The wheels on the train clicked and clacked as they raced along the tracks. Inside one of the many travel cars, the door to one of the private living quarters opened and closed as a small figure stepped inside, dropping the bag they were carrying on one of the benches. Walking over to the bed, she flopped down with a sigh. Reaching up, Raven sighed as she unzipped her hood, revealing her face.
Well… this was it.
In the coming days after the meeting with Nebula, Raven had gone and done what she was asked. The biggest problem that she had regretted the most was not saying goodbye. But here's hoping her and her mother could come to common ground after this meeting. Everything had been set, all she had to do know was wait. The trip north would come to a stop at a place called Shady Hollows, about a day’s trip by train. Next was a long trek to a mountain called Thestralshire, the final leg of this trip would finish with hike into the frozen north towards the outpost.
The fact that this was a 3-month round trip was disconcerting.
But everyone knew, and that's what mattered. She would be back before the fall semester. Sitting up, Raven rubbed her face. She was exhausted, but at least she had identified her guards. Two mares had stayed back as ordered, watching from afar. She identified them from the winks and smiles they had given her when she finally found them.
She was also glad to have her new outfit.
Honey -like always- had outdone herself. The outfit was exactly as requested. The knee-high boots fit perfectly and were easy to tie, the pants looked amazing the dress like fabric added to the hips gave it a bit of pizzazz. The jacket, with its full body zipper and buttons gave it that bit of Canterlot flair, and the hood covered her whole head, the fabric thin enough to allow the girl to see through it. The arm cover was another nice addition of flare and sophistication, a nod to the first nobles of Canterlot.
The spells Honey added were even better!
A cooling spell and a heat spell that would activate respectively. In heat above 70 and below freezing would activate the spells. It was standard issue for all military personnel in the guard, so it made sense to have it added for the princess. With nothing else to do, Raven decided to settle in for a nap.
3 Weeks later
Raven whistled impressively at the shear, well, impressiveness that was Thestralshire. One month into the trip and she was already exhausted. To… much… walking! At least the company was nice. Sargent Spearpoint and Corporal Arrowhead had been best friends in Baltimare that decided to join up and serve together. All in all, they were a wonderful pair to hang out with.
By this point in the trip, the hiking had been the worst part. Thankfully, they had supplied up in Shady Hollows for the rest of the trek towards Thestralshire, once there, they would spend a few days there to recuperate before making the final, and hardest hike, towards the outpost and Nebula.
Now, it should be explained that the citizens of Thestralshire were something entirely different. Other than the fact that they were, well… Thestrals! Apparently, how Arrow had explained it loosely, was that Thestrals, or Bat Ponies, wanted to be completely isolated from the rest of Equestria. They still traded with the rest of the nation and since they were within country borders, were registered as one of the many cities that populated the land, but well…
“Oi! Watch it yah twat licker!”
Yeah… apparently all Thestrals have a colorful… personality as it were.
A complete opposite of what most of Equestria spoke and acted. Yes, ponies cursed, but most of the time under circumstances of extreme stress or anger. Here, in Thestralshire, saying a sentence that lacked a single curse word might as well have been an arrestable offense.
“Fuck you yah filthy cunt!”
Kinda like that…
Or maybe Raven’s exposure to this rapid change of lifestyle has made her horribly soft? There were so many times she chewed out a noob for doing something stupid back in the Origin System. Getting shot and subsequently downed while out in the open, or letting the pod that needs defending explode because said noob wanted glory, maybe even leaving the rescue target behind and so on…
Fair share of stupid happens when someone joins a random squad because they need help.
As the trio wandered the streets of the city inside the mountain, the cool air lowering the temperature that was the hot Equestrian summer, significantly. In the weeks that followed, the temperature had risen, like always. But the northern winds that blew in from the frozen north offered a cool, relieving breeze the closer the young princess and her two guards got to the thestral mountain.
But once inside it was a godsend!
All three wandered down one of the many streets of the Market District, many-a-time they received frozen stares. After the fall and death of the Night Queen, thestrals had carried around a bad taste for anypony that was not ‘of the night’.
One hour, three yelling matches and a fist fight later, all three females finally made it to a nearby Inn.
“Hi!” A rather cheery -almost unusual in this town- voice greeted the princess and her guards. Exhausted, and one slightly bruised, all three girls lifted their heads from their staring of the floor and recoiled slightly from the sight.
Standing just behind the front desk, was a bright pink thestral with a very enthusiastic smile and two tiny fangs poking out from her upper lip. “Hello!” she greeted again with a wave and a cute head tilt. “And welcome to the Night Hawk!” she introduced, gesturing to the large sign above the desk with her hands before holding them down low and smiling yet again. “How may I help you three?”
