>"Next stop, Baltimare station, estimated time of..."
>Dash didn't hear the rest of the announcement
>She watched Ponyville fade into the darkness as the train pulled away
>Probably the last time she would ever see it
>It wasn't home anymore
>You can move a million clouds perfectly and nobody so much as thanks you
>But they always remember the one storm you forget to re-route...
>Closing her eyes she leaned back in her seat
>This wasn't the first time she was asked politely to transfer
>Heck, it was because of a mishap in Cloudsdale that she even ended up in Ponyville
>Who would have guessed she'd screw up the weather in the middle of--
>"This seat taken?"
>A male voice brings her back to the here and now
>Dash didn't turn around
>She shrugged her shoulders and said 'whatever'
>The other party tossed their luggage on the rack and sat down with a book in hand
>Dash stole a glance at the title
>One of the older Daring Do novels
>She snorts and turns back to the window
"The Curator turns out to be Ahuizotl in disguise"
>The man looked up from the novel
>"Come again?"
"That's the big twist, I'm saving you about 400 pages of junk. Gotta be the worst one of the series"
>That was a lie, it was one of the better ones, and that twist had her re-reading the novel for a week trying to catch all the clues she missed the first time around
>Dash just felt like ruining someone's day
>The man closes the book and looks to the pegasus
>Dash doesn't look back, but she can see his reflection in the window
>He's different, one of those human-things that were popping up in Equestria from time to time
>There was silence for a time, Dash looking out at the window
>The human studying the ceiling and looking around
>"So...what else happens?"
>Well shoot, if he wants them spoiled, Dash thinks
"Usual junk. Daring Do saves the day with her grappling hook and her wing stays broken for no reason"
>"You used to read these books, I take it?"
>Dash snorted again, finally turning around to face this weird two-legged thing
"I'm on the cover of one of them. I think I know a little about Daring Do"
>The human nods
>"I must not have gotten that far. I only read when I'm on long train rides."
"You're not missing much. They're all the same junk over and over. Just different artifacts, don't waste your time."
>Silence again
>Save for the clack-clack of the wheels on the tracks
>Dash was thinking about her Daring Do books
>How most of them were Twilight's and she wouldn't be able to borrow them anymore
>How many hours did she spend sitting in that library reading the same book over and over again?
>What a waste...
>"How'd you end up on the cover of one?"
>Oh right, the human was still here
>Least he doesn't seem to know who Dash is
"I met the author and she liked my colors and asked if I could be a guest star. I said sure."
>That'll do
>"That must have been pretty amazing."
"It was alright..."
>It was one of the best days of her life when that signed, first edition came in the mail
>It's wrapped in bubblewrap in her things
>She started to imagine the look on Daring Do....the real Daring Do's face when she heard the news about her mishap.
>She wondered if future copies would take her off the cover to not hurt their sales...
>Dash turns back to the window in a hurry, her vision became a little blurry
>Dash sniffed queitly
>Baltimare was the only weather team so short they had to take her transfer
>Nobody else wanted her
>But he doesn't know that
>She can make up anything she wanted to
"Ponyville got too small for a pegasus like me. I needed somewhere with more challenging weather, ya know?"
>She puffed her chest a little, that old prideful pegasus routine she'd done so many times in the past
>"Same here. Well, not gonna be messing with weather but I had to get out of my old life. So dull and boring."
"What are you gonna do when you get there?"
>"No idea, whatever comes along I suppose. Nice to make a new start"
>No argument here
>Least he'll get to actually have one
>Dash, on the other hand, has to deal with being given as little work as possible to keep her out of trouble
>Whatever, better than having to prove yourself again
>Makes her begin to wonder why she's even taking a weather job
>Pegasus do other things, don't they?
>"My name's Anonymous, by the way, everyone calls me Anon though What's yours?"
>Dash swallowed hard
"Rainbow Dash..."
>Please don't recognize it...
>He just chuckles
>"Makes sense."
>Phew...
>It becomes quiet again
>But this time around Dash breaks it
"You...have any friends in Baltimare?"
>"Nope, just me."
>You want one?
