//------------------------------// // Chapter 3: An Adventure Already?! (Part 1: The Not-So-Calm Before The Storm.) // Story: Life isn’t done with you // by Kibat Grenbuku //------------------------------// The voice of thy thunder was in the whirlwind, lightnings lit up the world; the earth was troubled and it quaked. -Psalms 77:18 The day did not start as one would hope as the dawn climbed further into the sky. Dark smokey storm clouds blotted the heavens above as rumbling thunder rippled this way and that. Rushing wind cascaded throughout the farmland, upturning leaves and scattering trash across the grazed land. The cattle and pigs were in a panicked frenzy as they stampeded through the driveway as Ingot and Psalms struggled to corral them into the already overpacked barn for shelter. Meanwhile, Ink, Thomas, and Honey packed the cellar with emergency goods and bed stuff as a precaution in the vain hope that the weather team doesn't allow a tornado to form on top of their heads. As the last of the animals entered the barn, Ingot and Psalms slammed the barn door shut before booking it into the kitchen, gathering their breath upon entering said room. "Ain't natural. Ain't natural at all. Never seen this before. What in tarnation has gotten into them weather ponies!?" While Ingot struggled to understand their circumstances, Psalms had a sinking feeling he knew all too well what had transpired, but he needed to move fast if he was to make sure his belief was true. It would mean that Twilight needed help. "Ain't natural, I agree. You need to get your family into the basement and you need to stay there. Me and Thomas will head on over to Ponyville and find out what's happening. Princess Twilight may need our help." "Ponyville? You ain't traveling to Ponyville on hoof, not in this weather, and there's no guarantee that the train's even running with these conditions." Psalms shrugged his shoulders. "We gotta head to Ponyville or Canterlot, one way or another. We'll check the train station. If they're out of service... well, we'll figure it out along the way." "Why not just use your wings? Those things are more than just ornamental chick magnets, right?" Ink called out as she and the rest of the family convened unto their spot. Rush could be seen digging himself into his mother's mane, terrified of the whipping wind outside. Again, Psalms simply shrugs. "Like our horns, we weren't taught how to use them. I doubt Rush can give us any pointers; can you, squirt?” A clap of thunder cracked above, its roar causing Rush to squeal his answer. "FAST FLAPPY AND FLY!" He retreated deeper into Honey's nape. "I wouldn't want either of you to even think of flying with this storm out if you could. In fact, I should have half the mind to forbid you from even leaving our sanctity. Celestia knows what's causing this, but I can guarantee it's nothing good!" Honey exclaimed within mother mode. Psalms took one of her hoofs into his own, his reassuring face doing little to calm the mare's nerves. "It's precisely why it isn't good that we need to go. I know you want only the best for us, but this is something we need to do." "Er, why exactly?" Thomas inquired as he reached the two, giving Psalms a curious eye. "Why do I have to go? Being the guardian or protector of this world is your job, and I'd love to help out, but I'm not exactly cut out for some action, not in this body. We'd just be getting ourselves killed more than anything." "I understand your concern, but I need to confirm this threat before time runs out, and yes, time is of the essence. And I told you that I'd look out for you, Thomas, and I will, but I will do so with you under my wing. Like you said earlier, you're stuck with me." A short snort escapes from Thomas as he reflects on Psalms' words, before relenting with a nod. Another clap of thunder echoes through the sky, its roar slightly shuddering the windows. "Come one, we need to get to the train station before it gets worse out there. Mr. Ingot... uh, Dad, do have the bits to cover the tickets?" Ingot retreated into his bedroom to retrieve the money as Ink fished out two rain cloaks which both stallions accepted heartily. "I've been meaning to ask if you guys had any spare clothes lying around. Going all-natural just isn't my thing." Thomas remarked as he fastened the cloak tight against his back, leaving him covered for the most part. "With magical modesty being a thing here, it's no wonder that ponies don't wear clothes all the time." Psalms commented just as Ingot returned, a small satchel of bits within his jaws. "Should be more than enough to get you by for at least a week, wherever you go." Ingot said, before fastening the satchel around Psalms' neck. Wielding his magic, he fetched out a single saddle bag kit from a nearby closet which he hoisted upon Thomas's back. Two pairs of bottled water and an assortment of snacks were jammed into the bag's pockets. "I am hoping there is nothing to this weather phenomenon, but should there be any trouble, you head back here if'n you can and we'll help you out. Understood?" Ingot brought both stallions into a tight hug. They were joined by the others soon enough. "You two be safe out there. You're family now. I'd hate to lose either of you so soon." "Don't worry, I have faith that all will go well, although we may be gone for some time." Psalms and Thomas broke the hug apart as they ventured out the front door, their family calling out to them along the way. "Please be safe! And make sure to keep hydrated! And steer clear of trees when taking shelter from lightning, they are not adequate cover!" Honey anxiously advised, her hoofs dancing with worry. "If you're going on some epic adventure then make sure to bring back souvenirs!" Ink requested with a cocky smile etched on her face. Not a hint of worry adorned her character. Rush was abuzz with energy and excitement, his fear quelled from seeing his new brothers braving the storm. "Kick-kick-kick their butts! All their butts! Butts, balls, and buckets! Kick them all!" Psalms and Thomas waived away as they walked past the front gate and crested the top of the hill, taking a moment to look back upon their new home and family. "We will be fine, right Psalms?" "I won't lie, anything can happen to us, Thomas. But have faith, because sometimes, that's all you need." The walk towards the train station was an anxious one as the rolling waves of clapping thunder assaulted the duo's ears. Both stallions had yet to see any actual lightning or flashes in the sky, but they nonetheless opted to pick up the pace lest they tempted fate. Ingot's isolated farm was situated to the South-Southwest of Ponyville which consisted of a commute of nearly two hours on hoof and less than half of that on a