//------------------------------// // Chapter 09: I Guess Barret Was Wrong, After All. // Story: My Little Fantasy // by GuyWhoWritesThings //------------------------------// Chapter 09: I Guess Barret Was Wrong, After All. The following day begins passing without issue. The road ends up taking us to some railroad tracks, which we end up walking along. Deciding I need info, I try to masterfully and tactfully ask my current traveling companion, the 'Great and Powerful' Trixie, for some basic information, like how long this walk to Appleloosa is going to take. I can feel that shit-eating grin through her hat as she tells me it's an overnight trip... by train. "And you're just going to walk there?" I ask. I know she has four legs and all, but that's a hell of a walk for a down-and-out stage performer with no belonging besides a gaudy hat and cape. "Trixie does not have much choice if she wants to revive her magician's show, does she not?" She raises her head in the air proudly. "The show must go on at all cost, after all." "There's not a closer place you could start with?" "Trixie told you already!" She lets out an audible 'hmph!'. "She must start in Appleloosa because of its recent establishment and distance from Ponyville, and... everywhere else." The last words trail off a bit. And after a moment, she sighs. "Maybe this is a bad idea." "Staying near me for long periods of time usually is." I can't resist quipping, though she continues on as if I said nothing at all. "Trixie is thinking it might have been better to stay a rock farmer." The grating third-person referential isn't slipping, but the depression seems to be slipping through the cracks again. "The only place Trixie feels safe performing is Appleloosa, where hopefully nopony will know her, but... if they don't take kindly to her wonderful performance, Trixie will be no better off than the day she was ran out of Ponyville." I look to the train tracks for a moment and close my eyes. A memory comes to me easily, vividly. "Trains are really depressing, you know?" She stops walking at the abrupt change of subject, looking at me. I keep walking, forcing her to continue her trot next to me instead of ahead of me. "Trains? Of what relevance is trains? The only depressing thing Trixie can think of about them is the fact Trixie cannot afford taking one to Appleloosa." "What I mean is," I continue before she can dwell on that last sentiment, "when you don't have a lot, it's a lot like being on a train. It's fast, and it's convenient, and it's easy, but... it can feel like you're stuck, unable to go anywhere but where the rails take you." She looks from me, to the tracks, thinking. "Trixie finds this... surprisingly deep, for one like you." "Calling me a country boy, are you?" I ask, stretching and resting my arms behind my head. Her eyes narrow. "Maybe she is." "Then you'd be right." I answer as her eyes narrow and she gives me that staple shit-eating grin of hers. "See! Trixie knows all!" "Ah, is there nothing I can hide from the 'Wise and All-Knowing' Trixie?" I stretch my arms out. "Next she'll tell me what I intend to have for lunch." "Keep talking like that," She narrows her eyes at me, "and the 'Wise and All-Knowing' Trixie will predict your lunch as nothing when she throws all those extra fish you packed up a tree." Cold. We walk some more, the trees along the track casting some cooling shadows. We seem to be well beyond the border of the Everfree Forest now, but Equestria seems to have no lack of greenery outside it. Trixie said earlier when I was weaseling information from her that Appleloosa is a desert town, though, meaning these lovely walking conditions won't last forever. I suppose even a nice land like Equestria has its... rough spots. After a few more moments though, I begin to hear the low rumbling of a train coming from behind us. Behind us - and, I can only imagine - toward Appleloosa, at least to a degree. I glance ahead of us again and at a tree that's particularly close to the railroad tracks, smirking at the idea forming in my head. "Hey, Trixie, do you trust me?" I ask, knowing we don't have much time to, uh, 'discuss' this course of action. "Uh... Trixie supposes a little. Why?" The confusion in her face is replaced by surprise as I quickly wrap an arm around her midsection, scooping her up as she flails her legs wildly. "Hey, put Trixie down!" She complains as I tuck her under my right arm. "Stop squirming and hold tight!" I tell her as I run forward, a spell from the 'Time' Materia triggering almost entirely on its own as my speed increases. I feel three legs grip around my arm - the fourth I assume holding her hat - as I leap and kick off the tree's trunk, reaching my left arm up to grab a higher branch and swing myself onto it. "What are you doing?" She nearly