Chapter Ten: Unhappy Landings
~BlackRoseRaven
Scrivener Blooms absently adjusted the collar around his neck: it was made of gorgeous dark silver, engraved with the image of crawling vines of ivy over its length, and with an enlarged, framed hollow at the front of the choker inset with carefully-cut pieces of onyx and white pearl to form a crescent moon. A gift Luna had insisted on getting for him: a little odd perhaps, but something he wore with pride all the same.
It was a perfect fit with the rest of what he was wearing, too: black and silver armor, large, polished pauldrons over his shoulders, adjustable plates along his back, a tight breastplate over his upper body and leaf-shaped plates protecting his lower form and flank. Thin silver chain acted as both cushioning and extra protection beneath the heavier, polished outer layer, and both armor over his shoulders as well as the black plate covering his chest were engraved with the symbols of the crescent moon. Wearing his armor always helped him feel a little less self-conscious... even though he and Luna were currently loading up their wagon in broad daylight, and a crowd had gathered to watch with curiosity as Odin instructed Luna for the thousandth time: “Conceal the anchor from view in a safe place. And remember, do not-”
“Do not antagonize the ponies of this layer, aye, aye.” Luna said grouchily, her own armor gleaming over her body: it was a mix of black alloy plating and azure leather made from hardened dragon scales, designed to give her maximum mobility as well as solid protection. All along the breastplate were etchings of roses and vines, and upon her head rested a blue helm, her horn standing proudly tall through an open, ring-like cradle in the casque. “I understand, Odin.”
She grumbled and shook her head, then glanced over her shoulder at the wagon: it gleamed strangely, covered in golden metal and vaguely barrel-shaped, with a single large door at the back that Scrivener Blooms was locking closed now that he'd ensured they had everything. The wheels were studded and coated with a strange silvery paint, and Luna muttered under her breath as she surveyed the odd transport before looking back at Odin, complaining: “Could thou have made this any uglier? Even if we run afoul of bandits they will be too busy laughing to attack us!”
“Good, then there is less risk to the anchor.” Odin replied dryly, and Luna grumbled under her breath as Scrivener Blooms slipped around to the front of the wagon, and he smiled when Twilight Sparkle slipped forwards to help hook the silvery harness up to his body. “Brynhild, I cannot say enough how important it is that-”
“No, no, I believe thou hast done an excellent job in getting across how important this is.” Luna replied drolly, and the once-god made a pained expression as he rubbed moodily at his face before the winged unicorn shook her head grumpily. “So where shall we summon the Bifrost? I do not wish to call the rainbow bridge in the center of town.”
“Shy?” Odin asked mildly, and Luna gave him a horrible look, twitching once before the old once god sighed a little, gesturing moodily around at the gathered ponies. “They're here to support you, Brynhild.”
“No, they're here to stare at this spectacle, and at thou, mighty Odin.” Luna grumbled, and then she shook her head quickly before stomping her hooves irritably, glancing towards where Antares was bouncing a little in the harness hanging from Scarlet Sage. The young Pegasus gave her a supportive smile, and Luna sighed as she gazed silently at her daughter and son before shaking her head slowly, murmuring: “But... aye. Let's get this over with, Odin, alright.”
“Everypony, move back!” Celestia called clearly, and ponies shifted and fidgeted before the crowd stepped back, even as other, closer friends hemmed in towards the sides, and Celestia smiled despite herself before she turned her eyes towards Luna, saying softly: “Good luck, little sister.”
“Luck, bah. I shall make my own fortune.” Luna muttered, and Celestia smiled at her before the sapphire winged unicorn nodded with a grunt, then glanced towards Scrivener as he shared a quick hug with Twilight. “Cease this groping in public, 'tis indecent. I am right here, after all.”
“We'll take good care of Antares, I promise.” Twilight said softly, and Luna blushed a bit as the violet mare stepped towards her before the two traded a firm embrace. It reassured the sapphire winged unicorn a little, and she gave a small smile before Twilight Sparkle pulled slowly away.
For a moment, Luna stood with Celestia on one side, and Twilight on the other, Scrivener Blooms rigged to the carriage in front of them and smiling faintly at the winged unicorns before Odin tapped his cane twice against the ground, saying quietly: “Let us open the Bifrost, then. Freya, Twilight, will you lend your aid?”
“Of course, Odin.” Celestia said calmly, bowing her head politely, and Odin gave a small, wry smile to her before he turned, leaning on his cane and taking a slow breath as he rose a hand. Luna and Scrivener both bowed their heads forwards, concentrating on the spell, as Celestia and Twilight lowered their own heads after a moment as well, horns beginning to glow as they followed the thrum of energies in the air, focused on pouring their energies into boosting the magic of the others.
Electricity crackled through the air above as ponies stared in awe, gazing up in amazement before a swirling tornado of golden fire tore upwards from the ground in a maelstrom, a sharp, cutting wind blowing past those gathered. The cylinder of wind and flame twisted through the air, the sky rippling before reality shattered like glass, the gleaming tornado tearing through the hole ripped in the air itself before the spinning cyclone burst apart and settled into a glowing arch of rainbow iridescence, white flames licking along the burning Bifrost, the bridge between layers.
And without hesitation, Scrivener Blooms and Luna both ran towards the base of the steep ramp, the wagon clanking loudly as the two ponies traded grins before they charged up the burning bridge with ease, gravity losing all meaning and their hooves almost magnetized to the rainbow light as they ran quickly forwards and up along the archway and into the hole in reality above.
All around them light and sound swirled violently, Luna and Scrivener leaning forwards as electricity sparked through the around, sizzled along their armored bodies, blasted against the walls of the wagon. And yet any fear, any worry, was gone for the moment as adrenaline pumped through their veins and their eyes glowed with excitement and passion. They could feel the energies of the Bifrost spilling through their bodies, hooves pounding over the rainbow bridge as they ran through the tunnel where seconds felt like eons and minutes felt like moments, laughing in a world where every sound felt like an image and every picture made its own distinct whisper...