>Don't say that, she thinks, you're looking bipolar enough as it is
"Me either. Fresh start like you"
>He nods and smiles gently
>Dash feels her lips form the tiniest of smiles back
>This exchange goes on for a time
>Little bit of small talk, then quiet, then one of them would ask a question
>Anon was a lot more eager to volunteer information
>Which made sense considering Dash was inventing a lot of her past on the spot
>No stories about the elements of harmony or saving the crystal empire
>No anecdotes about how the Wonderbolts kept pushing her entry date back, till she found out Spitfire was threatened by her performances
>Heck, not even a mention that she knew 4 princesses on a first name basis
>Well...knew anyhow
>Cadence was in the Crystal Empire, Twilight was doing who knew what, Luna was...Luna
>Celestia had been the only one who helped her out, but it had been very obviously done discreetly
>The rest of her friends were just busy, but they managed to throw her a party before she left
>But again, a quiet one, nothing like Pinkie did for Dash's birthday
>It was like knowing her had become taboo
>So, needless to say, the fictional Rainbow Dash who got so bored with her job that she transferred sounded a lot nicer to talk about
>Just having someone to talk to without them feeling awkward was nice in and of it self
>An announcement broke their little chat, saying that Baltimare was about ten minutes away
>"Finally, eh?"
>She nodded but deep down she wished the train would just keep going
>"You were a lot of fun to talk to, Rainbow Dash, where are you staying? We should try and stay in touch."
>Son of a...
>Of all the things to forget to do
>She had been so caught up in packing and getting the heck out of Ponyville that she forgot to find a place to stay
"Oh...I umm...well...I didn't...."
>How could she be so stupid?
"...think...there was...a reason we need to go right home, ya know? Lets check around town for stuff to do!"
>Good save, Dash, good save
>Anon looks a little puzzled then seems to realize something and agrees
>Like he did something wrong and is happy Dash didn't get angry about it
>Whatever the case may be they both feel a little relieved
>They could lock their bags up at the station then go exploring a bit
>It was a new city for both of them after all
>So as the train pulls into the station, they both admit they're hungry and decide to go grab a late dinner
"First place we see, no backing out!"
>He agrees and Dash secretly can't believe she's hearing herself be excited again
>Anything to take her mind off everything going on
>They disembark, Anon offering to take care of their luggage
>Dash gets her first impression of her new home
>Big, impersonal, crowded, and kinda dirty
>She hated to admit it but it was perfect for someone like herself to blend in for awhile
>And sure enough, right across the way was one of those 24 hour greasy spoons
>Comfort food sounded great right about now
>"They said they'll keep our stuff in the office till sunrise, then we either need to get it or they're gonna put it on the train to Vanhoover"
>Dash chuckled
>It felt good to laugh a little
"Works for me, egghead! Lets go there!"
>She'd taken to calling Anon 'egghead', she didn't know why but Anon didn't seem to mind it
>They walked to the diner together
>Dash feeling calm for the first time in awhile
>Nobody knew her here and she already made a friend
>So what if she was technically homeless?
>The place is what you'd expect from a diner close to midnight
>Loud drunks from a long night of partying at one table
>Scruffy looking pony at the counter reading a paper
>Waitresses who were well past their prime...by pony standards anyhow
>Dash and Anon were seated in a booth as far away from the loud ponies as they could
>Neither minded but the waitress wanted an excuse to stay away from them when she could
>Dash kinda envied that table, she would have been with them not a year ago
>Celebrating something or other, it really never mattered what
>Maybe when Anon left she could wander over there and fake interest
>It would be an easy way to get a place to stay for the night, she counted a few colts among the group
>Sheesh...is that what she's reducing herself to?
>Seducing a drunk stallion for a place to stay?
>With luck he'd be too intoxicated to--
>"What are you getting? The mac-and-cheese looks good"
>Anon had a knack for interrupting her less pleasant thoughts
"Huh? Oh yea...yea that and those really thick fries ya know?"
>"Yea, I like those. Smother them in ketchup?"
"You know it!"
>That's better, think about food, not about...later
>They ordered and chatted a bit more, Dash consistently steering the conversation away from her when it turned that way
>Anon started to pick up on this and stopped asking questions that were really direct, letting Dash tell him what she wanted
>Truthfully, he didn't have much to say either
>He quit his monotonous day job back wherever he was from, traveled a little, and ended up here
>Something about a coffee shop or something, Dash was struggling to pay attention between scouting out which colts across the way were single
>And enjoying how the warm food was making her night plans not feel so icky
>"..so I start Tuesday. When do you start working for the weather team here?"
