“Can you teleport the wounded to Nocturnis?” I asked Twilight quietly. She hesitated and looked at the eleven ponies on the blankets laid out on the floor for a second before she looked at me with worried eyes,
“Not directly and not all at once,” She answered quietly, “It’ll take a couple of hours each way and while I’m gone… There is nopony here that can handle a Rexosaurus. Everypony that’s come here will last until the guard arrive and can evacuate them.”
I took a slow deep breath, quickly regretting it as the air smelled like blood, mud and rain. I finally nodded, “Everypony’s stable,” I agreed and closed my eyes, “Best not risk it.”
Damn it.
“Hey…” Sparks said quietly, shifting closer, “Are you okay?”
I shook my head, “Nopony should be okay with this,” I answered equally quietly, “We were just going home and… buck…”
Twilight nodded and pulled me into a hug. I hugged back tightly, burying my nose in her mane.
There was a flash of light and Sunset appeared again. This time she was alone, still soaked to the bone, her mane and tail clinging to her and she was covered with mud all the way up to her stomach. She looked exhausted and just sank down on the floor.
“I’ll check on her,” Twilight said quietly, “Check with the guard, see how we’re looking.”
I wanted nothing more than to rush to Sunset, but instead I nodded and let go, moving towards the closest broken window and climbed out into the rain.
It instantly soaked through my coat and my mane clung to me, but it didn’t bother me much. I might not like being rained on more than any other pony, but thestrals are at home in this environment. We had short coats and dried quickly, no feathers to keep the moisture in. Rain mostly just ran off us.
It didn’t take me long to find Moon Glow, she was set up in the next carriage. It was on it’s side and she had set up a small command post lit up by a glow crystal at one end of it, out of the rain.
“Sir, you shouldn’t be out here,” she said when she looked up from what looked like a quickly hoofdrawn map and saw me walking inside.
“I’m not in more danger here than there,” I said as I joined her, “How are we looking?”
Moon Glow sighed, “We have a perimeter set up, but… we’re not really secure. Not enough ponies. But we can at least keep an eye out if something get close, we have enough thestrals.”
“Do we know what we hit?”
Moon Glow grimaced and nodded, “One of those large turtle like herbivores was on the tracks. It’s dead and the engine is a complete wreck.”
Buck.
“The engineers?” I asked quietly.
Moon Glow shook her head.
...Buck…
For a long moment nopony said anything, there was no sound but the wind and the beating rain.
“How’s everypony looking?” I asked, “Do you have any walking wounded?”
Moon Glow nodded, “Couple of twisted hooves, three injured wings. A couple of broken ribs. A whole bunch of smaller cuts and scrapes. I’d like to send them to rest, but I can’t spare any of them right now.”
“What about you?” I asked, motioning towards the bandage around her head.
She forced a small smile, “Banged my head. A small cut, that’s all. I’m fine. Has a headache the size of Canterlot, but I’m fine..”
“Rescue is on the way,” I told her seriously, “I have alerted Nocturnis of what happened.”
Moon Glow frowned, “It’ll take them at least a day to get back here… but as soon as the rain dies down the scent of that turtle thing will bring every predator in the jungle down on us.”
Damn. Fuck, that’s a really good point.
I slowly nodded, “...I have an idea,” I said, “I’ll check with Sparks if she can teleport it away, don’t need to be far, just a kilometer or so. Get it away from us, maybe draw them away.”
“Good idea, sir,” Moon Glow agreed and then frowned at me, “...Are you alright, sir?”
I gave her a small smile, “Bruises, nothing else. I’ll be fine,” I said and got up, “I’ll get back and speak to Sparks. Keep me informed on how things are going.”
“Will do, sir,” Moon Glow said and got up, “I’ll walk you back.”
I knew better than to argue with her. If nothing else it would make her feel slightly better to know that she got me back there safely.