Yet in moments, it was over, the two ripping through the other end of the tunnel and emerging into a reality where the first thing they both noticed was the red sky overhead, the two ponies charging down the ramp of the rainbow bridge as cold air assaulted their bodies before Scrivener's eyes widened as he realized they were running straight towards sand. He winced as he felt gravity returning, and Luna gritted her own teeth before she quickly flicked her horn upwards, electricity surging through her mane before the sandy ground erupted upwards and formed a gentler incline over the end of the archway.
Scrivener wheezed as he passed onto this, dragging the wagon behind him before he felt the wheels sinking into the soft sand, and he gave a groan of relief as he naturally slowed to a halt. Luna followed not far behind before she skidded to a stop beside him, then both ponies looked over their shoulders, watching the Bifrost glimmer for a moment before it shattered apart like glass, floating silently upwards as the hole in reality sealed shut.
The excitement and exhilaration they had both felt surging through their bodies was already quickly dying as they took stock of where they were, both breathing hard, muscles aching from the short but brutal run. Slowly, Luna looked back and forth, at the jagged teeth of mountains barely visible in the northern distance, and the sand that was all around them everywhere else for endless miles... and then the winged unicorn threw her head back with a groan, shouting furiously at the red sky: “Odin dumped us in the middle of a damnable desert!”
“That was a jerk move on his part. Even I have to say that.” Scrivener mumbled, and Luna nodded in agreement as she ground her teeth together in frustration before the earth pony winced a little, his eyes roving apprehensively up to the red sky as he added moodily: “I really hope that we've arrived at sunset, though, Luna. Because... otherwise...”
“It reminds all too strongly of the layer we came from... the corrupted layer of reality.” Luna murmured softly, and Scrivener gave a faint smile as Luna shivered once, rolling her shoulders as a strong wind gusted by and a chill dug at her bones, mumbling: “Oh, and 'tis cold, too. Glorious. Deserts are not supposed to be cold.”
“Actually...” Scrivener halted at the sour look Luna gave him, and instead he shook his head, clearing his throat after a moment. “Nevermind, then. But... Luna, can you tell where we are at all? The layers are supposed to reflect each other, right?”
Luna nodded slowly, looking nervously back and forth as she muttered: “'Tis true, aye. We have visited other layers in the past, after all, on those fun little vacations that frustrated Odin so... and there were always similarities. But this place... I need a better view, Scrivener Blooms. I shall return in a moment.”
Scrivener nodded, and Luna grimaced as she spread her wings, then leapt into the air and took quick flight, feeling a nip of distaste pass through her but ignoring it for now. Figuring out where they were was much more important than whether she was comfortable or not at the moment, as she shot skywards and glanced moodily up towards the dark clouds overhead, wondering for a moment whether it was a natural formation, or if somewhere, Pegasi had produced this...
A moment later, Luna tore into the storm cloud, pushing upwards through darkness and wet, black mist before her eyes widened as something hissed past her, and she snarled as she spun quickly on the spot, her horn giving a single pulse that tore the cloud around her apart and left her in a narrow patch of clear sky. Above, stars twinkled like dancing imps in the crimson sky, and Luna allowed her gaze to be drawn upwards towards this strange phenomenon before something cut through the corner of her vision. The sapphire mare quickly looked downwards, shouting: “Reveal thyself, creature, do not force me to rip this cloud apart to see what thou art!”
For a moment, there was only silence... and then a gray, serpentine shape tore out of the cloud and shot towards her on narrow, silent wings, a pair of fanged jaws opening wide before Luna snarled and flicked her horn hard outwards, slicing it across the face. The creature released a hiss as it snapped to the side, and its long tail twisted behind it before whipping savagely across her face even as it was knocked away, Luna cursing in pain as the bladed fin at the end of its tail slashed over her cheek... and below, Scrivener flinched before looking up in shock as a bloody cut formed on his own face.
“Damnation!” Luna snarled, watching as the flying serpent shot back into the cloud, and then the winged unicorn quickly shot upwards, ascending above the ominous, gloomy bank of gray. But a moment later, the creature shot out of the cloud beneath her, lunging at her rear leg, but Luna only booted it hard under the chin before she flicked her horn when it began to twist away, sending a bolt of lightning rocketing into the beast.
It squealed at this, twitching violently before it spun and flew hurriedly back into the cloud to vanish from sight, and Luna shook her head in slow disgust before she muttered, focusing herself to send the message through their mental link: “Fear not, Scrivener Blooms. I do not know what the sky-snake was, but 'tis gone now.”
She shook her head slowly, then moodily sailed downwards and landed on the black cloud, gazing silently towards the red sky above. She could faintly make out the constellations behind the clouds... and she sighed after a moment, saying finally in a quiet voice that Scrivener all the same heard as if she were standing right beside him: “I do not know where we are. Either the stars are different in this world, or we are in a land I have never traveled to... accursed Odin. No wonder he never specifically said 'in Equestria...' we may be upon the other side of the planet!”
She sighed and dropped her head forwards, then grumbled and dove downwards, ripping through the cloud and tearing out the other side in a small puff of gray before she shot down to the ground below, muttering in disgust to herself until she landed in front of Scrivener. He smiled at her a little, and she blushed a bit when his eyes roved over the cut on her cheek, saying moodily: “'Tis fine. 'Tis shallow, and... embarrassing more than anything else. I have gone soft.”
“I doubt that.” Scrivener said softly, and then he narrowed his eyes, concentrating, and Luna blushed a bit as her horn began to glow, feeling Scrivener drawing on her magic, gently pulling both power and a spell from her mind as the cut on her cheek glowed before slowly sealing closed. Then he smiled a bit, relaxing and shaking his head out briefly as their mental link intensified for a moment, thoughts and whispers trading between them before the earth pony said softly: “Guess at least we won't have to go very far to plant this anchor, huh?”
