The Magical Quest Starring Mickey Mouse: The Equestrian Adventure

by wingdingaling


Chapter 37: Wild Ride to the Middle of Nowhere

Chapter 37

Wild Ride to the Middle of Nowhere

Wind blew the very topmost grains of sand across the dunes. Far as the eye could see, that’s all there was. Sand. A long, lonely stretch of desert that reached the horizon in all directions.
A single set of tracks was seen across the sand. Far too small to be noticed by anybody at all, and covered just as quickly by the shifting dunes.
The small beetle who plodded through the sand plowed its way through the grains that threatened to bury it with every step. Out there in the wilds of the desert, it was a struggle to survive, even against the land itself.
Taking refuge from the winds, the beetle burrowed beneath the sand, and tunneled its way along. It was only moments later that it popped out from the sand on the other side of the dune. It was unfortunate to be back in the tumultuous environment, but it was lucky that it found something else.
A dhaka bush. And it still had some of its seeds attached to it.
Instinctively knowing how a dhaka bush spread its seeds, it began scurrying toward the plant. Not even heeding the larger creatures nearby it.
As the beetle crawled up the trunk of the bush, two of the larger creatures threw a third to the ground. They were talking, but the bug couldn’t tell what about. Nor did it care. As long as it was left alone, it didn’t care how hostile they were to one another.
One of the standing creatures reached inside of its jacket, and drew something from within.
There was a sudden breeze and the seeds of the dhaka bush were carried on their parachute-like petals high into the sky. The beetle held tightly as it flew above the dunes, and only caught a glimpse of two of the creatures leaving, but no sight of the third.
The wind changed direction, and blew the arthropod passenger along its current.
Over the land the little bug flew, not knowing where it would end up, but hopefully somewhere that food and water was plentiful.
After a short ride, the wind began to die down. The beetle saw that it was now drifting down over something it had never seen before. Two metal rails were laid down side by side. And between them, wooden planks were placed at equal length intervals. And it was all held up above the sands by many more pieces of wood and metal.
It didn’t know what they were. And it did not care. So long as they presented no danger to it, the bug was happy with landing there.
The rails began to vibrate, and a quiet rumbling sounded in the distance. Suddenly, from over a ridge in the dunes, where the rails arched over, a shining light flew along the tracks, followed by a large, metal trolley that came plowing through. So fast that it jumped over the rails as it did.
The beetle’s eyes bulged wide when it saw the trolly coming straight for it. As it was unceremoniously plastered to the front of the trolley, the last thing it heard was a loud, hearty--
“YEEEE-HAAAAAWW!!!!!”
The trolly landed back on the rails, bouncing violently on impact. Inside, Fluttershy braced herself against the floor, and held tightly to Donald’s legs.
“Nice job findin’ us this swanky ride!” Applejack said, holding tightly to her hat, as she rode up front with Uncle Scrooge.
“T’was nothin’, lass! I didn’t see anyone else usin’ it for any proper utilities, so I thought fit to declare it salvage!” the tycoon said, also holding tightly to his own hat.
“You could have at least checked for some kind of logo! Or a ‘property of’ marker!” Donald said, as he held tightly to the sides at the back of the trolly, having tucked his own hat into his double-breasted coat.
“I didn’t make my fortune by sharin’ my claims, nephew! Now, everyone lean! We got a turn comin’ up!” Uncle Scrooge said.
“Turn…?” Fluttershy asked.
Slowly, the timid pegasus peeked up over the top of the trolly, and saw that they were rapidly approaching a sharp curve in the railway that rounded the large rock face they were riding beside. Knowing full well that they were more likely to jump the rails than to turn on them, she began trembling harder, and dropped back to the floor.
“Uh...don’t you think we oughta slow down?” Donald said.
“Slow down?” Uncle Scrooge incredulously asked. “Who blasted knows how much time we have left to complete this magical quest o’ yours, let alone your very life! It’s time ye started showin’ some o’ that McDuck backbone and took life by its skivvies!!”
“There won’t be any skivvies to take, when we’re all sucking sand!” Donald rebutted.
“Ach! No sense o’ adventure in ye! Your mother’d be ashamed!” the tycoon said.
“Hey! You don’t get to throw mom at me! She’d say to slow down too! And you know--”
Donald’s tantrum was cut short by his uncle’s cane bopping his head.
