//------------------------------// // Chapter 4: An Adventure Already?! (Part 2: Rest, Regroup, Remobalize.) // Story: Life isn’t done with you // by Kibat Grenbuku //------------------------------// “Be ready and keep ready, you and all your hosts that are assembled about you, and be a guard for them." -Ezekiel 38:7 It was easy. Far too easy. The greatest nation on this side of the world, full of powerful arcane tools and weapons, mighty sorcerers, and four immortal deities that controlled the sun and stars themselves, and they had folded in less than an hour. Their nation subjugated in less than a day. The battle had been won before it even started. Far too easy indeed. It was pathetic and sad even for Tempest to acknowledge their defeat. She didn't expect much, Equestria has always been a peaceful nation, and with an all-powerful, all-mighty leader like Celestia in charge, who wouldn't laugh at the idea of a successful invasion? That bug queen years back sure made them eat their words. You'd think after that they would boost security, strengthen the army, and do anything to make themselves more safe and secure. And yet here she was, standing upon the royal balcony of the royal castle, having petrified the mighty sun princess with little effort. The other two fell just as easily. Not even a speck of royal guards anywhere on the site. Celestia must be getting rusty, first the bug queen and now her, a broken unicorn. Not so powerful, is she? A cluster of colorful balloons passed her view as she gazed upon the festival below. A snort escapes her. "All this 'power', wasted on parties." After witnessing the events earlier, Tempest wasn't sure there was anything greater the princess's power could be used for. Another snort escaped her as she turned back into the throne room. Passing by the sun princess she can't help but level a glare at her, horn sputtering with damaged mana. "When there are far greater uses." Before her two of the storm beasts approached, bearing a magical hail from the King himself. Uncorking the potion into the cauldron, and with a little magical trouble later, the scrying spell summoned a vortex, bearing the Storm King’s image. "Oh. There you are." The King stated as impatient eyes reflected on her. "Here's the deal. I'm in the middle of a big re-brand here. 'The Storm King' is tracking well as intensely intimidating, but you know what? I need to back it up. You know what I need to back it up with?" If Tempest had any care to respond, the King beat her to it, his image expanding as his anger flared. "A storm! That would be great! You promised me magic that could control the elements, and right now, I'm holding a what? A branch. A twig. Bleh!" Exhaustion flooded Tempest's mind as she once again informed the Storm King as to the purpose and power of said branch. It's ability to siphon the alicorn magic and harness the power for himself. "You'll soon have the power of a hundred armies." The Storm King's tone shifts to that of a mixture of arrogance and belittling when he next speaks. "So that would be a yes on your locking down the four Pegacornicuseses, or whatever you call them?" "Give me three days. I'll have everything ready for your arrival." The King's eyes narrowed. "You didn't answer my question. Do you have all four little ponies?" Tempest shifted her gaze towards the little groveling Grubber. The useless little creature opted to whistle away, eyes pointedly not looking in her direction. Index fingers pointed together before mustering what little courage he had and shook his head no before cringing away from her gaze. Tempest's teeth grounded away before she heaved a small sigh and faced the King once more. "...No. One got away...but my forces will find her." "One?" The Storm King questioned, sarcasm dripping from his words. "Are you sure it's only just 'one'?" Mild Confusion settled onto Tempest's features. "...Yes, your Highness. There are only four alicorn rulers in total within this and the neighboring nation." "Huh, that's really interesting. Help me with a little math problem why don't ya, ey Tempest? There were four pegacorns over there where you are. Three down, one just now got away, right? So why am I getting a report from over an hour ago of two more being spotted in a train station south of a...really? This is real? A town called... Ponyville? Seriously?" A report from an hour ago? Two more alicorns? "...That's not possible, your grace. All currently existing alicorns ar- were present. The records clearly state tha-" "Well, clearly you didn't do your homework good enough. And here I thought I finally found a competent commander." Indignation rolled through Tempest. "If you can't properly count your princess ponies, then how can I trust this isn't just some regular stick, huh!?" Rage rippled across the King as he gripped the staff tightly, heaving it above his head. Cracks began to form along its rod body. "A lot of wasted time for this useless branch. Guess it's back to square one!" "No!" Tempest screamed out, halting all before her. She was quick to calm her panicked expression upon noticing she had the King's attention. "No, your grace. The staff and its power are real, I can vouch for that. To destroy it would be to set us back by years. I have been away from Equestria for decades, perhaps there are more alicorns running around but we only need four total. I will deliver them to you, I swear." "You better have once I get there, Tempest, for you and your horn's sake. After all, I've got an image to run here. What good is conquering the whole world if there isn't any flair or pizzazz to go along with it, huh? You're on the clock, best get trotting along now. Toodle-loo." The Storm King topped the call off with quickly fading laughter until silence descended upon the room. Cold hard eyes settled unto pathetic little Grubber, who could only muster a hard