ബഐബഐബഐ H.K. ബഐബഐബഐ
I gazed sadly into the shield cut gem hanging from a necklace that I was holding up to my eyes in my magic. The arcanic raw mana within glowing brightly. It was all I had left of them... well not completely... but I fear that I may... The pure hatred I saw in his eyes... Damn you Oathbreaker! If you had only done as promised I could have eased him into our ways and not be forced to rush it... and then maybe one day ease him into the truth of who I was who he was to me... Now... it will never come...
My thoughts were broken when the train suddenly lurched hard. The sound of metal against metal assaulted my ears and as I looked out I saw a huge shower of sparks outside my window. Clearly it was coming from the brakes of the train, applied at great force.
What is going on? I wondered as I placed the necklace with the gem back inside my cloak and put my hood up. I knew we were getting close to the end of the line but why would they rush to stop the train so suddenly? We needed to approach the Empire as quietly as possible and this was not quiet.
I opened the door to the sleeper I had been in for the past two days and made my way to the engine. As I did Spike came out of his own sleeper, trying to rub the sleep out of his eyes. As for Garble he was no where to be seen. Probably hiding from me. He is still thinks I'm his master... it seems its going to take some time for to be convinced to stop.
"What is going on!?" Spike asked, yawning. I couldn't help but smile sadly. He was too tired apparently to realize it was me. Ever since he yelled at me about Garble several days ago he has been giving me the silent treatment.
"I don't know... stay here while I check with the engineers."
"Like I have anything better to do." Spike grumbled as I walked out of the carriage and into the blizzard.
I carefully climbed up ladder on the coal hopper, with all the snow the ladder was quite slippery. After a few times of almost losing my hoof hold I managed to get up to the top and worked my way down the pile of coal to the engine below where the two engineers, a unicorn and earth pony, were arguing hotly.
"It will!" The earth pony yelled.
"No, it won't!" The unicorn growled back.
"It will!"
What is going on? I questioned with the Royal Canterlot Voice, stunning both ponies enough to stop their arguing.
"There is something on the track. Something that won't come off with magic." The unicorn answered.
"Well you are trying with unicorn magic I say we use earth strength and smash it!"
"And I am telling you..."
Odd. I wondered as I looked out into the blizzard, ignoring the once again bickering stallions. At first the driving snow made it difficult to see anything but I kept at it hoping that my eyes would adjust or the winds would shift just enough so that I would not have to be forced to use magic. I needed every last drop.
My eyes narrowed as finally got a glimpse at what had stopped the train. About four hundred hoofs ahead across and around the tracks was numerous large black crystals jutting up from the ground. Sombra... The unicorn was right those crystals would not move in a normal fashion. It would take someone skilled in dark magic to be able to move or destroy them.
"How far are we from the Empire?" I questioned, still staring at the black crystals.
"Not sure exactly... an hour by hoof most likely." One of the engineering answered.
I sighed as he said that. An hour by hoof in a white blizzard could lengthen to many hours. Plus I was going to have to use magic to make sure we didn't walk in circles...
"Will too..."
"Will not..."
Gah! Ponies! I grumbled as the two began to fight a third time. No matter there was nothing more to be done here anyway. While I could remove the black crystal and fix the rails it would take more magic then just using a locator spell and walking to the Empire.
"Is everything alright Master?" Garble questioned fearfully as I reentered the carriage.
I cringed when I saw Spike give me the stink eye. "Garble, I am not your master..."
"He should have never been you slave!" Spike snapped. I nearly sighed as i watched Garble corner of my eye frantically trying to mime to Spike to stop. "I mean honestly! Only a tyrannical villain would do such an awful thing to another!? Honorable and noble my tail..."
I stood silent for several minutes to let Spike rant. It would be best for him to let off his steam now before we headed out into the storm lest he gets emotional and runs off unthinkingly or distracted and gets separated from the rest of us.
"Finished?" I asked once Spike finally stopped for a breath.
"For now."
"Good, it's dangerous to be emotional or distracted while traversing the Frozen North."
"We are in a train." Spike deadpanned. "How is that dangerous?"
"We are walking the rest of the way."
"What!? Out there!?' Spike exclaimed thrusting his arms towards the window. "But there is nothing out there but snow and more snow!? I don't think so."
"Well unfortunately the tracks have been severally damaged and will require specialists to fix which could take upwards a week or more... Depending on how much the rail line is damaged."
"What!? No. Twilight and the girls don't have a week!"
"Then we had best be off."
"But how are we going to find it?!"
"I know the way to the Empire." I shrugged. It was quite easy to locate thanks to the way the Crystal Spire acted like a magic focuser and amplifier. Of course that only works if one knew the mana resonance of the Spire which I did.
"Yeah, right." Spike snarked as he rolled his eyes. "According to Twilight it has not been around for a thousand years how can you know where it is in this mess?"
"It is easier than you think young dragon..." I replied, smiling. It was nice to be talking with Spike even if I could still see the anger in his eyes. "It helps too that it was I that informed Equestria of its fall to the Shadow King."
"But's that impossible! You are a mere unicorn! The only way you could possibly survive is through dark magic. I should know Twilight explained it to me that one time I... Either way you can't be that old!"
"As I said before young dragon, looks can be deceiving. I am only a few years younger then the Bringer of the Night, Luna and I never used magic dark or otherwise to extend my life..."
"But then how..." Spike growled out, his claws balling in his anger. "You know what, I don't care. Let's just get this over with. The sooner we get there the sooner we can rescue the girls and the Empire the sooner I can rid myself of you from my life."
With that Spike jumped down from the train and began to waddle away through the thick drifts and surprising in the general direction of the Empire. Garble was about to jump off the train after Spike when I touched his shoulder to stop him. Surprisingly he only flinched slightly when I did.
"Garble, a word please."