[Ponyville] The Arctic in Spring (Completed)

[Zeig]

 

Winter had been wrapped-up for a good twenty-four hours, but for Inkbrand, it almost felt like he was still sitting in the middle of Fluttershy's house, wrapped in blankets and huddled for warmth against Brooke.

 

Well buck, he hadn't exactly minded that last part, but the point remained the same.

 

As if he were still feeling the effects of that nightmarish blizzard, Inkbrand let out a sudden sneeze, grunting and rubbing his hooves together a bit, even though the small house he was renting was warm and cozy. Just remembering that freak blizzard seemed to bring back down its unnatural chill - though, with a quick glance outside, the grey Earth Pony could clearly confirm that winter was good and over. Outside of the small rented house near the outskirts of Ponyville, the green grass was growing tall, flowers were starting to bloom, and the blasted animals that had nearly frozen to death were all frolicking through the tulips - or whatever wild animals did during the spring.

 

"They probably need help finding their rear ends every other night," Inkbrand groused to himself as he moved away from the window, opening up the fridge to rummage around in it. Lettuce, lettuce, and more lettuce. Ooh, and one plump strawberry. And buck, a mushroom! Had he even bought that, or had it grown sometime during his stay, what with his leaving the house unattended for long periods of time? However it had gotten there, the sight of the fungi was enough to back-pedal any thoughts of food. Instead, Inkbrand bypassed his meager meal offerings towards the back of the fridge and grabbed up a can of beer, before shutting the door with one hind leg as he meandered over to the couch and flopping down like a beached whale.

Alcohol on an empty stomach was never really a good idea, but meh. Maybe August would feel charitable enough to treat him to a decently sized meal in town today.

 

Hah!

 

Inkbrand popped open the can to take a satisfying chug of the drink, even as his eyes drifted over to the clock hanging on the wall. The Pertyon was suppose to be swinging by today to visit him in Ponyville, which suited Inkbrand just bucking fine - in a town like Ponyville that seemed to shift from extreme bouts of boring routine days, to crazy Twilight Sparkle-induced magical mayhem, a visit from his best friend would be off the charts. He hadn't even bothered locking the door, sure that August would just saunter on in whenever he felt like it. But with that storm, Inkbrand couldn't be sure if the buck had even been able to make it here.

 

If he didn't hear from August in a few days, he would probably send a telegram to Canterlot. For now though, Inkbrand continued to laze about on the couch, and even went out of his way to offer a few half-hearted drops of beer to the somewhat wilted plant on the side table. Housekeeping at its finest.

 

[CaptainMcDerp]

After eavesdropping on countless conversations to pass the time of the train ride, August realized a particular subject was more popular than all the rest. An apparent freak storm had emerged from the Everfree and unleashed utter chaos upon Ponyville. August felt disappointed for missing out on something so rich with conflict and excitement. It sounded like it came straight out of a thrilling story. How he wished he could have been there to experience it for himself and watch as the storm cut through the peaceful little wrap up, letting everyone's true colors bleed through. How many discovered their true nature that day? Were there cowards? Heros? Survivors? Of course there were survivors. From what he's heard, everyone came out fine despite the apparent severity of it all. It certainly raised some questions he had for Inkbrand once he reach his destination.

Speaking of his destination, there it was now.

As the little town came into view from the train window, the peryton pictured in his mind what the storm must've looked like according to the conversations he's heard. He imagined a giant, dark monster cloud hovering over the town, gusts of winds strong enough to carry a pegasus away, and a merciless downpour of chilling, blinding snow. August chuckled through a smirk of amusement. Who would have thought yesterday was gonna play out like an electrifying novel?

A familiar screech reach his ears as the train slowed to a halt at the station. August left his seat and took a lively hop from the train to the ground. After realizing his saddlebag was a bit loose, he took a moment to readjust the strap as he whistled a merry tune. The bag's blue color matched his eyes perfectly. So perfectly in fact, that it's previous owner should be grateful their bag was stolen. It did nothing for them but clash horribly with their color scheme anyway. August liked to imagine the bag was a gifted to them and they were simply wearing it out of obligation, hoping one day a noble thief would come and finally free them from their greatest burden. It's the only logical explanation, really.

The bag had a notable weight to it thanks to the contents. He made sure to bring plenty of bits for the trip. Wouldn't want to resort to thievery in a town as small as this, after all.

Now where was that stallion's house?

He summoned up the described location of the rented home in his memories and scanned around the outskirts of Ponyville. Eventually, he caught sight of a small house cradled by tall grass and tulips. August ceased whistling for a moment when a small "ah hah" escaped his muzzle.

He opened the door and strode into the house with a smirk stretched across his features and sarcastic amount of affection in his voice.

"Helloooo, Inky! So how was your trip to Tartarus and back yesterday?"

He blinked, raising an eyebrow when he saw Inkbrand lying on the couch with a beer in his hoof. The peryton approached him and looked down at him with a smirk. "You up for a stroll through the town?"

He's never really visited Ponyville before so naturally, he wanted to explore every nook and cranny of the place.

[Zeig]

 

He needn't have worried at all. Bucking figured. Almost as if on cue, a certain red-furred Peryton came waltzing through his door, and for the life of him, Inkbrand couldn't find it in himself to even be a little annoyed as the familiar drawl echoed through the room.

