Ariel, Logan, and Wildcard stood side by side—huddled in the doorframe between the engine room and the largest cabin of the rusted Stardust. Behind them, Flynn worked tirelessly on the manacrystals. Ahead of them...
...a pegasus in a cowboy hat paced and pace before two sarosian figures.
"And just how far do you plan to go with 'em, huh?" Bard scuffled to a stop, eyes narrowing on the mare in front of him. "Beyond the Seven Seas?"
"That was the overall plan." Nicole gulped, nodding. "Yeah..."
"Nicole—darlin'—didn't ya hear Rainbow Dash goin' on and on about how plum dangerous that desert is?!" Bard waved a hoof. "That ol' Matriarch Xarchellus has plenty of good reason not to expect livin' through the whole trek! Just try and imagine thousands of nocturnal batponies—sensitive to sunlight—just... moseyin' along across a giant arid landscape!"
"That's just it, Johnny," Nicole said. "I'm not Xarchellus. I'm young. I'm versatile. And I know a thing or two about Rohbreddenite culture! I'm a useful aid to the midnighters!" She gestured at Echo. "Same with Ryckmun here—"
Bard did a double-take. "Same with who?"
Wildcard leaned his feathery head to the side.
"Erm..." Echo cleared his throat. "It's... it's my given name." His eyeslits blinked. "The name I was foaled with."
Bard exchanged distant glances with Wildcard, then looked back at the stallion. "How come we ain't ever heard the sound of it 'til now?"
"Because nopony was allowed to even pronounce it until now." Echo's leafy ears twitched. "I've... uh... I've been allowed back into the fold." He gulped. "I'm a forgiven foal of the Maiden of the Moon."
Logan and Ariel exchanged glances.
"Wow, that's... uhm..." Ariel bore a tender smile. "That's pretty sweet, dude."
"I guess not all shit rolls downhill," Logan said.
Echo bore a fanged smile. "I don't understand it. But the fact that you said 'shit' convinces me of your sincerity."
"I try my best."
"Like shit you do."
"Ahem." Bard gestured. "So... you've both come together on this?" The desperado's brow furrowed. "Yer fixin' to be a pair of guides for the ponies of Bleak's Plummet?"
"Isn't it obvious?" Echo pointed at Nicole. "Your sister here knows the continent."
"Kinda sorta," she muttered, fidgeting.
Echo pointed at himself. "I know the Seven Seas."
"You can count on that," Logan muttered.
Wildcard gestured.
Bard turned from him to squint at the sarosians. "And what of the Grand Choke and beyond? Huh? Rainbow Dash's personal tales can only take y'all so far."
Echo looked at Nicole.
"Well... Johnny..." Nicole swallowed. "...think about it. There... really isn't any other place on this plane where we belong. And—I know it's going to be a long and arduous trip—but in the end... it's all about getting somewhere that's safe and harmonic... and returning these poor lost souls to their mother... their Moon Mother."
"Yeah, but... but..." Bard fidgeted. "...damned if it doesn't sound dangerous as all Hell."
Nicole nodded. "Perhaps so. But... I believe in Rainbow Dash." She smiled, cocking her head to the side. "Don't you? That she's made the world that much safer between here and there? That... that there's something divine at work here? Despite all of the so-called 'wicked' things she's been forced by Verlaxion to do?"
"Darlin', I've been all around the Seven Seas since I ditched Blue's Farm," Bard muttered. "Ain't nothin' divine about the world. In the end, it mostly comes down to luck."
Wildcard somberly nodded.
"Well..." Nicole shrugged. "...a little bit of cooperation and good-will never hurt anypony, don't you think?"
"The two of us can't rightly steer the midnighters around every bump," Echo said. "But we can definitely help them. And... well... they can certainly help us." Echo took a shuddering breath, glancing aside at Nicole with glossy eyes. "Goddess knows we've b-been helped enough as it is."
Nicole smiled at him, then gave the stallion a friendly nuzzle. She turned to look up at Bard. "Johnny..." She gently crossed the distance between them. "...don't you think this is the best way to do things?"