train. Traffic along the dirt road was practically non-existent when the family was traveling on the wagon back home, granted neither Psalms nor Thomas paid any attention to that aspect of the travel at the time, but it was virtually a dead zone all around as the pair traveled further down the route. Not a speck of hide or feather from any creature could be spotted around for miles. Even the insects could sense the figurative dread hanging in the air and wisely chose to remain silent, leaving an eerie silence occasionally broken by claps of thunder. "Uh, Psalms, this shit be getting a bit spooky for a cartoon for little girls. Are we going up against Cthulhu or something?" Thomas couldn't help but reflect his eyes this way or that, a creeping feeling of an imminent ambush frazzling his nerves. "No, nothing like that...at least I don't think so. Like I said earlier, I need to confirm our foe to ascertain where we are in the timeline, assuming we are in the canon timeline and not some alternate one. If everything checks out, we'll be facing some abominable yeti-man wannabe and his gorilla henchmen." "And you're absolutely sure you know how everything plays out, right?" "Oh, yeah, totally. More so than the cartoon, because this event happened in Mlp's first featured movie. The story was meh, but the animation rocks." "Oh... well... that's good, I guess." Thomas's next question left him even more anxious as to its answer. "...Say, now that I think about it, you said we planned on helping Twilight out, right? Which I'm assuming means interjecting ourselves into the movie's script, thus potentially changing its outcome. Aren't we kinda shooting ourselves in the foot by changing the story up? Or even the show's canon events for that matter?" Psalms had to take a minute to reflect on the possible outcomes of their interference. "...It's always a possibility, I suppose, but there's no helping it now. Psalms and Thomas don't exist within MLP, so our presence already is a divergence from the main canon. We can only hope that it is the only divergence at this point. As for changing the movie's script? ...I honestly don't know. Yeah, it isn't the wisest of choices, and everything resolves itself in the end so we could just stay at home and do nothing and we'd be fine." Psalms paused again as he reflected beyond the movie. "...If this was the Equestria that I know all too well, I wouldn't have to do a single thing to keep it safe, because it already is destined for good to always prosper. The girls would always pull through in the end, and all I would have to do is sit back, stay out of the way, and do nothing." "But that can never be allowed to happen. I cannot afford to slack off, not now, not ever. This isn't the cartoon world I grew up watching as a kid. It looks like it, it feels like it, and it may mimic it in every way possible to a T, but it has one significant difference. Evil is here. Pure unfiltered, uncompromising, unrelenting, true evil has set foot within this world, a Demon; and it may strike anytime, anywhere, and at anyone." "So yes, we may be screwing up the story for the worse by doing this, but... I can't sit back and do nothing, Thomas. I'd be betraying my duty to God above. He sent me here for a reason, and that was to protect and help these ponies from any and all evil. We have no choice but to go through with this." Psalms resumed the trek forward. "Besides," Psalms added further, "the show's canon is mostly episodic in nature with sporadic big baddies sprinkled here or there. We'll only interject ourselves whenever necessary. Should alleviate any damage our presence may do, but still, no guarantee on anything." "Whatever you say, man. I'm just glad you're competent enough to have thought this through." Thomas finishes as the duo takes notice of abandoned luggage and carts adorning the sides of the dirt road. "Anyway, I think I see the station up ahead." True to his word, the wooden figure of the train station could be seen adjacent to its iron railway tracks with a single train docked. The first signs of life since leaving the farm were witnessed as a large group of hectic ponies scrambled this way or that, sat frustrated to the side, or joined together to yell at what appeared to be the train conductor. Said conductor tried in vain to pacify the crowd, but was met with increasing failure. The ruckus the crowd made hampered any attempt to ascertain why they were upset to begin with, leaving the alicorns to make way for the ticket kiosk booth to ask why. Just as they are about to voice themselves out, the kiosk mare takes one bored look at them before grabbing a roughly handled paper and began to drone out the script with a dreadfully dull tone. "All ticket sales to Appleloosa, Dodge City, and Las Pegasus have been suspended by court order five-seven-seven. In accordance, with official Ponyville court orders, all ticket prices for remaining operational railways may vary and fluctuate. The only remaining operational route is through Ponyville via the Friendship Express. Train departs in...-" The mare turns to face the clock behind her before returning to the duo. "-sixteen minutes. If you have any questions, concerns, or complaints, please file them through the proper respective channels of the Equestrian Railway Public Transport Service Branch. Thank you and have a nice day." The alicorn brothers shared glances with each other, both surprised to find the mare so calm amid the currently present panicking ponies. "Uh, hi." Psalms venture forth, "We just came from, uh, one of the local farmsteads, and we were wondering what exactly is ha-" "If you have any questions, concerns, or complaints, please file them through the proper respective channels of the Equestrian Railway Public Transport Service Branch." The mare repeated back, popping a potato chip into her mouth, eyes forever fixated on her fashion designer magazine as she addressed Psalms. "Oh, no, I'm not asking about the tra-" "All ticket sales to Appleloosa, Dodge City, and Las Pegasus have been suspended by court order five-seven-seven. The only remaining operational route is through Ponyville via the Friendship Express." The mare yet again interrupts Psalms. "Again, ma'am, we aren't asking about th-" And once again. "This kiosk and its occupant are reserved only for the physical transaction of available train tickets and provision of corporate-sponsored brochure flyers for Equestria's top premier hot spots. Solicitation is prohibited on all Equestrian Railway Public Transport Service Branch-owned property and fines may be issued upwards of five hundred bits should repeated offenses be made. Thank you and have a nice day." The mare had seemingly struck a nerve with Thomas as he finally found his voice to