 

"Shove it up your snout, Red" the tattoo-clad stallion quipped, still firmly planted in his lounging position on the couch. No need to get up and greet a house guest that he practically lived with in the crystal mines underneath Canterlot. "If I have to hear one more pony lamenting about those, 'poor, sweet little animals' that got caught in that storm, I might have to bury them all back in the snow." A little exaggerated exasperation? Maybe. But seriously, there had been quite a few ponies that had been more concerned about all the wild animals than they had been for their fellow ponies, following the entire incident. Crazy sons of Diamond Dogs.

 

But all those ponies didn't matter anymore, because they were out saving whales and doing whatever it was they did best, and August was here to entertain him. Inkbrand finished off the rest of his beer in one fell swoop, and crushed the can against his forehead to flatten it, tossing aside the crumpled can to finally get up off the couch. The grey Earth Pony made a show of languidly stretching out his limbs, forelegs raised high above his head, before he ambled around the couch towards the Peryton's side, one eyebrow raised knowingly at the buck's inquiry.

 

"I don't know you if you get caught with your hooves in some old mare's saddlebag," Inkbrand half-joked, half-warned the other, though a sly grin was winding its way up his face. Stealing from old mares' saddlebags was, in all honesty, probably the least grievous offense August might commit while he was in town. If reports starting coming up of family heirlooms being nicked straight from ponies' homes, Inkbrand was fairly certain he'd have to skip town just as quickly as August. He didn't trust himself to keep that much of a straight face.

 

"Seriously," he continued, ushering August out the door and turning to lock it behind them, "they're real crazy about morals and ethics here. I got chewed out for asking a mare for help and calling her 'babe' my second day here." Giving the door a few firm tugs of his tail to make sure it was locked - not that that would help if August decided to return to his home and rummage through his belongings, just to be an annoying little bucker - Inkbrand rolled his eyes skyward at the red Peryton as if the gesture fully explained exactly how annoying Ponyville's moral-upstanding citizens were, before turning to start trotting down the quiet streets of Ponyville.

 

Despite the sun just beginning to dip towards the horizon, the town seemed relatively bare, with the occasional passerby giving the Peryton curious looks as they walked on. Inkbrand supposed it was probably dinnertime for most ponies - and his stomach chose to confirm it - but August wanted to explore, so they would bucking explore. Straight to a cafe or restaurant. In the meantime though, Inkbrand set a strolling pace, more than a slow amble but not quite a trot. The slow walk allowed August good time to view the sights, what little there were to be had, and Inkbrand was content to walk along with his best friend at his side.

 

"So?" the grey Earth Pony spoke up after a little while, eyes passing disinterestedly over the homey cottages and buildings they were passing by, searching for the turn that would lead them towards one of the better known eating establishments. "What's been going on in Canterlot, eh Red? Tri onto any good…assignments, lately?"

 

[CaptainMcDerp]

An expression of amusement was fixed on August's face as he watched Inkbrand complain about Ponyville's citizens fawning over the animals. The stallion quickly finished off the rest of the beer before leaving the couch. When he approached, his remark about stealing from an old mare's saddlebag made August chuckle.

"Oh Inky, do you really think I'd do such a thing? Hypothetically, if we were exiled from town I doubt you'd miss it very much anyways."

Inkbrand opened the door and gestured for August to walk out. He complied and left the rental to stand outside and waited as his friend locked the house up, talking about how he was chewed out for calling a mare 'babe here. A smirk met his face and he raised an eyebrow. "Oh really? Sounds like this town's feathers are easily ruffled. If calling someone 'babe' provoked such a response, just imagine the possibilities."

August followed Inkbrand into the streets of Ponyville. The peryton's eyes darted around to take in every detail of the place, his smirk widening each time he made eye contact with a town resident. He also made sure to send a hearty wink their way. If there was one thing he enjoyed better than getting away with stuff, it was initiating conflict. And according to Inkbrand, Ponyville's citizens are a ticking time bomb just waiting...no, begging to go off! Just look at how peaceful everything is. With just a little nudge, it could become so much more interesting.

His initial thoughts left him when Inkbrand asked about the latest guild assignments. He glanced at his friend and gave a small sigh. "It's been a tad slow there so I've been wandering trade routes, looking for Winter and such." He of course meant his sister and not the coldest season of the year. His parents were to blame for giving her such a confusing name, among other things. But as much as he denied it, he was actually starting to miss them too somehow. His jesting expression faded for just a moment before he perked up and returned to his normal demeanor.

"So everyone survived the monster storm yesterday? Sounds unlikely but that's what I heard during the my ride here. How'd they do it?"

[Zeig]

 

'Weeeeell…'

 

Well.

 

Ponyville…did, have a bit of charm to it. 'Just a bit,' Inkbrand thought to himself as he looked around at the homely and cozy buildings, picture perfect and straight off of a magazine cover. The morally uptight and good neighborly feels of "We eat rainbows and sunshine for breakfast!" did tend to wear thin, but the overall peace and tranquility of the town - on good days - was endearing to an extent. Throw in the extra bout of chaos that liked to randomly crop up every now and then, and Inkbrand could almost trick himself into liking the sleepy little town, even as he complained about all of its small nuances.