“Aye, but... let us wait until tomorrow.” Luna looked uneasily up at the red sky visible here and there past the dark storm clouds, shaking her head moodily. “I wish to know a little more of the nature of this world first. 'Twould do us no good to plant the anchor in the desert, only to have it devoured by some giant land-worm or worse.”
Scrivener nodded in agreement, and then he glanced moodily up towards the dark clouds before saying finally: “I hate the rain.”
“I would point out thou hates everything, but I have the creeping suspicion that a rainstorm in this world would bring with it more than water and thunder.” Luna muttered, tossing her own glance up at the ominous clouds overhead. “Come. Let us make for those mountains... perhaps we may be fortunate and find civilization not far beyond. If we are not in Equestria, then contact with whatever societies may be here will matter little, after all.”
Scrivener made a face even as he nodded hesitantly, and then he grimaced as he started forwards, the wheels churning up sand as they moved. Their progress was slow and uncomfortable, made both better and worse by the biting wind: Scrivener welcomed the brisk chill, but he loathed the way it blew sand into his face and worse, roiled up the desert around the wheels, adding to the frustrations of moving forwards.
Above, the red light neither faded nor grew even as the clouds slowly began to thin out. After hours of traveling an indeterminable distance through the never-changing light, Luna finally came to a halt, cursing under her breath and glaring at the sky above, then the mountains in the distance across the sandy desert. “Enough! Let us lay the accursed anchor here, at least with less weight in the wagon we shall be able to travel faster across this endless sea of sand.”
Scrivener grunted in agreement, and Luna stormed around to the back of the transport as the earth pony began to unharness himself. With a flick of her horn, the locks and handles over the door clicked and snapped open, followed a moment later by the door itself, as Luna looked moodily up into the carriage and grumbled: “Accursed, damnable, stupid... everything...”
Luna glowered into the wagon, past the covered shelves and strapped-down equipment to the large, raised platform at the far end, upon which sat an enormous, covered object held in place by several silver chains secured by a single intricate lock. The winged unicorn mumbled under her breath at this, and then she crawled carefully up into the wagon, saying moodily: “I do not know why we need so much security for these things... no one would ever know what the damnable anchors are, after all, and only idiots would attempt to destroy them... not even the demons of Helheim want to see all the layers collapsed into dust, after all...”
Luna lowered her horn towards the large, rectangular lock, grimacing after a moment before she slipped it carefully into the single slot in the metal box. A glow spilled along the spiraled length, making the lock shudder before there was a loud click, and a moment later the lengths of chain fell loose from the metal box, spilling down to the ground before Luna irritably leaned back and flicked her horn firmly to toss the lock over her shoulder.
Scrivener winced as he stepped into the doorway, ducking quickly to avoid being hit by the lock before Luna turned around and strode quickly back through the wagon, hopping out of it as her horn glowed. A moment later, the covered shape followed her, chains half-dragging after it as they fell loose from the object, pulling up the cloth covering around it before both chains and cover came completely off as the stone anchor rumbled through the air.
It was shaped like a circular top, the outer edge of the saucer-like upper section covered in a plethora of complex runes and symbols, and the middle inset with an enormous crystal, making it look like some massive, blindly-staring eye. The bottom side, on the other hand, was like a squat, flat-topped pyramid, made of the same heavy stone as the rest of the anchor's body.
Luna flicked her horn and dropped it in the sand, and Scrivener winced before the winged unicorn huffed a little, saying flatly: “It is a large, heavy chunk of rock, Scrivener Blooms. Somehow I am not concerned about it breaking.”
“Yeah, but that's you. You're never concerned about anything breaking.” Scrivener muttered, and Luna gave him a flat look before he shook his head and looked back and forth, then nervously up at the thinning clouds above. “So how deep are we going to bury this thing? And are you sure we should just... do it here, like this?”
“If, in the future, some unfortunate soul digs this up, let them think it is the relic of some ancient civilization and put it in a museum or some rich fool's manse.” Luna shook her head, looking distasteful. “The placement of the anchor does not matter, only that it is here, it is somewhere in this plane. Besides, other anchors will be up within months, and we can always return here, later, after... after Antares is older.”
Luna fell quiet, and Scrivener gazed at her softly, feeling the twist of her emotions before she gave a small smile and shook her head quickly, murmuring: “'Tis not important, we have a job to do in the here and now, and soon enough my baby will be safe in his mother's embrace again. Come, Scrivener Blooms, I require thy aid: I wish to place this anchor deep.”
Scrivener nodded after a moment, and then he strode silently over to Luna and hugged her tightly, and she smiled faintly as she dropped her head against the side of his neck for a moment before they slipped apart and sat side-by-side. Their eyes closed, their heads bowed forwards, they breathed slowly in and out as they allowed their minds to clear and twist together, their hearts to settle and beat in slow, powerful rhythm, even their breathing to align...
Luna felt her horn begin to glow as she concentrated, and felt Scrivener mixing his own concentration, his own strength, into hers. It was like a swirl inside them, twisting together, their eyes remaining closed as they lowered themselves further forwards in perfect time, reaching out with their mixed power, the ground beneath their hooves beginning to rumble before both Luna and Scrivener arched their back in the same, sudden gesture, the winged unicorn's horn releasing a single powerful flash before the ground in front of them erupted upwards in a geyser of sand and dirt and gravel, shooting upwards towards the sky and spilling backwards and around them in a harsh, brittle rain.
Scrivener and Luna both winced, the winged unicorn's mane and tail sparking with electricity before their eyes opened as the hail pattered to a halt, and Luna grimaced in disgust before she leaned forwards, gazing into the narrow tunnel left behind. The walls of packed sand trembled, unlikely to hold up for much longer... but no matter. It only needs last for a moment more anyhow. “Into the hole, foul thing.”