swallow. "A report. An hour ago. More alicorns?" Grubber swallowed hard once more. "Ah, well, see, uh you were hyping yourself up with the whole capturing the princesses and stuff and you may have cried a little when you mentioned your horn to no one when I was eavesdropping... not that I do that a lot or to you but you were brooding in the corner and I had received the messaged you're asking about right now and back then didn't seem like the best time to interrupt so...but yeah. They were spotted at a train station and in a castle in a town called...Ponyville." "Then we have our leads." "Twilight! Spike!" "Sunset!" The trio greeted each other heartedly as they embraced upon the river bank. The others gathered around were content to let the three have their moment. "I didn't know you were coming today! You said you wouldn't be able to make it. What changed?" Twilight probed. "I was telling the truth back then Twilight, I am, well, was too busy to be able to join, but then these two-" Sunset flinged her head in the human's direction, "-knuckleheads begged me to come save their hides. There was a fight and everything, but now I'm stuck here. One of those beasts petrified the mirror. These two explained to me the situation, albeit very vaguely." "And what exactly is going on? Canterlot has just been ravaged by mangy hulking brutes, the princesses are all stone, and they're after Twilight for her magic; Do any of you three know why they're doing this?" Rarity questioned. "They've captured the princesses!?" Sunset exclaimed. "Because of a traitor!" Dash was quick to enter the conversation. "It was a unicorn of all things! Came down in a giant airship and started demanding our surrender. If I had known then, I would've popped that gas bag in ten seconds flat!" "How did you know to come to help us, Sunset?" Spike inquired. "If it wasn't for those two, I wouldn't have known any of this would be happening at all. I've never heard of this Storm King before so they're the ones with the answers about all that." Sunset sent the two humans a hard glare before looking back at Twilight. "But, their story is full of holes so I need you to confirm something. The yellow and black one there is...'Fire Quill' and he knows a lot about me and the human world and claims to be your friend. Is he?" Twilight fixated upon us and suspicion settled upon her features followed by Sunset and the others upon hearing her next words. "No. I don't recognize either at all. I've never met them before." "That's really funny because he sure knows about you and me. He even knew about the portal but not enough without asking me to open it. Even mentioned the invasion and the Storm King and how you were seemingly unaware of the coming danger." "We had no idea until twenty minutes ago. The ship came down, then that unicorn... she attacked us and now the princesses are captured." Rainbow Dash was quick to circle the duo. "That unicorn was a traitor to Equestria. Who's to say these two aren't spies as well?" "Normally, I'd be quick to dismiss Rainbow Dash's rash claims, but recent events have shown that she may have merit, I'm afraid." Rarity piped in with a nasty stink-eye leveled their way. Fluttershy, Spike, and Pinkie opted to remain silent while Applejack prepped her lasso. She along with Twilight, Sunset, and Dash slowly encroached upon the two. "Now would be a good time to explain yourselves." Sunset asserted. Thomas and Psalms were quickly cornered upon the bank, leaving no room to further retreat. "All right, enough with the drama, they're just ponies for crying out loud." Thomas declared before a swift kick in the rear was delivered to Psalms, knocking him forward. "Just tell them everything already." An indignant huff escaped from Psalms as he reared off the ground. "Not everything. I already botched first impressions, I'd at least like to keep an air of mystery." "Only if you wish to keep our trust away for good because right now, you're off to a bad start. You tried to lie about your name, you lied about being Twilight's friend, you know a lot more about this Storm King than you're letting on, and you know things you shouldn't about me and my home." Sunset closed the distance, a stony glare aimed directly at Psalms. "Start flapping 'em gums if'n ya don't wanna be tied down now." Applejack declared as she gripped her lasso and began twirling it in the air, ready to hook either one. Tension overflowing, it was Twilight who acted first to calm everyone down, having ushered herself between the former humans and her friends. "Everypony, please calm down. Let's not get too hasty." Turning to the humans, she greets them with a brief small smile before it drops back to its previous gloomy state. "We've been through so much in such little time, and I'm still struggling with what happened back up there, we are being hunted as I speak so we can't afford to delay our mission. We could use all the help we can get, but we need to be able to trust you. Please, tell us what you know." "Yes, yes, of course. Sorry, it's just... never mind. Ok, uh, well for starters, you can say we aren't from around here, Equestria I mean. We... we come from a faraway land-" The look Thomas sent Psalms way did not go unnoticed. "-a land too far to reach, so to speak. Anyways, We know about the Storm King because for years he has been conquering faraway nations, leading an army of beasts, and subjugating all in his way. He seeks all manners of powerful magic and has obtained an ancient relic, a staff, that will allow him to harness said magic from even the greatest of sorcerers, even alicorns. I had to lie about being Twilight's friend because otherwise, you wouldn't have come to our rescue. I'm sorry, by the way." "You come from far away, hmm? From what nation do you hail? I may be well versed in all manners of fashion and high society, but one must know