//------------------------------// // All Aboard for Manehattan // Story: My Soul, Your Hooves // by UsefulRamen //------------------------------// Ponyville (Afternoon) "Hey Otonashi? Why don't I get my friends to come with us? They would love to go to Manehattan!" Twilight suggested. Otonashi just looked at her in response. "Well?" Twilight pushed on. "Yeah, sure. As long as their not as crazy as my friends from the S.S.S." Otonashi said as he lightly sighed and looked at the ground. "What's the S.S.S? What does it stand for?" Twilight was now interested because of this new topic, and subject that she had never heard of before. Her curiosity grew almost competing with her high level of knowledge. "Well, the S.S.S, or the Shinda Sekai Sense which means "World of the Dead War Front." The name is constantly changing though. But some people like to call us the "Not Dead Yet Battlefront." Our group was formed for one reason: to eliminate Tenshi or as some people like to call her: Angel. Even though she's not an angle, we still like to call her that sometimes." Otonashi explained. Twilight's eyes got wider and wider and overflowed with curiosity as he explained about his group. She was careful not to stare too deeply into his eyes for she knew she could get stuck there gazing at them for quite some time. Before they continued their walk to seemingly nowhere, Twilight just remembered something important. "Oh! I just remembered! I gotta go get my friends! I'll take you to the train station where you can wait for us before I go though." Twilight had a lot more questions for Otonashi, but she had to care of the task at hand first. She impatiently galloped to the train station with Otonashi far behind. He had to figure out how to run in his new equine body. His mind was so fixated on galloping right that he almost forgot an important question in his universe of a mind. When Otonashi finally caught up with her, he asked her the question. "Hey Twilight?" Otonashi began. "Yes?" Twilight responded. She was hoping that he wasn't asking her a certain question about Kanade because she wanted to tell him on the way there. "How do you know who Kanade is?" Otonashi was suspicious of this from the moment Twilight told him that she knew who he was asking about. He was too shocked, and too overwhelmed with joy and happiness that he had forgotten to ask. This was the question that Twilight wanted to hold the answer close and hidden until they began the train ride. It was only to be set free under those conditions. "I'll tell you on the way. But I have the same question for you. how do you know who she is?" Twilight didn't give an inch in the battle for answers and stood her ground well. Instead of giving up, she used her question as a counterattack. "Uh...let's just say that I knew her in...the Afterlife?" Otonashi tried. He wanted to tell Twilight about the wonders of the Afterlife, he really did, but he was holding back and didn't know why. "Huh? So your saying that you, her, and the S.S.S have been reincarnated? Is that what your saying?" Twilight implied. She couldn't believe it. In fact, she wouldn't believe it. Now she has a lot more questions for Yuzuru, but she decided that she could wait until they got on the train with her friends. "All right Otonashi, wait on that bench while I go get my friends." Twilight said in a hurry as she made her horn glow a lavender color and seemingly disappearing leaving behind only a few sparkles and shines in the area where she once stood. Fluttershy's Cottage Twilight hurriedly knocked on Fluttershy's door in a form of urgency as she realized that the train would be leaving in two hours, and even with her teleportation magic, It would take an hour and a half just to get all her friends to go. She always seemingly catches them at the right time when they have nothing to do. Though Rarity and Applejack were sometimes an exception. Spike just lazily sat on her back as his hind legs lazily hung from her sides. Fluttershy rushed to the door and opened it with ease. She was curious as to why Twilight was acting as if she had a bucket list to complete or something. Angel was laying on Fluttershy's back taking a nap, and using her pink mane as both a pillow and a blanket. "What's the rush Twilight? You look like your being timed on doing something important. But why did you come to me?" Fluttershy gave a puzzled look. "Fluttershy would you like to come with me to Manehattan? I'm planning on bringing the rest of the gang too." Twilight swiftly asked. She was quick with her words, but they were still understandable. Flutter had to think for a moment. She had to think if there was anything that she was doing for the next few days. When she found her answer, she realized that her week was going to be pretty boring, so she decided to tag along. "Yeah, I'll go with you. But why are we going to Manehattan?" Fluttershy pondered. "We're going to see Kanade Tachibana!" Twilight exclaimed enthusiastically as she a smile grew brighter and brighter as she talked. "You mean-" "Yep, that's the one. In fact thats the only Kanade Tachibana that we know" Twilight said as her excitement rivaled that of a little kid that was about to go to Disneyland. "Alright, just let me pack a few things." Fluttershy ran back into her cottage and swiftly began to pack. "When your done, head straight to the train station! I'm going to get the others!" Twilight called as she teleported to a certain apple farm. After that, she would head to Carousel Boutique, and then off to a shop that resembled a ginger bread house, and finally, a