"Monday...I think?"
>He laughed
>"Might wanna check, you don't want miss your first day!"
>Truthfully she could care less
>They finished up quickly, they were both hungrier than the realized
>Dash closed her eyes and smiled, the warm meal sitting comfortably in her belly
>She hadn't really eaten a full meal in a few days
>Just snacks and what ever here and there
>Anon paid for it, which was another lucky break because Dash left her money in her bags
>He must have caught that slight look of panic when the waitress dropped the small piece of paper between them
>"We gotta go get our stuff from the station."
>He stood and stretched a little
>Humans really were tall, Dash hadn't realized it earlier
>"You wanna split a cab?"
>One of the stallions across the restaurant belted out laughing
>Dash looked to them and sighed, turning her gaze to the floor
"I can't...."
>"I'll cover it if that's a---"
"It's not that, I just can't, OK! Stop being so nice!"
>The place got a little quieter
>The party-ponies whispered something and began to laugh
>Great, now she looks like an angry mare, they'll never let her hang with them now!
>Cursing under her breath, Dash pushes Anon aside and leaves the place
>Anon scratches his head and follows after
>She can't go far, all her luggage was at the train station
>Even if it was only a pair of saddlebags and a small suitcase..
>She gets to the corner of the street before this dawns on her too
>Cursing again she turns around and Anon is standing there with his hands in his pockets
>"What was that about?"
"The hell do you care?"
>She spats and looks up at the taller creature
>It's dark and the streetlights were behind her so he couldn't see her eyes beginning to tear up
>"If you didn't want me to follow you, you woulda flew away. Now what's going on?"
>He's got her there...
>Swallowing, both figuratively and literally, Dash scoffs and turns away
"I forgot to find a place to stay, alright? I was so....excited...about moving that I forgot to look and maybe I didn't wanna admit that? That such a big deal!?"
>They both stood silently for a moment
>Dash kicked her hoof at the ground
>She wasn't angry at the human, more at herself
>But it was his fault she had to admit it so
>Maybe a little angry at him
>"You can crash at my place tonight if you want..."
>OK, now definitely angry
"I don't want your pity or another hand out!"
>She flapped her wings so she could be eye level, shaking one of her hooves
"Don't treat me like a--"
>"It's a tiny apartment on the 5th floor of a building with no elevator. The last pony who lived there died and the landlord swears its haunted. All her furniture is still there and nobody has been inside in 2 months Its all I could find, I'd hardly call this charity."
>That stopped her mid-rant
>Her eyes narrowed in annoyance
>He was entirely serious about the whole thing and stared right back
>Taking a breath through her nostrils, she grunted and nodded
"Fine...."
>He motioned back to the train station
>Reluctantly, Dash descended to the ground and walked back with the human
"Only because you insisted...and you're clearly scared of the ghost and need me to frighten it off"
>Anon cocked an eyebrow
>"Yup, you saw right through me..."
"Course I did."
>They got their bags, hailed a cab, and didn't speak much on the drive over
>It wasn't awkward so much as Dash didn't want to talk and Anon seemed smart enough to leave her alone
>Dash wasn't used to being dependent on anyone
>Especially some stranger she just met
>It showed more when they arrived, Dash insisted on paying for the cab and refused to let Anon touch her bags
>He made no attempt to argue, he was preoccupied with getting the doors to the apartment building open
>They had a bit of a climb ahead of them
>Five stories hauling luggage was hard enough
>But Dash flying ahead and yelling from the fifth floor in the middle of the night made it that much worse
>She was impatient as always, and her pride was still wounded so she mocked Anon's lack of speed
>Big talk from someone with saddlebags and one suitcase
>Anon had four, and eventually Dash flew down and grabbed two herself to help speed things up
"Come on, I'm tired already!"
>She snorted and walked ahead to the apartment door
>The human fumbled with the keys, not sure which one went to what lock
>All the locks being at the height for a pony didn't help matters
>Eventually, the door lock clicked and the old wooden thing creaked open
>It smelled like old newspaper and linens
>With a hint of moth balls
>Typical old-lady smell
"Where's the lightswitch?"
>Dash cautiously entered
>Anon was busy getting the suitcases inside when a crash and a swear came from the apartment
>"Find the ghost?"
