//------------------------------// // The Present Strife // Story: Trail Blazer // by MagicS //------------------------------// The distance between their hill and the town they saw turned out to still be considerable. They would have been able to make it on the same day if they had traveled until they reached it but they would’ve arrived in the dead of night so Trail Blazer made the call for them to sleep and then finish the rest of the distance to the town in the morning. Lustrous was happy that he would get to see at least some sort of civilization again and Trail Blazer was looking forward to the booze that surely awaited her there. Steel Wing was the only one who knew what he was thinking about the first town on their journey. The following morning even Trail Blazer was ready to get up at dawn, with bags under her eyes she quickly took down their tent and told the others they needed to make it to this small little village as fast as they could. Lustrous shuddered to think about what she’d be like without alcohol even longer. The mare would probably be completely unmanageable. He had thought that ponies became more belligerent after drinking but Trail Blazer was seemingly the opposite, the map pony was never genuinely friendly but with alcohol in her veins at least she was apathetic instead of antagonistic. It kind of worried him to be honest. Steel Wing also didn’t approve of her ways but he had been keeping it all to himself after his previous attempts to sway her were shot down. So it was now that around noon after they had passed through the fog of early morning did the three begin to arrive in the outskirts of this town they saw. Thanks to the breeze coming in from the bay it was pretty cold around here but nothing the three of them weren’t used to from some of the colder times in the town they’re from. And speaking of that town to the north that would eventually become Manehattan, unlike that one this town had nothing to do with the future city of Baltimare. It was a startup, a boom-town built at the edge of the forest and along the river that led into the as of yet unnamed Horseshoe Bay. Logging was the career for the ponies that lived here and already the town was setting itself up to be a prime distributor of lumber in the area. Besides general lumber there were a number of crafters and carvers living here as well. Ponies that made chairs, tables, wood art, etc. It was a delightful town in the new land of Equestria. Also of importance to note is the town was entirely made up of earth ponies and no others. That was something still fairly common even in present day Equestria. And towns where one race vastly outnumbered the others were common too. So on its own it didn’t mean anything but in this age where many ponies weren’t used to seeing others from outside their group it might be a little strange to see a unicorn and pegasus suddenly walk into town. While technically unified that didn’t mean that all earth ponies were comfortable with all unicorns and vice versa. An earth pony born in this new age may not have had any contact with anyone but fellow earth ponies. And an earth pony who had lived through the past strife may have sour memories. And may have passed those feelings on to their children. “I think calling this place a town is being generous.” Lustrous said as the three walked from the treeline into a more open area. There was nothing that could even be called a street and the buildings were haphazardly strewn about across a wide area that had had any trees or grass removed. In the distance they could see the water of the bay. “It’s a hole in the wall.” Trail Blazer shrugged. “Not everyplace needs to be some big town. They’re doing what they do here.” There were a few ponies wandering about within the “town” and more that were headed to or already working in the forest. Steel Wing’s ears could hear the steady thwack of axes against trees on the other side of the forest from where the three of them had come from. A number of the ponies looked on at the new arrivals, wondering just who they were and why they were here, and some even shot them dirty looks. Trail Blazer and Steel Wing both noticed this but Lustrous seemed completely oblivious. “Have you seen an inn or anything? Are we even going to be staying here the night?” Lustrous asked Trail Blazer. “No and yes. This is pretty much the stopping point before we start heading west. I’ll start drawing the actual map here from my notes and sketches and then we can move on.” She told him. Lustrous looked at her in confusion, walking ahead of her and putting a hoof on her shoulder to stop her. “Wait, what do you mean we’re going to be heading west from here? We still have further south to go.” The sober and annoyed Trail Blazer shook her head. “Just a little south of here is an impassable jungle and a wasteland right next to that. That’s not Equestria. Our border stops right at that natural boundary.” “How do you know that?” Lustrous asked. “Zebra.” Trail Blazer reached back into one of her saddlebags and took out a small notebook. “This is from the zebra explorer Zerzes. He left it to me when he died. Before ponies came here