cloud house in the sky with a rainbow as a fountain. At the Train Station "Are we all here?" Twilight called out. "Yeah!" Everypony answered. For some reason though, they heard an extra voice. Twilight remember that she hadn't told them about Otonashi yet. "Uh Twilight, who's that?" Rainbow Dash questioned with a hint of awkwardness due to the pony standing a few feet away from her. "I mean, yeah I've seen him sitting here, but you mean to tell me that he's coming with us?" Rainbow began to question Twilight's actions. "Yes he is coming with us, and his name is Otonashi." Twilight calmly answered. "But why!?" Rainbow Dash was beginning to get impatient and angry like a spoiled little brat. "Because he's looking for-" "ALL ABOARD!! LETS GO!" The train conductor hollered. With that, everypony boarded the train and found a seat to rest for the two day trip to the city that was like a replica of New York and acted like so. The mane six, Spike and Otonashi took up one whole train car. As soon as the door closed the first thing Rainbow did was ask Twilight what she was about to say before they boarded the train. The rest of the qroup introduced themselves to Yuzuru and at least seemed happy do so. "He's looking for Kanade, so I decided to help him. Got a problem with that?" Twilight answered in a serious tone. "No, I was just wondering." Rainbow Dash stated in a casual tone. When all was said and done, Rainbow Dash made her way to Otonashi to introduce herself. When she did, she noticed that her friends were staring him dead in the eyes. For what reason though? Even Spike looked like he was a little interested. Why does everyone keep glaring at my eyes. It makes this situation more awkward than it already is. I don't understand. Am I handsome or ugly because either way, it has the same affect on every pony that I've seen so far. Please tell me they think I'm handsome or at least average because if they think I'm ugly than I'd be crying along with them. Otonashi thought to himself as shifted uncomfortably. "Why do you guys keep staring at his eyes? It makes no sense." Rainbow asked as she sported a bewildered look. "Oh. Rainbow Dash darling, his eyes are just gorgeous, but they're somehow very depressing. Almost to the point that I want to cry." Rarity said as she walked back to her seat. She couldn't look him in the eyes anymore than she had already because if she did, she would end up sobbing. "So that's why everypony keeps staring at me like I'm an alien or something." Otonashi was relieved that that was the only reason why they gazed at him intently. Thank goodness they don't think I'm ugly. I was actually to beginning to believe that. Sometimes I disappoint myself. Otonashi mused as he face-hoofed. Spike just sat next to him and wondered why he seemed like such a regular pony, but it was like he had an ocean of depression inside that he had tried to bottle up, but was seemingly impossible. So Spike just sat with him in a form of sympathy for whatever reason Yuzuru was sad for. The rest of the mane six quit staring at Otonashi's eyes and took their seats. All of them were pondering why he was so very sorrowful. Even Twilight was wondering what was going on with him. "Oh yeah! Hey, Otonashi." Twilight began rather hyped. "Yeah?" Yuzuru asked. "I just remembered. I wanna tell you the answer to the question you asked me earlier." Twilight said as she began to walk towards Otonashi's booth-like seat. "Are you talking about when I asked you how you knew Kanade?" Otonashi checked. He could never be too sure. "Well, you see Kanade is-" "A very famous pianist!" Pinkie Pie interrupted as she didn't realize what she was just about to start. "Yes thank you Pinkie. She's also-" "She's very modest darling, and-" "An' she's known bah almost everypony in Equestria an'-" "She makes beautiful music-" "Some of her songs are really cool. Like 20% cooler than the average song." "ARE YOU ALL DONE!?" Twilight yelled. "Oh. Heh sorry Twi, we just got caught in the moment." The chain of constant interruption and interference had finally been melted down by Twilight's annoyance and anger. All of this while Otonashi was quietly thinking to himself. Wow. I never knew she would turn out to be so great. And popular at that. I hope she will still remember me. Even if it's just a little, I'll be happy. Otonashi thought as a faint warm smile melted away most of his depression. The ponies noticed that Yuzuru was grinning in the slightest, and it made them at least a little joyful and they couldn't help but to smile along with him. "Oh and Otonashi, I checked the next time Kanade will be performing in Manehattan before I bought the train tickets that way we could easily find her. Don't worry, I got your back. You are my friend after all." Twilight remarked as she winked at Otonashi. It made him feel good that she had already considered him her friend in such little time. The train gave a final whistle in the night as the ponies all began to fall prisoner to dreamland as it was already late in the day when the engine had departed from its rest stop. The clicks and clacks of the wheels on the tracks hastened the enchantment of sleep on ponies all in the train. Even the conductor almost gave way to the calm noise that was the sound of his second home. He knew that he had stay awake for the night, and he had to fight the spreading relief that was a thief. A their that stole the night away. He would switch with another conductor in the morning and catch up on his sleep. As for now, he took in the beautiful moonlight and had this as a secret to keep.