of all geological places and nations of greatest importance to stay relevant within the world of fashion." "I... er...um... United States of...Amareca?" The look Rarity sent was of suspicion and disbelief. Thomas could be seen silently mouthing the word 'Amareca' to himself, disgust flashing across his eyes for a brief second. Thomas had never heard of such bullshit before. "Another lie?" Rarity nodded to Sunset's questions. "Thin ice, 'Fire Quill', and it is melting by the second. How could you possibly know about me and the human world? And again, what kind of names are Thomas and Psalms?" "Look, girls, I... I'm sorry but right now just isn't the best time to discuss this, I know I haven't given you anything for you to trust with, but we are on the same side, I give you my word." "Just tell them the truth," Thomas whispered into Psalms' ear. "Quit with the lying. Why are you even doing it in the first place?" Psalms continued to keep his eyes upon the natives as he spoke to his side. "They already think we are spies what with me knowing things I shouldn't like Sunset and her home; if I tell them we're humans from another world who just so happen to run into them in the midst of an invasion commanded by a traitor unicorn, you think they'll believe us? Suspicious timing to them. I thought I could bluff my way through." "Enough talk. Get them!" Dash cried out, as she streaked straight toward Thomas's side. Following those words, Applejack was quick to fling her lasso around Psalms' neck, but as Psalms struggled to free himself, the lasso soon caught onto the nape of Psalms' coat, and with a heave, Applejack pried the coat straight off the stallion's back, leaving all eight natives to gasp. Flared into motion, Psalms' phoenix-colored wings extended and retracted with irritation before settling back to its owner's side, bits and pieces of feathers ruffled and riled. Silence descended as each creature took a moment to examine the newly uncovered male alicorn before them. "You're... you're an alicorn?" Twilight was the first to find her voice, a cocktail of perplexion and intrigue flashing across her features. "...Yes, my brother and I, we are alicorns. My name is Psalms, but you can call me Fire Quill, and this is my brother Thomas, but you can call him... Thomas. Thomas, meet the six heroes of Equestria and their little scaly friend." Psalms was quick to introduce each native respectively. "We have come a long way from home." "Male alicorns... the notion of such an existence has never been considered possible before. In all of Equestria's history, not once has there been a mention or record of male alicorns at all." "That's the thing, isn't it? Not in Equestria's history, but maybe there is in some other faraway land we know not of. Just as we have never heard of the Storm King before, so too would we not know the existence of male alicorns on the other side of the world. That's how you know about the Storm King before we did. He's been hunting you two down for your magic all across the world, hasn't he? Long enough to forgo you two and initiate a surprise attack on Canterlot and take all four unprepared princesses at the first chance." Sunset concluded to herself and the others with neither human willing to correct her assumption just yet. All mouths were soon shut as a clap of thunder rumbled across the sky. Up above, everyone could see the entire invasion fleet begin scattering into several groups bearing course in all directions. One group of half a dozen airships soon began the descent that would plop them far too close to the group's comfort. "We need to move. Twilight, you said this queen hippo is in the south, right?" Psalms of course knew but feigned ignorance regardless. A quick nod from Twilight prompted him further. "Good to know, c'mon, follow me." "Woah wait, where are you going? South is that way." Spike thumbed at the mud path past the fallen tree. Psalms didn't stop his trudge along the river bank as he called back, "You know there's a desert towards the south, right? I don't know about you, but walking into a desert without a mode of quick transportation or supplies is a sure quick way to get yourself killed. I'm taking you to our new home and family, we'll rest for the night and stock up before heading out in the morning, now cmon! Those ships are getting too close. We'll use the trees as cover." One last glance above was enough to send the others to scatter forth. Twilight and Sunset shared a glance before Sunset offered only a shrug as she and Twilight followed suit. "Again. Please! Last time, I promise! I just need to see them one last tim-" "Alright, alright! I don't mind you looking, just... no more pointy things, please. And no flashy magic or spells or whatever that was a second ago." Heaving a sigh, Thomas once more took his coat into his mouth and slung it off his back, exposing his vampire batwings to an all too-crowding group of girls and a male lizard who have already seen them five times now. Honestly, they're just wings; creepy, ugly, evil-looking ones too in his opinion, nothing like the angelic aesthetic adorning Psalms and Twilight or the other two pegasi. The others however seemingly didn't judge their appearance, opting to instead examine them in curiosity. "Remarkable. We know so little about alicorn physiology what with there being only five, well previously presumed five, alicorns in existence. Wing genotype has always been the default pegasi form, with the exception to Nightmare Moon's distinct appearance but that was still an avian subtype. But, yours bears a striking resemblance to that of the Thestrals, even to that of Fluttershy during her bat phase." Twilight finished her examination of Thomas's wings before moving to the rest of his physical features. "Aside from your wings and the fangs in your mouth, nopony would think you other than a