Rain poured down over us as I made my way over to the window before climbing back in, giving Moon Glow a small wave before I shook the worst of the water off myself, ignoring the twinge of pain from my shoulder and wing from the movement.
Looking around, I crossed over to sink down next to Twilight. She finished running her magic across Sunset, getting rid of the water and wrapped heer in a blanket before she looked at me, “Page?”
“Things are as secure as they can be,” I told her quietly, “We apparently hit one of those large turtle herbivores. Moon Glow pointed out to me that as soon as it stops raining, it’s scent is going to spread and attract predators. Do you think you can teleport it away? Don’t need to be fair, maybe a kilometer or so.”
Twilight hesitated and glanced at Sunset.
Sunset raised her head and looked at her, “I’m fine,” she said, “Go do what you have to do, okay?”
Sparks nodded and leaned in to whisper, “Look after her,” to me. She kissed my cheek and then got up, “Where can I find Moon Glow?”
“Next carriage over,” I said and scooted onto the spot she had previously occupied, “She’ll have somepony show you where you need to go.”
Twilight nodded and disappeared with a flash of light.
Sunset shifted and leaned against me, resting her head against my shoulder. I just put my wing around her silently,
“How are you doing, Sunny?” I whispered softly.
She didn’t answer for a long moment before she spoke up, barely audible, “I found the engineers.”
Oh.
I pulled her tighter, resting my head against hers. She shifted closer and started to cry quietly against my coat as I stroked her mane.
F
Man...Sunset did NOT need to see that. That's gonna be with her for a looooong while
11050903
good thing she has a cuddlebat to keep her dream from getting too bad
:(
question has anyone found Amber yet
loved the chapter, but just a couple things to go over in your free time here...
might wanna clear that up.
11050911
Showed up last chapter. Definitely not in the best of shapes (no pun intended), but alive.
welp still gonna attract the predators with the pony corpses if they want to give them a funeral.
And here I was maybe thinking this derailment was maybe set up by nobles or those working with them led by Neighsay. In a "Screw whoever is on that train, that Thestral, Non-Pony Freak is on there as well as a number of his followers. Get rid of him and them and that stupid village project of his dies with him, the freaks can be abandoned out there and the resources of our great Pony Nation can stop being wasted on them" type of plan.
This one hell of a shitshow... The clean up will be even worse... Repairs and replacment train will not be without problems...
Well to be honest, it would be a God tier miracle if engineers survived in crash like that.
MEANWHILE IN THE NOCTURNIS INTERROGATION ROOM...
Starlight Glimmer: So to summarize..not only did you stole train track parts and hid them away in the jungle..you covered up the sabotage using the local vegetation?
Angel: *nods*
Starlight Glimmer: The same vegetation that we have documented as the staple diet of the giant turtles?
Angel: *nods again*
Starlight Glimmer: So this train crash is YOUR fault regardless of the method?!
Angel:
Starlight Glimmer: Why...why do we keep you around?!
I won't say nice.
11050947
And if it was found out to be sabotage and with the Elements of Harmony killed if Neighsay's planned worked. Then Celestia, Luna and many more would have captured him, tortured him for all of those who conspired with him and systematically executed them all for killing the Prince, EOHs and others there on the train.
How many "Noble" Houses would be left in Canterlot after that removal of those haters are gone?
Page and those who went with him on the 1st expedition to the Jungle now that accidents happen at times, and while it is not pretty. Individuals can be killed by these.
Murphy's Law of Relativity & Reality can be a very dangerous and disruptive Bitch!
11050947
Same, same. At least then we would have a target for the righteous anger... Now its just... Bleh
wait, wouldn't scavengers be picking that thing clean for weeks?
So I guess they need a line of the repellant obelisks running along the rail line
Poor Sunset, I can't imagine that being a good thing to see. To be honest, I'm amazed there was much left to see, but that probably made it all the worse.
11051008
Celestia and Luna employing torture... No, I don't see it, not in the modern day.