he had traveled through some of the south, didn’t leave a map or anything though. Either way all we’re doing from here is going a little further to the south into the swamp mentioned in here, then doubling back up and going straight west until we hit the coast. Like I said earlier.” She put the notebook back. “Now if you’ll excuse me I’ve been sober for too long, let’s find a place to drink.” “You know even most drunks don’t stay drunk every waking second.” Lustrous said as she pushed past him. Naturally she ignored him. The three continued on, wandering from place to place trying to find a tavern or pub or some sort of store or dining establishment that might have any alcohol to sate Trail Blazer’s thirst. A large building built at the edge of the trees dominated one half of the settlement, it extended maybe 300 feet backwards and had big barn doors at the front. The doors were currently open and Lustrours and Steel Wing both looked inside to see stacks and stacks of wooden boards and logs that filled it up. The ponies here must use that large building to protect the wood they harvest from the elements. “There. There, there, there.” Trail Blazer said with increasing disgruntlement, pointing ahead to another building. It was a squat building with a pitched roof and was certainly no house or storage facility. Large cross-barred windows were built in the front of it to let in as much light as possible and the doors were wide open and inviting. The three travelers could hear the happy voices of ponies coming from the building and Trail Blazer quickened her pace to it. “That’s the hangout around here. If there’s anywhere to get a drink it’ll be in there.” She said. “And maybe a pony who can show us where to board for the night. Else I suppose we can just put our tent out somewhere around here.” Lustrous said. But Trail Blazer wasn’t listening anymore and both Steel Wing and Lustrous had to hasten to keep up with her. The map pony walked right into the establishment with her stallions coming up behind her. At first the cheerful conversations and laughing ponies continued as normal… but in only a few short moments did the earth ponies inside start to notice just who (or more accurately what) walked into their barroom. There were probably a good thirty patrons inside, predominantly stallions with only a few mares of the… unsavory type with them, seated around various tables and drinking or telling stories to one another. But that all went silent and the smiles turned to decidedly cold looks towards the three. Even for Trail Blazer since despite her being an earth pony she was traveling with a unicorn and pegasus now wasn’t she? In fact that might’ve made her the worst in these ponies eyes. Now Trail Blazer noticed this but didn’t care, she just wanted a drink and so she started walking towards the bar at the back. She was used to rough bars and unfriendly customers. Steel Wing noticed the frosty reception as well and was fairly certain he knew the reason behind it, but he didn’t do anything just yet. Merely kept his attention on everyone. Lustrous on the other hand was totally oblivious and just trotted to the nearest empty table and sat down after dropping his backpack on the floor. He huffed in annoyance that he was being shepherded around by the alcoholic. Steel Wing quietly joined him and took up a chair whose back faced the corner of the room, still keeping an eye on the other ponies in here. His eyes scanned over them all like a hawk. “This is not how I wanted to be spending my time.” Lustrous muttered. The pegasus didn’t respond. Suddenly a large mug of beer was slammed down next to Lustrous… by Trail Blazer. “Whew, tasty!” She said, having returned from the bar and taken a hearty sip of it already. “Warms my heart that I’m not the one paying for this too.” She also shrugged off her backpack and saddlebags and took a seat, immediately gulping down her beer. “Yes it’s quite admirable for you to leech off the good will of others.” Lustrous rolled his eyes. “All part of the payment for the job.” She took it in stride, not one to take jabs like that personally. But after she did finish another sip she looked around the barroom some more, taking in a few of the mean looks. “Shame that it would probably be best to not stay here for the night though.” “Huh?” Lustrous said. “Why not?” She cocked an eyebrow at him. “Have you not noticed all the dirty looks we’ve been getting from the ponies in here?” Lustrous perked up and finally really looked around himself at the rest of the bar. “Oh. Well that’s just how my cousin and the maids usually look at me. I thought it was normal.” Trail Blazer and even Steel Wing gave him a weird look at that. “What?” He asked, looking between the two of them. “And why are they angry at us anyways?” “Well I think it’s because you’re a unicorn and he’s a pegasus and I’m an earth pony traveling with the two of you.” Trail Blazer shrugged. “And they’re all earth ponies who don’t like that.” Lustrous was plainly baffled. “But that’s silly. Why would they be angry about anything like that? Ponykind has unified and come together after the first Hearth’s Warming. Why do they have