With that, Luna flicked her horn, and the anchor glowed brightly before it lurched into the air and dropped into the pit, followed a moment later by a loud clatter as stone landed roughly on stone. Luna winced a little as Scrivener ground his teeth together, and then the silence spiraled out for moment before Luna cleared her throat and flicked her horn firmly, the ground rumbling before the desert began to quickly spill into the pit, the sand twisting in a slow vortex around them to steadily fill up the hole they had cut into the earth.
Luna grinned over at Scrivener, and Scrivener looked flatly back at her before he asked moodily: “Well, now what do we do for a week?”
“Annoy the locals?” Luna suggested after a moment, and Scrivener sighed, looking glumly towards the mountains in the distance before the winged unicorn grimaced. “Oh, do not think such sour thoughts! Of course there are locals, there must be locals... this will be a very long, long week otherwise.”
The male only shook his head, then he scooped up the nearby lock and tossed it back into the wagon before picking up the fallen chains and cover from the anchor to throw them in as well. Luna moodily paced around the transport as he cleaned up, looking warily towards the clouds and wondering if there were any other sky snakes lurking above, then she looked over her shoulder at the sound of the door being shut and secured, asking curiously: “Does thou want to switch?”
“Nah, I'm good with pulling. It should be easier now that there's less weight, anyway.” Scrivener replied after a moment, and Luna nodded a little, giving him a soft look before he smiled a little in return, despite the way his own eyes nervously flicked towards the crimson sky overhead. “I'll be happy when we get somewhere where we don't have to look at that.”
Luna nodded slowly, then silently helped Scrivener into the harness... but they didn't need language to communicate. The brush of hooves, their gazes, the language of their forms did all that for them, even as they once more began to walk forwards. Both of them were apprehensive about this wild, strange world, and being in this wild, strange place... and both couldn't help but wonder whether or not there was some reason behind why Odin had dropped them far away from the Equestria they would at least have been able to recognize a little in this layer of mirrored reality.
They continued onwards in silence for almost two hours... and then Luna frowned slightly, not even needing to look at Scrivener as the earth pony felt her instincts whispering into his mind, felt the kiss of warning spill through his body. He kept his eyes ahead, looking towards the mountains in the distance, which seemed to be eternally, mockingly always the same march away, letting his eyes rove back and forth slowly over the horizon.
Luna, meanwhile, glanced upwards... and then grimaced moodily as her eyes alit on a lonely-looking cloud that was floating low a few paces ahead. It was about the size of a bed, a good twenty or so feet below the other strings of dark storm cloud that were dragging themselves through the red sky, and the winged unicorn looked moodily up at this before her horn began to glow as she muttered: “Stay on guard.”
Then she flicked her horn firmly, and the cloud sizzled before electricity burst out in all directions from it with a clap of thunder, rudely ejecting a Pegasus that had been concealed on top of it. He fell backwards off the cloud, a well-worn stetson flying off his head... but after only a few moments of surprise, he spread his maroon-feathered wings and turned his fall into a sharp dive, shooting downwards before skidding to a halt in midair and twisting himself upright, and Luna couldn't help but grin as his hat landed neatly back on his head over his shaved-down black mane. “What a quaint trick! Can thou do any others?”
The Pegasus looked less-than-thrilled at this, his golden eyes narrowing moodily as he surveyed them, flapping his wings easily to stay aloft above the desert. He was rust-colored, lanky, with a thick rawhide coat hanging loose around his frame, a bandolier and leather belt beneath this holding several half-hidden pouches and other objects securely against his body. Over one shoulder, the walnut stock of a rifle gleamed, and Luna's eyes darkened even as she kept her grin on her features.
Slowly, the Pegasus descended towards them, then landed a short fifteen feet away. He was tense, looking as if he wanted to reach for the weapon on his back but didn't quite dare the risk, his eyes narrowed in suspicion before he asked in a gravelly, rasping voice as his short, shorn black tail flicked: “And what the hell are you two supposed to be?”
“''Tis proper manners to tell us thine own name and profession first if thou desires that knowledge. But somehow I doubt thou wert ever taught much in the way of manners.” Luna replied irritably, and the Pegasus glared at them for a few moments before he grunted and nodded slowly.
“Corvette. I'm a bounty hunter.” the Pegasus replied finally, and Luna narrowed her eyes at the rust-colored equine.
“Thou means that thou art a mercenary?” she asked sharply, leaning forwards and flexing her hooves against the sand as Scrivener grimaced as well, feeling her mood instantly darken. “Taking coin in return for hunting down hapless prey?”
Corvette only smiled grimly at them, straightening slightly as he replied with equal contempt: “Listen, girly. I get paid to do a job, usually capturing or killing somepony who done somethin' to somepony else. But I don't care. I don't ask questions. I just take the bits and do the job. Now, I don't know what you're doing out here, and I don't really give a crowbait's flank, either. What I do care about, is catching my bounty, and getting my money.
Luna grunted, then she flicked her head disgustedly, retorting: “Then let us stay out of each other's way, and we shall get along fine, Corvette.”
The rust-colored Pegasus grunted moodily, not moving, and they surveyed each other for a few moments before the bounty hunter asked slowly: “Where are you two coming from, anyway? And why the hell are you walking through the desert?”
The winged unicorn only gave him a flat look in response, and Corvette rolled his eyes in distaste before he reached out and swept his sleeve back, Luna frowning as he revealed a bracelet inset with several different gemstones. “You see this? Useful for helping me hunt down unicorns, like my current bounty is, because it's sensitive to magic. Now, the whole damn thing lit up bright as day in any other country on this godforsaken planet, and pointed me in this direction. Did it twice as a matter of fact, and I've just spent a good six hours tracking through this wasteland only to find you two instead of my target.”
“Scrivener Blooms, I require thou to make a rude retort on my behalf.” Luna said imperiously, and Scrivener sighed and gave her a flat look before his eyes flicked to Corvette, and he decided after a moment he didn't quite mind being rude to this Pegasus after all.