 

So long as all that noble, feel-good stuff came with appropriate doses of August-induced fun, then yes. Ponyville was…charming. In it's own, bizarre, excessively annoying way.

 

"Oh I dunno," the tattoo-clad stallion mused with an exaggerated air, gaze flitting across towards the rede Peryton at his side, "Ponyville's an alright place, when its residents are not being as annoying as usual. Plus, you'd be surprised at how many farm-bred hotties there are - I certainly wouldn't mind taking a bit out of those apples," Inkbrand finished, voice raising slightly to address a passing mare that had a basket filled with apples as her cutie mark. Probably an obscure relative of the Apple family. The pretty mare predictably gasped at his remarked, glared in affronted indignation, and flounced away, tail raised like a cat trouncing away from a good petting. Inkbrand snickered and waves a hoof at the mare's backside without missing a beat in his step, side by side with August like it was completely natural.

 

His friend's comment, however, gave him slightly pause, but rather than pounce on the Peryton's brief slip, Inkbrand shrugged as if the comment hadn't struck him as strange at all. Instead, he reached over to sling a foreleg around the other's shoulders, staggering against him slightly to keep his weight balanced.

 

"Magic, Red," the grey Earth Pony mock-whisphered into one red ear. "Magic, and running for our bucking lives into some mare's house and bolting the whole thing down." Inkbrand snickered loudly, the incident still fresh enough on his mind to illicit more chuckles from him. "Buck, if I hadn't thought a stallion was trying to kill us all by caving in the roof, the entire thing would've been way more funny. The snow just wouldn't stop - "

 

'Falling,' he finished, but only in his mind, for Inkbrand abruptly stopped in the middle of the road, one foreleg still stretched out across August's shoulders. There, laying seemingly innocently underneath a bush against the side of the road, was a clump of snow. While that wouldn't have been such an unusual sight by itself - who's to say there wasn't some snow lingering about after that blizzard? - it was the state of the snow that immediately stuck out. There was no dirt mixed into the mound, the clump was completely and utterly white and unsullied, like it had just recently fallen. Which would be…bad.

 

"Huh," Inkbrand finally commented after a moment, releasing his hold of August to trot over to the clump, "guess our good princess wasn't trying hard enough this year." The tattoo-clad stallion stretched a hoof out under the bush, ready to press down onto the mourn and crush it into the dirt, just because - and instead, felt heat and warmth the moment he came in contact with it, along with an accompanying pair of teeth.

 

"Son of a half-brained - " he hollered, yanking his hoof back from the bush. It wasn't even that painful, barely even pinpricks - but buck, he hadn't except the snow to exactly bite him! To his consternation, the mound - now clearly an animal - came out with him, tiny teeth still latched onto his hoof as its white body dangled in the air, slender legs flapping wildly in the wind, and Inkbrand stared incredulously at the pure white creature that stood out like Inkbrand in a library.

 

Not so pure white in the sun, however. Out from the shade of the bush, Inkbrand could clearly see that the animal was dirty and ruffled, spots of dust, mud, and whatever else caked into its fur. The hair was matted and tangled in several places, and its eyes were squeezed tightly shut, as if the animal had to use all its strength simply to bite down on his hoof. Which, it was still bucking biting down on by the way.

 

"Uh." Inkbrand might have said similarly intelligent words, but he was mostly busy looking at August with an incredulous, 'You've got to be bucking kidding me' sort of look. "Looks like this one got missed," he commented unnecessarily, before holding out his hoof and the still dangling creature towards August, expression deadpanned. "Mind giving me a hoof here, Red?"

 

[CaptainMcDerp]

August's eyebrows raised when Inkbrand expressed a slight fondness to the place. How about that? Inkbrand actually likes Ponyville. Though it wouldn't surprise him if the main reason was the 'farm-bred hotties' he spoke of. When the stallion uttered his brash comment towards an unsuspecting mare, she was of course offended by his behavior and strutted away like an annoyed feline. It was rather entertaining, through a direct confrontation would have been a lot more fun.

He would have watched the mare until she disappeared out of sight but a sudden weight around his shoulder sent him into a slight stumble. When he realized Inkbrand had slung his arm around his shoulder, he couldn't help but widen his smirk. "Had one too many beers, Inky?" Inkbrand went on to whisper the words 'magic' in his ear, explaining how magic was to thank for their survival as well as locking themselves up in a house to wait out the storm. Oh, and a stallion caved the roof in apparently. This would have to be the first time August ever regretted his avoidance of Winter Wrap Up.

The last of Inkbrand's sentence seemed to fall short along with his pace. August slowed to a stop as well, more out of necessity than anything else. When a staggering stallion clings to you and comes to a dead stop, one doesn't have much of a choice but to mirror their actions. The peryton glanced Inkbrand's way, wondering why their walking had ceased. The stallion seemed to be gawking at something up ahead. August looked in the direction of his gaze to see a white clump under a bush beside the street. He was about to make a remark on Inkbrand's sudden interest in a pile of frozen water when the pony gave a quick "huh" before freeing himself from his shoulders and approaching the stay bundle of snow. Inkbrand stretched his hoof towards it while questioning the princess's efforts on wrapping up winter. In an instant the snow came alive and clamped onto his hoof.

