//------------------------------//
// Chapter 15: The Road To Canterlot 
// Story: A New World, And A Better Way 
// by Recteik Shade 
//------------------------------//

Chapter 15: The Road to Canterlot

Ponyville Train Station Day 1

Allen tapped his hoof impatiently as he stared at the clock,"Come on." He grumbled.  Shortly after giving Dinky his PokeDex Nova and the Doctor returned saying that the next train to Canterlot was less than an hour away.  Normally Allen was a patient man, er mon but, having his team scattered to the wind put him on edge and all he could think about was what manner of trouble poor Penny had gotten herself into this time.  He gave a very equine snort and turned to pace down the platform,"What's taking so long?"

"Allen calm down!  The train won't be here for another twenty minutes."  Sparkler said in an amused tone.  She was now sporting a pair of light grey saddlebags that seemed to be stuffed to the breaking point with muffins.

Allen stopped and looked to the clock again as the the minute hand finally ticked over.  Only a single minute had passed,"I know." He sighed.  "I'm just really worried about Penny... and Dawn."

Nova spoke up from his own spot next to the bench Sparkler was sitting on,"Allen relax.  Sure she might get into a bit of trouble but my sister is more than strong enough to get out of it."

"Her getting out of trouble isn't what worries me.  It's what she might break in the mean time.  If she damages any property I've gotta pay for it.  And now I can't just join a tournament if I start running out of money."

"You could always get a job." Loki taunted from wherever he was concealed.

"Hang on." Sparkler said turning to Nova.  "Dawn is your sister?"

"Half sister." He corrected.  "Our father was the same but her mother was a Vaporeon.  My mother was the Typhlosion Allen's father trained.  But in the end our parents were raised by Allen's parents."

"Wow so you guys really are family." Sparkler said with a smile.

Allen smiled,"Absolutely.  I hatched Nova and Dawn  from eggs."

"Wait!  You weren't joking about that!? Pokemon really come from eggs!?"

Allen nodded,"On Earth humans were the only species that had live born children."

Sparkler blinked a few times absorbing this information,"From eggs huh?" She muttered to herself.

Allen resumed his pacing and muttering at the clock,after fifteen minutes or so his ears caught a piercing whistle.  "Finally!" He turned and stared so hard at the horizon it was a miracle that the forest didn't combust then and there.  He had already paid for their tickets so all that was standing between them and Dawn was a few hours on a train and a Pokehunt in this Canterlot place. 'Should be easy enough.  How big could the city actually be?'

Nova stood and walked to Allen while Sparkler facened the straps to her bags.  By the time they were secured to her back the train was just coming to a stop and she stepped up to the platform with the other Pokemon.  A few ponies stepped off and only one even glanced in their direction though the instant her eyes fell on Nova she shrieked and ran like Yevetal himself was chasing her.  It drew the attention of the other passengers who eyed the Volcano Pokemon wearily.

Nova sighed and turned to Sparkler,"You ponies certainly are a skittish bunch."

Sparkler for her part just shrugged,"Sometimes things come along that try to eat us.  So most ponies avoid things that look dangerous and let's face it you are pretty dangerous looking."

Nova Glared at the nervous ponies,"I'm not going to eat anyone so relax!"  The departing passengers didn't but they seemed to lose a portion of their fear and left in a less panicked nature. Nova sighed again,"Ponies in Fillydelphia were less nervous."

Again Sparkler shrugged,"Not really, they just don't run off screaming like that."  With that she stepped onto the train and passed the Conductor their tickets an older stallion with a wiry mustache.

He glanced at the group boarding,"Miss? Are you aware that you don't have to buy tickets for you pet bird." He nodded towards Tally.  "Or your... Is that a Wolverine or a weasel?  That thing better not bite anypony!" If one could ignore the steam locomotive continuously hissing, there was total silence.  "Also u have one too many tickets."

"Seriously!?" Loki sneered becoming visible behind the Conductor, making the poor stallion yelp and spin to face him. Loki's sneer however was aimed at Allen,"You actually bought me a ticket!?  Arceus you're lame!" With that the Shadow Pokemon phased out of sight.  "Lame!  Lame!"

"Whoa nelly I need to quit drinking." The conductor muttered under his breath. "Y'all ain't gonna be no trouble is ya?"

Nova stepped up behind Sparkler,"No need to worry sir.  The rest of us are quite civilized."

The old stallion got a little pale and quickly punched their tickets,"Y'all enjoy the ride."  He then swiftly turned and made for the front of the train.

Nova grunted,"Jackass."

"Well said Nova." Sparkler agreed stuffing their accepted fair into a side pocket on her bag. She then turned and walked onto the car leading towards the end of the train searching for an empty room Allen and Nova only a few steps behind her.  She used her magic to open the door to the first empty one she found,"This'll do."

