark? My.... dream Inky could feel her stomach clench. ClearSmiles. Inky stepped off the bus, and looked at the floor housing ClearSmiles office. Inky shook her head. She didn't know what to believe. ClearSmiles was trying to help her. She didn't believe it was her. Couldn't believe it was her. It made no sense. Inky took out her phone, and check her mail again. It was still there. She called Smiles. “Hello Inky.” “H-hey. Flick is sick, and I have to come in and cover. Could we move my time?” Inky could her a faint sigh. Smiles didn't believe her. “Okay, but you know I have to bill you for this session.” “I know.” “Very well then. Two a clock, next Tuesday?” “S-sounds good.” “Okay then. See you Tuesday.” “See you” “Oh wait.” Inky stiffened. “Remember to bring in your old prescriptions next time, and we can swap to the new medication.” “Okay.” Inky started walking to the next bus stop, wracking her brain. It didn't make sense. Smiles was the only one who knew what Thunder's cutie mark looked like, but there was no reason she would do it. Maybe I could track down the email? But how? Can regular ponies even do that? Tracking emails seemed like an easy thing in movies, but it was probably very different in real life. Did she even know someone who was good with computers? She knew Flick was a fairly good programmer, but she couldn't ask him. Maybe Silver knew someone? But I can't tell her why. I need to make an excuse. Maybe... Inky got out her phone and started texting. Inky stood with a knife in her hand and looked at the cutting board. The dinner was almost ready, and Silver would be here any minute. She bit her lip. Maybe it had been a bad idea inviting Silver over for dinner. Inky never cooked and Silver probably thought they where just going to bang. It felt like she was taking advantage of Silver, now that she wanted something from her. Just go with it. If she wants to then fine. Nothing wrong with it. But still, Inky didn't really feel like having sex. There was a knock on the door. Inky went into the hallway and let Silver in. “Hey.” “Hey.” Silver gave Inky a long kiss on the mouth. “Come on in.” Silver went into the living room, and sat down at the table. Inky got the flower-salad from the kitchen and put the dish on the table. “Mmm. Looks good.” Silver said. “T-thanks. It's just a salad. I'm not the much of a cook.” Silver grabbed her fork, scooped a large helping onto her plate, and began eating. “Tastes good to.” Inky blushed a little, as she sat down. They ate in silence a bit. “So you really wanna come to the concert?” “Y-yeah. I mean. I listen to them a bit, and it might be fun seeing them.” “Great. Have you heard their last album?” “No.” “Well.... Silver kept talking about the band while they ate. Inky noticed that Silver ate rather fast. She probably wanted to get done quick so they could... You need to ask her! They clean the table, and sat down on Inky's bed. Silver started to rub her neck. “Actually, there is something I wanted to talk to you about.” Silver tensed, and her eyes opened wide with fear. “I've been getting some weird emails.” Silver relaxed and started rubbing again. “I think there might be somepony stalking me. I'm not sure, but I want to trace the emails. Find out who is sending them.” Silver stopped rubbing, but let her hoof rest on Inkys neck. She looking puzzled. “Do you know the pony?” “N-no. I mean, I don't think so. But I want to be sure, before involving the police.” “Okay.” Silver wrinkled her brow a bit, looking confused. “Do you know somepony who can track an email?” “Hrmm." Silver sat for a moment, thinking, "I might... an old collage friend of mine was really into computers and shit. He might be able to help, but we haven’t talked in like... forever.” “Could you maybe ask him to help me?” “Well, I can try hitting him up, but I can't promise anything." Silver gave her a concerned look, "Are you sure you don't know the pony stalking you? Your not afraid?” “No no. I don't think he or she is dangerous in that sense. I... just want to be sure.” Silver started pulling Inky's head towards her mouth. “Okay. I'll call MakeShift tomorrow. I do you a favor, you do me a favor.” Inky closed her eyes, and let Silver pull her into a kiss.
Chapter 3Inky didn't know what to do with herself. She, Silver and all of Silvers friends sat around a table, on the balcony overlooking the concert hall. The floor was filled with ponies in dark clothes and makeup. Many had bright stripes in there black manes, and some even had gas-masks on. Silver laughed at a joke, and Inky tried to as well, but it sounded hollow so she stopped. Nopony seemed to notice, but Inky still felt embarrassed. Why am I so bad at this. She looked around at the six ponies sitting at the table. She didn't know the others that well, and felt like a fifth wheel. Silver lay a hoof on her left foreleg. “Are you sure, you don't want to come down and dance when they start?” Silver took another large swig of beer. “It's going to be fun.” “Y-yes I'm sure. You go.” Inky quickly looked to see if anypony notice that she didn't want to dance. Didn't look like it. “Are you sure MakeShift will come?” “Yeah, don't worry about it. He said he was planing to come to the concert anyway. He should be here any minute.” The crowd broke out in cheers. The band was walking out. “Alright.” A skinny yellow pegasus, named Shock, got up. “Let's get down there.” He and the other pegasus grabbed Silver and a gray unicorn, and flew down to the dance floor. Inky could hear a guard shouting something about no flying. The two ponies left, two unicorns, sat almost in each others faces and whispered. Ínky turned her half-empty beer bottle around in her hooves. The crowd was still shouting. A tall dark