August's eyes widened at the spectacle. Inkbrand spat a curse and recoiled, earning himself a brand new hoof accessory in the process. The whole scene was hilarious. Turned out the snow was in fact a white fox, and an angry one at that. A few chuckles escaped the peryton's lips. The look on Inky's face coupled with his bewildered string of dialog was simply priceless. His laughter increased in volume when his friend asked for assistance.

"What exactly am I suppose to do? Ask it nicely to release it's death grip?" He sure as tartarus wasn't going to try and pull it off. All that would accomplish is making it swing right around and bite him instead. He neared Inkbrand and leered at the animal as it dangled from his friend's hoof. His jesting grin faded slightly as the condition of it's fur caught his eye. He leaned closer and squinted, examining the creature for a moment. It appeared to have been through quite a lot. Still, animals certainly weren't his department so he was at a complete loss in this particular situation.

He shrugged. "Hay if I know what to do. Perhaps it'll run away if you lower it back to the ground or something. If not, I don't think anyone would notice one more accessory at this point."

[Zeig]

 

Inkbrand glared at the red Peryton - some friend he was, the blighter - but did what August suggested, slowly lowering the fox to the ground. Its small feet seemed to increase their waggling as it was lowered, to the point that its hind legs kicked up a small dust storm as its paws touched down. A moment passed as Inkbrand extended his hoof a bit, to help place the fox's entire body parallel to the ground, before giving it a bit of a shake, trying to encourage it to drop off.

 

Apparently, shaking was fox code for bite the buck down harder and never let go.

 

The grey stallion grit his teeth as he increased the shaking, waving his hoof about like he was cleaning up the surface of the road with a dusty white mop. Said mop continued accumulating dust as its body was dragged along the ground. "What the buck is up with this thing," Inkbrand snarled, more to himself than to August, before finally, finally, a particularly violent shake jostled the white fox onto the ground. The tattoo-clad stallion sneered down at the small creature as he rubbed his hoof, before making a violent motion forward and stomping onto the ground with his forelegs, letting out a short, "Get!" The fox uttered some sort of squeak, like a chew toy getting squeezed, before it darted around him back towards the bush.

 

Inkbrand snorted, turning back to August with a small eye roll. "Now that that's over and done with, maybe we can finally get some - buck me!"

 

Aaaaand it was back, this time with a change of pace as the white fox had latched itself onto the end of his tail.

 

The grey Earth Pony lifted his tail and brought it around to his side, staring incredulously at the white creature that was one again dangling in mid-air. He gave his tail a few half-hearted shakes, and while it was amusing to see the little white body flying through the air, it was obvious that this time, it wasn't about to let go anytime soon. "Well this is just bucking perfect," he snapped, glaring at the white fox for a moment longer, before turning back around to August. "Think if we get it some food it'll stop trying to eat me?" That certainly seemed to be its intent, anyways.

 

With a heavily aggrieved sigh, Inkbrand tossed his head back in the direction of his home, and turned around on the road to start a slow walk back the way they'd come, fox dragging along in the dirt behind him.

 

The walk back home seemed to take longer despite the short distance, and by the time Inkbrand slammed his door back open, his rump was starting to smart and he was in a foul mood. Without a word, the grey stallion had made his way over to the kitchen, once again eyeing its threadbare contents. No bucking way he was giving his strawberry to the little beast - it could have the disgusting mushroom, though. With a grimace, Inkbrand had dislodged the fungus and held it delicately in his hooves away from his body, slowly bringing it back towards the living room and tossing it onto the floor. In an instant, the white fox had pounced, and soon the two of them were faced with the sight of a dirty and hungry looking fox gnawing on the head of a mushroom.

 

Huh. It was kind of cute, when it wasn't trying to make a snack out of ponies. Inkbrand dropped down beside the fox, watching it for a moment more with a deadpanned expression, before turning his head towards August, one eyebrow raised.

 

"Now what?" Inkbrand questioned, despite August's earlier protest that he hadn't the faintest idea what to do with the small thing. The fox was now contently tearing off small pieces of the mushroom, looking like one giant dirty ball of fluff as it curled in on itself. "I don't think a mushroom is going to keep it sated for long."

 

[CaptainMcDerp]

A good shaking is what really did the trick. The fox was dislodged from Inkbrand's hoof and he stomped the ground and shouted "Get!" Causing the creature to let out a squeak and head into the bush.

"Now that that's over and done with, maybe we can finally get some - buck me!"

The peryton raised an eyebrow as Inkbrand quite enthusiastically announced the desire to obtain some buckwheat. "Buckwheat? Surely this town had better options than buckwheat."

When the stallion brought his tail around, August realized the loony fox had attached itself to the end of it. "Oh...Pffft!" He snorted at the sight of a fluffy white fox dangling there with a death grip. Inkbrand gave a a feeble attempt to shake it free before turning back to August. He asked if getting if some food might make it stop trying to eat ponies.

August shrugged at the question. "Might as well give it a try, right?"

.