“Your mother would also know when to curb that temper she passed on to ye! Now, quit squawkin’, and LEAN!!” Uncle Scrooge said.
The turn was upon them. And all at once, the passengers in the trolley leaned to the inside of the curve.
The hinges that the trolley used for dumping its payload made learning easy. Even for Fluttershy, who still cowered on the floor. But, it was not enough for them. For as fast as they were going, the wheels on the outside rail were still rising off the tracks.
“This bronco’s startin’ to buck somethin’ fierce!” Applejack shouted.
“Lean further!” Uncle Scrooge said.
“Any further, and I’m gonna be roadkill!!” Donald said, his face only inches from the rocky face of the wall beside them.
At the front of the trolly, the beetle was still trying to make its way off. It slowly crawled toward the inside of the curve, where the edge was nearest to it. Unknowingly, the extra milligrams of weight it added were just what was needed to stabilize the ride, and set the wheels back on the track.
As they rounded the bend of the rock, a new sight came into view. Far in the distance, the rails went up, up, up into the sky, to what appeared to be a flying castle of unimaginable machination.
Beneath it, a great sandstorm was seen, created by the many propellers that kept it aloft.
From the grand structure, gigantic rails, far larger than what they were riding, were seen branching out into every direction, like the central hub of some vast network.
“That’s it! That’s where we’re going next!” Donald shouted, pointing to the marvelous castle.
“No! That’s where we’re goin’ next!” Uncle Scrooge corrected, pointing ahead to what seemed to be a small outpost of some kind.
With a destination in sight, Applejack saw fit to start applying the brakes at the front.
“Why you gotta contradict me like that!?” Donald fumed at his uncle.
“I wasn’t contradictin’ ye, nephew! I was pointin’ out what’s actually goin’ to happen!” Uncle Scrooge said.
The brakes squeaked loudly as Applejack pulled harder.
“Aw, phooey! You were just trying to be right by default! Same as always!” Donald shouted.
“Because I was right, ye walkin’ speech impediment!”
“Wa-a-ak! You wouldn’t have said dip if it was mom who pointed it out!”
“Don’t ye be bringin’ my sister into this business! Her opinion’s got nothin’ to do with your statement, ‘cause she would o’ made the correct one!”
Fluttershy saw Applejack struggling with the brake, and took hold of her waist to help with the pulling, however gently. It was just the right amount of added pressure to make the brake lever crack and fall off.
“WA-A-A-A-A-AK!!!” Donald shouted, as he swung his fists about.
“Oh! Great comeback! I suppose that’s your father’s razor wit cuttin’ through!” Uncle Scrooge said, before the trolly started bumping up and down. “Applejack! For goodness sake, start slammin’ that brake!”
“Uh...I slammed it, alright,” Applejack said, as she presented the broken handle. “This brake’s broke, buckaroo.”
“Oh, for the luvva--!!” Donald and Uncle Scrooge both said at once.
Their exclamation gave way to screams, as the outpost was upon them sooner than they knew.
Ahead of them, they could see the citizens of the outpost shouting loudly, and setting up obstructions on the tracks.
Camels were seen placing 4x4 lumbers on the track, to catch and slow down the trolley that was rocketing toward them. Nearby, other creatures were hurriedly trying to switch the direction of the rails.
“Astadara alaa al’yamin! Al’haq!” one of the creatures shouted, as it emphatically pointed to the right.
The passengers all took the hint, and leaned hard to the right. They took their turn, and crashed into one of the wooden posts placed on the rails.
They were barely slowed down at all by the first impact, but the second post hit sent them flipping into the air.
End over end the trolly tumbled with five screaming passengers aboard.
The ground was coming nearer, until Uncle Scrooge reached out with his cane.
The tycoon hooked onto a rope that was tied across two support posts, spinning them all around the rope. Donald was dumped out of the trolly, followed by Fluttershy, who still held onto his legs. Before the others could follow, Uncle Scrooge’s cane slipped from the rope, and sent him and Applejack flying into the air.
Up high, the beetle fell free of the front of the trolly, and started falling back to the ground. It was a relief for it to be simply falling toward the sand, and continue on its way. But, the insect screamed at the sight of the trolly falling from the sky behind it.
Once more the beetle was plastered to the front of the trolly, now on the return trip to the ground.
“Come on! We gotta catch them!” Donald said.