blue stallion came up the steps. He looked around, seeing Inky, walked over. “Hey” he said in a deep voice. “Names MakeShift. Your Inky, Silvers girlfriend right?” Inky nodded. “Yes.” “Cool. Hey there.” He lifted his hoof in a greeting to the two unicorns. They smiled at him, and returned to their conversation. “Want something to drink?” MakeShift said with a big smile. “N-no thanks.” “'kay. Be right back” MakeShift went over to the balcony bar and ordered a drought-beer. They crowd kept cheering as more members walked onto the stage. Inky could see the lead singer walking along edge of the stage, slapping the hooves of the fans who held them out. MakeShift came back. “So what do you-” MakeShift was cut of by a deep bass. It started thumbing rhythmically. He raised his beer and let out a long shout. The two unicorns went to the rail. Inky took a sip from her beer. The music was so loud it almost rattled her teeth. How was she going to talk to MakeShift in this noise? She looked sideways at the the earthpony. His mane was a soft purple color that didn't go to well with his coat. His cutie mark was a laptop. He looked very intensely on the scene, his head bobbing to the music. Inky turned her head to the concert hall. She would have to talk to him after the concert. Get him alone for a few minuts. She would have to tell him that whoever was sending the mails was impersonating her dead sister, but she didn't want Silver to know yet. Could she convince him to keep it secret? Why didn't I think this through. He is bound to tell Silver. Should I just tell her? No. That can only lead to me telling about ThunderSmash. I can't do that, She'll think I'm crazy. I'm... I'm not ready. Oh Celestia, Why didn't I plan this better. MakeShift tapped her shoulder. He was smiling and holding out his phone. Inky took it and read the screen. How did you and Silver meet? Inky bit her lip and wrote: We meet at a bar, kinda by coincidence, and became friends. She handed the phone back. MakeShift read and nodded like it confirmed something he already knew. Inky wasn't really sure what Silver had told him about her or her situation. He handed the phone back. She tells me you want to trace an email. If it's just a regular email like from p-mail or Equestria-online it shouldn't be too much of a problem. I don't mind helping, and owe Silver a favor anyway ;P I can swing by tomorrow, around 5? MakeShift smiled big and took a sip of his beer. Inky smiled. This was perfect. Silver had to go to her part time job tomorrow. She wrote: That would be great. Thanks a lot. She handed the phone back. The base halted, the music becoming a cacophony of weird sounds. This might just work out. I just need to tell him not to tell Silver to much. She wasn't crazy about the thought of having somepony over she didn't knew, but it was to late now. I need to do laundry, the sheets stink and the appartment is a mess. Something caught her attention out of the corner of her eye. She turned her head and saw a pony disappearing down the balcony stairs. Her mane and coat color where the same as Pinkie Pies. Inky blinked That's impossible. It couldn't be her. She stod up. “I need to use the bathroom!” MakeShift nodded and gave her a wink. Inky almost ran to the stairs. The pink pony wasn't there. She looked just like Pinkie Pie. Inky hopped down the steeps, scanning the packed dance floor. The bass began thumping again. Where was she? There! Inky started to push her way through the mass of dancing ponies. She could see the pink pony dancing a fair bit into the crowd with her back to her. The crowd was thick and pushy, but Inky got closer. She stopped. What if it really is Pinkie? No, I can't be. I got to find out. She reached out to touch her shoulder. Somepony grabbed her, turned her around and gave her a big kiss. Inky almost pulled back before she realized it was Silver pushing her tongue in her mouth. Silver stopped and grinned. “You came down to dance!” “Yes, I just-” Inky turned around. The pink pony was gone. She turned around and looked everywhere. Almost all the colorful ponies wore black, but she couldn't spot her. “Who are you looking for?!” Silver shouted next to her ear. The music was deafening. She was gone. There was no pony even remotely pink enough to be mistaken for the mare that she had seen. “What is it!” Silver shouted, her voice strained and concerned. Inky tried to smile. She kissed Silver, then shouted. “Nothing! I just decided that I wanted to dance with you!” “Great!” Silver gave her a quick kiss and started dancing again. Inky tried to follow the beat, which was easy enough. But the Ponies here where pushing as much as dancing. It was a weird mix of a mosh-pit and dance hall. Silver danced very closed with her. Inky noticed the yellow pegasus, Shock, given her looks. She kept looking for the pink pony. She had to be somewhere around her. Silvers rubbed her flank up against her, distracting her. Inky but her forelegs around her, pretending to dance with her, while she looked. Inky stiffened, as she noticed the pink pony right next to her. Silver turned her head, feeling Inky's movements stop. The pink pony turned. It wasn't Pinkie Pie. The pony had a very angular face, and faint blonde highlights in the pink mane. Silver looked at Inky, confusion sneaking into her eyes. Inky swung her around and started dancing around her. That wasn't Pinkie. Inky felt relived, yet confused. Silver grabbed her face. “Are you okay!?” Inky nodded and tried to smile. A new song come on, one that Inky knew. She started jumping along with everypony else. Silver joined in, but kept sending her concerned looks. What is she thinking? Inky put her arm around her as they jumped. Silver seemed to relax and get