Inkbrand sighed and headed back the way they came. August followed and chuckled at the sight of an irritated stallion trekking down the road with a fox dragging behind him. Apparently he wasn't the only one who found it amusing. Inkbrand was earning quite a few gawking eyes and the occasional chuckle from both the citizens and his friend.

When they made it to the house, Inkbrand slammed the door open, walked into the kitchen and rummaged through the fridge. He soon pulled out a nasty looking mushroom and tossed it on the floor. The white fox released it's grip and took a plunge for the mushroom..

"Huh. Guess it was desperate enough to add ponies to it's diet after all. I just thought it didn't like you." August remarked as he gazed at the fox.

Inkbrand dropped down beside the creature, watching it for a moment more with a blank expression. If August didn't know any better, he'd think Inkbrand was starting to take a liking to it.

"Now what?" Inkbrand questioned. "I don't think a mushroom is going to keep it sated for long."

A smirk appeared on the peryton's face. First Inky takes it home, and now he wants to feed it some more? Either his suspicions were confirmed, or he was just having pity towards the animal. It was starving after all. Watching it tear away at that mushroom like there was no tomorrow would make anyone want to throw food at it.

"We could get something from the market place. As for what foxes eat, I imagine eggs would suffice." His stomach growled at the mention of food. He blinked, not realizing just how hungry he was. "Perhaps we could get something as well."

[Zeig]

 

"Oh-ho, your treat?" Inkbrand chuckled, but he did get up and give the white fox a short nudge with one hoof. Food was why he had gone up with August's offer for a stroll through the town after all, and a light rumbling in his belly belated reminded him that they hadn't gotten anything, thanks to a certain fluff ball being all helpless and everything. As if sensing their intentions, the fox suddenly perked upwards, sad little remnants of what used to be a mushroom lingering around its muzzle, before it hopped onto its paws and began scampering around August's legs.

 

Buck. Alright, so it was more than a little bucking cute. Inkbrand rolled his eyes at the spectacle, but didn't say a word as he lead the way back outside, August and the fox right on his heels.

 

They came upon the marketplace fairly quickly - the little bit of food it had gotten had seemed to fill the fox with an abundance of energy - and Inkbrand made a beeline for one of the food stalls, already salivating at the sight of the simple but delicious sandwiches piled on top of the cart. The green mare took one look at the fox, and sent him a death glare that threatened to burn off his face, presumably thinking him to be a very irresponsible pet owner. The grey stallion only sneered and shoves his bits in her face, and like a good little filly, she took them and exchanged a hay and oatmeal sandwich - even if she thrust his order at him with a bit more force than normal.

 

Whatever. Inkbrand sneered at her backside before turning towards August, already stuffing one corner of the sandwich into his face, with a look that suggested the Peryton was crazy if he thought Inkbrand was shelling out for his meal. "Finally," the tattoo-clad stallion groaned, already finished with about half of the sandwich, "don't think I've even eaten anything else today."

 

Before he could wolf the rest of it down however, a strange, pitiful sort of yipping noise brought Inkbrand's attention downward, to where the fox was pawing at one of his hind legs. Buck, he could almost swear its eyes were watering. After an agonizing moment of consideration, Inkbrand finally sighed and ripped off the remaining crust on one side of the sandwich, throwing it downward as he ate the rest. The fox immediately jumped on it, tail wagging furiously.

 

Appetite partially satiated, Inkbrand leaned back against a lamp post, watching the animal with a critical eye. "'Suppose that animal mare - Fluttershy? - will take him in no problem," the tattoo-clad stallion commented, glancing over to a produce stand selling eggs. "Or you?" he suddenly snickered, a grin stealing over his face as he looked towards August. The idea of the slick and sly thief delicately peeling serving or peeling eggs for the white fox was a thoroughly amusing idea.

 

[CaptainMcDerp]

"Oh-ho, your treat?"

August smirked, recalling the glimpse he caught of the empty void inside of Inkbrand's refrigerator. He raised an eyebrow. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you're all out of money. Worry not, for I have stolen from the rich," He patted Inkbrand on the head "and shall feed the poor. Robbing Hoof's got nothing on me."

When he opened his eyes, a fast approaching fox met his vision. He stepped back instinctively, expecting the creature to latch onto his leg, but Instead it simply scuttled around him like an excited puppy. August glanced at Inkbrand, who rolled his eyes before heading back outside. The peryton attempted to follow him, but the fox was running all over the place under-hoof.

"Argh, geez... I think your bucking fox is trying to kill me."

Once he made it outside, the fluffball wasn't swarming around his hooves so much and he could walk at a pace again. They also traveled much faster since Inkbrand wasn't dragging the fox across the ground anymore. In fact, the animal happily followed them all the way there with a lively spring in it's step. If one little mushroom gave it that much energy, he'd hate to see it on a full stomach.

Once they made it to the market place, August headed for a stand that was selling fried eggs and tofu on toast. Inkbrand, on the other hoof zipped up to a sandwich booth with the fox following closely behind him. He watched them for a moment before returning his attention to the task at hoof.