"No, egghead! I found a table though"
>Great, five minutes in and she's already breaking things
>The lights finally flicker on, and the place was as small as you imagined it
>A living room with one couch with a plaid cover combined with an extremely spartan kitchen
>Two doors on either side, one to the bathroom, the other to the bedroom
>Layer of dust on everything
>Whomever lived here before hadn't had a single thing moved since they departed
>"You want the bed or the couch?"
>Dash blows a lock of hair out of her eyes as she surveys the couch
"Think I'll be taking the bed..."
>She canters into the bedroom only to exit a moment later
"On second thought, think that's your room, Anon, you should stay in there."
>Truth of the matter was, the bedsheets were pulled and Dash wagered that had been where the old pony had stopped living
>She wasn't sleeping in a ghost bed
>Anon shrugged and went into the bedroom to unpack
>Dash put the table back on its legs before hopping on the couch to find a comfortable spot
>She was kneading the fabric around with her hooves when Anon returned with a pillow and a blanket
>"I found these in a closet. Feel free to stay as long as you want. I--"
>They both were startled by a low rumble and a clattering from the kitchen
>"....I wouldn't eat anything in the fridge though..."
>Dash peered over his shoulder
>There was one of those really old fridges with a locking door making all that noise when it spooled up
"Don't worry, Anon. Tomorrow I'll find a place to live, don't worry!"
>He nodded and went back to the bedroom
>He flicked off the light as he went in, closing the door behind him
>Leaving Dash alone in the tiny living room/kitchen
>So, this is it?
>After the frenzy to get her life in some sort of order
>She ends up in a strangers apartment, sleeping on an old lady's sofa
>All by herself with nothing but the ticking of a massive grandfather clock in the corner and a busted old fridge to keep her company
>She fluffed the pillow and pulled the blanket over herself, trying to get comfortable
>The lights from the city outside were casting odd shadows between the blinds
>Against all the old looking furniture
>Against the swinging pendulum of the clock
>She flopped around on the couch so she didn't have to look at the spooky looking shadows
>Which put her facing a cabinet full of pictures
>Including a big one in the center of them all of an older looking mare
>Who she swore was staring at her
>The photograph was pretty unsettling
>Black and white in a large brass frame
>It was a late-aged mare, face wrinkled, grey hair in a bun, off colored dress, glasses on a chain around her neck
>And she had this stern stare about her
>Dash stared right into the picture's eyes
>The picture stared right back
>As if it knew everything about her
>Her heart began to race
"Come on, Rainbow Dash....you're scared a picture now? What the heck is wrong with you?"
>She didn't expect an answer
>But she got one when the heat kicked on
>And like any old heating system, the pipes moaned and whined as the hot water made them expand
>Dash nearly flew into the ceiling, holding the pillow tightly to her
"I-I-It's just the heat! That's all....just the heat!"
>The pipes seemed to shutter in agreement as water sloshed through the radiators
>She flapped her wings slower and sat back on the couch
>The picture stared her down
>She tried not to look at it
>Tried to look anywhere else
>The ceiling had silhouettes of the trees outside, slashed by the shadows of the blinds
>The kitchen was worse, on the counter there was a glass just sitting there
>'That was the last glass she used before she died' her mind whispered
>Dash pulled the blanket around her tighter
"S-s-s-stop being a silly pony, Dash! There's no such thing as ghosts!"
>The old mare in the picture stared silently at her
>Slightly fed up, Dash got off the couch and walked cautiously to the cabinet with the picture
>She was careful not to trip on the coffee table again
>The cabinet an antique like the rest of the furniture in here
>Some kind of dark wood base with drawers and glass doors protecting the different photos
>Most were color ones of whoever lived here
>Some were of her with a colt, others she had children, and others still were of her golden years wearing sundresses and carrying coconut drinks
>What was strange was she looked nothing like the mare in the black and white photo
>Must be a relative or an old family matriarch...
>Dash undid the clasp on the glass doors and slowly opened the cabinet
"I'm not scared of you..."
>She whispered to herself, reaching forward to put the picture down so she wouldn't have to look at it all night
>It was far back in the cabinet, a lot deeper than it appeared when she was on the couch
>Giving her wings a flap, she floated a little to get more reach
>Her hooves touched the points of the brass frame
>Now all she had to do was slowly put the face of this old mare facing down so she wouldn't have to--
>DUNG!!