“Catch them…?” Fluttershy said, not particularly liking the notion of catching a five-hundred pound trolly with two passengers.
“You heard me! Now, get cracking!” the duck said, as he retrieved a loose metal rail.
The other creatures of the outpost all took the duck’s cue, and retrieved rails of their own.
Before Fluttershy could attempt to take one of the loose rails from the pile, dozens of camels and the other creatures rushed in to collect their own. Once the frenzy was finished, Fluttershy was left on the ground, ducking in cover.
All that was left was one single bent rail, defective for much use. But, the pegasus did not want to simply stand by and do nothing for her friends. She took the bent rail and hurried to join the others.
Donald, and all of the other creatures of the outpost took their positions, standing so that they held the rails parallel to one another.
One two-humped camel had a more difficult time balancing the rails on his comparatively smaller humps.
The trolly landed, and the camels strained to not recoil under its shock.
The passengers rode along the impromptu rails, wobbling back and forth as the camels tried to keep stable.
The two-humped camel’s rail began to wobble, and fell to between his humps.
The passengers of the trolly shouted loudly at the sight, and leaned to one side.
The trolly heaved onto two wheels, and rode safely across the single rail.
“WAK!!” Donald shouted, as he ran to the back of the line to extend the ride, hoping they would shortly lose momentum and safely bail out.
Each of the other creatures followed suit, keeping the precariously perched ride going.
Fluttershy saw they were quickly heading toward a dead end, and ran forth with her bent rail.
She took her place at the end, and braced herself for the sudden impact.
The trolly came, and the pegasus recoiled under the weight of it all.
The lowered rail sent the trolley straight to the midsection of one of the unknown creatures at the outpost.
The creature shouted loudly, and held its rail upright in front of itself.
The trolly shot up into the air, and smacked the rail the creature held into its face, knocking it to the ground.
“Applejack!!” Fluttershy shouted.
The creature on the ground groaned in pain.
“Oh, goodness! Are you hurt?” Fluttershy said.
The creature raised a single clawed finger, pointing to the many trollies with screaming passengers it saw spinning above its head, before it fell limp.
Donald took Fluttershy’s bent rail, and held it upright in his palms, resting the upper half against his chin.
The duck calculated and anticipated where his friend and family would land, and stood in the precise spot.
The trolly landed on the rail, and went flipping into the air one last time, driving Donald into the sand under its force.
The duck became aware of a shadow above him, and tried to dig himself out from his hole. Too late, as the trolly landed right on top of him.
It was finally over. The wild ride ended, and the passengers within disembarked.
“WOO!! Let’s find another cart an’ do that again!!” Applejack shouted.
“Aye. Takes me right back to my days as a young man, tryin’ to make my fortune!” Uncle Scrooge said, holding his chest and leaning hard on his cane.
“You feelin’ okay?” Applejack asked.
“Never ye worry about me, lass...I’m just not as young as I used to be…” the tycoon chuckled, patting his chest to steady his racing heart.
The beetle peeled itself off of the front of the trolly, and dropped to the sandy ground. Happy to be back on solid ground, it tried to go on its way. Until four yellow hooves ran past it. On an instinct to avoid the danger, the beetle grabbed onto the pink tail that followed, and was taken off the sand.
“Oh my goodness--Oh my--Did you--Are you two--” Fluttershy stammered.
“We’re alright, sugarcube. Just a bit shook up is all,” Applejack assured her friend.
“An’ it looks like ye had a bigger scare than we did,” Uncle Scrooge added.
“O--Okay--Where’s Donald--?”
The sudden sounds of digging caught their attention, and they all watched as the duck crawled out from beneath the trolley.
“This is exasperating,” Donald grumbled, as he dumped a load of sand out of his hat.
A sound of many approaching feet and angry voices was upon them. When they all looked, they saw a crowd closing in fast.
Fluttershy jumped into the trolly, only the top of her head peering out to see what was happening.
Among the angry masses were two types of creatures. Many were easily recognized as camels. Some with one hump, others with two. And their coats were all varying shades of the colors of sand, ranging from pale grey to golden yellow.
The other creatures among them were completely foreign. They walked on two legs, and wore long, flowing robes. Their faces were not seen, being hidden beneath the lengths of turban that were wound around their heads and faces. The only thing of these creatures they could see were their eyes, peering out from a dark void in the opening of their turbans, their hands which had five digits on each, ending in long claws. On their backs were feathered wings. While the skin on their hands all seemed to be the same dark color, their wings were all varied in style and color. From long, white feathers, to jagged metallic silver, to thin and rust-colored, and everything else in between.