a problem with me being a unicorn?” Trail Blazer chuckled into her drink. “I forgot you lived in a bubble. So what if ponykind is unified? Doesn’t mean ponies are. And take a closer look around this time, there are plenty of ponies in here who are old enough to have been alive back when the windigos were still around and the tribes were at each others throats.” “Well I hope they can at least leave us to our own devices then.” Lustrous sighed as he sunk down into his chair. “Yeah...” Trail Blazer took a big sip. “Shame that I probably won’t be able to scratch my other itch here though, the way these stallions are eyeing me aint that kind of interest.” “Do you have to be so crass about that?” Lustrous wrinkled his nose. “Yep.” Was the only reply the map mare deemed to give. Lustrous shook his head and then frowned as a thought came to him. “I am curious though.” He said to Trail Blazer. “How come you haven’t, um… asked me for help with that, you know…?” An uncomfortable blush worked its way up his cheeks. Trail Blazer set her mug down on the table. “We’re working together. It would be awkward. I like my sex no strings attached and preferably without knowing the guy beforehand.” The unicorn hummed to himself. “Well I would say no if you asked anyways.” “Heh, I bet.” Trail Blazer chuckled again and looked over at Steel Wing. “What about you? Would you say yes if I asked?” The red pegasus didn’t blush but he did shake his head slightly. “I’m sorry Miss Trail Blazer but I believe a pony should only lie with the one they love.” Lustrous thought Trail Blazer would laugh her head off at that but as he looked at her he saw a queer expression on her face. She was staring down at the table, almost forlornly. Steel Wing noticed this too and was about to ask her if something was the matter with what he said before a weak smile broke out on Trail Blazer’s face. She grabbed her mug again and downed the rest of her beer before dropping it back on the table and letting it roll between the three ponies. “You know the funny thing about that is I would’ve been right there agreeing with you when I was younger.” Trail Blazer said. The mare reached her hoof back to nervously run it through her mane, her lower lip was trembling slightly and her eyes started to look glassy and out of focus. Lustrous and Steel Wing could hear her breathing become more ragged and her breath hitched. “Trail Blazer?” Lustrous reached a hoof to her shoulder. “What’s-” “Hey!” The three were snapped out of their world by a loud shout. Lustrous and Trail Blazer turned in their seats to see an older stallion meanly looking at them. He was a brown pony built big with a broad chest and trunk like legs. A few other angry looking stallions flanked him, apparently the group had had enough of their place being despoiled by these three outsiders. Lustrous however was having none of it. He already thought this was silly enough. “Can we help you?” He asked, his naturally snide voice not doing him any favors. “Yeah. You can get up and leave.” The burly stallion said. “What are you all doing here anyways? This isn’t a place where unicorns and pegasus are welcome.” “That is absurd.” Lustrous scoffed before either Trail Blazer or Steel Wing could stop him. “This is Equestria. We ponies live in harmony now, do we not?” The burly stallion spat on the floor right in front of Lustrous. “We don’t. Looks like you all are too young to have lived back then but we remember how things used to be.” “Yeah!” Another even older stallion spoke, gray of coat with a balding white top. “You unicorns and pegasi were always treating us like dirt and thinking you could just take all of our food. And then because you stopped doing the weather and sun right the windigos came.” Steel Wing took this all in emotionlessly, waiting to see if it would come to blows. Lustrous though frowned and narrowed his eyes at the belligerent earth ponies. He got up out of his chair to proselytize some more to them. “That’s not what happened at all. The windigos came because the three tribes couldn’t get along or trust one another. No one was blameless.” He didn’t notice Trail Blazer sending him a glare telling him to “shut up”. “You unicorns are all the same. Thinking you’re so much smarter than us.” The burly stallion from before walked right up to Lustrous and this caused Steel Wing to rise as well. It looked like the already hot tempers were about to boil over before Trail Blazer spoke up. “Woah, guys, guys, hold on here.” Trail Blazer said as she got up from her seat, walking between Lustrous and the big stallion. “There’s no need for that. We’re just traveling through for the day and no one means any harm. I just wanted a nice drink is all and I got one.” The stallion glared down at her. “Don’t think we’re gonna be any friendlier to you. What are you doing alone with these two?” “We’re on a-” Lustrous started before Trail Blazer stepped on his hoof, causing him to yelp. “Look, that’s not important. Me and these two aren’t like that at all.” Trail Blazer said. “I’m not the type of earth pony that’s gonna roll around with a flimsy unicorn you know?” She pressed herself against the stallion. “I