After purchasing his food, and three extra eggs for the fox, August placed the container of fried eggs in his saddlebag and made his way back to Inkbrand with the breakfast-esque sandwich in his mouth. Inkbrand had just obtained a sandwich as well. The stallion glared at him like a dog ready to bite if he even thought about taking his lunch. Before August could make a remark, a yipping sound was heard from below. He glanced down to see the fox pawing at Inkbrand as it begged for a morsel. The stallion stared for a moment before a sigh left his muzzle and he tossed some crust over to it.

It jumped on the crust and munched away as it's tail wagged wildly. Inkbrand finished off the rest of the sandwich and leaned against a lamp post.

"'Suppose that animal mare - Fluttershy? - will take him in no problem,"

August shrugged his shoulders. The name rang a bell but the memory was too faint to place. His thoughts left him when his friend snickered and added. "Or you?"

August recoiled at the words and held back a laugh of disbelief. "Pffft. The last thing I need is to be tied down by some needy fluffball. If I had a pet, it would probably fly and be completely self sufficient. Something from the EverFree maybe... or Tartarus." He swallowed a bite of his sandwich and glanced at Inkbrand with a grin "Wouldn't that be interesting? Of course, it might eat souls or brains or something but you know..." He chuckled before finishing off the rest of the egg sandwich and reaching into his saddlebag. He pulled out the container of extra fried eggs and opened the lid before setting it on the ground in front of the fox.

"So where is this Fluttershy pony at, anyways?"

[Zeig]

Somehow, the image of a three-headed bat breathing fire from the gates of Tarutarus following after August like a miniature, soul-sucking puppy was oddly fitting.

 

But before he could dwell on it too much, more pressing matters and questions were to be had. "Well she's - " Inkbrand started confidently, though his tone wavered as he cast his glance around, looking back and forth across the market. He finally ended up waving one hoof vaguely in the direction of some distant, soft hills, his guess about as helpful as a fish flopping on land. All he really remembered about the Pegasus' house was that it was situated on top of a small hill. Inkbrand wasn't even sure if he would be able to recognize it without piles and piles of snow baring down on the rooftop, and blanketing the surrounding landscape in icy death.

 

The contented noises coming from his legs made the grey stallion look down again, one eyebrow raising at the white fox who was now rubbing against one of August's forelegs with some affection. Apparently it appreciated its three eggs more than a bit of crust - not that Inkbrand could blame the little thing. But then, to his own astonishment and some chagrin, the little creature abruptly changed nuzzling posts, trotting over to curl up around his own hind leg, becoming some sort of bizarre, fur leg wrap. Inkbrand slowly lifted his leg up, rather amused as the fox stayed firmly lodged in place, before setting it back down onto the ground.

 

And thought. For a very long moment. Inkbrand slowly lifted his right foreleg off to absently lick off crumbs and sauce, before his eyes trailed over to the Peryton, one eyebrow raised in consideration.

 

"I suppose…I dunno. I could take it him until I have the time to track down her home." The tattoo-clad stallion glanced back down at the fox, a slight smirk stealing over his features. "Besides - if I showed up with him looking like this, I'd probably get my tail handed to me for animal abuse. Ponyville likes to judge first and ask questions later, 'ya know."

 

[CaptainMcDerp]

Inkbrand gestured his hoof towards some hills to answer the peryton's question regarding Fluttershy's whereabouts. Not exactly 'X' marks the spot. In fact, it didn't provide much direction at all. But before August could think much about it, something brushed across his legs. He yanked his hoof up, assuming it was a bug. But when he looked down, he realized it was the fox showing his appreciation. Weaving through his legs and rubbing it's dingy fur all over him like a cat demanding attention. Heck, August wouldn't have been surprised if it started purring at this point. Soon enough, the animal changed course and wrapped itself around Inkbrand's hind leg. The stallion lifted it, but the fox was firmly attached.

August laughed. "It's not going anywhere after getting a meal like that." The peryton raised an eyebrow as he noticed Inkbrand was staring off into the distance as if he were contemplating the meaning of life or something. After a long and admittedly awkward pause, the stallion finally spoke.

"I suppose…I dunno. I could take it him until I have the time to track down her home. Besides, if I showed up with him looking like this, I'd probably get my tail handed to me for animal abuse. Ponyville likes to judge first and ask questions later, 'ya know."

A smirk found August's face. Were his suspicions confirmed? Was Inkbrand really falling for the little hoof biter? He nodded as his friend's notion, the tone of his voice dripping with amusement. "Giving it a bath would be half the battle in that regard. Maybe you could even buy it a little bow. Oh! And a collar with a cute little name tag on it. Personally, I'd name it Killer for the sake of irony since it's so bad at feeding itself." He snorted. "Oh man this is pretty funny to think about. You strolling around with a fluffy little fox. Pfffft!" He nudged him with his elbow. "Hey, at least you'll be more popular with the ladies now, right?"

[Zeig]

 

There was something strange happening.

 

It wasn't anything painful or discomforting, perse…more like, uncomfortable? Unusual? Certainly not something that happened very often, otherwise the sensation wouldn't bother him so much. In the face of August's jeering tone and sly, knowing smile, Inkbrand could feel it rising and battling for exposure, even as it remained rather soft and subtle, a faint splashing across his cheeks. It was a sensation that the grey Earth Pony was fairly certain he'd only experienced maybe three times in his entire life, and while it wasn't exactly so bad in and of itself, in this particular situation (and with a decidedly fluffy fox insistent on rubbing itself very cutely against his hind leg), it was strange.