Every one of the creatures glared angrily at the interlopers, who had dropped so unexpectedly and uninvited into their lives.
“Hal 'ant majnun!? Hal taerif madaa qarbik min qutilna jmyeana!!?” a camel shouted.
“Nuajih mushkilatan fi alaintiha' min hdha almashrue, dun tadakhuluk!!” said the robed creature, who had a long indentation up his entire body from the rail that had struck him.
“Min, 'aw 'ayaan kan 'ant: akhrj! Ladayna ma yakfi min almataeib li'iinjaz hadhih almuhima! nahn la nahtaj 'iilaa musaeadatikum lileamal fi 'ayi sureat 'abta!” another camel shouted.
Applejack looked warily at the crowd before her. Normally, placating unhappy customers was her specialty. But, not when she could not understand what they were saying.
“Any chance you know what they’re sayin’, Don?” Applejack asked the duck.
“Not this time. And if we don’t manage to make them any happier somehow, we might have to pack up Fluttershy and make a run for it,” Donald answered, indicating the pegasus huddled inside the trolley.
<”Now, wait just a blasted moment!”> Uncle Scrooge shouted. <”None o’ this was our fault! We all did our best to avert disaster, an’ I’d say we accomplished that rather well, considerin’ what we had to work with!”>*

[*Translated from camel]

<”There would be no disaster, if you and your thrill-seeking friends never dropped out of the sky, into our work zone!!”> a camel rebutted.
“Yer uncle speaks camel?” Applejack asked Donald.
“Yup. He also speaks Dutch, Gaelic, Mayan, German, and a billion other languages,” the duck answered.
“Dang. You ducks’re full o’ surprises.”
<”Aw, fiddlesticks an’ stuff! Ye can’t prioritize yer work over the lives of others! Yer boss’d be ashamed o’ ye!”> Uncle Scrooge said, having learned that lesson himself as a young entrepreneur.
<”You would think so, wouldn’t you?”> asked one of the other creatures. <”We can all promise that our boss would feel the same way.”>
<”Oh? An’ how can ye know that!?”> Scrooge demanded.
<”Because, he’s already paid us enough to dictate each one of our priorities! He wants this mega-rail finished, and he wants it done no matter what!”> another camel said, indicating the massive railroad they were building next to the regular sized tracks with all the supplies nearby.
<”Is that so?”> Uncle Scrooge said, suddenly sensing an opportunity.
“Uh-oh,” Donald said.
“What is it? Are they still mad at us?” Fluttershy asked.
“Yup. But, that’s not what’s got me worried. I know that look Uncle Scrooge is making. He smells a profit. And he’s gonna cash in on it.”
<”Tell ye what, friends. How’s about I realign those faulty ethics o’ yours, get this rail finished, an’ help us all make some serious dosh anyway?”> Uncle Scrooge offered.
Scrooge McDuck was a duck known for his silver tongue and slick business hand. A duck who could identify with the wants and needs of every client, and sway them to his side with a fair cooperation that always ended with him making the most money in the end. Only this time, things were different.
Instead of the client curiously egging him on, the tycoon was met with roaring laughter from the crowd.
“Looks like yer uncle’s worked this crowd pretty nice,” Applejack optimistically said.
No sooner did she finish speaking did one of the camels answer, sending Uncle Scrooge into a shouting frenzy at the crowd.
“Spoke too soon, I guess,” the farmpony said.
“<--And a lunch break two minutes longer than what you’re bein’ given! At thirty cents an hour more! Now, how can ye say no to that!?”> the tycoon said.
<”Listen, little duck,”> one of the other creatures said, <”However much money you think you can offer us, you have nothing on our boss. For as much as he pays, we’re willing to do any amount of work, for as short a break, for a little vacation time as he says. And believe me, you couldn’t hope to match his salaries.>”
<”Couldn’t hope--Blast it all! I’m the richest duck in the world! I could pay circles around your bargain bin big shot! I own the city I live in, practically!! I’m about to add a fourth cubic acre to my money bin”>
<”Only the richest duck. You’re a flyweight, compared to the boss: the richest transportation magnate in the world. Your money bin is simply a drop in his money bin,”> said a camel, who pointed skyward.