“Well, sucks to be you, then. Hope your bounty doesn't use that chance to slip away.” Scrivener said mildly, and the Pegasus glared at him before Scrivener smiled wryly. “I know. I'm a jerk.”
“You two think you're funny, huh? Well, maybe you should both look around. We're in the middle of a goddamn desert in some uncivilized little mud-speck country no sane pony's ever heard of. No one would complain if I shot you both dead and left you here for the vultures to feed off of. No one would ever even know.” Corvette said icily, and Scrivener and Luna traded moody looks before the bounty hunter stomped a hoof forwards, saying darkly: “I can't go back to Equestria empty-hooved. Now, I dunno what game you're playing at. I dunno who you are, if you're smugglers, overgrown foals playing dress-up, or you're working with my mark. But this is your one chance to come clean and stop playing games, or I'm going to have to take matters into my own hooves. And you don't want that happening in this lawless little desert.”
“I do believe that this silly mercenary just threatened us, Scrivener Blooms. 'Tis funny. Last I checked, two armored ponies were more than one.” Luna said calmly, her cyan eyes flashing. She glared across at the Pegasus as the bounty hunter shifted slightly, but his movements were less an anxious gesture and more a visible readying before the winged unicorn said in a cold, quiet voice: “Thou may want to reconsider thy actions before thou does anything brash.”
For a few moments, the silence spiraled out between them, even as Corvette visibly longed to yank his gun off his back... and then Scrivener rose a hoof, saying mildly: “So if we keep walking towards those mountains, there's a town, right? That's what you implied, anyway.”
“Yes, Watershed. Ugly little village.” Corvette retorted distastefully, looking moodily at them as he gestured grumpily with one wing. “Watershed is the only civilization for a few hundred miles... it sits on the other side of the bottleneck through the mountains. I'm set up there myself, so if that's where you're headed, I think I'll just walk along. Help keep you safe, you understand.”
He flashed them an ugly little smile, and Luna gave the bounty hunter a sour look before Scrivener Blooms said moodily: “This is going to be a long trip, isn't it?”
“Gonna be longer if you two don't give me your names. Politeness and all.” Corvette said irritably, and Scrivener and Luna traded grumpy looks again before the bounty hunter snorted moodily. “Look. I don't care if you're criminals or smugglers or on the wanted list. I have a bounty to hunt and pursue right now, my focus is elsewhere aside from a few weirdos in the desert. As long as you two don't work against me, I don't care if you're slavers or smugglers.”
“I admire thy ethics.” Luna said drolly, and then she shook her head before saying moodily: “My name is Brynhild. My husband is Scrivener Blooms. We are explorers and adventurers and to be entirely honest, have no clue how we came to be in this desert. Art thou satisfied now?”
Corvette looked at them for a few moments, and then he grunted and nodded with a grumble, relaxing slightly. He still looked distrustful, but also less like he wanted to kill both of them as he strode moodily to the side and gestured for them to pass.
It was an uncomfortable journey as Scrivener pulled the heavy wagon and Luna walked beside him, tossing grumpy looks every now and then over her shoulder at Corvette, who was giving them a wide berth and following at a fair distance to one side. He kept glowering at them, and Luna shot him childish looks in return, making it clear nothing was going to make her like the bounty hunter any time soon.
After almost two hours of travel, Scrivener cursed as they hit a soft dune, unable to yank the wagon forwards as the wheels lodged in the pliant desert sand. Luna grumbled under her breath, half-wanting to simply use magic to free the wagon but apprehensive of showing any hint of what she was capable of to Corvette, before the Pegasus offered in a grunt: “I'll push.”
Luna looked over her shoulder in surprise, but then nodded as the Pegasus flew up to the back of the wagon, and Scrivener and the winged unicorn put their efforts into pulling. After less than a minute, however, Luna felt a strange suspicion take root in her stomach, and as Scrivener continued to try and drag forwards, the winged unicorn flew quickly overtop the wagon and then glared down in frustration as she saw the back of the transport was open and Corvette was likely rooting around inside.
Luna dropped to hover in front of the open door, clearing her throat loudly, and Corvette winced before he looked over his shoulder at her: he had already gone through quite a few of their belongings, and he had a knife in his hoof jammed into one of the closed cupboards, halfway towards levering it open. For a moment, he only looked at her, and she glared furiously back before the Pegasus flicked his knife closed and tucked it away inside his jacket, saying mildly: “Just doing my job.”
“No, thou art being a lousy bandit. I suppose it should not surprise me, though.” Luna said disgustedly, shaking her head slowly before her eyes narrowed darkly. “If I were thee, I would put back anything thou may have helped thyself to over these last few minutes.”
“I'm a bounty hunter, not a thief. Again, just making sure you two are being up-front with me.” Corvette replied coolly, straightening slightly before the Pegasus glowered moodily over his shoulder at the chains and cover. “Although I'm guessing my suspicion was right. Smugglers, or traffickers, huh? Not slavers, but you two are involved in something illegal... even if I don't get why you talk so damn funny.”
“And I do not understand why thou art so ugly, and yet here we are.” Luna said irritably, and Corvette gave her a sour look before the winged unicorn flew backwards and gestured grouchily at the Pegasus. For a moment longer, the stallion only regarded her before he grumbled and leapt out of the back of the wagon, and Luna booted the door firmly closed as she glared at him, saying dryly: “Next time I catch thee skulking, I shall pummel thee. Understood?”
With that, Luna swung her hooves forwards again, firmly booting the back of the armored wagon, and Scrivener winced as the wheels finally dislodged from the sand, stumbling forwards a few steps before he looked over his shoulder moodily as Luna glided down and dropped to the sand beside Scrivener, muttering: “I dislike this greatly. He is as wily and slippery as the sky-snakes.”
Corvette snorted at this, and Luna glared over her shoulder as she realized the Pegasus was following closer now, likely to listen in on their conversation. “So you ran afoul of the coatl already, huh? Sounds like you two really get around. Weird, for an earth pony and a whatever-you-are...”