chime in. "Listen hear you puke-flavored cupcake, we're on important busi-" Thomas's poor choice of words had equally struck a nerve with the mare as she adorned a faux-friendly smile before reaching for the shutter nob, seconds away from slamming her kiosk closed. "Thank you and have a nice da-" "Wait!" Psalms screamed as his wings involuntarily extended to jam the shutter open. The mare was left flabbergasted as she made note of a male with both wings and a horn. Equally as surprised, Psalms ever so slowly willed his wings to pry the shutter back up into its cavity, his understanding of how his wings functioned being revealed by the second. The mare offered no resistance. "Uh, sorry. Look, what my brother said is true. We're on important business, and we need to know what is happening out there... oh, and we'd like two tickets to Ponyville, please." The mare continued to remain stunned for a few more moments before finally shaking herself free. One big stink eye landed on the two as she fished out two train tickets as requested. "Ponyville. Of course. That'll be twenty-eight bits." Psalms placed the bits onto the kiosk and the transaction was completed upon receiving the tickets. "Thank you, ma'am. I hate to be of more trouble, but we could use a little more insight as to what's happening. Perhaps you can shed some light?" "Same shindig, different day. Ponies being ponies." The mare ' elaborated'. Psalms failed to grasp her meaning. "...What? I don't understand what that means." The mare rolled her eyes before responding. "Ponyville. Nuff said." "Enough with the riddles lady, we aren't natives. Just spill the beans already." Thomas was quick to cut in. The mare heaved a heavy sigh before setting her exhausted eyes on the duo. "Ponyville issued another five-seven-seven court order and ponies all around are rightfully peeved. With all the trains clogged, there's nowhere to go except to Ponyville itself." The mare set her sights on the sky above. "And nopony is keen on following the storm trails. So they stay here, and they whine and complain, and I am not paid enough for this." "You seem awfully calm compared to all the others," Thomas noted. "As I said, it's Ponyville. I've been working at this kiosk for well over a decade and up until the day that Twilight girl went over there, everything around was peaceful. Nowadays though, they be hoofing out five-seven-sevens like candy, clogging up the tracks for 'evacuation', even though not a single pony from Ponyville has ever used it." "The court orders are for an emergency evacuation of Ponyville? Huh. One would think a small town wouldn't have so much trouble to warrant something like that." Psalms commented back. "When is it not in trouble? From bugbears to centaurs to evil alicorns, Spirit of Chaos, star bears, you name it, Ponyville has dealt with it. Trouble just keeps finding itself there, so much so that the mayor has become trigger-happy. It's gotten to the point that if one of her precious ponies so much thinks that they smelled the fart of a diamond dog, the whole town panics, and in come the court orders, clogging up the rail system and leaving many ponies like these stranded. Sometimes for days. This latest order came in about twenty minutes ago." "So, what's today's special then?" Thomas asked. The mare offered a limp shrug. "I don't know, something about airships spewing black smoke and big monkeys. It'll be resolved by the end of the day, just you wait." "'Fraid we can't do that, ma'am. Duty calls. If you can ship the train out now, we'd be grateful." The mare remains at her spot for a moment before relenting to Psalms' request. "I'll see what I can do... your highnesses." The mare departs before Psalms could interject. "...Oh yeah, I keep forgetting that we're pretty much royalty." Thomas asserted as he watched the mare retreat to the back. "Yeah, technically we are. Please don't let it get your head though. The last thing I need is you flaunting it around and making more trouble than necessary." Thomas snorted before sending a glare Psalms' way, indignation radiating off his words. "I know all too well how shit like that goes down. Don't preach to the choir, kid." Thomas said his piece before roughly turning towards the train. Anypony who got in his way was rudely shoved past without so much as a word being muttered. Yikes. Think I hit a nerve there. Blowing out a soft sigh, Psalms maneuvered himself over to the train conductor and his many hecklers. Said conductor had given up trying to pacify the crowd and anxiously eyed his pocket watch and the nearby hanging clock, no doubt counting down to the second he could officially make way to Ponyville. There was no sign of the mare yet, so Psalms opted to hang around and eavesdrop on the others around him. "-elling you, it's that dragon from years back. It's back and it wants to roost agai-" "-aw it with my own eyes! Big hairy beasts jumping down from great wooden coconu-" "-ou don't think it's an invasion, do you? I heard one of them weather ponies say that from Manehatten all the way to Las Pegasus, storms and airships dotted the sky." "Whatever it is, I'm sure Princess Twilight and her friends are on the case by now." "Eh, I don't think so. They're up in Canterlot still setting up the festival, remember? The one we were taking the train to get there early for?" "So? There's no way that nopony up on that mountain can't see all the smoke blotting the sky." "I don't know about that. I heard one of the pegasi say they saw one of the ships engulfed in regular clouds before turning all smokey and thundery, like camouflage. Not to mention that with this Friendship Festival being the biggest event of the year, all weather ponies have been called across the kingdom to keep the skies clear. They probably think that these are just far away mild and wild thunderstorms, not an invasion. Canterlot is gonna be in for one rude surprise." At last, the mare from the kiosk entered the picture as she briskly made way for the conductor. She catches sight of Psalms to her side and gives him a nod before handing the conductor a note and whispers into his ear. Relief flooded through him as the mare retreated before he fished out his whistle and gave a hearty blow, silencing all. "Last call for Ponyville! Departing immediately! AAALLLL Aboard!" Immediately following his call, A clap of thunder sounded overhead, causing all heads to turn. Up above among the clouds, a dark smokey trail slithered its way over the train station. A faint blue glow emanated within the dark storm, its shape like piercing jagged eyes. By Psalms guess, it was trudging along toward Canterlot, followed by a dozen or more smokey trails. His suspicions were all but confirmed, yet it made no difference in his