Uncle Scrooge turned around, and his eyes went wide.
There in the sky, he saw the massive railroad leading up to the mammoth castle. Only now that he was closer did he realize just how large it was. It greatly outsized his money bin by at least four times, and it looked like it could have held more than two of his fair shares in gold.
<”Where’s that boss o’ yours…?” Uncle Scrooge asked through clenched teeth.
<”Not sure. But, if you must speak with him, his assistant’s in town. Maybe he’ll put in a good word, and have the boss hire you,”> the camel said.
<”If he doesn’t eat you first!”> another camel said, making everyone laugh briefly, then shudder.
“Right,” Uncle Scrooge said, tilting his top hat, and turning to walk down the street.
“Where you goin’, Mr. McDuck?” Applejack asked.
“To see a man about a horse! Or vice versa!” the tycoon said, as he stomped past the others.
Sensing the situation had been defused, Fluttershy peered out from the trolly, and slowly emerged.
Not wanting to be left to the mercy of the crowd, the beetle held onto her tail and rode out.
“Does your uncle always talk to other creatures that way?” the pegasus asked.
“Not always. Just when things don’t go his way. I didn’t understand a word he said, but I think he just had a sour business deal,” Donald answered.
“Business deal? He was just talkin’ about finishin’ up this quest thing, an’ now he’s stallin’ to make a few bits?” Applejack said.
“That’s my uncle for ya. Money first,” Donald sighed. “I better go after him. Before he starts trying to find some legitimate way to sell sand to these camels.”
Both mares groaned quietly, as the duck walked after his uncle. They had heard about Uncle Scrooge’s pinch penny ways during their night in the Santillama jail, but didn’t think Donald was being so literal about it. Neither one could believe that anypony would put business ahead of family so readily.
Applejack was reminded of their task at hoof, when the magical light drifted out from her hat.
“So, that’s where ya went. How about showin’ us how to get outta this dust burg?” the farmpony said, hoping the light would lead them away from the outpost of unfriendly creatures.
The light answered by drifting through the street.
The mares followed it, past the supply yards and construction sites. Among them all, they noticed that there were also several homes and shops set between the gigantic supports of the railway above them. To them, it seemed that the rail was built without any regard to who or what was living there already.
They walked into a crowded street of a shopping district, far from where construction was taking place, but still affected by it all.
One of the winged creatures was walking through the street with a basket of bread balanced atop her head. She had to bob and weave her body to avoid the crowd, but walked face first into one of the giant supports.
Both mares stopped following their light to help the creature in need. Applejack quickly picked up the fallen basket, while Fluttershy helped the creature up and dusted her off with her wings.
“Here. Yer lucky none o’ this fell out,'' Applejack said, as she passed the bread basket back to its owner.
“Alsalam ealaykum, mahr.,” the creature said, as she folded her hands and bowed her head, before taking her basket and continuing on her way.
In the direction the mares were facing, they saw the magical light again. Now, it was hovering before a small shop made of tarps and sheet metal. The light drifted before the shop’s sign, which was written in an alphabet neither mare could read. In another moment, the light gently burst apart, and dissipated.
“Does this mean we have to stay here longer?” Fluttershy asked.
The beetle hanging off the end of her tail bemoaned having to stay there longer than it had to. Especially with so many stomping feet around.
“Good news is that it don’t look like any of those other jerks are hangin’ around here. Should be a nice open an’ shut leg o’ this whole shenanigan,” Applejack said.
As if on cue, a loud clamor was heard inside the shop. A sound like an intense struggle was rattling the tin sides of the shop, threatening to topple them over.
“You wanna dance, old timer!? Alright! I got a couple o’ pretty little partners for ya!” said a deep, guttural voice, followed by the sound of blades unsheathing.
“'Ant la tukhyfuni ya dhiiba! Sakhidh shuraka' alraqs alkhasi bik wajaealaha hataa yakun ladayk limatabaeat!” another voice shouted.
More sounds of blows landing sounded, until a sudden wind blew from every door, window and crack in the building.
Between the distinctive voice, the unsheathing blades and the sudden gale, it was easy for the mares to infer who was causing the uproar. The memory of the claws and fangs of the voice’s owner sent shivers through Fluttershy, who had hoped she would never see him again. Now, it seemed another meeting with him was imminent.