“All thou needs to know about me is that if thou continues to be a nuisance, I shall be very glad to pummel thee into the sand and leave thee here for whatever monsters roam these wastes to feed upon.” Luna replied sourly, and Corvette grunted but looked unimpressed before the winged unicorn looked forwards, saying moodily: “Come, Scrivy. Let us make haste.”
Another few hours passed in relative silence: Corvette studied them over the trek, gauging them, trying to decipher the looks that passed every now and then between Luna and Scrivener and understand their body language. He seemed to understand that something was going on between them, and he obviously didn't like it, nor the fact that he couldn't provoke a response out of either pony despite the few questions and slurs he threw their way.
But as they began to make their way through a particularly-large series of rolling dunes, Corvette flew suddenly ahead, dropping down in front of their path and glaring at them, and Scrivener and Luna both glowered back, the earth pony grimacing a little as he felt the wagon pulling at him.
They were silent for a few moments... and then Corvette asked finally, in a slow, cold voice: “What kind of training have you two had? Who are you really, and where did you come from? You're handling this journey like it's an easy walk in the park, but the temperature is in the single digits and we've been walking for hours together... and who knows how long you two have been traveling before that, because I saw all your gear was stowed and there wasn't a single damn trace of sand on anything, meaning you two haven't camped. And you dumped something, somewhere, but there's no bases, no camps out here... that I know of.”
He glared at them, and Scrivener and Luna traded grouchy looks before Corvette said coldly: “I thought Style's accounts were frozen. When did she hire muscle like you two?”
“Well, Scrivener, I suppose it must be true. All those who are guilty suspect others of being sinners of the same mold.” Luna said sourly, and then she glared at the bounty hunter, shaking her head in disgust. “Thou art paranoid and delusional. I do not know who 'Style' is and do not care.”
“Sublime Style is the unicorn I've been hired to bring down and drag back to Equestria.” Corvette retorted, pawing a hoof at the sand and glaring at them suspiciously, and Scrivener grimaced a bit at the look on the face of the Pegasus, seeing the paranoia in his eyes, the aggressiveness in his body. “It's why I'm out here in this godforsaken dump, why I've barely slept in weeks. She's my payday. She's the big hunt, fifty thousand for her capture, with a bonus to bring her in alive. Oh sure, there have been others out here, too, who got in the goddamn way, who were tracking her into this stupid desert and all around Watershed, but they gave up, or I made them give up.”
“Oh, glorious. Why do we always meet the insane Pegasi, Scrivener? Why can't we ever meet more nice Pegasi, like Fluttershy?” Luna asked moodily, and then she grimaced as Corvette leaned forwards, her eyes sharpening as his wing began to carefully push his rifle off his back. “I would stop that if I wert thou, Corvette. Unless thou wishes for me to feed thou that contraption.”
There was silence for a few moments... and then Corvette leapt backwards as he flicked his wings quickly out, knocking the rifle off his back and catching it smoothly in his front hooves as Luna snarled and flicked her horn upwards as it glowed brightly. A wall of sand burst upwards in front of them, rippling with force as Corvette fired several rounds at them, but the heavy slugs failed to penetrate the barrier of sand.
His hoof worked the lever to load another round into the weapon, and then his eyes widened as the gun clicked on empty, looking down with surprise before he cursed and began to reach into his coat. Before he could, however, the barrier of sand vibrated before shooting forwards in a whirl, and Corvette looked dumbly up before he cursed as the swirling sandstorm crashed into him, knocking him rolling down the other side of the dune as his rifle was knocked out of his hooves.
Corvette rolled backwards and landed at the bottom of the slope, rubbing sand madly from his eyes with one hoof as the other dug in his coat and yanked out a large dagger. Then he snarled as Luna appeared at the top of the rise, glaring down at him as her horn glowed slightly, her ephemeral locks streaming backwards out from beneath her helm as she snapped: “How confident art thou in close combat, bandit?”
“Why don't you come and find out, filly?” Corvette retorted, and Luna's eyes narrowed before she leapt forwards, flapping her wings hard to lunge into a steep dive before Corvette gritted his teeth as he reared back, flapping his own wings to kick up the sand in front of him in a burst.
Luna winced as she dove straight into this cloud, clenching her eyes shut as she swung her horn forwards, and Corvette winced as he parried the attack before her horn lashed viciously towards the bounty hunter again and again. The Pegasus could barely keep up with the aggressive assault, cursing as he was forced on the defensive before Luna suddenly swung her horn hard upwards, knocking his knife wide as she reared at the same time before slamming her front hooves back and forth across his features.
The bounty hunter crashed onto his back, cursing as he skidded backwards before flinging the knife hurriedly at her, but Luna only snarled, flicking her horn to the side and deflecting the weapon even as the Pegasus scampered up to his hooves and reached quickly into his coat. A moment later, he yanked out a large, cylindrical object, biting into it and ripping the cap off in a hail of sparks before the top of the flare ignited into brilliant red fire, spewing orange smog into the air as Luna winced, then cursed and staggered backwards when Corvette flung the flare at her.
The thick, foul-smelling smoke spilled rapidly upwards as the flare burned vibrantly, distracting her eyes and making her wince away as Corvette cursed somewhere on the other side of the fog, Luna grimacing before she shouted angrily: “Show thyself, bandit! Foul, cowardly mercenary, cease hi-”
A knife whickered through the cloud and struck Luna in the shoulder, bouncing uselessly off the cusp of armor but ricocheting upwards to rip a narrow gash along her muzzle, making her curse as she staggered to the side. A moment later, the knife was dragged back as Luna's sharp eyes caught the gleam of silver wire amongst the smog, and then two more flares were hurled through the cloud, spewing their own thick, ugly colors into the air as Corvette snapped from the safety of the smoke cloud: “Come and get me, filly!”