regular pony. Are you by any chance an alicorn thestral hybrid? Who are your parents?" Twilight had been poking and prodding Thomas all the while as she asked her questions. Thomas gently pushed Twilight away as she tried to pry open his mouth once more. "Uh... yeah I have no clue what I am. My best guess is half pony half goblin/gremlin/demon or pterodactyl. Whatever the case, your best guess is as good as mine." "Why even guess at all, Dontcha know your own parents?" Pinkie Pie relayed to his side, bouncing all the while. "In this world? I don't even know if I have them to begin with." The mood soured at his comment what with Pinkie ceasing her bounce and Applejack hanging her head slightly. A small sob escaped Fluttershy. "Oh you poor thing, you were orphaned?" She asked through growing tears. Thomas threw a dumbfounded look their way before responding. "Uh...no. I don't think this body has parents to begin with, or at least I hope it doesn't." The last thing I need is to find out I'm from some incestuous royal bloodline. "Pretty sure it was conjured up by divine powers or magic or whatever." The girls took a few seconds to glance between themselves before Rarity piped up. "I believe I speak for everypony when I say, I don't understand what you mean." Added nods from the others confirmed her words. Thomas heaved a heavy sigh before responding, "For the love of... just go talk to Psalms if you want to know more, alright? Sunset here can tell you how little I know of anything right now. Bottom line is, one moment I was human, the next I'm a walking, talking, pretty horsey, ya get me?" The word 'human' struck a chord with both Sunset and Twilight. The two shared a look as Sunset mouthed the word human to herself, understanding dawning on her. "That would certainly explain they're weird names, they're not from this world at all." "Both of them are from the mirror world?" Spike asked as he centered himself between the two. A puzzled look soon found itself on his face, "But I thought we just established that they're from the other side of the world, being chased around by the Storm King for a long time, long enough to force him to come here." "Well, from what I can recall, neither of the princesses knows when the mirror was created or by who, it was just simply there for who knows how long. With both of them being alicorns, they could be ancient for all we know." "But there's another problem," Sunset interjected, "I've been in the mirror world for quite a while, and far as I can tell, it's just another version of Equestria. Same ponies but different species. Names like Psalms and Thomas still stand out to me, whether or not they're human names. The dots aren't clicking." "I'll talk to Psalms," Twilight asserted as she trotted ahead, "I'm sure we can sort all of this without getting a headache." "Jumping Jiminy crickets! You have no cutie-mark!" The shout from Pinkie turned Spike and Sunset's heads as they along with the others conveyed themselves around Thomas's posterior, much to his chagrin. Sure enough, The Crimson Princes' flank was entirely blank. "How the hay did we miss that?" Applejack questioned. "I think we were all looking at his wings at the time," Fluttershy replied. Thomas was quick to reassert his cloak onto his withers. "Yeah, yeah I have no mark, so what?" "So what? SO WHAT!? How could anypony not care or want to know what their special talent is!?" "Maybe because I'm not a pony, to begin with? Because I'm a human? Something I just told all of you like less than five minutes ago?" Rainbow Dash flapped herself over Thomas. "How old did you say you are?" "Twenty-two?" Thomas replied, brow quirked up. "And how long have you been in our world?" Spike asked after having saddled himself onto Sunset's back. "At least a day," Thomas answered. He took a moment to examine his limbs and his surroundings before releasing a soft snort. "I'm still trying to comprehend how I'm a horse in a fairytale land of magic and prancing ponies. And now I'm seemingly on a quest to save the kingdom right off the bat; Go figure." "Well, then it's no wonder why you don't have a cutie mark yet. Don't worry darling, I'm sure with enough time, you'll have it in a flash." Rarity assured. ...Yeah, not too sure I want something called a 'cutie-mark' on my ass thank you very much. Thomas offered only a grunt in response. "Oh-Oh-Oh! How about we play a game!? Each of us come up with an idea for Thomas's cutie-mark! We'll compare and contrast and the best one wins! I'll start! Ok, you look like a pony whos good at-" "Woah, woah, wait minute. What exactly is a... ugh, cutie-mark? Stupid name, by the way." "Well, simply put, it's a unique symbol that denotes an aspect, passion, characteristic, or skill that you behold among other things. Each and every pony, zebra, and thestral has one and it is usually earned at a young age. The reason we were shocked to find you don't have one is that the notion of an adult without a cutie-mark is unheard of really." "Huh..." Thomas was quick to examine each other's symbols before turning up at Rainbow Dash. "Your symbol means?" "Heh, I'm not known so much for my symbol as I am my speed. Just watch, I'll clear that cloud over there and be back in ten seconds fla-" Applejack was quick to grab hold of Dash's tail before flinging her down to the ground. "Hey! What gives?" "Have ya forgotten the sky is riddled with airships looking for us?" "Pfft, I knew that... I was just going to give it a quick buck..." Dash folded her arms and began to lazily drift away. "What ya need to understand, sugarcube, is that cutie-marks can be as complex or vague as Dash's or as simple as mine. Apples, Applejack, I live and work on an apple farm, it speaks for itself." "So what do you think yours will be, huh-huh-huh?" Pinkie questioned, each 'huh' propelling her face further into Thomas's personal