One and all, they volunteered, even Fluttershy and Spike. It was Applejack who suggested the plan we decided on using. We took the next train south, with Sable continually tracking the direction towards the Amulet, the idea being to get off when he detected it changing heading. This meant we could conserve strength for the eventual encounter, as well as recover from the first, while also giving chase at speed. At first, I expected us to catch up quickly, but the minutes dragged on, becoming hours. Still, Sable’s spell told us the Amulet was south, only momentarily appearing to change directions as the tracks wandered across Equestria.
“Could he be hiding on the train?” Offered Rarity, trying to be helpful. The lot of us took up a lot of space, taking up two whole rows of seats. Sable sat by the window, looking into the distance, his coat pooled on the bench around him.
“No, I’ve checked.” I shook my head. “He’s not on board.”
“Just who is this guy, anyway?”
“We don’t know. When he attacked me in the Crystal Empire he got me with a sneak attack, never said anything.”
“Same here, he didn’t say a word during the fight in Ponyville.”
“Maybe he’s a ghost, and can’t talk?” I doubted there was any merit to Pinkie’s suggestion. He seemed physical enough. “Oh, or he’s got no tongue. So when he talks all he can do is make nasty noises like this.” Pinkie made ugly retching noises. Rarity looked aghast at her, Fluttershy was on the verge of vomiting. That… might be possible, but I still doubted it.
“Quit that. You’re even making me sick.” Dash bopped Pinkie on the head, lightly. Pinkie stopped, her tongue still sticking out, and grinned. “But for real, you said this guy has scars all over his face? How does that happen?”
“It could be anything really.” Starlight answered first. “A magic spell gone wrong, a run in with an Ursa or another monster, even a simple accident.”
“I’m more worried about the fact he knew exactly where to find the Amulet.”
“Probably the same spell I’m using.” Sable spoke for the first time in a while, still watching his little arrow pointing to the distance. “And before anypony asks. No, I don’t remember where I found the spell.”
“Even when we catch up to this scoundrel, what are we going to do?” Rarity asked the important question. “From what little we know of him he doesn’t sound the type to be amenable to diplomacy.”
“I don’t know.” I sighed. “If he’s not wearing the Amulet the goal is to get it away from him. If he is… then I really don’t know.” Everypony quieted, considering the consequences.
“If it comes down to it, I will do it.” Sable spoke again.
“What do you mean by ‘it’?” Fluttershy’s voice wavered, she already feared the answer. I suspected I knew as well.
“If there is no other way, I must be the one to kill him.” Silence fell among us as the train clattered over the tracks. “This mess is my fault, and I will take responsibility.”
“That’s rather harsh of you to say.”
“Do you really think you could?” He accused us, turned away from the window and faced Rarity, having actually missed the point of her remark. He swept one hoof towards us all. “I don’t think any of you would bring yourselves to end the life of another pony. I know Fluttershy couldn’t.”
“I don’t think it will reach that point. Really, I don’t.” I really, really, didn’t want to think about it.
“Always the optimist.” He smiled softly, closing his eyes, and turned back towards the window.
“Why do you think this is your fault, anyway?” Sable didn’t answer Spike for several long moments, letting the tracks click and clack.
“I was the one who stole the Amulet in the first place. I brought it back into the open.”
“Then we should thank you.” Starlight nodded towards him, and he spun back to face her, utterly bewildered.
“Starlight is right. If the Amulet hadn’t been in my room today, then we wouldn’t have ever known this thief even existed. Let alone that he had the Amulet. They would have dug it up from where it was hidden, and we would be none the wiser.”
“I had not considered that.” He returned to his vigil. “Thank you.” Relief was plain in his voice. This mission was weighing him down more than I thought. No surprise considering he was considering taking the life of another pony.
“At least this way we can try and head him off before he goes bonkers.” This was from Applejack.
“Bonkers can be fun.” Pinkie giggled. “Just ask Discord.”
“Not that kind of bonkers, Pinkie.”
“Ah, phooey.” They all laughed, save Sable, Pinkie added just enough levity to keep them all from sinking into the same dark place as he seemed to be in. The hours continue to tick by, and the conversation turned away from the intruder or the consequences of the inevitable confrontation. Eventually Sable stood as the tracks turned west away from the direction they had been going for so long.
“Heads up, Ponies.” He pointed now directly out the window, off into the distance perpendicular to the train’s motion. “It’s that way.” I joined him at the window, looking for signs of the trespasser. “What’s even out there?” I pulled out my map and calculated our position.
“Nothing. It's just open land. At least there’s no pony out there to get hurt.”
“Then why go that way?” Questioned Dash.
“I have no idea. There aren’t any towns that way because it is too close to the badlands and the…” Then I looked up from the map, having realized my answer. “He’s going after the Changelings.”
“The changelings? Really? Why?”
“Could he have been after revenge? The changelings were quite the threat on the border until Thorax redeemed them.”
“Frankly, I didn’t figure out why he really went there until right before the end.”
“Are we anywhere near there yet?”
“Getting bored, Dash?”
“Well, it is sort of dragging on. How much more of this is there?”
“We’re only about halfway through the story.”