As Allen walked in he was struck by how much more spacious it was than the times he had used trains for travel.  It had a fairly open stance on the center and two cushioned benches set into the wall that looked just wide enough for two ponies to sleep on each. "Nice."  He motioned to Nova and he quickly unfastened the straps to his bags.  Free from that burden he quickly claimed one of the benches, his greater size meaning he needed one to himself.

Sparkler levitated the bags to the luggage rack and sat on the opposite bench.  By the time she settled in, Nova had curled up under the window and was dozing in the sunbeam.  "Well I'm glad he's not picky about where he sleeps." She joked.

Allen chuckled,"Yeah you'd figure he would avoid sunny spots since he's  a Fire-type.  But I'd bet money one of his ancestors was a Purugly or a Persian."

She might have laughed a little harder had she known what those actually were. "So it's about two hours to Canterlot.  What's the plan when we get there search the whole city?"

He frowned,"More or less.  Nova can track her scent if he can catch it.  Loki can search on his own and a lot more freely than anyone else." Allen paused and glanced at the luggage rack where Tally was perched,"Hey Tally? Would you be willing to search from the air?  An extra pair of eyes never hurt,"

The Tiny Swallow Pokemon saluted with a wing,"You can count on me.  I'll ask every Umbreon I see!"

Allen smiled,"Thanks Tally."  He looked back to the mare sitting opposite him,"With Tally in the sky, Loki checking between the cracks, and us searching on the ground we'll find her in no time."

"Maybe, maybe not. We'll definitely cover more ground like that but, Canterlot is a big place.  Even split up like that it may take a few days."

"Days!?"  He asked alarmed.  

"Its a little more than twice the size of Fillydelphia."  She looked out the window and pointed with a hoof,"Look you can see it from here."

He looked to the direction she pointed and his jaw dropped,'Dawn's somewhere in that!?'  From this distance the details were a little fuzzy but he could clearly see the city as a hazy mass jutting from the side of a truly massive mountain.  "Well that complicates things.  He stared hard at the looming form of the city,"If we have too we'll rent some rooms.  A place that unique is bound to have a lot of motels."

Sparkler nodded,"And once you find her?  What will you do then?"

"According to the Doctor Ghastly Gorge starts in the Forest south of Ponyville and runs to its southernmost edge."  He looked out the window at Canterlot.  "If Arceus is to be believed I'll find Drakarus there. So from Canterlot well go back to Ponyville to resupply and then this Everfree Forest."

"You think Arceus would lie?"

Allen shrugged,"Not really, I just don't like the guy."

"Yeah what's up with that?" Sparkler asked,"I mean he seemed like he was trying to help to me."

"I don't doubt that he was." He replied.  "I just wish I could have had a little warning.  There was something I'd have liked to do before coming to Equus." The mare opposite him cocked her head and looked expectantly at him.  He sighed,"I would have liked to visit where my parents were buried.

Sparkler gasped,"Oh Allen I'm sorry!  I didn't mean to- "

"It's alright Sparkler.  You didn't know and it happened a long time ago anyway."

Her mind went back to their conversation the previous day... or later today... time travel is confusing... She remembered him mentioning his father briefly. "W- what happened to them?"

"You 'remember me talking about the Cataclysm and how so many died?"

Sparkler nodded immediately understanding,"They died in that disaster.  I'm sorry to hear that Allen.  My parents are gone too."

Allen stared at her in a state of shock,"Really that's awful! What happened!?"

Sparkler stared out the window for a few seconds."I don't remember much I was only as old as Dinky is now and Ditzy was only about three years older.  But we owned a bakery in Baltimare and there was a gas leak.  The only reason the fire didn't get us was because we were at school but the house and bakery burned to the ground.  With our parents and one unfortunate customer still inside." We were sent to an orphanage after that."

"No one tried to adopt you!?"Allen asked appalled at the thought.

"Ha just the opposite!  There was a couple almost every month that wanted me.  But they didn't want Ditzy because of her eye condition." She looked to Alllen with teary eyes,"I'd already lost my parents and my home. I couldn't lose my big sister too!"

"I'm sorry Sparkler.  I shouldn't have asked."

She shuffled and rubbed at her eyes,"S'okay...  Like you said, it was a long time ago."

Allen nodded and laid his head down on the bench letting the conversation drop off not sure what else to say.  The quiet that followed allowed his mind to wander. Truth be told he had been thinking about his parents a lot lately, even before Arceus had pulled his stunt.  It had been close to three years since he had visited their graves.  He had sat at the marker for more than an hour not sure what to say or do.  'I should have said goodbye one last time.'