Spelling jackboots:
wrapped her in
Doesn’t need to be far, maybe a kilometre or so.
Next chapter:
Hiver: "AGAIN WITH THE FUCKING MINDREADING, KEVIN!!!?? "
11051046
And How was Sparks, Sunset and Luna's reaction to him being hurt and poisoned in the duel with Razorwing and what they wanted to do to him? Or Celestia's response when He sucker punched Page?
it is hard for pony's to accept death. even Sunset who was in the human world for a good bit.
The Engineer card the the only one higher in risk than the kitchen... Tough time...
11051068
She spent most of that in high school, to be fair.
11051066
Execution, yes. I could believe that at a stretch. Sometimes there's no clean solution. But torture? No. They might be tempted, but I don't think the Sisters would sink to that sort of pettiness, or Twilight if it came to it. Sunset on the other hand...
11051004
Nice
11051083
Alright probably right on the torture, But a strong truth spell would get them the information needed to get the conspirators rounded up PDQ.
The greatest folly of the engineers was not ensuring Page knew their names. Perhaps they should have brought Fluttershy in to help shovel coal; they would have certainly faired at least somewhat better.
The most dangerous occupation in the PageVerse is one that both has you near Page whilst simultaneously not having him learn your name.
11051095
So... Lack of Nametag = Redshirt
*new evolutionary breakthrough in the Pageverse*
Cutiemarks now come complete with names!
Hiver: " Kevi--DAMMIT!!!"
It's a really interesting way to handle the story with Page being unable to help directly and how much that's likely getting to him. Wonder if he's going to snap at somepony over that happening or if something will change to allow him to actually help out
11051095
Weirdly, this might actually be true. He got his alicorndom by literally living a story, and his talent is writing/storytelling, so logically it makes sense that his powers would manifest as his life acting according to literary conventions. Named characters generally don't get killed by random shit, they get dramatic deaths or at least meaningful ones, hence people who's name he knows are less likely to die due to stuff like this. They're probably worse off with regards to potentially surviving named villains however, so it's probably a wash.
11051042
This was gonna be my next idea for things. Gotta have some sorta way of allowing animals to cross but not stick around on the track. And maybe crystals set along the tracks that glow red if something is up ahead on the tracks such that they can stop before hitting it.
11051094
Assuming it also forces them to talk, which Zone of Truth, to take a D&D example, doesn't. I also would posit that any spell that forced them to talk probably wouldn't be legally permissible as a source of evidence due to effectively requiring mind control, at which point the controller could just be telling them to say that stuff.
Of course, they could find a snitch and use the spell as insurance, which given the hypothesised 'masterminds' behind the scheme would probably not be all that hard if they offered out some leniency.
If there isn't a name for it, maybe Page can call the species an Akupara, or World Turtle.
Need to come up with a way to prevent that in the future
...oh
There is a train museum near where I live and in it they have a MASSIVE locomotive with wheels bigger than I am. A marvel of engineering. But I couldn’t help but notice that the entire compartment of the engine was made of solid
Iron (steel, whatever) couple this with twisted levers and pipes some that would be scolding hot to the touch, an emergency stop would have been devastating.
Horrible way to go.
Rest In Peace boys
Huh, the idea that they wouldn't have pegasi flying the rail lines as an advance scout for a line this long and isolated is strange.
Yikes...... Yeah that'll definitely take it's toll on ones psyche........
Oh. Oh no.
Being someone who understands how dangerous train crashes are, especially when steam locomotives are involved. Sunset is lucky she even found any of the engineers to begin with, I won't get into the gory details, but those two or three ponies meet there end by steam explosion. Imagine what a 50000 gallon tank at 260psi does when it ruptures...
11051601
Sadly, out of all the things on a steam locomotive? The cab is truly the most fragile, especially in a crash. Plus things get even worse when you take in that boiler was iat operating pressures with the safety valves most likely open, that one hell of a bomb when it ruptured
A Toast to the fallen pony-bros