//------------------------------// // Chapter Six: Afterwards, the after words. // Story: The Road To Toronto // by Alden MacManx //------------------------------// Three days later: Attila and Sudden Storm looked at what they decided would be the new settlement site, next to Ajax Downs race track. There was a Wal-Mart there, along with open fields for tilling and several small lakes for a water source. “It’s going to take a lot of effort to get this place up to Ponytown standards, but I do not doubt our ability to do so.” Attila said as they walked through the Wal-Mart, both wearing headlamps to see through the gloomy interior. “Tinker is expected to be ready to come back in a week or so. Shining Spiral’s healing spell was quite effective. I can’t believe he was working on making napalm in his tent.” Sudden Storm said. “Tinker hates waste. Everything can be put to use, even old gas. I have found the best thing to do with Tinker is to allow him to fiddle on his own. He’s a good kid.” “Kid? How old was he, before the Change?” Stormy asked. “According to him, thirteen going on fourteen. He just loves to fiddle and putter. When I let him, that is. He invented the harnesses that allow us… ponies… to use firearms. He did that during a storm layover outside of London.” Attila said as he looked around. “He also said he had some ideas of making a generator and storage battery package, but we never stopped long enough to allow him to do more than paper figuring.” The two went out the back door of the store to look out on the fields. “Now he has a chance. Just a suggestion- have him put his workshop somewhere OTHER than your residence.” Attila nickered a little at those words. “Sage advice, Mayor Storm. I’ll keep that under advisement. When do you think we can get Rapid Transit to get us from where we are to here? The sooner we start, the sooner we can finish.” “That’s going to take some convincing, but he will be able to soon. When your team is ready, let me know, and I will let Soaring Heart know to start talking him into it. He is rightfully very angry at Samson, and by extension, your gang. He loved his dog. For a long time, Laddie and his pet cat were all he had to talk to. “You don’t want Samson back, do you?” Attila got a determined look on his face. “No, I don’t. If he comes back, he will be a slave, and you don’t want me to keep slaves, so, the best thing is for him to stay in Alexandria and hope he can be rehabilitated. He always had violent tendencies, even before. I used them to the team’s advantage. Now, he is a liability,” he said with more than a trace of bitterness. “I trusted him. Now, I can’t. “I do have a large group behind me, and under my guidance, before the snow flies again, Ajax will be a thriving, prosperous community. This I so declare as of now.” Sudden Storm looked up at her fellow mayor. “You know, with seventeen ponies under you, you just might pull it off. Help will be available, when you ask for it. All we will really need to do for you is to find and move here cows and milking equipment. The rest, we’ll teach when asked, but you will have to do the work yourselves. You’ll find a pride in accomplishment. We did.” “I know the feeling, Sudden Storm.” Attila said before turning and looking the pegasus in the face, tilting some so the headlamp didn’t catch either of them full on. “Forgive me for the attempted invasion? I was doing what I thought right for me and mine.” “Personally, Attila, I forgive you. Others may not be as forgiving, but only time will tell when we stop referring to you as the former invaders and start calling you good neighbors.” “Good neighbors. I like the sound of that. Let’s head back to camp and get the move on!” August 28th, 2016. Attila stood on the roof of what was now called Ajax Center, looking over the fields to the north and east. To the north, four of his earth ponies were tilling the acreage, while to the east, two unicorns were getting the fields there harvested. Farther west, the herd of cows living there were thriving, under the watchful eye of two of his ponies. Behind him on the roof, four small wind turbines hummed in the breeze, while on the building next door, photovoltaic panels glittered in the sunshine. The two buildings were now fully electrified, with enough power left over to run the vapor distillers they had acquired, but only one at a time. The battery bank provided power at night. As he looked around, he can see two pegasi flying up from Ponytown, presumably Sudden Storm and Marian Hendley, because from this distance, he could easily tell if Randy or Serge were aloft. Two of his own pegasi made their way towards Ponytown. Footsteps clopping behind him heralded the arrival of his aide, Nebulous Nimbus. Training over the last few months had increased his magical capabilities, and his organizational skills helped the Center thrive. “Figured I would find you up here, boss.” “What’s the report, Neb?” “Looks like we will be set for winter. We have enough supplies stockpiled both here and in the old Costco across the way to see us through a winter like the one we had with a lot left over. Tinker has a plan to make big planters in the main building, essentially making a mini-farm, to keep us in fresh vegetables through the winter. He thinks a hundred feet on a side, with twelve inches of soil, would go a long way for us.” “We have enough topsoil for that big a patch? Not to mention walls to keep the soil from spilling out?” Attila asked. “According to Tinker, we do. Heat and sun lamps as well. He’s thinking of putting in a small patch at first, and we can work on it while the snow flies, tunneling between here and the Depot. Speaking of which, he wants to work on that next, a tunnel between the Center and the Depot. He says he can have it done in a day, with cabling to run the power through there when the weather gets bad.” “Tell him I think the plastic wading pools would be better than building big planters in our home. Also, tell him he can do his project tomorrow. Remind him we will be having some rain tomorrow, in the morning, so he can allow for that.” Attila said. “Right, boss. Oh… tomorrow afternoon, Stormy will be over to look at how we are doing, along with some ponies from Alexandria. Got anything to add to the dicker list?” Neb asked. “No, we’re standing good with them now. Let’s not push our luck. We’re enjoying fresh food, heat and shelter, thanks to their aid. Better than last year, right?” “Got that right, boss.”