space. Thomas redirected his gaze back to the trail, noting how Twilight and Psalms were considerably ahead. A frown adorned his face as his mind ran rampant with ideas, but struggled to latch onto any. "You're asking me to simplify my entire existence into that of a little symbol that could mean thousands of things. Nothing is coming to mind." "Really? Nothing at all?" "...Can one have a cutie-mark about something they hate? ...Something they...fear?" The group of natives looked upon themselves, unsure what the answer was. "Well... I suppose if you have strong enough emotions about it, it could possibly manifest. Why? Is this thing you hate or fear the only thing you can think of?" Thomas opted to remain silent. His wing talons pinched and painfully dug themselves into his hide and his mind ran rampant with raging turmoil as it fixated upon the only thing it could not move away from. Fire. Psalms let out a little squeak as Twilight saddled herself to his side. "Oh! I'm sorry. I didn't mean to startle you." Oh man, oh man, oh man, she's right there! Psalms made a quick gulp before responding, "No, no, you're alright. Just been looking out for more of those ships. I should be paying attention on the ground as well. Ambushs can come from anywhere." A forlong look adorned Twilight's features. "Ambushes shouldn't be a thing a pony has to look out for in Equestria to begin with. Why would anypony ever think of invading our peaceful kingdom? It just doesn't make sense." "Evil doesn't have to make sense, Princess. So long as it has a goal, any goal, and enough will and power, it'll move mountains to achieve it." "I suppose you are right. And please, you can call me Twilight." She offered a small smile. Psalms gazed upon her and reflected his own smile, stopping for a brief moment to offer his hoof which she was happy to take. The duo continued their trot soon after. "So, you and your brother are humans," Twilight stated. Psalms hesitated for a split second before nodding away, "Thomas spilling the beans back there?" "In a sense. Doesn't seem like he cares about keeping secrets. I have a feeling you two aren't from the mirror world, are you?" "Nah, we aren't. Me and Thomas come from another human world, not much different from Sunset's excluding all the vastly colored people. Like hers, ours has no magic...well maybe? Who knows at this point." Psalms offered a limp shrug. "Speaking of Sunset's world, how do you know about that and her? Far as I know, only Spike and I along with the princesses have any extensive knowledge about that world. I find it hard to believe Celestia or Luna would disclose the nature of the mirror to anypony without informing me or Sunset first." "I'd find it hard to believe they'd do that as well. No, I know all this because... well, because I was specifically chosen to reincarnate in this world. Yes, before you say anything, I died when I was still a human. Instead of retiring to the Great Beyond, I was chosen by my God to join his army in the coming Holy War. Your world is but one of countless many in God's domain that has come under the assault of one of hell's demons. They chose me because I already have extensive knowledge of this world and its people and magic. In a way, you could say I even have knowledge of your world's future, premonitions if you would, although I know not how useful they may be." It took Twilight several seconds to wrap her mind around the new information before she finally responded. "Our world's future?" "To a very limited extent. The catch is that I know the future of an Equestria that doesn't have me or Thomas in it, so again, I know not how useful my 'premonitions' are if they are at all." Again, it took Twilight more time to comprehend his answers. "When you say 'God' you mean a divine being of immense power? And you're telling me that our world is at threat from a divine war that we know nothing about? An ancient evil from beyond our realm is on Equis and you're here to stop it?" "More or less. It's the nutshell version but let's save this conversation for after we deal with the Storm King and his invasion, then I can tell all of you princesses everything and not have to repeat myself. Is that fair?" "Yes. Yes, I suppose we can put this off for now, The Storm King takes priority." "Right. Once we rest and get everything we need, we'll head for the train station and see if we can find a ride down south. Airships are obviously a no go and teleporting across towns will bring us to the forefront of any invaders. Trains are speedy and use isolated tracks for the most part; so long as we keep it chugging, we should make out of Equestria before they even realize it. If they find us and give chase, the train's speed should excel that of the airships, leaving them in our dust trail." "Good enough a plan as any. The only problem is that I don't know where these hippo lands are other than south. I would suggest we head to my castle library but Ponyville is already under siege and we can't risk getting caught. Perhaps we can make a detour stop at Apple Loosa and I can asse-" "Gonna hafta stop you there, Twilight," Psalms shot her down, "The Storm King and his forces invaded from the south. Every town in Equestria aside from the far north is already under his reign. We'll be passing by Apple Loosa on our way out, but we'll no doubt attract their attention. We can't afford to slow down then or we risk being captured. I'm sure we'll find someplace safe enough to research way down in the south, but let's focus on getting there safely first, alright?" "I suppose it will have to do. I'm assuming your parent's farm doesn't have anything that'll help?" Psalms was quick to shake his head. "Figures." ... ... ... "Wait a minute... you have parents here in Equestria? How old are you?" "Adopted parents, and I'm nineteen. The funny thing is I died as a human