Winding through mountains and valley plains on a windswept evening, a train having left the station chugs through with eight cars attached, each one carrying rows of passengers on their way to Vanhoover.
Barrier, who had until this point been asleep in his seat, jolted awake as the train bounced just slightly, jostling the filly that had taken up position on his withers.
“M’not ready to get up…” a filly mumbled and groaned, burying herself further into the charcoal unicorn’s two-tone blue mane and falling silent once more.
Taking a breath to steady himself, Barrier’s icy-blue eyes took a moment to scan the room, smiling when he saw that that past few days of being reunited with these young ponies hadn’t all been a dream.
That’s right. He chuckled quietly. They survived the Crystal Empire. Though arguably , they now had even bigger problems to worry about, especially when it comes to adjusting to this bold new world. I suppose this is how Celestia felt, when she saw Luna and I returning. Knowing what we were condemned to. Though he knew it wasn’t his fault that most of the ponies present had lost everything, he couldn’t help but feel that he was somewhat responsible.
Though lost in his thought for a but brief span of time, he soon awoke from the stupor to find that his gaze fell upon the powder-blue mare. Swiftsword. Arguably she had lost the most out of the bunch, and given what Barrier knew of her, she would probably take it harder than most of the others. She’ll probably have the hardest time adjusting as well. At least, that was what he thought until his eyes fell on Iron Forge.
The unicorn was a darker blue with a silver-grey mane and tail, and while he hadn’t lost quite as much as the others, he had lost his mother after she had been saved from what had happened to their home city of Gallopfrey. That, in addition to his burning hatred for griffins… Barrier sighed. Not sure who will have a harder time adapting, him or Swiftsword.
Next, his eyes fell onto the first earth pony of the group, mentally comparing his coat and mane to grass and dirt. Verdant. Barrier actually half-smiled. Like Swiftsword, he had lost his entire family, which was a rather sizable herd. He’ll probably rebound fairly well, though. He expected Verdant would have the least trouble adjusting to this new era. Perhaps most importantly, he would serve as a stabilizing presence for the rest of the group, given his seemingly endless optimism. The glue that holds them together, Barrier mentally told himself.
Next up was the snow-white mare with the blonde mane and tail, Winter Gem. Besides Verdant, she had lost the most family in terms of numbers, but Barrier wasn’t quite as worried about it. Even in this era, the Apple Family was huge, and it had seemed like they hadn’t changed in the slightest. She had lost her entire family, but she still had a great deal of family to come back to.
Lastly was the purple pegasus, Hat Trick, and of the bunch, he was the one who had lost the least. Arguably, he hadn’t lost anything. His family had died long before he was even a guard, but he still had his squad and Winter Gem, his fiance. As far as he was concerned, they were his family.
Life’s about to get busy. Barrier sighed and glanced to either side of him. On one side he had a light-gold pegasus with a multi-tone grey mane. Daring Do. She had been his stabilizing presence, his tutor, and his common sense. Barrier frowned and tugged his gaze away before he allowed himself to fall into further self-depreciation. Daring would likely clock him if she knew.
“You are awake,” the pegasus resting against his other side stated tiredly, her single red eye open and looking at him.
“Yeah. Still not comfortable enough with trains to really sleep in them well.” Barrier couldn’t help but frown when he saw her eye patch, his mind drifting back towards Sombra and the Empire until a light-blue hoof lightly smacked the side of his head.
“Stop that. We should not worry ourselves over what might have been,” Fleetfeather said before she sighed and let her head slump onto the bench.
“Sorry,” Barrier replied.
The unicorn craned his neck around to the filly on his back. She was like a smaller version of her mother in every way. A light-blue coat with a pink mane and striking red eyes, though they were currently hidden behind her eyelids.
“My daughter is all I have left to live for,” Fleetfeather stated softly. “If it were not for her, I would have forsaken this world, and cast thyself from cloud up high.”
Barrier winced at the fatalistic tone, but didn’t oppose it. Fleetfeather had lost her children. All of them, with the exception of Wind Whistler who had lived through the horrors of the Empire first hoof. If anypony had a right to such a statement, it was her.
A sharp knock from the other side of the door interrupted their discussion and roused the occupants. “We’ll be arriving in Vanhoover shortly, please be ready to depart.”
Hat Trick was the first one up, taking a moment to yawn widely before speaking. “Tis good to hear those words. I feel as if we’ve been on this contraption for over ten months.”
“Tis only been a few hours, Hat Trick. Besides that, this journey has been one of, if not the, swiftest journey we have ever undertaken.” Swiftsword retorted.
“Probably the unsafest journey, too.” Barrier commented as he climbed upright from his bench and stretched, being careful not to rouse the still-sleeping filly.
“Right,” Barrier began to move about the cabin, lightly jostling the remaining cadets to wakefulness. “We’ve arrived. Prepare to depart, ponies.”
Everypony woke up peacefully enough, until Verdant shot upright. “Seapony has my money!” He panted and stared wide-eyed at his companions. They stared back at him, looks of confusion painting their mugs.“Uh…” The stallion blushed just slightly. “Mayhaps we could forget that?”
Barrier, paying it no regard, made to open the door of the train compartment until a familiar hoof smacked him in the back of the head. “No magic.” Daring Do yawned and opened the door with her hoof. “I get the feeling it’s going to be a daily occurrence reminding you of that.”
Barrier winced and rubbed his head. “I would prefer it if you reminded me without your hoof, or at the very least a little more gently.”
Daring only smiled at him. “If I thought it would have any effect, I would, but we both know it won’t.”
“She is not wrong. Thou wert well known amongst the doctors for forgetting thy injuries. I still have memories about thy injuries from the drunken dragon,” Fleetfeather offered.
“Great, now there’s two of them.” Barrier sighed and made for the door. “Let’s go, ponies. Our new lives in Vanhoover await.”