//------------------------------// // 335 - Escapade and Escape Aid // Story: Lateral Movement // by Alzrius //------------------------------// “Walk faster!” muttered Funshine nervously. “Be quiet!” hissed Slip ‘n’ Slide. “It’ll look suspicious if we walk faster than this!” “Maybe it’ll be okay if we just trot?” Despite her voice being steady, Hopscotch’s breathing was coming quicker than her relaxed pace warranted. “We’d just look like some ponies who were running late.” Granola Bar shook her head. “We’d still stand out too much. If the guards come back-, eyes forward!” Her sudden rebuke made Funshine wince, giving Granola Bar an apologetic look before returning his gaze to the entrance of the train station – currently unguarded, thanks to their new friends – several dozen feet ahead of them. “If the guards come back after we arrive, they might think to ask somepony if they saw anyone matching our descriptions. We want to stand out as little as possible in case that happens.” “Presuming they don’t come back right now and spot us trying to walk in,” snorted Slip ‘n’ Slide, his voice brimming with nervous tension. “We’ll be fine.” Fencer’s voice, in contrast to those of her friends, was calm and confident. “Ticket Stub and Coal Hopper won’t let us down.” I hope, she added silently. In theory their plan was a good one. First, Ticket Stub would offer the guards at the entrance to the train station some ice cream, using the freebies that they’d been given. Of course, he wouldn’t bring any of it to them, instead telling the guards that they just had to head around the corner to The Delectable Dessert Den where their frosty treats had already been procured. Nopony expected that to be enough to make all of the guards leave their post, but Fencer had guessed that it would be enough to tempt a few of them. Once they were gone, Coal Hopper would rush to inform the remaining guards that she’d spotted five suspicious-looking ponies in a nearby alley, giving just enough details to make it obvious who she was talking about. That would lure the remaining guards away, giving Fencer and her friends – who would be waiting in an alley across the street from the Dessert Den, exiting once they saw the guards enter the building – enough time to slip into the train station unnoticed. Compared to dodging undead ponies that could see in the dark and whose strikes caused paralysis, this should have been a walk in the park, especially since they wouldn’t be horribly butchered if things went south. Even so, Fencer had held her breath – and had heard her friends all do the same – when they’d spotted Ticket Stub leading a pair of guards into the eatery they’d just vacated. Once the door had closed behind them, she’d led her friends out onto the street, turning the corner onto the street that led to the train station…just in time to see three guards rushing down an alleyway, Coal Hopper following them and shouting directions. Leaving the entrance to the station completely open. We’re going to make it, Fencer told herself silently as she led her friends toward the entryway. We’re going to walk right in like anypony else. No guards are going to come rushing back at the last second and catch us at the worst possible moment. We’re going to go in and move to the far side of the lobby, no problem. That was the next phase of the plan. Since there were guards going around and checking every train for them, it was better to wait inside the lobby until Ticket Stub and Coal Hopper caught up to them. Those two could then check the train they’d come in on without raising any suspicions, letting the rest of them know when it was clear. We just have to get inside, and the rest of this will be cakewalk. They couldn’t have been more than thirty feet away from the entrance now, and the guards were still nowhere in sight. Twenty-five feet. Twenty. “This is always when something goes wrong,” muttered Slip ‘n’ Slide. “Shut up, Slip,” grunted Funshine. Fifteen feet. “Don’t look around,” reminded Granola Bar. “Eyes ahead, nice and casual.” “R-right,” gulped Hopscotch. Ten feet. Five. Fencer had just reached the entrance to the building when a voice rang out. “WHAT DO YOU MEAN THERE’S NOTHING HERE?!” came Coal Hopper’s angry roar, recognizable from when she’d lost her patience with the waitress back at the dessert place. “I’M TELLING YOU I SAW THEM! ARE YOU CALLING ME A LI-, HEY! GET BACK HERE!” The shouting caused several ponies to stop in place, turning to look at the nearby alley where the raised voice was coming from. But Fencer wasn’t one of them, continuing doggedly forward. “Keep going,” she muttered under her breath, low enough that she hoped only her friends could hear her. “Keep going!” Walking into the station, she strained her ears listening to the hoofsteps of her friends following behind her, fixing her eyes on the far corner of the lobby. Tension made her clench her jaw, waiting to hear an angry shout for them to stop, followed by the thundering of hooves running toward them. If that happened… But it didn’t. As Fencer reached her destination, no commotion was raised, and she lifted her