yesterday, reincarnated as an alicorn in the middle of the woods, found my brother within the span of an hour, and we stumbled upon this nice group of ponies that were all too happy to take us in once they knew most of our story. I lost and gained a family within a single day, talk about a rollercoaster of emotions." "Wow, I can't imagine what that was like for either of you." Twilight hummed to herself a bit before replying further. "I have to say, you and Thomas look nothing alike save your alicorn physiology." "That's because he's my adopted brother. We became a family under the same group of ponies. Honestly, there's not much I can tell you about him other than he's human like me. I stumbled upon him not ten minutes after arriving in this world. Coincidence? Certainly not, but the reason for it I still don't know. I'm sure he'll open up given enough time, but time may not be on our side in this matter." "Why not?" Twilight inquired. "Because Thomas doesn't want to be here in this world. He wants to go back to Earth, our original home. He was hoping to ask you princesses to help him, but I'm not sure how well things will work out for him. He may not be able to go back at all if he reincarnated as I did, again I don't know enough." "Why would he want to leave?" Psalms hesitated to answer. "I'm not sure it's my place to tell you, sorry. All I'll say is, I believe Princess Luna is the one who can help him the most. What he's going through may ring some bells with her." "We'll all provide whatever help he may need," Twilight applied a hoof to her chest, "You have my word." "HELP!" Thomas's cry could be heard from behind. Turning back, the duo was witness to a flurry of colors and shapes mixed together in a growing cloud of dust and dirt. "THESE CRAZY CHICKS ARE TRYING TO INK ME!" "Fangs! He'd look good with a fang cutie-mark!" "Too brutish darling! Personally, I believe a nice chiseled sapphire or ruby would do wonders to match his coat, they would certainly compliment his crimson eyes." "Oh-oh-oh! How about a cape to complete his vampony look! Watch out everypony, Count Thomas has come to suck our blood! Blegh-blegh-blegh! Tee-hee-hee!" "Consarnit y'all, we need to keep quiet." "GET THAT QUILL AWAY FROM ME! PSALMS, TWILIGHT, HELP!" "...Your brother doesn't have a cutie-mark?" "Heh, he will in a second." "Oh, my boys! My wonderful new baby boys! Welcome back!" Honey Buns was quick to envelop both young stallions upon entering the farmhouse. Her earth pony strength was at full display as she crushed the wind out of both sons. "Thank Celestia above! You two are safe and sound!" She topped her display with several kisses to both stallions, eliciting many rounds of giggles from the group of girls and dragon behind. "M-mom, not in front of our guests." Thomas half-heartedly tried to protest, not nearly as embarrassed as Psalms was at the affectionate display. "And what guests indeed. VIP for that matter." Ingot proclaimed as he washed his hoofs of the dirt and muck he garnered outside. "You two have returned far early than I anticipated. What went wrong?" "Everything," Thomas commented, "The whole kingdom is under invasion. Three princesses were captured, and the capital has fallen. That group is the only one to escape." Ingot inspected the group once more, a small smile soon adorned his face. "I know you lot. Elements of Harmony. Always saving the day. Glad to see you girls are all safe and accounted for. I'm assuming you already have a plan in motion; what brings you here to our homestead?" Honey finally allowed the brothers freedom from her smothering. Psalms took a moment to catch his breath before responding. "We need to head on south, find the land of the hippos. Nothing but desert over there so we'll need to rest and gather resources before trekking that way." Honey was quick to instantly deflate upon hearing his words. "'We'? You're going with them? But you just got back here!" "It's ok, Mom. We're staying the night, and resume our journey in the morning. I know we just got back but they need all the help they can get. You know my mission, my reason for being here. I can't not help." Tears threatened to cascade down her face, but she was quick to smother them away, a look of resolve adorning her. "You’re right. You’re right sweety, I'm sorry. A mother can't help but worry for her little doves. *Sniff*-*Sniff*." Sniffling could be heard from the girls, mainly Fluttershy and a little from Rarity. ... ... ... and possibly Dash, butyoudidn'thearthisfromme! "Thank you both for being such gracious hosts," Twilight declared upon the two with a hearty smile, "We'll do everything in our power to keep your sons safe along our travels." "You better," Honey warned to the surprise of all, Ingot being the most affected as his jaw slackened. "Princess or not, if a scratch is laid upon their heads you won't be able to escape the wrath of La Chancla!" "Alright Honey, it's nap time. Go on now, back to bed. I'll be sure to serve you in bed when you wake up, go on now." Ingot cooed to his wife and carefully lead her away back to their bedroom. "You'll have to forgive Mom; she tends to get cranky when family is in potential danger." Ink relayed as she fished through the refrigerator, not a care for the mane six in the world. "Anyway, we still have plenty of leftover food from the night before so help yourselves to whatever. Me and Dad will prepare bedding in the basement for all of you. Oh, one last thing, try to keep noise to a minimum. We just got Rocket to sleep and he'll explode if awakened. Got all that? Great, thanks, bye." And just like that, she was gone as well, still no care in the world. "Charming family, darling." Rarity asserted. Nobody could tell whether her comment was sarcastic or not. "Are those three actually related? Their daughter looks nothing like either." Sunset commented. "Alright everypony, better