"AHHH!"
>Dash dropped the picture as the grandfather clock chimed
>She dove for the couch, under the blanket, wrapping herself into a ball
>When the clock finished the chiming for one o'clock, Dash worked up the courage to peer from under the blanket
>The picture managed to fall but only on its side, the eyes of the elder matriarch still piercing into her soul
>She sword the pony's face was getting angrier at her
>'The last pony who lived there died'
>Her mind echoed Anon's words from earlier
>She was shivering under the blanket, wings pulled so tightly to her body she couldn't fly if she wanted to
>'The landlord swears its haunted'
>Dash's eyes darted anywhere, hoping to see anything but that photograph
>The old fridge took that as a perfect time to spool up again
>Dash felt her heart pounding in her chest as she ran, blanket and pillow in mouth, to the bedroom door
>She threw it open and slammed it behind her, panting heavily and pressing her back against it
>The ghost wouldn't follow her in here, would it?
>The light came on and Dash screamed
>"What the hell?!"
>A groggy voice came from the bed
>Anon had his hand on the lamp and was rubbing his eyes
>Nothing could have prepared him for the blue and rainbow blur that launched itself at him
"ANONTHERESAGHOSTINTHEPICTURE!!!"
>He hardly has time brace himself as Dash slammed into his chest
>Her wings, front, and hind legs deathgrip the human and they both fell onto the bed
>Dash is going on and on about the picture and the haunted glass and how the clock is in on it and
>"Slow down!"
>He manages to sit back up and awkwardly hug the terrified pony
>She's panting and he can feel her heart racing
"Th-th-the ghost is in there!"
>Anon gives her a 'really?' look
>Dash swallows and shakes her head, her grip loosening slightly
"I'm supposed to....protect you from the ghost right? So long as I'm here thats what we agreed upon isn't it?"
>He nods slowly
"So I need to stay in here, otherwise it might think it can get around me! Yea! So....ummm..."
>Anon sighs and gets up
>Dash still clinging to him, he gathers up the extra pillow and blanket from the floor
>And to humor the blue pegasus, he locks the bedroom door
>He tosses the pillow on the bed and spreads the second blanket out
>Dash lets go and sits on the bed
"Good thinking, right Anon?"
>"Of course, Dash"
>He yawns and lays back down
>Pulling the covers over both of them
>They lay there, on their backs, a wall of invisible awkward between the two of them
>Anon is drifting off to sleep, not entirely concerned about the evil photograph in the next room
>Dash is still full of energy, staring at the ceiling and twitching every time a random creek or thud echos in the apartment
>She finds herself scooting closer to the human a little
>Somewhere in the building, another door opens and closes harshly
>It sounded like below
>Dash moves a little closer
>Then the sound of a door being locked comes from above
>Muffled voices
>Closer still
>Then what finally breaks the camel's back
>Hoofsteps above clopping from one end of the room to the other
>Closing her eyes, Dash turns on her side and pulls Anon's body to her, shimming her head between his chest and his arm
>Taking a few deep breaths, the warmth of his body calming her down, she tries not to think about what's really bothering her
>Not ghosts or spooks, but how she's all alone
>All alone in this big city with none of her friends
>Her friends...she missed them so much
>Why did Rarity and Twilight have to grow up so fast?
>Why did Fluttershy and Applejack have to be so obsessed with living in Ponyville?
>Why was Pinkie...Pinkie?
>Why did she have to screw up and ruin everything?
>At least here, most ponies didn't know that
>But while she might be faceless in the city, at work they'll surely know who she is and she's not ready to confront that stuff just yet
>Not from strange ponies and not by herself
>Tightening her hold on Anon's shirt, she does her best not to shiver
>She's Rainbow Dash, she's not afraid of anything, right?
>She'll be OK, right?
>...Someone answer...?
>"It'll be alright..."
>Anon whispers, very sleepily, before running a hand through her mane
>She sighed and felt relaxed for the first time since she got here
>Anon didn't know anything, heck he might not even be entirely awake, but just hearing that and getting some affection was all she really needed
>She whispered 'thank you' back before falling asleep
>With a small hope her dreams would be peaceful tonight