 

To his utter horror, Inkbrand realized he was blushing. Not a flush or swell of heat, just…blushing. Of embarrassment.

 

"E-ey, shut it," the tattoo-clad stallion blustered, ears laid back against his head even as the flush across his cheeks spread slightly. Thankfully, his dark coat meant only a fraction of red, just a small tinge really, would show on the surface, and that was mortifying enough as the Peryton's grin split wider. "I said shut it!" Inkbrand snapped as he dealt with humiliation the only way he knew how - he took a threatening step forward, mindful to carefully step over the white creature below his hooves, before launching himself at August, grabbing the other in a headlock that the slippery Peryton could undoubtedly break out of if he had the mind to.

 

The tussle only lasted a few moments - Inkbrand vaguely acknowledge the fox attempting to gnaw at August's forelegs with its tiny, tiny teeth - but the grey stallion kept a foreleg wrapped around the Peryton's neck in a half-companiable, half-threatening way. "So I'm just going to fix it up a bit, before I get hauled off to jail for simply existing while something's sick and hurt nearby," Inkbrand sniffed, only half-exxagerating. It had happened quite a few times, in reality - the sight of a hurt or emotionally distressed mare in his nearby vicinity tended to evoke death stares onto his pony self no matter what he was doing. And how could he forget that wonderful time way back when, greeted with a kick to the ribs because the mare had learned that her friend's heart had gotten broken by a roving stallion?

 

…Wait, actually, yeah. That had been him. Bucking Fresh Springs and her fantasies of Happily Ever After.

 

But the point still remained as Inkbrand released his hold on August, blush receded to leave only a scowl behind. "You better believe it," he stated, a flicker of his cocky grin flitting across his face as the embarrassment died down. So the little fox was cute - and he'd bet bits that it'd look cute as all buck with a small bow around its neck. Buck you, Red. "Small, fluffy, helpless? Chicks'll be all over me," he predicted with a little toss of his head, grin fully back on his face. It fell for a moment however, recalling August's "suggestion" for a name.

 

"Save 'Killer' for your bat out of Tartarus," the grey stallion retorted, a genuine smile lighting his face as his watched the fox scamper around in the dust, white coat shimmering in the sunlight despite its dusty coating. For a moment, the rays from the sun caught against the fox's back, casting a golden sheen on its lower body as its soulful, shining blue eyes turned back around towards him, twinkling like a pale blue star field.

 

And for a moment longer, Inkbrand was aware only of that starlit shine, bright and searing away everything else in his sight.

 

"Just look at 'im," he said softly, almost absently, too caught up to care if August was seeing the same thing he was, "just look. Shimmering and all pure lit. He's radiant - "

 

And in the next moment after, Inkbrand slammed back into his own head, staring down at the small, dirty, mussed creature that was now doing its best to climb up August's leg, seemingly in some belated attempt to protect the grey stallion.

 

Inkbrand felt an inexplicable surge of anger flicker through him. He wanted to punch something all of a sudden, punch somepony. Flip a table over, something, and he didn't know bucking why. The stallion breathed heavily through his nostrils, his almost words swirling around inside his head like a maelstrom. He wanted to suddenly reach out and grab the fox in his hooves, drag it back kicking and screaming and keep it pressed to the dirt under him so it'd have no choice but to bucking stay…but Inkbrand had never brought himself down to beg, not even for - for it.

 

The sudden volley of feelings erupting inside of his chest were almost too much to bear, wiping away the arrogance that Inkbrand could normally call so easily to the surface. It left him almost breathless as he hooved into the dirt, as if physically restraining himself from lashing out to punch the nearest passing pony. No other words did he allow to leave his mouth, instead settling a simmering and mortifyingly open glare onto August, daring the Peryton to comment even as he worked as quickly as he could to straighten himself, correct himself.

 

To learn from his mistake, and keep walking forward without so much as a bucking look back.

 

[CaptainMcDerp]

An ever so slight tinge of red had formed on Inkbrand's face as he told August to 'shut it'. The peryton squinted and craned his neck forward to get a better look. Yep. He was blushing no doubt. Looks like his latest comment had flustered the stallion. He couldn't help but widen his smirk at the notion, watching as the red grew on Inkbrand's face and his ears flattened on his head.

"I said shut it!"

August's smirk became a toothy grin when Inkbrand stepped forward. Oooh he really got him good didn't he? How adorable. A chuckle escaped the peryton's mouth, which became a brief shout as the pony outright launched himself at him. Within seconds, he found himself trapped in a headlock. He snorted and fell into a giggle fit, which only grew louder as the fox began sticking it's needle teeth into his leg. "Ow... ow! Hey, watch it!" From his general point of view, he could see various ponies around the area eying the spectacle with dumbfounded expressions.

"So I'm just going to fix it up a bit, before I get hauled off to jail for simply existing while something's sick and hurt nearby,"

"Alright, alright, just get the little bucking ankle biter off of me!"