hisses as she squirms in my arms again. "Why are we in a Celestia-damned tree?!" I creep along the branch, moving as forward as I feel safe as I crouch into a leaping position. "You know how I said trains are really depressing because they can never leave the rails?" I ask her, and the realization of my plan dawns as her eyes go wide. "I meant that, but sometimes it's nice to just go with the flow!" And with that, I leap, aided by the Time spell, toward the speeding train that's passing underneath. Now, I just need to stick the landing, and - well shit, the tops of these train cars are curved. My foot slips along the arched roof of the cart below as momentum pulls my leg out from under me, the effects of whatever spell I used not long before seemingly passed. I tuck the small unicorn under my arm to my chest instinctively, trying to prevent her from getting too badly scuffed as I fall and begin sliding diagonally along the tops of the carts. Looking quickly for somewhere to get purchase, I see the raised portions of the cart's roof to my left and reach out. My fingers dig in, trying to grip the slick surface to no avail as momentum continues to send us sliding along to our inevitable tumble back to the ground. Suddenly, I hear the crunch of metal, and my fingers stick. Looking at the cart, I see the faint purple glow of Trixie's magic disappearing from the spot my fingers are now dug into, having warped it enough to give me purchase. "Are you insane?!" She yells over the winds and sounds of the train's tooting. Though honestly, the train isn't moving all that fast for a train - so I'm guessing her yelling is more due to being royally pissed. "We could have been killed!" I hoist us forward using the grip Trixie made. After that encounter with that... thing in Ponyville, I am quite a bit stronger. I lift Trixie up to the flat part of the railcar's roof, pulling myself up afterward and flopping onto my back. It's pretty hot from being out in the sun all day, but that's not so surprising, and the SOLDIER garb is fairly good at blocking out the worst of it. I turn my head 'up' to check on my companion, and nearly get a face full of her mane as she rotates onto her side, trying to use her cape to put a layer of protection between herself and the metal roof of the railcar. "Weren't you the one who was depressed about not being able to take a train to Appleloosa?" I smirk upside-down at her as she finally settles in and looks at me. "This is not Trixie's idea of taking a train!" She huffs, closing her eyes and looking away. "Would you rather walk the rest of the way?" I ask, relaxing, though the constant motion and sporadic bumps of the train make this entire idea still feel a bit sketchy. "...No." The reply finally comes as she pulls off her hat, using it as a makeshift pillow and gripping it tightly in her hooves so it doesn't blow away. The brim brushes slightly against my head as she shifts it around. "Me neither!" I look off to the side as the trees whiz by. "Hopefully this thing doesn't have to make a stop any time soon." "Ah, that's where your plan is safe, Sir Dusk," She states with a bit of regality, a small blue blur out of the corner of my eye indicating the motion of a hoof. "Appleloosa is, as far as Trixie is aware, the only pony settlement in this direction that's connected to the rail system. The split for Dodge Junction was a while back." "And there's... nothing else connected to this rail system between here and Appleloosa?" I can't help but question her assertion. That seems like such an... odd choice. "Not that Trixie knows." She answers. "The Badlands are also in this direction, you see, and dragons are often seen there, so ponies tend not to develop on this side of Equestria." A sensible decision. "Though I hate to tell you, we'll have to get off this train a little early." "And why is that?" She asks, and by her shifting I can tell she's looking at me now. "Aside from the fact what we're doing is probably illegal," I start, shifting my head to look up to the sky, "I'm sure you've noticed that I'm no pony, or anything that you're used to seeing in Equestria." "Right... it would be hard for Trixie not to notice." "And as I'm sure The 'Astute and Perceptive' Trixie," Oh boy, I can feel the daggers being glared into my skull already, "must realize that just walking into a town of country ponies with some weird thing they've likely never seen before is a terrible idea." Actually going all the way to the city with her really hadn't been my intent earlier, but now that I'm laying on the train - may as well. "Yes," I can see her mane flap a bit into my vision as she nods, "that would cause problems both for you, and for Trixie's ability to make her return performance." "So, I'll need you to head into the town ahead and get me