plans. The conductor scrambled into the train in a panic as the rest of the gathered ponies entered into a frenzied hysteria as a couple of the smoke trails veered away and descended toward the train station. Psalms felt a tugging sensation as Thomas's magic grip pulled him toward the train's passenger car. "Psalms! Get in! The trains already departing!" Psalms turned his eyes back to the ponies as they ran around like headless chickens as the now visible airships dropped anchor upon the station. Big furry bipedal creatures could be seen hopping over the ship's rails and immediately gave chase to those around. They'll be fine. Those things are relatively harmless and they'll just cage them up. They'll be free by the end of the day today or tomorrow... unless I'm in some alternate M-rated dimensi- "Psalms!? Move!" Thomas cried out, his shout attracting the attention of several creatures who dashed for the train. Quick on his heel, Psalms galloped and plunged himself into the open car door, painfully sliding himself down the aisle. Thomas attempted to shut the door but was foiled as the storm creatures pounced and forced entry into the car. Thomas was quick to deliver a magical punch that jostled one of the creatures off and onto the tracks, but it was soon replaced by two more. Psalms levitated one of the food carts present and hurled it into one of the creatures, elicitating a groan and stunning it as the other one closed the gap to Thomas, its claws outstretched and ready to grapple him. The creature brought its arms down on both sides of Thomas, but he was able to duck before getting caught within its grip and followed up with another magic punch into the gut with little effect as the creature's hide and armor absorbed the impact, leaving Thomas open to a swiping counter-attack that sent him flying into the car's wall. The creature was upon him in an instant and tried as he might, Thomas couldn't bring his flailing hooves to deliver any effective hits upon his assailant. The thing wrapped its claws around his waist and hoisted him into the air before making its way toward the car's door, aiming to bail with Thomas in tow. This only increased the alicorn's futile struggle. The other stunned creature recovered and attempt to enter the fight, but a barrage of trash, food, and other random objects from Psalms halted its advance. With one arm shielding its face, the other dug into a small satchel. Within its claw, Psalms was alarmed to see a familiar black marble-looking object with a glowing green center. The creature primed its arm back and pitched the grenade at Psalms, but not before he magically seized the arm of the other creature who had successfully seized Thomas into its clutches, bringing it forefront to the grenade's trajectory. The grenade detonated upon its ally's back, petrifying it on the spot as Psalms successfully plucked Thomas away in the nick of time. With Thomas secure, Psalms hefted the stony creature and rammed it straight into the other, ejecting both from the train. Slamming the door shut, the brief five-minute fight concluded. Psalms struggled to calm his breath as adrenaline ran rampant through his veins. Sweat also drenched his coat, but he was otherwise unharmed. Holy crap! I was not expecting to fight this fricken soon! A small groan escaped from Thomas as he rubbed the back of his head. "Fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck, that hurts...shit was already sore... now it's gonna be ten times worse." "You good?" Psalms called out. Thomas offered an affirming grunt as he got back to his feet. "There aren't any more of those things on the train, are there? This body isn't cut out for physical stuff like that." "I don't know, but stay here. I'll check it out." Psalms finished his sweep five minutes later, having found only terrified and some awed passengers who bore witness to the fight, and the sky outside was clear of any tailing airships. The train was in the clear. Psalms re-entered the first passenger car, finding Thomas situated in one of the seats, a half-full bottle of water by his side. Upon seeing Psalms, he hefted the bottle into his magic grip as an offering. Psalms took his seat across and nodded his thanks before chugalugging away. "I'm assuming we're safe for now?" Thomas asked to which Psalms nodded again. "Good. Good. I talked to the conductor. He says we should arrive in Ponyville in half an hour." Thomas shifted his gaze to a local hanging clock before turning back to Psalms. "Did you know it's only 9:15? Can you believe that? It has only been an hour since we left the farm and already we are fighting evil henchmen. That is what those things are, right? The gorilla henchmen you mentioned earlier?" The last of the water disappeared down Psalms' throat before he responded. "Yes. Storm creatures that serve the Storm King. And that airship with the blue glowing mark we saw back at the train yard? No doubt that was Tempest on her way to crash the party in Canterlot. Her ship is slow so we still have some time before the movie's script start's ramping up." Psalms saw the question on Thomas's mind and opted to explain further. "Tempest Shadow is a unicorn who works for the Storm King. She is the one who hunts Twilight and the others throughout the movie. Basically the driving force." "Alright. So, how does this movie go down? And please tell me there won't be any singing." "'Fraid there is. Quite a bit actually. Anyway, to sum it up, the movie begins with Twilight and her friends in Canterlot. Tempest and her minions come busting in and subdue all the Princesses save Twilight. She is told to go to the land of the hippogriffs where she must ask for their magical aid. So she and the gang travel to some desert town and meet a feline friend who sells them out and they are forced onto a pirate ship and they... it's a lot harder than I thought trying to summarize all this." "Yeah, your summary isn't short enough for my liking." "Alright look, right now we're barely in the prologue of the movie. When we meet up and begin our travel with the girls, just follow along and let them do their thing for the most part. The movie's beats will play out and we'll be done before you know it." "If you say so." Thomas relented before turning to look out the window, silence descending onto the two. Psalms however wasn't finished with Thomas just yet. "You said it was thirty minutes till we get there, right?" Thomas nodded. "Good. Gives me time to finally get some questions I've had about you off my chest if you don't mind me asking." Thomas reflected on Psalms' words before finding himself surprised. "Oh, wow. Aside from my name, I haven't told you a lick about me, have I?" "Nope. I figured since we had some time, now is better than