//------------------------------//
// Part 7: Getting Out of Town 
// Story: My Little Pony Friendship is Magic The Movie: What If? 
// by SuperPinkBrony12 
//------------------------------//

If Twilight and her friends had known that Tempest was onto them, they probably would've been much more concerned then they currently were. Alas, there was no way they could know what their enemies knew, so the ponies (or at least all of them except Twilight) believed they were safe for the time being.

Now rested and refreshed, the ponies were content to make the most of Capper's hospitality. Rarity in particular had her attention drawn to the cat's jacket, and a detail that clearly bothered her. "Goodness! Your jacket's got a hole in it!" She exclaimed as she lit up her horn.

Capper, apparently unconcerned, replied. "This? It's nothing. Really. It's been that way for as long as I can remember."

Rarity wasn't convinced as she used her magic to bring up a sewing needle. Despite not having access to her ruby red sewing glasses, she could easily see the hole and how to fix it with some thread. "I simply cannot let such a crime against fabulosity go uncorrected! This shan't take more than a minute." She firmly insisted. Sure enough, the fashionista had the hole sewn up in the blink of an eye.

Capper seemed to be impressed as he admired the fix. "Wow! You're... really good at that."

The fashionista unicorn was happy to bask in the cat's praises. "It's the least I could do after you so kindly took us in."

Capper then questioned. "So, what do I owe you? Name your price."

But Rarity blinked and innocently replied. "Price? Don't be ridiculous, darling. This repair won't cost you a thing."

The jacket wearing cat was far from persuaded by such an argument. "Yeah right, that's what they all say. There's gotta be a catch. If I don't have to pay you money, what do I have to give you?"

"Nothing more than a smile and a thank you," Rarity innocently insisted. "Your gratitude is the only payment I need."

"...Well, thanks... I guess." Capper nervously replied. He was beginning to have second thoughts about his plans for the ponies. They had been so kind to him even when they had no reason to be. And here he was, taking advantage of their trust in a way they didn't suspect. Was he really about to hand them off to Verto just to settle a long overdue debt?

Capper didn't have long to dwell on such conflicted feelings, though. For suddenly, he heard Twilight loudly exclaim! "Aha! I knew you were hiding something!" He spun around in time to see the princess holding up an old map that depicted a huge mountain off in the distance. "It says here that this map leads right to Mount Aris. And it also says it's where we can find Novo, queen of the hippogriffs."

Spike snorted as all the ponies now turned their attention to Capper, who was trying his best not to look guilty.

Pinkie Pie was heard to exclaim! "Oh, hippogriffs! Why didn't we think of that before?! Of course there's no queen of the hippos, that's just silly!" Yet she briefly gazed off into the distance and seemed to say to no one in particular. "Or maybe it's totally true."

Capper, for his part, tried desperately to regain control of the rapidly detiorating situation. "Uh, that map's really old. It's not to scale."

"Then what's that out the window?!" Twilight gestured a hoof. "Sure looks like a mountain to me." And indeed it was. Just before the horizon, it was possible to make out the faint outline of a mountain.

The jacket wearing cat gulped, realizing he'd been exposed as a liar. Nervously, he tried to recover. "Uh... objects in the window are closer than they appear?"

Twilight wasn't fooled. She just rolled her eyes and stood up. "Likely story," She then instructed to her friends. "Come on, girls. We've wasted enough time here!"





Yet just as the ponies reached the door of Capper's house, they were surprised to be greeted by a bipedal mole like creature. It wore glasses that were crooked, a black top hat, and a matching black jacket. "Here's Verto!" The mole exclaimed in a raspy, male sounding voice. The ponies jumped back momentarily in fright.

Verto smiled as he strolled into the room, fixing his gaze on the ponies. "You can consider your debt forgiven, Capper. These ponies will fetch a fine price on the market," He then cackled with glee, gesturing a paw outside to where several large wagons with iron bars stood at the ready. "Come on, ladies. The carriage awaits."

Rarity let out a dramatic gasp and glared at Capper! "You're selling us into slavery?! And after everything we did for you!"

Capper gulped and looked down at the ground in shame. "W-well, a cat has to make a living, doesn't he? A-and when you get in deep with Verto, you gotta take whatever chances you can get."

"Exactly!" Verto replied as he approached the ponies. "Selling you all is gonna make me a mint!"

"Good, because you need one!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed as she fanned a hoof across her face! "Your breath stinks!"

Verto just growled! "That's enough talk, ponies! As of today, your lives of freedom are over!"

But Twilight only replied by lighting up her horn, making it glow. "Sorry to disappoint you, Verto, but we're not for sale. We were just leaving anyway."

At that very moment, however, an ominous laugh that was vaguely familiar to the ponies reached their ears. And then, who should show up but Tempest Shadow in all her hornless glory? "On the contrary, princess," She taunted with what sounded like glee. "You will go nowhere," Then she snickered. "Trusting strangers, are we? Your first mistake, soon to be your last."

"You again!" Twilight exclaimed in disbelief as she watched several of the yeti-like creatures that had attacked Ponyville show up.

Tempest smirked. "You didn't really think you could get away from me, did you, princess? No one escapes the Storm King. No one!" She then turned to Verto. "Listen up, mole man. I'm taking these ponies, and their little dragon too. The Storm King will reimburse your for your loss."

