//------------------------------// // Interlude Part 1: Displaced and Disquieted // Story: Innocent // by Puzzle Piece //------------------------------// The day after the second group of volunteers and the three foreigners had left Ponyville for the training camps, the first of the refugees arrived. They came in small groups, several families trudging along, dirty and tired. Despite being surrounded by fellow refugees, they looked lost and alone. Walking into town on the western road, they gazed all around at this part of the country they’d never seen and the town they’d never visited. Some wore the remains of finer clothing, torn by their flight and muddied by the road. The fillies and colts that trotted behind their parents didn’t dare stray from the shadows of their family. Most carried a bundle or two containing meager possessions. Some carried nothing. When it was only small groups, nopony spared more than a passing glance. But when they didn’t stop arriving, ponies stopped in the streets to watch the procession. Every few minutes another group would crest the hill to the west and make their way into town. Spike and Rarity stood in the doorway of the library, transfixed. Rarity had been taking care of it in Twilight’s absence and today she’d been tidying up the upper floors when Spike had seen the stream of ponies entering town. “Where are they all coming from?” Spike asked in a hushed voice. Rarity didn’t get a chance to respond because, except for the sound of hooves on the roads, the streets were silent and the young dragon’s words had carried to the ears of the passing ponies. One mare turned and approached them. “Haven’t you heard? You can’t not know what’s happening, can you?” “We certainly know about the war,” Rarity replied cautiously. “And that the Trolls have been attacking from the northern mountains. Is there something more that hasn’t reached us?” “The Trolls haven’t just been attacking from the northern mountains,” the mare said, looking back the way she’d come apprehensively. “They’ve been sacking towns across all of western Equestria. Princess Celestia ordered the whole region to be evacuated, but she also said the Army would be there to protect us. We haven’t seen hoof nor mane of it yet.” “The Army is still recruiting and training ponies,” Spike spoke up. “A bunch more left from here yesterday and headed off to the north to a training camp.” “You mean the Army isn’t ready to fight?” the mare asked in alarm. “The messengers that warned us to leave arrived the same day the Trolls did. We’d barely begun to evacuate when they started to tear through our streets. Worse yet, they didn’t stop with one town, or even the whole border. They kept after us all the way to the Smokey Mountains. When we turned east past White Tail Woods, they kept going south toward Los Pegasus.” Spike and Rarity exchanged a worried glance. “I hadn’t heard any of that,” Rarity admitted. “But rest assured, the Army will not stand idle. I know a brave stallion or two myself who’ve gone out to fight.” “Not in time for our homes, or the homes of most ponies west of here,” the mare replied darkly. Rarity looked out at the other ponies making their way through town, at their downcast expressions and the general gloom. They’d brought very little with them. Indeed, they hadn’t had the chance. Now they were traveling even farther from homes that might not be standing anymore. She frowned at it all, her muzzle scrunched up in thought. “That simply won’t do,” she muttered. “What won’t do?” Spike asked. But Rarity wasn’t listening. She was already walking toward town hall resolutely. “Wait up!” Spike called, hurrying after her. “Spike, I need a favor from you,” Rarity said as he reached her. “Anything,” he replied instantly. “I need you to go to Sugercube Corner and tell Pinkie Pie to meet me at town hall. Then Fluttershy and Applejack. Can you do that for me?” “Sure thing, Rarity! Spike is on the job.” He saluted and scampered off. Rarity continued on to the town hall, where most of the refugees had begun to gather. A buzz of chatter was rising and at the center of it was a questioning tone, sprinkled with indignation and worry. Mayor Mare was talking to the ponies in the front, but was visibly swamped by the questions being directed at her rapidly. Rarity eased through the crowd until she could stand just to the side of the conversation and listen to what was being said. “We’ve come all this way because the Princess told us it would be safe here,” one stallion declared. “We assumed that would mean we would find some sort of accommodations.” “I’m sorry,” the Mayor said. “But we weren’t informed that we needed to have housing or provisions for large groups of ponies. We’ve been concentrating on producing supplies for the soldiers who…” “We can’t just sleep in the streets!” a mare interrupted. She pulled her two colts close to her legs. “We’ve already been traveling rough terrain for days.” “I understand that you’ve made a difficult journey,” the Mayor said, making a placating gesture. “And I will do everything I can to…” “You say you’ve been outfitting soldiers?” a stallion shouted from the back. “What soldiers?! We haven’t seen more than a few messenger Pegasi since we were told of the danger!” Several ponies shouted out similar concerns as well, noting that they were told they would be protected but that they’d been hounded the entire way there. Some accused the Mayor of withholding what she knew she could give or of incompetence if she could not provide for ponies in need. “Please, everypony!” Mayor Mare said, raising her voice to be heard over them. “You will not be ignored or neglected. We have not had time to prepare for your arrival, but we will do what must be done now that you are here.” “And what are we going to eat while we wait for you to prepare for us?” the mother of two asked. “Where will we sleep?” “In the homes of those who can afford to accommodate you,” Rarity spoke up. All eyes turned to her, including the Mayor’s, who seemed particularly thankful she’d said something. They waited for her to go on, all wondering what it was she would offer. “It won’t be luxurious, or even entirely comfortable, but I have some space that I can make available to some of you for as long as you need it. Better to have a roof over your head than the cold streets alone.” Pinkie appeared at Rarity’s side without warning. “I can help find other ponies who could offer space,” she chimed in. “I know every pony in town. I’m sure I can find somepony willing to invite some guests to stay a while.” “Yes,” Mayor Mare said enthusiastically, regaining the crowd’s attention. “Ponies who would agree to share their homes for the time being will be asked to do so. We have several public buildings that can be converted into temporary shelters as well.” The Mayor turned to one of her aides and consulted a scroll the other had brought out. “And