later. I said something back at the station that riled you up, right? I don't want to make that mistake again, so, maybe you can tell me a bit about yourself?" "Hmm. I suppose that's fair enough reasoning." Thomas took a moment to reflect on his human life before answering. "Well, my name is Thomas Vinditti. I'm twenty-two years old, and life lately has been... rough for me to say the least. I had it good growing up though, well, better off than most anyway; although when your mom is a trophy wife and your dad is a career politician, things can go to shit pretty fast." Thomas made himself more comfortable before continuing. "Yeah, dad is a real piece of shit. The definition of a career politician. He cheats, he lies, he fools, and he wins. Flaunts his power and ego everywhere and to everyone and fools see fit to elect him year after year. One election year, his opponent finally had enough and did whatever they could to bring some dirt onto Dad's shine. Long story short, they conned me. Hard. And I had to pay the price just for being his son. Son of a bitch had the gall to blame me for losing the election, and before I knew it, I was disowned and relocated to some back-water nowhere town in the bumb fuck middle of Nebraska where there's nothing but boredom and prairies." Thomas's teeth clenched tight as a snarl presented itself before Psalms. "Never should've trusted her. Deep down I knew she was too good to be true. Now I have nothing left, all because of her." Before Psalms could ask, Thomas shook his head clear of the boiling rage. "Sorry. I didn't mean for you to hear that. Please don't ask about it...at least not so soon." Psalms obliged Thomas's request as he set that question on the back burner. "So, yeah. Earth Politics sucks fucking ass and it ruined me. My bright future full of potential has been reduced to me having a permanent mark on my record and working at the deli of a local grocery store for minimum wage with no outlook of any better-paying jobs." "The last moments of my human life that I remember was me coerced into working a late shift for no overtime. When I finally finished, I stormed out of the damned place and couldn't afford to rent a cab, so I opted to walk home and...and then..." Thomas's hide visibly rippled as he struggled to find his next words... but they never came. Instead, he shook his head in refusal to reminisce any further and reflected his eyes to the outside once more. The train came to a gradual halt as Ponyville drew itself closer. Thunder rumbled across the town as airships hovered overhead belching out smoke and storm clouds. Thomas and Psalms were too late. Ponyville had fallen. This fact did not deter the two as they exited the train car and set their sights on the little village. "Remind me again why we came here if the movie begins in Canterlot?" Thomas inquired. "We may be alicorns, but we know jack-shit about magic or how to fight. We got lucky back on the train, but that little battle proved to me that my internal mana storage is very small and because of that, we may be more of a hindrance than help to the girls when we tag along. So, to remedy that, I'm calling in the calvary. Fair warning, what I plan on doing is most likely gonna flip the script on its head. Now come on, we need to get to Twilight's castle over there." Following Psalms' pointing, Thomas can't help but cringe. "That is an eyesore of a castle if I ever saw one. How are we gonna get to it?" Creeping up along the train station's edge, Psalms is witness to the storm creatures herding chained ponies toward the town center. "Just as I figured. They're taking the prisoners into the center of town. Twilight's castle lies on the very edge of Ponyville's borders, so we can very easily flank the outskirts of town and reach it without catching their attention. Follow my lead." True to Psalms' word, The duo reached the castle without incident as they ducked and bobbed and weaved under bushes and around houses and through the trees. Sliding along the castle's walls, the duo reach the front entrance, found the doors unlocked, and dashed inside with the enemy none the wiser... or so they believed at the time. "Alright, we made it. What now, ninja?" "Now, we need to find the library. There's a machine that holds a portal to another world. A human world." Thomas couldn't hold back a choke upon hearing Psalms' words. "And you decide to tell me this now!? I was getting worked up for nothing!?" "Let me finish. It's a human world, yes, but it is not Earth. It's a reflection of Equestria where every person is a human. It's not a way home, Thomas. And don't think you can stay there either should there be no way of going back to Earth. That world is familiar with equestrian magic and it won't stop you from morphing into a demon or whatever should you let your emotions run rampant." "...Dammit. Knew things wouldn't be that easy. Alright, fine. Why do we need this thing?" "Not the machine itself, but the people it was built for." Psalms scanned the crystal hallway for clues as to the library's whereabouts, but it proved to be futile. "How does anybody get around in here? None of these doors are marked at all." Thomas took a minute to observe the hallway as well before making his suggestion. "Looks like we'll have to Scooby-Doo through this problem.” Psalms turned and raised a brow back at Thomas, prompting him to elaborate. "What? You know about Scooby-Doo, right? That little gag they do where they go through one door and pop out another? Ringing any bells? ...No? Oh, whatever let's just get this over with." And so they did. Painstainkenly checking one room after another throughout the maze-like castle. Eventually, luck was struck as Thomas called out for Psalms. The library was just like Psalms remembered from the show, except far more grand in person. Situated near the center, was a purple horseshoe mirror encased around an elaborate steam-punk-looking magical machine. Just off to the side was a pedestal holding a closed magical journal. Yes! everything is here. "Good job, Thomas. Alright, looks like everything is here. Give me a minute." Walking up towards the journal, Psalms plucks the feather quill, applies ink to its head, flips the journal to its latest entry, and began writing. Hope this works. My penmanship hasn't been tested with magic yet. (Sunset Shimmer? Are you there?) Psalms set the quill to the side and was forced to play the waiting game. Nearly a minute passed before the journal began to glow with a spectrum of colors as words magically appeared before him. (Twilight? Back already? How did the Friendship Festival go?) Psalms was quick to pick the quill back up but hesitated just before applying ink. Should I pretend to be Twilight and urge her over... no. No, there's