get some chow down an' hit the hay. Long day tomorrow." Her piece said, Applejack and the others were quick to scavenge the fridge clean of contents. Psalms managed to pluck two apples from the group and surveyed around to find Thomas, only managing to catch a glimpse of him trudging upstairs to their room no doubt. Sure enough, upon entering their shared domain, Thomas was laid flat out on his bed. Dreary, dark, miserable eyes reflected upon his brother before he released a sigh and flopped his head back to the bed. Covering every inch of his body, crude, amateur, pathetic attempts at cutie-marks were on display. The shapes and symbols varied wildly. "Looks like you had some fun." "I've never been manhandled by horses before. Their stupid boney hooves hurt, man. I'm aching everywhere." "A nice hot shower should do just the trick. I'll let you have first dibs. Don't take too long though, your apple will get warm." Psalms magicked the apple over to Thomas's nightstand. "They're children. Worse than children...well, not all of them. Rarity is all hoity-toity, but she is nice enough. Dash has an ego as high as the moon. Applejack is running the show for the most part. Pinkie Pie is a literal child that is certainly getting on my nerves. Fluttershy...too quiet...too-too quiet. I don't trust her." Psalms quirked a brow at that. "And Twilight? A little too touchy. All of them a little too upbeat for my tastes but whatever. Oh...oh God... you mention that there was singing earlier... oh this is going to be a pain." "Hey now, don't get all doom and gloom on me just yet. These girls are one of a kind. Give 'em a chance, you'll be surprised at what they're capable of." "At least we have the lizard." Thomas heaved a sigh. "That little dude is all right, no complaints here... well except one thing." "Which is?" "Little dude has a huge crush on Rarity, a full-grown woman." Thomas's hide visibly rippled. "I can't be the only one uncomfortable at the thought, right?" "Don't worry, it's just puppy love. Nothing will come of it." "Sure hope not. Ok, I'm taking that shower now. Back in a sec." Psalms soon found himself alone in his room, he took a moment to reflect on the journey from the river all the way back home. First impressions were botched, but things are looking on the up and up now. Hopefully, our journey will be a breeze. A distant clap of thunder that quaked the house hampered Psalms' hope. The morning was just as dreary and chaotic as the last, more so even. Strong winds buffeted the barn and farmhouse and the animals were once again driven into a frenzy. Luckily, with the combined efforts of Applejack's herding skills and Fluttershy's soothing whispers, The stampede was halted and steered back into their pens with little effort. Rainbow Dash was slick but careful in popping the overhead storm clouds that threatened to form a tornado. Thomas and Ingot fished through the barn for bits and pieces that could help tidy up the rickety wagon, while all the others were inside the house, abuzz with activity as they collected and organized their travel supplies. Laid upon the dining table, was a series of items and tools, the very basics of what constitutes a desert survival kit. Psalms raddled off to each item as Sunset and Twilight along with Rocket observed and noted each object. "Alright, we have enough food and water to last a week at the most, two fire starter kits, a first aid box, enough sleeping bags, and three heavy framed pitching tents. Goggles and glasses for sandstorms, a portable cooler, a compass, and a basic map of Equestria should we need to find an alternate route. I doubt we'll be spending more than a day in the desert, but it never hurts to come prepared." "Fire? In the desert? That's like... twice the hot!" Rocket exclaimed in complete bafflement. "It's for the nighttime, little squirt. Deserts can be scorchingly hot, but at night, it can become really cold, really fast." "That's dumb." Rocket simply replied. A second later, a tremendous thunderclap rattled the very earth, sending little Rocket careening to his mother. "Sounds like troubles coming," Sunset commented as she summoned her magic and took hold of several items, “C'mon, let's get all these over to the door." A minute or two later, The front door burst open as Rainbow Dash settled herself inside. "Airships are everywhere in the sky, that thunder is coming from them scouring the forest. None are too close or heading this way so we need to start hoofing it." Applejack entered a second later, "Wagons ready, y'all. Weather ain't getting any better, best hop to it." Hop to it they did as they loaded each item within the wagon. Enough space was allocated to allow all ten occupants room aboard. Ingot trotted out of the barn, a bundle of rope and slings within his magical grasp. "Managed to find some reins for two. Which among you is the strongest?" At a glance, one could easily pick out Applejack and Rainbow Dash, but it was instead Thomas with his slightly bulky physic that was chosen to lead alongside Applejack. "I'm better at keeping to the skies. Watch our six and all that. Don't worry, egghead, I'll be extra careful." Dash said as she flung herself into a spiral above. "AAALLL ABOARD!" Pinkie helpfully called out. She dug into her main and pulled out a whistle and blew with a mighty gust of breath, eliciting uncontrollable laughter from Rocket as he laid upon Honey's nape. The rest of the family had maneuvered themselves to the front of the house like the day before, bidding goodbye and well wishes. "You better not forget about my souvenir!" Ink reminded. "Please be safe! Take care of each other, all of you now ya hear?" Honey pleaded, dancing on her hooves once again. A steel hoof wrapped itself around her waist and pulled her tight against Ingot's side. He calmed her racing heart with a soft smooch before flashing