The dimly candlelit train rumbled down the tracks, cutting through sheets of pouring rain. The eerily silent interior was only occasionally disturbed by seemingly distant yet palpable rumbles of thunder that vibrated through the hard seats, and their preceding strikes of lightning beaming through the cars' many windows like an oversized camera's flashbulb. Golden Remedy scanned the reports again. Surely it had to be some kind of mistake—16 ponies missing from the small town of Sunny Springs? At first she chalked it up to kids playing a prank on their parents. But the ages—45, 21, 32, even 9—told the young mare otherwise
Remedy pushed her brown mane aside with a lustrous white hoof and continued to read quietly.
“Witnesses claim to have seen strange ponies roaming the forest at night.”
“What do you think Remy?”
Golden Remedy looked up to see her captain, Swift Hoof, take the seat next to hers. The older stallion smiled and raised a dark green hoof to take the reports. Remy handed them over without question. Swift slicked back his greying brown mane and silently looked over the report himself.
“I think something is wrong,” Remy finally answered. “The age groups, sex, economic level… none of these ponies have anything in common.”
“The one thing they have in common is that they have nothing in common, except-” Swift stopped and scratched his chin with a free hoof. “Some witness reports say a few of our missing ponies were last seen in the woods. Some were out for jogs, some picnicking. The forest itself is the connection.”
“There is an old plantation in the middle of the forest,” affirmed a female voice from behind. Remy and Swift turned to see a batpony standing there. “You and the rookie going over the report again Captain?”
“We are, I want to make sure our rising rookie is prepared. Have a seat Sky?” Swift offered. The batpony trotted over and took the seat across from them.
“I can recon the plantation from above, then report back.”
Swift ignited his horn and un-did the button on his saddle bag, producing a map of the Sunny Springs forest and a red marker. Without saying a word he circled the Chomplane plantation with the marker and put an X just at the edge of the forest.
“What’s the X for?” Remy asked, looking at the map.
“According to the map, there is a small one-room cabin here that the Colt Scouts used to use.”
“It’s closed now,” Night Sky interjected. “Once the disappearances started, the town closed it down.”
“It’ll be our base of operations,” Swift said. “Once there, Bow will set up radio equipment, deal out our gear, and then we’ll commence the search.”
As the Captain finished his sentence, the front car door opened and two stallions entered. One was Bow Buckinsly, a small earth pony with a yellow coat and teal mane. The other, Lucky Lance, younger with a light blue coat and white mane.
“Looks like the whole team is here, Lance, Bow, take a look at this map with us.” Swift began. “Bow, you’ll set up radio equipment and provide us with intel from there. After that, Sky will do an aerial sweep of the plantation and the forest surrounding it. With any luck, the disappear-ies are just lost in the forest, Sky will spot them from overhead and we can all go back to Canterlot.”
Swift stopped for a moment, allowing others to chime in.
“I-If Sky doesn’t find them then…” Bow began with a weak stutter.
“Then Remy, Lance, and I will proceed toward the Chomplane plantation with you and Sky on radio and aerial support. Once we make it to the front door, Sky, you will fly down to us and we’ll search for the missing ponies inside. Any questions?”
“Will I be left alone in the cabin?” Bow asked.
“Yes, but the cabin can be locked and you can radio us if anything happens,” Swift replied.
“Plus you got that hoof taser, Bow!” Lance chuckled.
Bow gave a nervous laugh and nodded to both of them.
“Alright everyone,” Swift began with a commanding tone. “We’ll arrive at Sunny Springs in about 5 hours. Lets all get back to the sleeping cars and get some rest. Dismissed.”
With that, the three stallions left the room through the door that Bow and Lance entered from, while Remedy and Sky trotted down the car and entered the door on the opposite end. Sky opened the door to a small train car with bunk beds on each of its walls. Sky flew up to her top bunk and Remedy climbed into her middle one directly below Sky.
“Sky?” Remy asked.
“Yeah?”
“I’m… I’m nervous about all this.”
“You’ll do fine Remy,” sky started. “Swift may be old but he’s the toughest stallion I’ve ever seen, and he knows how to lead. The guy was at Canterlot during the Changeling invasion.”
“I know but… I’ve only been on the team for 2 weeks.”
“We’re a team Remy, we’ve got your back, and if something happens, you’ll be there to patch us up!”
Those words made Remedy smile. During these past 2 weeks she had felt out of place. She was the youngest in the squad, had only basic combat training, and the eerie feeling she was getting from the report didn’t help. Sky’s words were genuine though, and so was the smile it brought her.
“Thanks Sky.”
“No problem rookie, now get some sleep.”