head as though examining the large map of Canterlot on the wall in front of her, keeping her back to the station entrance. Seconds later, four sets of hooves moved alongside her, and she closed her eyes in silent relief. Fighting down the urge to let out a heavy sigh, she plastered a smile on her face as she glanced at her friends. “Told you we’d make it.” “Alright, you guys should be in the clear now,” declared Coal Hopper as she helped Hopscotch climb into the freight car. “Just stay in there and don’t make any noise, and you’re home free.” Slip ‘n’ Slide didn’t seem convinced, glancing around as if he expected the Royal Guard to come lurching out of the shadows at any second. “And you’re sure the guards already checked this train?” “We’re sure,” answered Ticket Stub. “This train, the train we all came in on, was the first one they checked when they started. When I told them that we needed to start getting it ready for our morning departure, I made sure to ask if they needed to check it again, and they said no. So you guys should be okay.” Despite his words, he was pale and sweating, mopping at his brow with a handkerchief. Nor was his anxious disposition lost on anypony else. “Are you sure you’re okay?” Granola Bar couldn’t keep the concern out of her voice. It wasn’t just for Ticket Stub’s sake either; she knew that if he was having second thoughts, they were all in danger. “You really don’t look so good.” “I’m alright,” nodded Ticket Stub, though he punctuated the words with a nervous swallow, glancing around before returning his gaze to where Fencer and the others were sitting inside the freight car. “I just haven’t gotten over that close call back at the dessert place.” “Aw, but you did great!” smiled Funshine, remembering what Ticket Stub had told them back in the lobby. “I mean, there you were, the guards about to take all the ice cream and head back immediately to share it with their friends instead of eating their portion right there, and the waitress about to spill the beans by asking where all your friends went. Everything’s going wrong, with only seconds to spare…and that’s when you have a brainstorm!” “Y-yep…” Ticket Stub managed a weak chuckle, though it might have been a rictus grin instead. “Asking the waitress to recommend what sprinkles should go with what ice cream was a pretty smart move,” smiled Fencer. “You should be proud of yourself, you managed to think on your hooves even under extreme pressure. A lot of ponies couldn’t do that when Vanhoover fell, and it cost them everything.” Ticket Stub’s cheeks colored a little at that, helping out his complexion, but Coal Hopper just rolled her eyes. “Yeah, it was inspired, now can we get out of here before somepony spots us talking to a freight car that should be empty, or do you need us to assure you that the guards aren’t coming for a fourth time?” She glared at Slip ‘n’ Slide as she finished talking, already at the limit of her patience. Fortunately, he didn’t test her again, slinking backward deeper into the car. Instead, it was Hopscotch who came forward, smiling. “Thank you both so much for helping us. I don’t know if we would have made it this far without you.” “We definitely owe you two big time,” added Funshine. Granola Bar nodded at that. “If you ever need anything, you know where to find us.” With one last glance around, Ticket Stub raised his hoof in a wave. “Take care, and remember: you have to get off the train when we stop in Ponyville, otherwise you’re going to end up going all the way to the Crystal Empire with us.” “We will.” Fencer paused, one hoof on the sliding door. “Thank you again for taking a chance on us. I promise, we won’t make you regret it.” “You better not,” huffed Coal Hopper. “Now shut the door and go to sleep or something. We’re not going to leave until a little after sunrise, and it’s several hours from here to Ponyville. After that, you’re on your own.” She stepped back from the freight car, turning back toward the passenger cars near the engine, with Ticket Stub falling in beside her after one last glance backward. A second later the sound of the freight car door closing could be heard, signaling the parting of ways for both groups. The two railway ponies walked in silence for a moment, almost halfway to the passenger car before she finally glanced over at Ticket Stub. “Spill it,” she ordered tersely. He blinked, almost missing a step. “I-I’m sorry?” “You will be if you don’t tell me what’s going on with you,” she snorted, giving him a sidelong look. The sight made Ticket Stub shake his head. “I don’t know-” “Stop.” There wasn’t any magic in her voice, but Ticket Stub froze anyway, grimacing as Coal Hopper turned to face him. “Normally I can’t stand it when somepony tries to pull one over on me, even when they’re really bad at it the way you are, but I figure I owe you after how you got me to talk to Princess Cadance and Shining Armor. So just this once, I’m going to give you a chance.” She paused then, making sure she had his full attention before she spoke again. “You come clean with me about whatever it is you’re hiding right now, and I