something I can wear as a disguise." Simple enough plan, right? "...And what do you expect a pony town to have that could disguise someone of your... stature?" ...A simple enough plan that was quickly complicated by an equally-simple inquiry. I stew on this for a moment. "What about something like a hat and a large cloak?" This time it's her turn to stew. She seems to understand my intent - the larger items would be vaguely 'normal' on someone my size. "But your uh, body structure, would not be hidden." "You could just pass me off as 'The Gallant and Gentlemanly Dragon Dusk', no? As long as no one can see the features, no one can question it." This being conjecture of course from seeing Spike's role as Twilight's assistant - I can only assume at least some dragons walk upright when older. "...Less 'Gallant and Gentlemanly', more 'Stoic and Intimidating' would be Trixie's recommendation, so that nopony causes any issues with you." I let out a small laugh at that one. Point taken, I guess. Time passes, and one thing's for sure - this will be the last time I sleep on top of a train rather than inside it. While getting and staying asleep is a terrible experience, it's compounded by us sleeping in shifts so we could be sure the other didn't roll off the side of the railcar or anything. There is the silver lining, though - we're both awake to see Appleloosa roll into view from the distance. I roll onto my stomach, careful to keep myself from slipping from the moving car before taking a tentative step to one knee. Trixie makes an audible gulp as I brace myself with my hands again, setting my other foot under me and slowly rising to a standing position, using my arms to maintain my balance until I'm sure of my footing. I slowly step forward as Trixie makes her way onto her own hooves, noticeably less sure of herself, and still trying to grip her hat in one hoof. I take a breath, considering the best way to get off a speeding train as she looks towards Appleloosa, the only thing not whipping past the train at reasonably high speed. "Just hold onto your hat." I tell her, crouching down behind her and wrapping an arm under her on either side. This time she doesn't struggle as I hoist her to my chest, pressing her left forehoof into my arm and the right to her hat. "A mare could get used to be treated like this, you know..." "Don't count on it." Before giving her a chance to respond, I tuck her tight to my chest and turn my back to the right side of the cart, kicking off and jumping backward. I have no illusions of sticking a landing off a moving train while tucking an azure pony to my chest, so this time I'm just trying to land on my back and minimize the impact. Luckily, simpler feats are easier to accomplish, and this one goes off without a hitch as the horn from the train blows. In fact, it seems even our timing on exiting the train is pretty damn good - we still seem to be far enough away that no one in the city should have seen that if they were looking toward the train, but... close enough. I take a moment to catch my breath after the impact before getting to my feet and taking in the lay of the land. It's... less desert-y than I've been lead to believe, though the abundance of apple trees makes me believe its been terraformed to be this way. Luckily, it appears they're not ready to actually pick the town's namesake yet, so I begin looking for a particularly shady tree to take a seat under so we can enact the next phase of our plan. "Yes, my 'Gallant and Gentlemanly' Dusk," the bundle in my arms pipes up as I locate a particularly large tree nearby, "you are learning well! Carry Trixie!" She's also 'learning well', it seems like, since she easily lands on her hooves when I drop her faster than a sack of potatoes. The bit that's surprising is the lack of abusive commentary as she trots over to the same tree I had in mind and takes a seat. I sit down next to her. "Don't get too comfortable," I remind her, "you still need to head into Appleloosa and get what we talked about." "Trixie has been thinking about that..." She says, pulling out a small pouch and spilling the contents onto the ground. "She may not have enough disposable bits to cover the kind of clothing you'll need." "Just do what you can." I reply as she magically scoops the coins - bits - back into her pouch. "Anything is better than nothing, after all." "But of course!" She stands up, stowing her pouch away again. "Trixie owes you for saving her several days of walking!" She raises her head up int hat proud way she likes to do. "She shall not return empty-hooved!" She trots off toward the city and I'm left alone for the first time in a while. All the distraction has only allowed for half the usual stewing on my inability to remember things than usual. A nice change of pace, all