the wagon a smile and waving farewell. The group said their farewells, shouted in Pinkie's case, passed the front gate which they closed once fully exited, and began their trek to the train station, repeating the same journey the brothers took the other day. "All right everyone," Thomas called out from the front as he and Applejack paused for a brief moment, capturing all present attention, "as you all may or may not know, Equestria is under lockdown and any ponies seen by the enemy will be immediately detained and handed off to the nearest imprisonment camp, or I assume at least. Anyway, they get their claws on us and it's game over, they spot us before we reach the trainyard, and it's game over, which is why I need all hands on deck. Eyes and ears open, mouths shut... or at least very quiet, and weapons at the ready. Shouldn't be too long till we reach the trainyard." "Weapons? Does Applejack's lasso count as one? Because other than that, we don't exactly go around parading arms in our adventures." Twilight informed as the others nodded in agreement. "Raritys always whipping that couch out of nowhere whenever she gets into one of her moods, does that count?" Dash snickered as said fashionista rolled her eyes. Thomas fixed them a questioning glare, "So wait, you six go on these epic adventures and fight big baddies and none of you have any weapons for self-defense at the very least?" ...*Crack!*, the sound of a hoof facepalm could be heard from Thomas, followed by a grunt of pain. "Hooves... no hands... clear as day. Say, Rainbow Dash?" It took a second for her to slide to his side. "You pegasi can physically manipulate clouds, right?" "Yep! Any shape or size. Wild or not." "Hmm... Think you can wrangle up a decent-sized one and have it positioned over us as we travel? Use it like a camouflage so that any eyes up above see just a traveling cloud?" Dash took a second to ponder. "I can gather up a decent cloud, but it won't follow us." "Sunset and I can use our magic and keep it tethered to the wagon." Twilight offered. "So long as it works, use whatever means. Dash can use the cloud as a crow's nest of a sort, keep an eye out with the added benefit of cover." "Aye, aye, captain!" Dash mock saluted before rocketing away. "Fluttershy." Thomas called out, eliciting a small 'eep' from said pony. Thomas heaved a sigh, "Fluttershy...need you for a sec." It took more than a minute for the pony to fully emerge from the back. "...I hear you have a way with animals, you can... request them to do things to an extent, right?" Fluttershy opted to retreat within her mane, eyes facing the ground. "...Erm, yes, they usually do what I ask." "Can you ask several critters to be our scouts for up ahead?" Fluttershy tilted her head slightly at the request. "Scouts?" "Yeah, scouts. Ya know, have them do some recon for us? Move ahead of the wagon and warn us of any trouble, can you do that?" Fluttershy swept her gaze along the forest canopy before returning to Thomas. "There's not a lot of critters running around. Most of them are scared to their wits... but I'll try." She received a nod from Thomas. "Rarity... I don't suppose you can magic up a needle and fabric and begin weaving up some actual camo for the wagon, can you?" "Well, whatever for, darling? I was under the impression we'd be ditching the wagon once we find a train." "That's the plan, but there's no guarantee we'll find a train over there to begin with. I mean there was only one when we first arrived so the chances of finding another docked there are low. And that's not taking into consideration the possibility that the trains may need repairs, or there's an enemy force and we need to look for an alternate train yard, or-" "Alright, darling, I get the picture. Regardless, my hooves are tied. My magic can't reach all the way to my shop and I can't just magic things from nothing." Thomas simply shrugged his shoulders. "Eh, worth a shot... hey, think you can camo up my cloak instead?" Rarity hummed to herself as she seized the cloak within her magic grip, a scrutinizing eye scanning every thread and stitch. "Hmm... I'll first see to its restoration before considering the application of any concealment." Rarity continued to talk to herself as she turned away to the back of the wagon. "Jeez, Thomas. Were you a military tactician back on Earth or what?" Psalms commented. "It's called basic common sense. I've never been on a dangerous mission adventure before, but one would think of some measure of precautions before venturing out." "Oh-oh-oh! What can I do!? What can I do!?" Pinkie asked as she bounced upon her tail. "Pinkie, you can... you can...hmm." Silence descended for a solid second. "...You can take stock of food and water, make sure they're nice and secure. The last thing we need is to be smack dab in the middle of the desert and find our provisions missing or forgotten." "Oki-doki-loki!" She disappeared in a flash. "Psalms you... what can you do?" Psalms' eyes reflected left and right before offering a shrug. "I was a glorified janitor back at the orphanage so...emotional support?" "...Just be extra lookout." "I'll be extra lookout." Thomas offered a nod before reflecting on himself and Applejack. "Guess we'll be the heavy haulers for the moment." "Ain't too bad at the whole leader thing, so you can fall back on that." "Nah, ain't leadership... advisor, I guess? I dunno, let's just get this show on the road." "Giddy-up now, heeyawh!" The crack of the reins along their spine elicited a startled cry from both ponies, they were quick to turn a glare at the offender. "...What?" Spike questioned. "Everypony else got a job, so I declare myself the driver. Not my fault you forgot me." The duo's glare soon dropped as they both released a sigh. With another, softer, crack of the reins, the wagon and its crew began the journey toward the train station.