we should be able to provide food if we implement the rationing plan we’ve been looking at,” she continued. “We’ll see to it excesses are put toward keeping you all fed as well.” Most of the refugees calmed down then. Mayor Mare took a few aside to discuss the construction of the temporary camp and to decide who would be staying there while Pinkie Pie took off door to door to ask for volunteers to open their homes to needy ponies. A few families approached Rarity, asking about her offer. She cheerfully led them to her boutique and helped them to settle in. She gave space for three families on the main floor and gave over her own bedroom to another while moving some of her things to her design room, where she would stay. She set a few quick guidelines for staying in her shop and then brought four more families to the library. She had them unpack in the two main floor rooms. She informed them that the upper floors were off limits and that the building was under the care of herself and the owner’s dragon assistant. Once she’d answered all questions, she made her way back to town hall. Spike was waiting for her, Applejack and Fluttershy at his side. Fluttershy was shifting her weight from hoof to hoof anxiously and biting her lip. Applejack’s expression, by contrast, was a weary detachment as she glanced about curiously at the commotion while managing to keep up a satisfied smile. Spike waited at attention for Rarity to arrive, his eyes following her eagerly. “Thank you Spike,” she said, ruffling his spines affectionately. “Now, you two have probably noticed there’s a bit of a situation here.” “Say no more, Rarity,” Applejack interrupted. “Just tell us what needs doin’.” They headed over to where Mayor Mare was consulting with her aide about what supplies would be needed for the construction of the camp. When she noticed the four of them approaching, she turned to them with relief. “Thank you for your timely offer, Rarity. I hope you’ve come back to help out further, because we sorely need it.” Rarity beamed encouragingly. “In fact we have, Mayor. What can we do to assist?” The Mayor referred to the scroll her aide was holding out for her and frowned. “We’ll be able to hold out for a while on the rationing schedule, but food is going to be running short soon with so many ponies to feed.” “Our southern orchard will be ready for harvest in a week’s time,” Applejack suggested. “Can we make it until then?” “I think we can. Thank you.” The Mayor consulted the scroll again. “But ponies will need to have a place to stay as well. It’s not reasonable to have so many moving into our families’ homes on such short notice, so we are discussing the construction of a temporary camp. The problem is that we don’t have many places available to set up in.” “I think I know of a place,” Fluttershy spoke up. “There’s a nice open field perfect for a large camp on the south side of the river. It’s not far from my cottage.” Mayor Mare looked in the indicated direction and thought hard. “I suppose it would work. And it would be farther out of the way than anywhere else but still close enough to the town…Yes. I believe that will do nicely.” The Mayor smiled appreciatively at the Pegasus but noticed for the first time how anxious she was. “Are you alright?” “I’m fine. I just need to get back to my cottage as soon as possible,” Fluttershy said with a wan smile. “A lot of ponies have been displaced by the war, but so have a lot of animals. They need my help. They’re so frightened and worried.” “We wouldn’t want to keep you from such an important task,” Mayor Mare said gently. “Go ahead and tend to them. We’ll work things out here.” Fluttershy gave a parting smile and left quickly. “So,” the Mayor said briskly. “We’ve solved the issue of the camp’s location, I’ve already seen to it that materials are brought together for the actual construction, and our food problem should be resolved in a week. I suppose our next task is to move as many of these ponies in with families willing to take them.” “If you need rooms with a bed, there are always spares at the farm. I’ll see to it they’re made up nice. We can accommodate three families comfortably.” “What about uncomfortably?” Mayor Mare asked hesitantly. Applejack thought for a moment before answering. “I’d say five or six. But it would be tight.” “If you could, it would be greatly appreciated,” the Mayor pressed. “I’ll do what I can,” Applejack promised. They walked over to where one group of refugees had gathered. “We have found space for about six families at a farm on the south side of town,” the Mayor announced. “Follow Applejack here and she’ll help you get settled in.” A few ponies stepped forward but most stayed where they were. “Is something wrong?” the Mayor asked. “Yeah,” one stallion replied. “I didn’t think we’d be stopping here at all, let alone settling in.” “We can’t stop now,” a mare spoke up. “We’re not safe here. Our best option is to keep moving.” “Ponyville is as safe as anywhere else in Equestria,” Applejack frowned. “More so, I’d say,” Rarity added. Most of the refugees regarded them with skepticism, some with outright disdain. “You think your town is safe?” one of them asked. “Don’t you realize we thought the same thing about ours?” “The Army is forming up as we speak,” the Mayor reminded them. “Our own citizens have joined their ranks and are training to face this threat. I have every confidence in…” “Forget the Army!” one stallion shouted. “They weren’t there for us when we needed them. I’m not going to wait here for them.” “I’m not sticking around here at all,” another stallion insisted. “You’d be wise to leave while you can. It’s only a matter of time before the Trolls turn up here too.” With that, many of the refugees began gathering up their meager belongings and marching off. As if they’d been waiting for a cue, other groups packed up and followed. Almost half of the ponies who had arrived from the west filed out of town, as slow and silent as they’d come. Of those who stayed, not a single one looked confident in their decision to remain. Applejack scrunched up her muzzle in a sour expression. “Anypony who wants a place to stay, even just for tonight, come with me,” she said loudly, turning away and heading back to the farm. With uncertain glances in the direction of those who had chosen to leave, several families followed her. Other ponies were met by residents who offered to house them and, one family at a time, they began to clear off the streets. After a long silence, Mayor Mare cleared her throat. “I’d best go and coordinate the efforts to set up the camp.” Rarity acknowledged her silently as the Mayor left. She remained where she was, lost in thought. Those ponies had been fleeing from danger they’d seen with their own eyes and they believed it was great enough that they were not safe even here. She shuddered to think what could drive them so intensely.