no reason to deceive. (This isn't Twilight Sparkle. My name is-) Psalms quickly skimmed for an equestrian name that he felt comfortable in, and before long he had it and resumed writing. (Fire Quill.) A few seconds passed before Sunset responded back. (And you are?) (A friend of Princess Twilight. Listen to me, Equestria is in the midst of an invasion from a foreign force and I need you and your friend's help to aid Twilight in her quest.) A flurry of words magicked before him in quick succession. (Invasion!? By who!?) (Somebody called 'The Storm King'. You've never heard of him but his minions have taken over Ponyville and other cities across Equestria. Ponies everywhere are under lock and key and his forces are almost at Canterlot. Twilight and everybody else over there are completely unaware of the danger coming. I need your help. I don't know how to turn this machine on so you need to come in through your side.) This time around, Sunset took longer to respond than Psalms was comfortable with. The book eventually came to magical life again. (I know next to nothing about you and you come to me warning of an invasion across Equestria, urging me to open the mirror portal on my side to 'help' you. Why exactly should I trust your word?) A resounding crash echoed from the front of the castle. The sounds of grunts and soft roars reverberated into the library. The brothers were caught flat-footed as several storm creatures spotted the pair through the open library door. Thomas was quick to shut the door and barricade it with whatever laid nearby, including himself. The impact of several bodies against the door was barely repelled as Thomas used all his strength to keep them out. "Whatever you're doing, get it done! Times up!" (There's nothing I can write that'll convince you! Storm creatures are here and at the library door! Brother can't hold, our magic too weak! Help! Help! Please! Ple-) Psalms was interrupted as a heavy blast rocked the library. The doors were slammed open with extreme force, knocking the makeshift barricade apart and ejecting Thomas over by Psalms feet. In walked six storm creatures. claws primed and ready to snatch up more prisoners. Thomas was quick to climb back to his feet, eyeing the room for any weapons before settings his sights on a nearby wooden table. Hoisting it with his magic, he equips it as a makeshift battering ram/shield and charges into the right-most flank of the group. He slams himself into one of the creatures knocking it off its feet before bringing the shield up as the other creature latched onto it, locking the two into a tug of war. Psalms was quick to flank the group's left and started hefting the biggest books he could find and hurled them into the remaining creatures, hoping to keep them distracted and off Thomas's back while he struggled with his two opponents. The creatures proved to be more competent than Psalms gave them credit as one of them ordered another to split from the other three and reinforced the already overwhelmed Thomas, who could do nothing as he became surrounded on all fronts. Psalms' book barrage did little to slow the last three as they too swarmed him from all three sides. Just before either group could pounce on their respective targets, a flurry of magic swirled and lit up the room as the mirror and machine sparkled to life. A torrent of power flooded through the mirror and within a flash, a yellow screaming figure came hurtling through. Sunset found herself sprawled on the floor in a daze. "Another happy landing." Sunset voiced out in a loopy voice before shaking her head clear and shifting her focus around the room. She was quick to find herself in the spotlight as every head had turned to witness her floundering body fly threw the air. "...Help us!" Thomas called out, snapping the storm creatures out of it, leaving two of them to turn towards their new foe. It took Sunset a moment to remember she possesses magic before she summoned it forth with great force. The two creatures who had closed in on her were hoisted into the air and flung hard into one another, clocking them out for good. Witnessing a far greater threat, one more creature from Psalms and Thomas's groups broke off and formed a new pair targeting Sunset, more caution applied than the last two. Sunset was quick to summon magical blasts that pummeled her two assailants, who bore the attacks and shielded themselves however they could. Having gained much-needed relief, Thomas continued to physically struggle with his shield as his storm creature tried to pry it away. Meanwhile, Pslams did not relent in hurling books wherever he could at his own foe and the others. As Thomas continued his struggle, he spotted a wooden stool directly behind the creature. Thinking fast, he ceased his magical grip on the table and instead applied it to the stool, accelerating it into the back of the creature's leg, bringing it crashing to its knees. Thomas hooked the stool above its head and slammed down hard. For extra measure, Thomas topped it with a double stomping strike of his front hooves directly into the creature's face, knocking it out of the fight for good. Thomas then shot the stool over to Psalms' side, scoring a hit on the back of the creature's head. Psalms was quick to follow up with books striking the left, right, lower and upper sides of the creature's face, before finishing it off by sandwiching the creature's head between the heaviest tomes at hand, leaving it to crumble into an unconscious heap. Both brothers were soon witnesses to one of the creatures soaring through the air and landing hard into the shelves, burying it under Twilight's personal catalog. The last creature struggled to retreat but was soon snatched into the air by Sunset who twirled it with great speed before letting it smack into the floor. Dazed beyond anything, the creature attempted to slowly clamber back onto its feet but was finally defeated when Thomas slammed the wooden table on top of it, officially ending the fight. Both Psalms and Thomas were left drenched and haggard while Sunset seemed to not even break a sweat. "Nicely done boys. I didn't know what to expect coming through the mirror, but you two handled yourselves nicely." She took a minute to survey the two. "Which one of you is Fire Quill?" Thomas's breath hitched within his throat, leaving him to gag and choke on the air for a bit before clearing his lungs. Upon his face, a newfound mad delirium adorned his face. "Fire!? FIRE!? Where!? Where!? get it away from me!" He screamed out as he buried himself into one of the room's corners. His little outburst startled Sunset and Psalms considerably. Psalms was quick to reach his side as Sunset continued to stare in perplexion and mild