“And walk right into a knife in the fog, aye. That's an old, foul trick used by Pegasus bandits... but the throwing knife is new.” Luna retorted loudly, making her position clear to the the bounty hunter as her horn began to glow, electricity sizzling over it and through her mane... and then she grinned when the blade burst through the cloud, immediately snapping her horn forwards as it gave a crackle of electricity at contact with the metal knife.
Lightning surged through the weapon and down the wire, and Corvette gave a foul flurry of curses before Luna charged forwards into the cloud of fog. A moment later, there was a loud thunk, and then Corvette was violently ejected, crashing onto his back in the sand and skidding a good distance along the desert floor before he fell backwards, clutching at his broken nose, his coat smoldering and ripped, as Luna emerged slowly and imperiously from the reeking smoke a moment later, looking down at him with disgust.
Corvette glared up at her, his teeth grit, bleeding from the mouth and nostrils before Luna stomped a hoof down into his stomach, making him gag as she said coldly: “Now that we have had this little exercise, bounty hunter, I am curious. Thou reminds me of Pegasus military I have encountered before... I assume thou wert involved with the army before thou became a bounty hunter, and judging from thy personality, I assume thou wert thrown out on thy haunches, aye?”
“Screw you.” Corvette retorted, then he loudly rasped back before his eyes bulged when Luna shoved her hoof against his lips just as he attempted to spit at her, instead gagging and then coughing violently before Luna shoved painfully down on his damaged muzzle and made him curse in frustration. “Bitch!”
“Aye, I am. Whimpering worm.” Luna said irritably, and then she drew her hoof back, the bounty hunter looking dumbly up at her before she slammed this between his eyes, knocking his head back into the sand and sending him into unconsciousness before she leaned grouchily back.
Behind her, the wagon rumbled as Scrivener Blooms dragged it down the slope, passing carefully around the bank of reeking fog still being cast up from the flares before he glanced over Luna as she moodily flicked open the bounty hunter's coat, digging through his pockets and pouches as he said dryly: “You know, I'm normally against killing, but...”
“Oh, it is tempting, believe me.” Luna grumbled under her breath, saying darkly: “The equipment this foul little Pegasus has... thread, metal wire, more of those flares... vials of poison! What cowardice!”
She huffed a bit, then finally scattered the contents of the pouches she'd emptied in every direction, stomping violently over several of the more fragile objects before she glared grumpily down at Corvette. “I hope the sky-snakes molest him after we leave. Come, Scrivener Blooms. Let us continue on our way.”
Scrivener smiled wryly despite himself, then he nodded after a moment, turning to follow the winged unicorn as the wagon rumbled quietly behind him, muttering: “Still. I have the horrible feeling this is far from over.”
They reached Watershed after another five hours of travel, due to being slowed here and there by the shifting sands. But in the shadow of the mountains, sand finally became gravel, and then rocky, hardened earth that formed a natural path between two jutting cliffs.
Where the rocky path ended, Watershed began, marked by the rotting fencing and the single flickering lamppost. The ground here was scraggy and weed-riddled, and the village was composed of rickety old wooden buildings that were badly mended here and there with mismatched boards ripped from other homes and the decaying ruins of wagons that rested here and there amidst the rubble.
They passed an old, rotting stone well, and the one building in town that seemed like it was doing well: unsurprisingly, it was the tavern. Unfriendly-looking ponies were lounging on the front deck, dressed in rugged clothes, and a minotaur stood by the doors, keeping a grim eye on things. Enormous, bipedal, but with his horns shorn down, he had the same air about him as the ponies did: the sense of someone who'd lost their conscience and their path long ago.
They also saw a Zebra or two, and some other figures that could be Diamond Dogs or Nibelung, but it was hard to say: they scurried quickly into the safety of the dark alleys the moment Luna began to look their way. Watershed was by no means a large village, and Luna grimaced in disgust as they continued through, muttering aside to Scrivener as they passed through a town square decorated only with the ruins of an ancient, vine-covered fountain: “This is neither a good nor safe place, Scrivy. I would rather make camp outside this place than find a spot to rest inside this village.”
Scrivener nodded slowly, looking back and forth with a grimace as they made their way through the small village, following a dirt highway that stretched out into the reedy plains beyond. As they passed through the outskirts of Watershed, the two looked slowly back and forth, taking in the strange and thin crops, the rickety farmhouses, the ponies that worked here and there beneath the eternal red skies.
Finally, Luna gestured moodily at a farmhouse on their right, saying quietly: “Let us stop here, ask if we may camp in their field. I shall attempt to be diplomatic instead of threatening, worry not... I wish to stay safe. Mostly because I do not think Odin will take kindly if this wagon is damaged and I do not desire to be lectured by the old cyclops.”
Scrivener nodded slowly as they turned down the driveway, but no sooner had they started their approach when an earth pony pushed the door open, loading a crossbow as she sat back on her haunches and shouted anxiously: “We don't want no trouble, hear? So why don't you just get back on that road and get out of here?”
“Well, this is an even nicer place than I had thought.” Luna said moodily as she and Scrivener came to a halt, and then she grouchily rose her front hooves and said clearly: “We only desire to find a safe place to spend the next few nights, or at least a safe place to store our wagon. Watershed struck me as... unpleasant.”
“Strikes most folks as unpleasant.” the mare with the crossbow muttered, half-aiming at them and wincing a little before she said uneasily: “I... my brothers are just out in the field, I'll have you know, and Pa ain't far away, either...”
“My husband and I aren't here to cause a quarrel or ruckus, again. We mean no harm.” Luna said quietly, shaking her head briefly as she gave a small smile. “We are merely passing through. We simply need a place to rest for a little while, we shan't even come near thy house without permission. We just wish to set up in the field yonder.”
Luna gestured carefully towards the weedy, empty plains past the falling-apart barn, and the mare grimaced a little, her eyes flicking apprehensively towards this structure. The winged unicorn followed her gaze curiously, and then the mare asked abruptly, as she lowered the crossbow: “What's your names?”