But Verto only replied by grabbing Tempest, rubbing his paws all over her face as he gleefully proclaimed. "Actually, I have a better idea in mind. Forget those ponies, you're the one I want. The Storm King will pay anything to get his precious enforcer back."

The hornless unicorn narrowed her eyes. "You're making a terrible mistake."

"Oh really?" Verto taunted. "What tricks can you do, my little pony-wony?"

"I have a 'trick' in mind." Tempest remarked. Seconds later, lightning shot out from the stub on her head! It sizzled and crackled ominously as it flowed through Verto, electrocuting him to the point where it charred his fur!

When the blast faded about a moment later, Verto coughed as black smoke rose from his body. "That's a good trick." He weakly stated, then fell to the ground and collapsed into unconsciousness.





Having taken care of Verto, Tempest now turned her attention back to her original targets. "Sorry for that 'interruption'. Now where were we?" Yet her eyes quickly discovered that the ponies had disappeared in the brief amount of time she had been distracted! She growled and furiously stomped a hoof! "No! This isn't happening! I won't lose them again!" She shouted to the guards! "Find them, now!"

As for Twilight and her friends, they had miraculously managed to escape while Tempest had been busy with Verto. Thinking quickly, Twilight led them all onto the blades of the windmill, and using her magic she pulled it free from its foundation! They were soon rolling through town with the runaway windmill blades, building after building collapsing in their wake, until eventually the blades slowed to a halt and fell to the ground with a crash!

There was very little time for anyone to rest and catch their breath, however, because Tempest and the Storm King's army were hot on their tails! So the friends ran! They had no particular destination in mind, they just knew they had to get out of Klugetown and fast!

Then, ahead in the distance, Twilight thought she saw something! It looked to be an airship of some kind, but nothing like the zeppelins that had brought the Storm King's army to Ponyville. The airship was currently docked, though it looked like that would soon change. "We have to get onboard that airship!" She shouted to her friends!

"Are you crazy?! We'll never make it!" Applejack hollered back!

But Twilight firmly and stubbornly insisted! "Yes we will! We have to hurry!" And after quickly surrounding herself with her friends, she lit her horn and teleported them away. Just a second or two later, she brought them to the dock where the airship rested. It was just beginning to pull out, the rope that had held it to the dock having been set aside.

Thinking quickly, Twilight grabbed the rope and hurled it towards the back of the airship. It managed to catch on, forming a narrow tightrope that led from the dock to the airship.

Fluttershy gulped, looking down at the ground below. "I don't know about this!" She nervously remarked.

"It's our only option!" Twilight protested! "Go, now!" And she ushered her friends along it one by one.

The crossing to the ship proceeded mostly without incident. That is, until the rope suddenly snapped as Pinkie Pie was bouncing across it! The pink party pony started to scream as her hooves flailed in the air, desperately trying to grab hold of something, anything! But there was nothing to grab!

"Pinkie!" The young alicorn shouted in horror! She hurridly rushed off the dock and unfolded her wings as she grabbed the rope in midair, all the while using her magic to grab hold of her pink party planning friend! The two practically tumbled onto the deck of the ship just as it began its ascent into the clouds.

Pinkie and Twilight had to pause for a moment to catch their breath. Pinkie was then the first to find the courage to speak. "That was... scary! I think I saw my life start to flash before my eyes!"

"We're never doing that again!" Rarity stubbornly protested.

Applejack then made a shushing motion with her hooves. "Keep it down!" She harshly whispered. "We don't even know who this ship belongs to, or where it's goin'."

Rarity snorted. "Anything's better than staying in that foresaken place!" She turned to Twilight. "You were right all along. We should've listened to you."

The young alicorn could only sigh. "I hate it when I'm right."





As for Tempest, she and the Storm King's army managed to reach the dock just in time to see the airship disappear into the clouds. Tempest seethed with fury, the stub on her forehead crackled and sizzled as lightning bolts repeatedly shout out from it! "They got away again!" She roared in dismay and disbelief! "This can't be happening!"

Grubber gulped. "T-Tempest, calm down! Please!"

"No! I'm too angry!" Tempest exclaimed as she stomped her hooves down, not caring in the least for the scene she was making! She was only snapped out of her rage when she was notified of the arrival of Capper, his paws bound with chains to prevent him from escaping.

"Let me go!" Capper furiously demanded with a hiss!

Tempest turned her attention to the captive cat. An idea came to her. "You must know where those ponies were headed. Tell me where they're going, and I'll gladly let you go."

"Oh, is that all?" Capper replied with a laugh. "Well why didn't you just say so? They were headed..." But then he hesitated as he happened to look at the recently repaired sleeve of his jacket. An idea seemed to come to him all of a sudden. "West! Yeah, that's it! They were headed west!"

The hornless unicorn pressed her captive further. "You're sure about that?"

Capper didn't flinch. "Oh yes, definitely," Then he turned away. "Glad I could help you. Now set me free." But the guards refused to loosen the chains that held him captive. They pointed their spears at him and started poking him.

Tempest just slowly and ominously replied. "Once I have my princess, you're free to go. Until then, your fate is... up in the air."

Grubber then smirked as he said to Capper. "Hope you're not afraid of heights, kitty cat!" And seconds after he spoke those words, a large zeppelin with the Storm King's logo appeared overhead.