into the music again. Inky stayed on the dancefloor for three songs, and then went back up to the table. MakeShift was still sitting there, bobbing his head. He was on his third beer. Inky sat through the rest of the concert. At one point MakeShift, already on his sixth beer, bought her a beer as well, but didn't try to start a conversation. When the concert ended the two unicorns went down, as Silver and Shock came up. “The others wanted to go to Doorways, but I said we wanted to stay here. So we'll meet up with them later.” Silver sat down next to Inky, and MakeShift brought even more beer. He kept buying drinks for everypony, saying he had to much money anyway. Shock tried on several occasions to pry Silver away from Inky, but Silver just kept hanging around Inky's neck, making out, and talking to MakeShift. After Shock figured that he didn't have a chance, he left. Inky woke up alone, with a horrible hangover. She stayed almost the entire day en bed. Silver sent her a message, asking her if she was okay. Inky didn't reply. MakeShift knocked on the door, a little after 5. Inky let him in. He came into the living room wrinkled his mussel a bit. Inky cringed. She hadn't cleaned or let in fresh air in weeks. Must smell pretty bad, if your not use to it. He set up his laptop. “Alright, log into your mail.” “Um... There is something you should know, that I don't want Silver to know.” “...okay.” “The email. It's..." Inky waved her hoof, trying to find a way to explain. "It's from someone pretending to be my dead sister. Silver doesn't know that I have another sister, and don't want to tell her just yet. Should could you please not tell her anything specific?” MakeShift looked from the Inky to the computer and back again. “Uh.” He scratched the back of his head. “Well... okay I guess. It's not my place anyway. I'll keep a lid on it. But Silver is more concerned than you might think. She talked to me for hours about how she is worried that you might have a stalker, and won't ask for help. She also...” MakeShift fiddel with is packback, looking for the words. “Well. She worried that you might be seeing someone else. She told me not to tell you, but I think you need to know, that she is really taken with you. She is a lot more insecure then she seems. It would really make her glad, if you could be a little more open. Just saying.” Inky looked at the laptop, not really knowing what to say. MakeShift cleared his throat. “But anyway, log in and we will see if we can trace that message.” Inky turned to the laptop and logged in. MakeShift looked at the mail for a bit, and then started typing. “I'm just making sure that we going through a few proxies. That way it's a lot harder to trace us. A regular e-mail is sent with a piece of information called a header. In the header should be the IP adress of the computer that sent it here.” MakeShift tapped away at the computer. “Then we can find the psychical location of the IP adress. That is of course if they didn't use the same proxy technique that we're using now. If they didn't, I'll send a packed script-” “Um. I don't really get all this technical stuff.” MakeShift rubbed his ear. “Well sorry. What I'm saying is, that if the weren't careful it shouldn't take to long. Then we just have to wait until they download my virus. Don't worry, it's harmless. We just need them to use the internet, and-” MakeShift stopped, and looked at the screen. “Ha. Amateur. All right. They are using the internet right now. My virus will piggy-back in on all the information packages the request from the net. If they are streaming a video, it shouldn't take more then an hour.” MakeShift kept clicking and typing. “Once my virus is in, I can looked through their files. Should give us a few good clues. You can just use your own computer, in the mean time, to do whatever. I need to monitor this.” Inky grabbed her laptop, and sat down on her bed. Maybe she should tell him that she haven’t given her email to anyone, so whoever sent it had maybe hacked into something get her email adress. Maybe if he didn't find any information. She surfed the web for bit. MakeShift looked very concentrated, running three different windows. “Well. I think I have something.” Inky got up, and went over to the desk. “There is surprisingly little information on the machine. But it seems to be set up on a farm, a good bit to the west of here. Near someplace called Rock Junction.” Home? “Can you find out who uses the computer?” “Hmm.” MakeShift clicked around. “The pony uses net-banking. The accounts a registered to a Blinkie Pie. Relative of yours?” Blinkie? Why would Blinke send her something like this. Now she had absolutely no idea what was going on. Why would Blinkie send her something like that? She didn't even know about ThunderSmash. Am I reading to much into the pictures of Thunders cutie mark? “Are you okay. You look kinda pale” Inky looked up at MakeShift. Nothing made sense. Why Blinkie? “I... I know it's a lot to ask, but can you get more information?” “I can try, but it will take some time. Give me a couple of days.” MakeShift looked at the computer-clock. He got up. “Yeah, so I need to get rolling, but I'll send you an email with what I find, okay?” “Thanks.” MakeShift packed his things and left. Inky sat on her bed. Should she call Blinkie? She looked at her phone for a long time, then typed in a call. “Flick.” “Hey, it's Inky. I have a bit of a family crisis. I'm really sorry, but can a get the next 3 days of?” Flick grunted. Inky could hear him typing on a keyboard. “Yeah, fine. You still got some vacation left, you can use.” “Okay.” “Fine. See you Wednesday.” Flick hung up. Inky went to her computer and started checking train-tickets to Rock Junction.