He felt the hold on him release and he quickly stood to his feet while Inkbrand warned him to believe his explanation. August eyed the fox cautiously. "Yes, yes. I am now entirely convinced."

Inkbrand proceeded to agreeing with his earlier notion of the fox being a great mare magnet, and also suggested he save 'Killer' for his bat out of Tartarus. August snorted. "But then the irony wouldn't be there for obvious reasons. I'd rather name it Sweetpea, or Princess or something." He grinned at the image of a Tartarus monster terrorizing Equestria with a little tiara on it's head.

When his mind returned to reality, August took notice of Inkbrand watching the little white creature hop around. What surprised August the most was the smile on his face. It wasn't sarcastic nor cocky. If he didn't know any better, he'd say it was sincere.

"Just look at 'im, just look. Shimmering and all pure lit. He's radiant - "

Inkbrand's blatantly expressed fondness towards the fox had August downright confused. Just earlier he was a flustered mess, trying to prove his apathy regarding the whole thing. But now he's suddenly fawning over it? .

Something fuzzy brushed across him and he looked down just in time to see the fox jump and attempt to climb up his leg. August backed up, but the fox simply into fell onto his forepaws, scurried up to him, and returned to clawing at his leg.

He glanced back to Inkbrand, about to make a remark on the fox's attempts to have peryton for desert, but his words left him when he saw his friend pushing air through his nose as if he were in rage. The stallion had dug his hooves into the dirt and was glaring at the peryton with a look that could kill.

August's eyes widened slightly and he took a brief step backwards. The display had totally caught him off guard. Normally, August would enjoy getting someone this worked up. But this wasn't just some ordinary bloke he'd like to pick a fight with. It was his best friend, honestly. And he didn't take much pleasure in getting him this upset. He knew taking a jab at him showing affection was a bit of a risky thing to do, but he didn't quite expect it to get him quite this agitated. And August certainly didn't feel up to earning himself a black eye at the moment.

"Um... you okay, bud?"

[Zeig]

 

It seemed to take a lifetime for the roaring in his ears to die down, even if Inkbrand knew, realistically, that it couldn't have been more than a few seconds before everything went back to normal. The hustle and bustle of the marketplace abruptly picked back up to pace, and nothing was out of the ordinary, sans the nearby fruit vendor giving them both a weird and slightly apprehensive look. Inkbrand sneered and looked down his nose at the salespony, daring a spoken word, and the other pony resolutely turned the other way. It wasn't until the vendor owner glanced back furtively and quickly re-averted his head that Inkbrand felt satisfied, slowly turning back to face the Peryton in front of him.

 

Who, was giving him a look that Inkbrand didn't really want to interpret right now. Small mercies, that the Peryton had only given him an opening rather than demanded one. The tattoo-clad stallion wasn't entirely sure he'd been able to control a hoof to that red face otherwise.

"It's - " the grey stallion started, and had to stop, too proud to clear his throat but unable to continue. He let out a slight huff of breath, felt the air relax just a little bit more around him, and by that time, it felt naturally to suddenly throw a smirk up at August, tossing his mane out of his eyes with an irritated flick of his head. "'Course I am," Inkbrand finally settled on saying, as if that strange, disconcerting moment had never happened. "Just…still reeling from your bad taste in names, Red." Urgh.

 

As if to agree with him, the white fox made one more aborted move towards the Peryton, a gesture that was probably suppose to be vaguely threatening but came off more like a dirty mop cleaning up a small stain on the floor, before returning over to Inkbrand. This time however, it made an impressive leap all the way up to his back, its meager lunch having apparently given it loads of energy back. Well buck, even if he'd wanted to get rid of it right at the moment, Inkbrand somehow didn't think the little beast was going to be in any hurry to leave. Still, bath first - getting it presentable for adoption would have to be the most important thing, if he didn't want to spend a few nights in a local jail cell.

 

Adoption. Yeah.

 

With one more glare towards the stall vendor, as if the pony were completely at fault for every weird thing that had just happened, Inkbrand sauntered forward, cocky grin firmly fixated on his face as the thrust a foreleg back around August's shoulder, pulling the Peryton in close. "Well, c'mon," he said, in a long-suffering tone of somepony imparting a very costly favor in order to please a friend, "we've still got to finish that stroll. Since, 'ya know, Ponyville is a bustling metropolis of sights and sounds." And, well. Maybe he'd treat them to some sort of dessert or something, afterwards. For just a moment, Inkbrand's leg tightened possessively around the slim red neck it was encircling, sharp golden gaze softening just a bit as they conveyed what words could not - maybe what there weren't even words for.

 

Buck, he loved this guy.

 

A light, wet sensation against the back of his neck had Inkbrand craning his own head around, bringing his snout to briefly touch against the fox's own in a quick, almost too quick to notice gesture. It was enough, though, for the grey stallion's lopsided grin to tilt higher on one-side, as he led his best friend through the quite town of Ponyville.

 

And if they made a little stop at a certain mare's house that had turned him down for a date - quite impressively too, complete with magic-wielded frying pans and broomsticks - well. Inkbrand certainly wouldn't mind glancing the other way if the Peryton wanted to snatch some of Shining Prism's jewelry she coveted so much.