like real stallions. If you know what I mean.” She batted her eyelashes at him. “If I’m being honest I wanted a little more than just a drink here but with the mean looks you were giving us I didn’t think I could get it. But maybe the two of us can change that?” Lust was a good tool for sponging up anger. The stallion grinned and licked his lips. “Oh really now? Well, maybe we can forgive you three for walking in here in that case.” Lustrous frowned, this gross stallion looked to be at least twice Trail Blazer’s age. “Miss Trail Blazer, you don’t have to-” She kicked him in the shin. “Ow!” “Just ignore him.” She sidled up to the burly stallion. “You’ll leave the two of them be though, right?” He put a hoof over her and squeezed her close. “Heh, fine. We can forgive ya for walking in here I guess.” He looked at the other earth ponies gathered around him. “Can’t we?” Various grumbles were the answers and some of the stallions went back to their seats. Lustrous took the time to rub his shin and sit back down himself. “Well thank you.” Trail Blazer said to her soon to be newest bedfellow. “Could you do one more favor for me though? Is there any place these two can spend the night so I know where to find them tomorrow morning?” “Hrm.” The burly stallion grunted. “We don’t have an inn or anything like that. Specially not for types like them.” He glared at Lustrous and Steel Wing. “But if you want to shack up in the warehouse for the night nobody’d bother you.” “Hear that?” Trail Blazer said to her two traveling companions. “I’ll be back in the morning. You two have a nice rest of the day.” She swished her tail up against the stallion’s flank. “So how about the two of us head back to your place? It may be early but that just gives us all the time in the world now doesn’t it?” “Hehehe.” The stallion’s laughter was throaty and lustful. He kept holding Trail Blazer close to his side and started walking her out of the building, only briefly looking over his shoulder at Lustrous and Steel Wing to jeeringly grin at them. “You two are lucky you have such a nice mare here with you.” Lustrous glared at him and while Steel Wing seemed as impassive as ever he was also not entirely happy with this turn of events. “Tch.” Lustrous clicked his teeth and stuck his elbows up on the table, propping his head up on them and staring angrily at Steel Wing. “She didn’t need to do that for us.” “I don’t think she did it for us. I think she just wanted to.” Steel Wing responded. “But he was horrible!” Lustrous was shocked Steel Wing could make a suggestion like that. “That stallion was vile. Not only that but he has to be at least twice her age.” “I don’t think she cares about something like that.” “Ugh, forget it then. Let her do what—and who—she wants.” Lustrous was done trying to make sense of anything. His world had been shaken enough the past several days. Despite the bomb being defused there was a sour mood left over inside the whole establishment. The drinking and merriment didn’t return to half the level it was at before the three outsiders walked in and it was obvious even to Lustrous now. Both he and Steel Wing weren’t exactly feeling the best either. Besides they weren’t the ones who wanted to come here originally in the first place. And now without the one earth pony among them around to cool things down the atmosphere for every pony involved was not a good one. “Perhaps we should just go and head to that warehouse now?” Lustrous suggested. “That would probably be for the best.” Steel Wing nodded and went to pick up Trail Blazer’s things. As Lustrous waited for him he couldn’t help but think about why Steel Wing just didn’t forcefully stop that gruff earth pony from doing anything. “Excuse me if this is intruding but you’re a fighter who’s supposed to protect us right? Why did you just stand there?” He didn’t mean to sound angry or anything, he was just curious. Steel Wing looked at him. If he was offended he didn’t show it again. “There wasn’t a need to. No one had done anything yet. If I thought they were going to attack one of you I would have stepped in. But I only use violence as a last resort. I don’t like fighting. Not really.” “I think that other pegasus Raincloud might say otherwise.” Lustrous noted. He was surprised that their guardian was apparently so reluctant to fight as well. “That was just a friendly spar Thunderstorm asked of us so I could show you what I can do. I didn’t hurt Raincloud. Not seriously at least.” Steel Wing responded, having hoisted up Trail Blazer’s large backpack and saddlebags on his back. “I see.” Lustrous wasn’t fully convinced but there was no reason to talk more about it here. It was still only a little past midday now but they had had enough of this town. Even if they ended up bored that would be preferable to whatever other misfortune awaited them here. They placed their tent in the front corner of the warehouse, just behind the open doors. Hopefully that earth pony was right about no one bothering them in here. It would be rather annoying for them to be woken up in the middle of the night by angry ponies trying to tear down their tent or something. But time passed and it