caution. "Woah, Woah, hey! Thomas! Calm down, man. Calm down, there is no fire. She just said my name, that's all. Look around you, we won. We're ok. Here-" Pslams plucked a water bottle from Thomas's bag and swiftly handed it over to his brother who greedily began to gulp it down. As the seconds passed by, Thomas's breathing reached calmer levels and his crazy face fully disappeared upon finishing the last of the water. "...Uh, is there anything I can do?" Sunset hesitantly asked. "No. No, he's good now. We both are thanks to you. If you hadn't jumped in, we'd be in chains by now. Thank you." Thomas wordlessly offered his thanks as well, having regained his senses. "Well, I'm glad I did. I almost dismissed you as saboteurs or invaders trying to lure me to open the portal. I'm assuming you're Fire Quill?" "The hell he is." Thomas croaked out before Psalms could confirm. His use of harsh language earned a wince from Sunset. "His name is Psalms," Thomas spoke to Sunset before shifting over to his brother. "Your name is Psalms. What the fuck is with this 'Fire Quill' shit?" He demanded. Psalms was hesitant to answer. "...It's my name...my pony name...that I came up with just now..." Psalms trailed off as Sunset's puzzled face wavered not. "Look I'll explain later, we don't have time to be idle. Sunset, meet Thomas. Thomas, meet Sunset. We all on the same page? Good. Now-" Psalms turned his attention back to the mirror, a faint glow circulating throughout it and the machine, indicating its powered state, "-with the machine on, we need to get your friends. Their magic and geodes will come in handy in Canterlot." Mild shock found its way onto Sunset's face. "How do you know about the...forget it. You're going to explain yourself later." Turning towards the mirror, Sunset begins her trek back to the human world. "It may take me a few minutes to gather the girls, so wait here and-" "Watch out!" Thomas cried out as he slammed himself into Sunset's side, knocking them both out of the way as one of the petrification grenades was hurled by. Unbeknownst to the group, the storm creature who had been buried under the book rubble was not yet out of the fight. While the ponies had been preoccupied talking among themselves, the creature ever so slowly reached into its satchel and snatched up a grenade, cautious as to not make any sudden moves. As it primed its arm for the throw, one of the books slid off its hide and slammed into the ground, alerting Thomas to its intent, but he was too late and too exhausted to intercept the projectile, opting to instead clear Sunset from the danger. The mirror was petrified on the spot in exchange. "Oh no! The mirror!" Sunset and Psalms exclaimed in unison. Meanwhile, Thomas was quick to gallop over to the pinned creature and applied two hoof bucks into its skull, rendering it cold. Sunset and Psalms frantically surveyed the mirror, hoping beyond hope that it was still operational and usable. Alas, the portal was shut off, and the machine powered down not a moment later. Oh fuck. Oh crap. Dammit! ...Shit, there goes my plan... at least we have sunset though...ok we can salvage this. Sunset will have to do. Sunset was in a frenzy trying to reactivate the portal. She applied her magic in various ways in the hope of removing the obsidian. "No, no, no, no! Nothings working! My magic is being repelled by this dark matter! Hngg! ...Gaaah!" Sunset screamed in frustration as she kicked at the dark substance in a last-ditch attempt to remedy the situation. She hangs her head against the dark stone, a small teardrop forming in the corner of her eye. "What if it never comes off? What if I can never go home again?" "Sunset...I'm sorry. I didn't mean for this to happen. But I don't think you need to worry about the machine. Far as I can tell it just turns stuff into obsidian, kinda like a cockatrice. If there is a way to do it, then it can be undone." After a moment, Sunset nods her head in agreement as she wipes the tear away. "Right. You're right. I'm getting ahead of myself. And besides, who's to say that there isn't another way home, right?" "Guys!" Thomas's shouts ring out from within the hall; he had left the library without Psalms or Sunset noticing. A second later he sprints back into the room before barricading the door once more. "More of those things are coming! The whole town invasion force is converging on us, and this time they have magic-repelling shields! We need to leave! Now!" "Sunset." Psalms was quick to turn to her. "Can you teleport us as close to Canterlot as you can?" "I...I don't know. It's been a while since I wielded unicorn magic again. I don't know how far my teleport will get for all three of us." Resounding bangs along with roars and grunts sounded off behind the library doors. "Anywhere is better than here! Just do it!" Thomas demanded. Powerful magic radiated off of Sunset's horn as she focused all her mana on herself and the brothers. The air became electrified and the smell of ozone filled their lungs. Within a flash and a pop, All three were gone. Somewhere below the Canterlot Castle itself, a pop of magic was heard, soon followed by the grunts and groans of three ponies who suffered a mild drop from where they first appeared. "Oh...I don't feel so good..." Commented Thomas as he held a hoof to his stomach. The color green coated his cheeks. "Yeah...yeah, you get used to that feeling...eventually." Sunset dryly commented before sitting herself up. Smoke rose from the tip of her horn. "...We're too late..." Psalms noted to the others as they set their sights above. Sure enough, pillars of storm clouds and smoke blotted the sky above with airships hovering overhead, seemingly in search of something. "...Alright. I think it's time for some answers. Just who is the Storm King? Why is he here? And how do you know about him when Canterlot is... was oblivious to his campaign? Furthermore, how do you know about the human world along with our geodes and powers? The only ones who know anything about that here are Twilight and the princesses, and I can't imagine her telling somepony I've never met all about us. And to top all of this, Psalms and Thomas aren't pony names." Sunset shifted her accusing eye between the two stallions, but only Thomas paid her any mind as Psalms struggled to come up with their next course of action. Sunset saw that Psalms was lost in his mind and instead focused her attention solely on Thomas. "...Well?" Thomas reflected his eyes left and right in apprehension. "Well...I don't know... The storm king is a...