things considered. There are plenty of things I can stew about while I wait for Trixie's return, of course - things such as the Lifestream, and its relation to both the Materia I use to cast magic and the title SOLDIER, but my thoughts drift elsewhere. Specifically, to the ponies who I originally met in Equestria - the nerd and the flying butter stick, erm, Twilight Sparkle and Fluttershy, specifically. The others I hadn't spent too much time with, but I can imagine Twilight Sparkle hasn't taken kindly to my disappearance - she did genuinely want to help. Then the second one, Fluttershy, she seems the type who would freak out if any of her animals were missing for so much as half a day, and I have the odd feeling she considers me one of her animals still whether she says so or not. I feel a twinge of regret over leaving suddenly, but with how Celestia spoke to me earlier that day, I still can't say it wasn't the right decision. Right now I'm beginning to wish my memory back harder than I have in days, if only to know whether something locked deep down there would help me get a better idea of what she's hiding. Then a funny thought runs into my mind. What if I'm just overreacting and being paranoid, and she's not hiding anything at all? That would make this a family sitcom-level misunderstanding, but that seems unlikely... even if I ignore everything she said and her mannerisms toward me, the look in her eyes whenever we made eye contact betrayed enough to make me suspicious. Either way, I've been able to avoid crazy pink party ponies so far, so even if everything I'm suspecting is wrong this trip will still have a plus. After a while, I'm pulled from the eve-darkening murk of my own thoughts as a cloth is thrown unceremoniously over my head, following by the soft thud of something hitting my shoulder before falling to the ground. "You should count yourself fortunate to be traveling with a mare as bit-wise as Trixie!" Shit, how did she creep up on me like that? Did I get that stooped into my own thoughts that I didn't hear her approaching hoofsteps? I stand and pull the cloth item off my head, holding it up in front of me in either hand. Looking it over for a minute, I surmise it to be a pony-proportioned, yet incredibly pony-large poncho, with ornate red weaving covering the basic tan cloth. It also has a hood and some upturned cloth where the face for a pony would be - this is a noticeably quality piece of clothing, meant to ward off the sun and sandstorms during long desert treks. I spend a few more moments looking it over before slipping it over my head, adjusting it a bit to get it to rest on my shoulders. Its equine origins make it rest fairly oddly on me, the front half merely reaching toward my waist line while the back half goes down closer to my knees. Still, as I motion around, stretching my arms out at various angles, it seems suitable for ensuring the exposed skin on my arms and other things local ponies might find odd stay covered, so it'll do. I pull the hood over my head and begin fumbling around with the cloth meant to protect the face. Due to my noticeable lack of a snout, this doesn't go very well until I notice the other thing Trixie brought back - a deep, wide-rimmed cowboy hat, with a tie for fastening it to your head under the chin. I scoop the hat up and begin doing some fancy manipulation with the face-protecting cloth, getting it where I need it to be so that only my eyes are easily visible before using the tie of the cowboy hat to secure it in place. The cowboy hat itself is a bit too large for my head, so it sits somewhat low, but this is probably to my advantage, as I can tip it forward and easily hide my eyes and small bits of visible hair as well, essentially covering anything that the poncho can't. "A thank-you would be nice." Trixie breaks me out of my disguise-building thoughts as I hear the impatient tapping of a hoof. "Sorry. Thank you." I reply, turning to her now that I'm satisfied with how everything is set up. "This is simple, but more effective than I expected it to be." "You should learn to expect only greatness from Trixie!" She stomps her hoof and puffs out her chest. "She is 'Great and Powerful' for reasons beyond her unrivaled magical potential!" "Right..." I begin making some final adjustments to the poncho fabric near my face, trying to shape it like what I would expect the snout of a dragon equal to my stature to be like, which causes me to suddenly appreciate all that extra fabric that was making things difficult not long ago. The fact no snout is actually there should hopefully not be an issue since the ponies will all be looking up at me from below - just gotta fake it to make it, as they say in showbiz. "Ready, pahdn'r?" "...Don't ever do that in front of Trixie again." Tough crowd.