seemed Lustrous’s worries were for naught. The only problem was spending all that time on the thin mats and with the itchy blankets. Steel Wing didn’t seem bothered with having nothing to do but Lustrous couldn’t help tossing and turning around and grumbling in annoyance at everything until it was time to actually sleep. Now the two ponies had weathered that unfortunate day and night and had woken up the following morning. Lustrous was quick to take everything down and get it ready before Trail Blazer had found them, he wanted to be out of here as soon as possible. So it was that shortly after dawn when the two were still sitting inside the warehouse that Steel Wing poked him in the shoulder and pointed a wingtip at a figure shambling through the middle of the town towards the warehouse. “Well I suppose we should gather her up.” Lustrous sighed. Lustrous and Steel Wing talked towards the hobbling and likely hungover Trail Blazer as she walked through the low light of dawn. Up close the mare looked even worse than they imagined, deep bags were under her eyes and she looked practically sick. “What happened to you?” Lustrous asked her, steadying the faltering mare. “Nothing… took a little dive earlier.” She rubbed her head. “Uh, anyways, we’re gonna wanna get out of here pretty quick. He didn’t exactly want me to leave and I kind of ended up sneaking out of his bed this morning...” Lustrous facehooved. “Wonderful. Let’s grab your stuff and go then, it’s in the warehouse.” The three of them went back into the warehouse where the stallions helped Trail Blazer put her packs on. It was slow going however as the mare wasn’t exactly in the best condition. More than once she had to swallow down vomit and her legs buckled beneath the weight that she normally was able to carry with ease. “Come on, we’re just about done.” Lustrous said as he tied the straps of her backpack around her stomach. “Too late.” Steel Wing said, looking out the door of the warehouse. Lustrous and Trail Blazer both looked up, seeing him watch as six earth pony stallions marched towards the warehouse. “Let’s start leaving. Maybe they won’t do anything.” Lustrous hoped and pulled Trail Blazer with him, Steel Wing keeping an eye on the approaching ponies the whole time as the three of them exited the warehouse. “You just all stop right there!” The lead stallion called out. The same burly earth pony from yesterday that Trail Blazer spent the night with. He looked and sounded very angry. “Now I told you that you shouldn’t be heading off with those two!” “I never said I wouldn’t.” Trail Blazer pushed away Lustrous’s hoof to stand on her own. “Sorry, but I’ve got things to do.” “Well aint that just peachy. You can say all those sweet words but then you just try and skip out on me and my friends. And for a unicorn and pegasus at that.” He spat on the ground. Trail Blazer groaned, rubbing her eyes. “Look, I don’t care about any of that. I’ve been hired to do a job and now I’m leaving. Okay?” “No it aint okay, missy.” He walked up to her. “You’re not getting out of here just like that.” The stallion reached forward to grab her by the shoulder. Trail Blazer looked like she was going to try and backstep out of his reach, Lustrous looked like he was about to try and step between the two of them and likely receive a punch to the jaw for his efforts. But before either of them could do that a red hoof reached out like lightning and grabbed the earth pony’s trunk like leg. With a sharp twist Steel Wing dislocated the earth pony’s hoof. “Argh!” The earth pony stumbled back and collapsed onto his haunches. “You darn-!” “Do not touch my ward.” Steel Wing said from in-between the two parties, although none of them could remember seeing him move there to begin with. “Now you just-” One of the other earth ponies started to say and walked forward, angrily glaring at Steel Wing… until their eyes met and he froze. The pegasus doing a good show of intimidating the townsponies with just a stare. “We’re leaving.” Steel Wing said. “You can return to your normal business.” He motioned with one of his wings to Lustrous and Trail Blazer, shooing them out from behind them and telling them to start walking out of the town already. Lustrous slowed his pace a little to let Steel Wing walk up alongside him when he was done staring down their wannabe assailants. He was grateful at the pegasus’s intervention. “I suppose you can forget about my questions yesterday. I’m glad you’re able to defend us in situations like that.” Steel Wing let out a single grunt of acknowledgment. It seemed like he might not say anything more until his mouth opened up again. “My grandfather taught me how to fight my whole life. Before he was exiled.” “Exiled?” Lustrous raised an eyebrow at the pegasus. “I’m sorry.” Steel Wing shook his head. “I don’t wish to talk about it.” Lustrous nodded. Another family matter it seemed. Finally the burly stallion regained his wits enough to yell at them as the trio walked away. “Well you all just better not come back here!” None of them stopped but Trail Blazer looked back over her shoulder at him. “Wouldn’t want to. The beer was almost as bad as the sex.”