won’t hold it against you.” For a moment Ticket Stub looked ready to protest, then all at once he seemed to deflate, sagging in place. Lowering his gaze to the ground, he gave a deep sigh. “I lied before,” he mumbled, “about how it went with the guards back at the dessert place.” Coal Hopper’s brow furrowed. “What do you mean? Did you,” her voice changed to a harsh whisper. “Did you sell them out?! Is that why you’ve been so nervous?!” “No!” Ticket Stub’s head shot up, giving her a horrified look. “Of course not!” “Then what happened?” “I…” Rubbing his forehead, he glanced away, not able to look her in the face. “I didn’t have any brainstorm about distracting the guards.” “Hm?” Coal Hopper tilted her head, still looking suspicious. “That waitress wasn’t about to ask where everypony was,” Ticket Stub explained. “She wasn’t even there. I think she went on her break or something. And the guards weren’t about to just pick everything up and bring it all back to their post right away. They sat down and dug in instead.” He finally looked back at her, his expression miserable. “The whole thing went smoothly, without any sort of last-minute drama.” Coal Hopper arched a brow. “So why lie about it, if things went perfectly?” Ticket Stub gave a self-deprecating laugh, followed by a helpless shrug. “Because I wanted to impress you.” Coal Hopper’s eyes widened incredulously. “Are you kidding me?” Shuffling a hoof, Ticket Stub looked back toward the passenger car. “We should really get going…” “Don’t even think about trying to change the subject!” snapped Coal Hopper. “You were trying to impress me?” “I just…I remembered how, when those ponies first showed up, you got so mad at me for trying to do the whole self-sacrificing thing, telling me that I should have gotten up in their faces like a tough guy instead of, you know, the other thing. I thought that if I did some big, heroic thing you’d…like me.” The last two words came out so softly that they were almost a whisper. For a long moment Coal Hopper was silent. “Wow,” she said at last. “You have got to be the single stupidest pony I’ve ever met. I mean, I can’t even begin to describe just how dumb you are.” Squeezing his eyes shut, Ticket Stub put a hoof to his face. “Yeah, well, I definitely feel like it right now,” he muttered. “Listen, we really should go-” “I was trying to impress you,” announced Coal Hopper bluntly. “-and clean those…wait, what?” Blinking, Ticket Stub opened his eyes, giving Coal Hopper a blank look. “You were…me? What?” Now it was Coal Hopper’s turn to look away, one hoof coming up to play with her mane idly. “…that whole thing I did, getting in those guys’ faces and telling what’s-his-name that I’d make him eat a spoon. I wanted you to think I was tough.” “But, but I do think you’re tough,” protested Ticket Stub, unable to believe what he was hearing. “Right,” snorted Coal Hopper sarcastically. “Because I’d been heaving my guts out on the trip here, then I had to have you talk me into talking to the Princess, and then I was quiet all night tonight because I was nervous. Yeah, I’m really resilient.” Ticket Stub could barely keep his jaw from hanging open. “You were nervous going out with me tonight?” “This might not have occurred to you, genius, but I don’t exactly have a lot of stallions beating down a path to my door, you get me?” Stomping a hoof in agitation, Coal Hopper frowned. “So I thought that if I did some big, dramatic thing you’d forget all that other stuff and just remember that I wasn’t intimidated by those guys.” A pause, and then she spoke again, her voice quieter. “I didn’t mean to jump all over you when I did it, though. It was kinda nice the way you tried to be all noble and stuff…” Ticket Stub was quiet for a moment, then started to snicker, bringing a hoof to his lips. Coal Hopper’s eyes widened. “Don’t you dare laugh! I’m being serious here!” “I’m sorry!” giggled Ticket Stub, “but it’s funny! I was trying to impress you, and you were trying to impress me, and neither of us noticed!” “It’s not funny!” growled Coal Hopper. “You keep laughing and I’m gonna wallop you!” “Okay, okay, I’m not laughing.” But it was a near thing, with Ticket Stub only barely able to swallow his mirth, suddenly feeling ten times better. “But really, I already do think you’re a tough pony. The toughest I know. You don’t need to prove it to me.” “That’s just because you haven’t met my brothers, or my dad,” huffed Coal Hopper. But despite her attitude she seemed mollified, turning and resuming her walk toward the passenger car. “Now c’mon, we’ve still got to get everything cleaned up.” “Okay!” Ticket Stub hurried to catch up to her, matching his pace to hers once he had, grinning. Tonight had been the single weirdest date he’d ever been on, but for all the awkwardness and nervousness and misunderstandings, he couldn’t help but feel happy about how it was ending. So much so that he forgot to be apprehensive as he leaned over slightly, pressing his side against Coal Hopper’s. She didn’t say anything, she didn’t even glance at him, but Ticket Stub’s heart soared when she pressed against him in return.