“I am Luna Brynhild. This is my husband, Scrivener Blooms.” Luna replied gently, and she smiled, flicking her ephemeral mane as she surveyed the mare: she had a light green coat and a pretty chestnut mane that fell back in several tangled braids, her cutie mark a simple leafy tree. “May we approach?”
The earth pony mare nodded hesitantly, smiling... then squeaking when the crossbow went off with a twang, but the rusted bolt only bounced loudly off the deck as she dropped the weapon and skittered sideways. Luna and Scrivener traded winces, and then the mare cleared her throat and looked up with a blush. “Sorry. My name's Leafy Greene. My family and I grow... herbs and roots and well... whatever will take in the soil here.”
Scrivy and Luna nodded as they made their way carefully forwards, approaching the deck as Greene picked up the crossbow and bolt and put them aside on a worn-down rocking chair, the mare smiling a little as she surveyed them curiously. “You look almost like rich folk, with that fancy armor and that fancy coach you're pulling... you're big, too. I ain't never seen an earth pony as big as you, mister, or... any kind of pony at all like you, miss.”
Scrivener and Luna traded smiles, then the winged unicorn nodded, saying kindly: “We have... had years of both good fortune and treacherous adventure, and both have had their rewards. Perhaps we can put our strengths to use for thee, aid thee with any work that needs to be done around the farm in return for letting us stay here.”
“I'll talk to Pa about it.” Greene smiled a little, and the two ponies nodded before the earth pony mare blushed and hurried off the deck, gesturing to them quickly. “I'd invite you both in but... again, I should really talk to Pa, first. Can't be too careful in these parts, sadly enough... this lawless little island is a haven for all kinds of criminals and not-nice types. Me, I wish I could move to Equestria, but... it's the other side of the world. Foolish ancestors hopped on the boat after they discovered Evening Isle, but... ain't always sunny here, it's dusk. Listen to me, though, rambling away...”
Greene laughed a little, looking anxiously towards the sallow crops, and Luna's eyes roved towards them, then over the brambles and weeds, the way the crops of strange-looking plants were planted in uneven rows. Scrivener picked up on it as well... and as they continued past a garden on one side of the barn filled with withering fruit, the charcoal stallion asked casually: “Your brothers, what field are they in? I mean, Luna and I don't want to get in the way...”
“Oh, they're... they'll be along.” Greene said hurriedly, shaking her head a bit as she smiled over at him, her eyes glimmering a little. “My brothers and Pa will be along, I'm sure you'll meet them sooner or later.”
Scrivener and Luna remained silent, the only sound coming from the rumbling of the wagon as they headed out into the field before Greene halted, looking slowly over the trees. Trees that had gone wild, were withering slowly, hadn't been tended to in forever... and yet here and there, fruit still struggled to grow over their branches, as Greene closed her eyes and whispered: “Never rains out here no more. So few Pegasi able to tend to the weather... all we get is the runoff from those nasty, crazy storms formed by the Storm Coatl in the desert. Coatl, they're like flying snakes, and the ones in the desert like making storms to hide in 'til the clouds burst and rain. Pa and my big brother used to set up these nets to catch them, but... they don't anymore. They're... too busy. Harvest season.”
She halted abruptly, then smiled at them both, nodding a few times. “I'll let you know what Pa and my brothers have to say later. I'll try and bring you out some food, but... well, there's no real dinnertime or anything around here. See, it's always dusk... so you just eat when you're hungry, scrounge out whatever you can get. The earth don't like us none here... I heard that in Equestria, though, there's green grass, and blue skies, and there's real princesses. Ain't that funny to think about? Real princesses, like a fairy tale.”
Luna smiled faintly, nodding slowly as Scrivener gazed quietly at Greene, then the viridian earth pony smiled at them in return before she nodded once, saying quietly: “You come knock on the door if you need anything.”
“Thank you, Leafy Greene.” Luna said softly, and the earth pony mare smiled at them before she turned and hurried away, taking a wide detour around the barn. The two ponies looked silently after her, and then Luna asked quietly: “How long ago does thou think it was?”
“Six months, at least. Poor kid.” Scrivener said quietly, glancing over his shoulder at the tree. “Maybe years, though... she looked so pale, and those crops have all been growing wild for quite some time. It looks like she's at least been trying to fix the garden but...”
“Well, we shall aid her. Help fix her crops if we can, and more importantly help fix the poor creature's mind.” Luna said firmly, nodding once, and then she frowned a bit when Scrivener Blooms gave her a silent, sad smile. “What is it?”
Scrivener only shook his head slowly, saying softly: “I don't think it's just that she really wants her family back, Luna. I think it's probably because... well, look at this place. Ugly, unsafe. I bet if some of those ponies from town knew that she was all alone out here, that her family was... gone, whatever happened to them...”
Luna grimaced at this thought, nodding moodily as she looked towards the barn. “Aye. Well, we have been dragged into another adventure, Scrivener Blooms. But we should strive to make the most of things... again, though, I wonder why Odin dropped us here, of all places. Was it miscalculation? Or did the Norns intervene, and have decided to give us some role to play here?”
“I thought you hated the Norns.” Scrivener remarked mildly, turning his eyes away, and Luna gave a slight smile as she glanced over at him with entertainment, the male cocking his head curiously and looking towards her even as he began to quickly unharness himself.
“'Tis not that I hate them or like them, Scrivy. 'Tis that we are simply... two forces at odds. I, who must always be in control of mine own destiny... and they, who write our stories, and work to determine what must happen and when.” Luna replied quietly, nodding calmly before she smiled slightly over at Scrivener Blooms. “But that does not mean I do not appreciate the twists and turns now and again, or when they point us in the right direction. And strangely enough, Scrivener Blooms, with all that is currently going on in our lives... this feels like the right direction.”
“That's what scares me.” Scrivener replied softly, and Luna nodded in slow agreement at this thought as she followed him around to the back of the wagon so they could set up camp, both pondering on what exactly was yet to come in this strange and alien place.