-" Thomas's hoof swirled circles in the air, his mind trying to come up with an answer, "-...like an abominable...yeti-thing? According to Psalms anyway." "And how did you come to find out about him?" Sunset pressed on. "I didn't. Psalms the one who informed me on everything storm king related." "Then why is he here? Why is he doing all of this?" "Girl, I don't know. Why do you keep asking me the questions when clearly Psalms is the one with all the answers? I'm here trying not to barf up breakfast in front of you but yo-" The rest of their argument goes ignored by Psalms as he looks upon his reflection within the river they had teleported by. His mind was asunder with indecision as he struggled to remember how the movie progressed. What do I do? What do I do? We just missed the attack on Canterlot and I can't remember what followed after that...they head off to the desert, to that weird town, but I have no idea how long it takes them from getting from here to there...If only I knew where they are right now... I sure could use some help. Sophia, Lord above, please give me a sign... As he continued to view his reflection, a very familiar stetson hat floats directly by, catching his eyes as he watches it float lazily downstream, not a care in the world for it. At first, Psalms was perplexed by the seemingly random event, but before long his eyes brighten significantly and his resolve strengthens once more. Thank you, Lord Almighty! Thank you, Sophia! Psalms turns back to relay the good news to his companions but finds himself all but forgotten as the two ponies were at each other's throats. Heads bumping against one another and nostrils flaring. "You take that back!" Sunset snarled out. "I will not! All of your pony cities and towns are beyond ridiculous! They're stupid! Las Pegasus? Manehatten? Fillydelphia with an F? What a joke. I may have been screwed over by my country's political trash, but I will forever remain a patriot in heart and your city's ridiculous play on names taken directly from my home offend me greatly! "Guys, guys! What's gotten into you two?" A huff of indignation escapes from Sunset before turning to Psalms. "I may have moved into a new world, but I will not let this stallion slander my Kingdom's names and pride, especially with these bogus claims of plagiarism." ...Are they for real right now? "...Is this really the most important thing going through your minds right now, you two?" "Of course it is!" Sunset asserted. Her face soon fell from that of rage into bewilderment as she ran her words and Psalms in her mind again. "...Wait...no it isn't... I don't even care about the names...why was I..." She turned over to Thomas with a small sheepish smile. "I'm sorry...I think my brain is a bit fried from that teleport." Thomas cupped a hoof to the back of his head equally ashamed at his bout of stupidity. "Y-yeah... I think my head may be bleeding again. What the hell were we fighting over again? Ya know what let's just forget this ever happened and never speak of it again. Shake on it?" Sunset was happy to exchange hooves. Psalms could only shake his head in exasperation before quickly remembering why he sought the two, to begin with. Darting his eyes down the river he could see the stetson hat float further away. "I'm happy for you both but we need to move, now! C'mon, follow me!" Pslams called over his shoulder as he galloped ahead, leaving the other two behind. "Woah, hey! Psalms slow down! We need a minute to rest!" Thomas's receding voice called out to him, but his request fell upon deaf ears. Wheezing breaths afflicted Psalms' lungs as he hid within a bush, having followed the stetson for a bit before it was inevitably returned to its rightful owner. Said owner gripped her beloved hat into her mouth before plopping it in its rightful place. Applejack then turned her back to Psalms as she addressed the others who took shelter under a fallen tree, her words beyond Psalm's hearing range. His eyes lingered not on them though, instead, they found themselves upon the one and only Princess Twilight Sparkle, unknowingly mimicking Psalms earlier as she stared upon her reflection within the water's surface. There she was. Finally, he found her. The memories of this scene playing out flooded his mind and he found himself hatching a plan to properly introduce himself to them, an introduction he needed to time perfectly for the maximum gain. You cannot redo first introductions after all, and Psalms was aiming at getting this one down perfectly. His companions, however, posed a serious threat of revealing themselves before Psalms could do so himself as he heard their hoof steps off to his left. "Yeah, the Queen!" Pinkies words rang out loudly enough for them to hear. "...Pinkie?" Sunset called out before emerging from the brush, her sight immediately set upon the Mane Six. "...Twilight?" Sunset said in mild disbelief. "Sh!" Pslams was quick to shush her. "...Excuse m-" "Sh! Stay low and follow my lead...please... let me do this," Psalms begged before the two. Sunset could only stare at Psalms with growing perplexion before shifting her gaze over to Thomas. He offered only a half hearted shrug, too tired to give damn. Sunset looked back to Psalms pleading eyes before silently relenting to his request. The two followed suit as they dropped to the floor. Time was of the essence and so Psalms along with his companions were quick to crawl over to the edge of the riverbank, the ponies and the dragon on the other side oblivious to their presence. "Hungry?" Spike's worried voice repeated after Pinkie. "Hippos?" Applejack inquired. Being this close to the edge, the group's voices were no longer imperceptible. Psalms moment was coming up fast, but what to say? Something simple? Extravagant? Cheesy? Why was he overthinking this? Why was he wasting time doing something as stupid as this? ...Because it's Twilight, that's why... oh shit, now's the moment, what do I say...Just going with my gut. Psalms turned to his companions and nodded to them before Rising from his spot, they along with him. The girls and Spike were still oblivious to them as Twilight tried to ease their fears. "I understand you're scared. And nopony else has to go." A small surge of courage welled up within Twilight. "But I have to find this Queen. ...She might be our only hope..." "Mind if we lend a hand?" Psalms' voice caused all heads to turn toward them. Applejack, Pinkie, and the other three element bearers had little to no reaction upon seeing the trio, save of course Twilight and Spike. The former was in stunned silence upon seeing her otherworldy friend and the latter in mild surprise. Silence reigned supreme over the river. "...Uh, hand?" Rainbow Dash questioned of all things. This word alone garnered the attention of both Sunset and Twilight who shifted their gaze upon Psalms who began to sweat bullets. "*Ahem* Hoof! ...I mean can we lend a hoof...to you...to help...yeah." ...Fuck... "Real smooth." Thomas chided.