Bard sighed, avoiding her gaze. "Darlin'..."
"You were right." Nicole swallowed a lump down her throat. "I'm... simply not cut out for the Dark Side. And Ryckmun here couldn't fly alongside you and Wildcard and the others. We would just slow you all down. But in Bleak's Plummet? In joining the exodus? We can not only be helpful... but we can be safe." She smiled tearfully. "We can have a home... Rainbow's home. Of all the places on this earth... would you rather your little sister be anywhere else?"
Bard sighed long and hard. He tipped his hat off, leaned forward, and scooped her up in a deep, deep hug. "I can think of one place..."
Nicole sniffled. She buried her face in his shoulder. "I'm... I-I'm sorry, Johnny. I... I know you went through so m-much at the Ranch to c-come to terms with your family... only for m-me to ditch you like this—"
"You ain't ditchin' nopony," Bard said. He smiled tenderly, despite the melancholy in his deep voice. "Just... wish thangs were different, is all." He gulped hard. "Wish I didn't have to choose between protectin' the world and protectin' my own kin..."
"But you will be protecting me, Johnny." Nicole shuddered. "Wherever you go... wherever the Desperados' train takes you... it'll be for the best... for our best."
Ariel bit her lip from afar, growing teary-eyed. Logan and Flynn said nothing.
"I'm glad you feel that way," Bard said. "Still... almost feels like I'm leavin' another precious legacy behind." He exhaled. "And after Amber..."
"Shhhhh..." Nicole leaned up and kissed Bard on the forehead. She grasped his face, smiling directly at him. "I'm sorry that I never got to meet Amber. But I have the pleasure of knowing—first hoof—that she has endless... endless reasons to be proud of her husband."
Wildcard glanced at Bard.
Bard clenched his jaw tight. His eyes grew misty, and he finally exhaled with a breathy: "Shucks." He stared off across the cabin, summoning a fragile smirk. "Ain't gettin' off this train we're on... but the windows sure are startin' to fog up."
Nicole giggled, wiping her eyes as she sniffled.
Bard squeezed her shoulder. He then shuffled forward, approaching Echo. "'Ryckmun,' huh?"
Echo groaned. "Yeah... lame, isn't it?"
"Gotta admit... ain't got the same ring to it as 'Jordan' or 'Johnny.'" Bard raised an eyebrow. "But we can't all be musicians, huh?"
Echo shook his head. "Doesn't stop us from having encores."
"Heh... you've come a long way from the junkie Dubya and I were contracted to hog-tie in Rust."
Echo stared past Bard. "It was lifetimes ago..."
"It sure was, wasn't it?"
Echo nodded.
Bard nodded back.
Silence.
Wildcard shuffled forward. He stood before Echo, extending his metal talon.
Echo reached forward, and the two shook limbs.
Wildcard smirked, then gestured something.
"Uhm..." Echo gulped. "What did he say?"
Ariel cleared her throat, smirking. "The highest compliment a griffon could ever give."
"Wow, really?"
"Nah. He just called you a 'lucky sonuvabitch.'"
Logan and Flynn laughed before returning to their duties.
Echo sighed as Wildcard walked away. "Well... good to know I've found my center, I guess."
Meanwhile, Bard was reaching down to pick up his cowboy hat. He raised to his head... but lingered in place. "... ... ..." In a silent gesture, he reached over and plopped it down on Nicole's head instead.
The article was one or two sizes too big—as evidenced by Nicole having to adjust the thing and peek out of it, eyeslits blinking.
"Eh..." Bard waved a hoof from side to side, smirking. "You'll grow into it."
"You really think so?"
"No."
Wildcard snickered breathily.
Bard smiled at Nicole. He reached forward, tilting the hat back until it looked fairly decent on her petite cranium. Then—smile fading—he turned to look at Echo. "You take care of her, y'hear?" The Desperado took a deep breath. "I dun wanna be comin' back from the Midnight Armory hearin' that my lil' sis has become whale food."
Echo stood up straight. "You have my promise, Johnny."
Bard nodded, eyes narrow. "Yeah... I reckon I do..."