Wow…
This was… wow…
Everything up until this point had been a flurry of curses and glares, and yet here was a young mare that was suspiciously happy? It was almost like she was buttering them up so that she could harvest someone's kidney.
“Uhhh… one for three?” Spear requested awkwardly.
***
“Eeeeeeeee!” The bright pink teen mare skreed as she viciously hugged Raven, rubbing her face all over the princess’. “I can't believe that the princess is here in my Inn!” she cheered happily, bouncing excitedly in her seat. “And she’s having tea with me!”
Raven, who was smiling from the sheer excitement that this little mare seemed to bleed off spoke kindly with a giggle. “You’re very welcome, Rosy,” Raven replied happily before sipping from her glass of tea. Rosy Blossom, the brightest thestral in all of Equestrian history… maybe? As Raven came to learn, the little mare was so opposite… that it was actually quite nice.
“I still can’t believe it, though!” the little bat mare squeaked. “I had heard so much about the new daughter to Celestia! And now you’re hear talking to me! Eeeeee! I AM SO HAPPY!”
As the little mare started to bounce in her seat, Raven sat back in hers, a content smile adorned her lips. So this is what it’s like to have multiple friends? The princess thought. I like it…
“When you’re done with this trip can I please visit you!?”
1.5 Months into The Trip
The winds wailed like a banshee and the piercing, biting wind cut through the air like a knife. The frozen north of Northern Equestria sure held up to its name! Didn’t help that the small group was post holing through several feet of snow…
In a whiteout!
All three were covered from head to toe/hoof in warm clothing, the snow clinging to them like glue. The howling wind make communication near impossible and the 50+ kilometer wind nearly had them on their backs. The only thing keeping the trio from losing each other was the rope tied around their waists.
“We should be to the compound shortly!” Spearhead shouted from her spot at the head of the line. From what her enchanted compass said, they were getting close. By this point in the trip the wind was getting old, Raven hadn’t slept well in days, her legs hurt from the constant high lifting and punching into the deep snow, and she was almost sure she was deaf by the screeching wind.
They continued to trudge through the snow for several minutes before the two mares came to a stop, Raven not far behind. “We're here!” Spear announced. Confused, Raven searched the bare nothingness. Far as far as she could see, it was nothing but snow. No ponies, gates or buildings.
What?
A hand forcibly grabbed Raven by her right arm, followed by her left. Panicked, she stared at the two gloved hands before looking up at her two unhooded guards. Mere panic filled her being as she stared at the maniacal look that Spearpoint was sporting, dark wisps of black smoke emanating from the corner of her eyes.
“Sorry, princess!” Spear spoke, her once soft-spoken voice all but gone, replaced with a demonic two-tone one. “But the King requires your assistance!” The pair of ponies in the group started to fade as magic enveloped their forms, the once colorful pair were replaced with two, jet black floating ghosts.
At this point Raven was flailing in a vain attempt to escape.
The wind started to die off as the earth shook violently. The young princess screamed out in terror as she watched the ice below her feet tare open into a vast, darkened abyss. This was a bad idea! Why did she trust this guy without checking first!? The demonic ghosts reared back, angling their captive to face towards the abyss...
And they dropped…
Raven screamed out the whole way as they sank into the abyss. The wind deafening her as her captors dragged her deeper into the ice. Closing her eye, she prayed to the Void that she would wake up from this horrible nightmare! She could feel her heart pounding in her chest and her lungs burned from her screaming and heavy breathing.
Opening her eye for a reason she couldn’t think of, she gasped when she saw nothing but solid ice at the bottom of the crevasse.
There was an ice shattering explosion as Raven was slammed into the ice, spider webbing it upon impact. Whimpering, she cried silently to be back in her mother's warm embrace and not so far into the frozen north. For the first time in days, all was silent for her. But this was the mere calm before the proverbial storm that would soon come crashing down on the young child.
How could I be so blind!
Groaning and sobbing as she rolled onto her back, she weakly opened her eye…
To star right into the eyes a smiling Nebula. “Glad you could make it princess…” he leaned down and placed a hand next to her head, his muzzle coming next to her left ear and whispering, “I have much use for you and your… body!”
There was a flash as Raven watched in horror as the stallion dematerialized into a black mist, like her two escorts from earlier. But instead of attacking her right out, it hovered above her aching form, examining her. It took in her form, the way she moved, the way she watched... “Your king thanks you kindly,” the mist spoke, pulsing with every word. “And now, I shall make my triumphant return!”
Raven screamed out when the mist slammed into her form…