//------------------------------//
// Chapter 6: An Adventure Already?! (Part 4: Desert Dilemmas.) 
// Story: Life isn’t done with you 
// by Kibat Grenbuku 
//------------------------------//


Who led you through the great and terrifying wilderness, with its fiery serpents and scorpions and thirsty ground where there was no water,

-Deuteronomy 8:15a


As soon as the magic bubble morphed completely around everyone, silence descended within their cramped space save for wheezing breaths and an occasional whimper or two. Everyone was sharing looks at one another, fear and worry prevalent the most. The raging wind and fiery explosions were nothing more than dulled vibrations. The window to their right provided a perfect view of their ever-accelerating state as the curve in the tracks they saw before flashed by within a blink of an eye, followed by a horrible screech of grinding metal. Tremors afflicted the caboose as the train successfully landed beyond the tracks and dug through the stony earth. Before they could comprehend anything further, the tremors ceased, the earth disappeared and the Sun and sky became forefront to the window's view. 

It was tranquil for the briefest of moments before the tell-tale sinking feeling of free fall afflicted all. One by one, every other magic user applied what little mana they could to the bubble as gravity was inverted and the caboose slowly began to tilt towards its side. From their port side of the caboose, the sandy dunes and scorching desert grew in size and detail as the seconds passed while the starboard presented the blinding sun along with its everlasting shine and a clear blue sky.

No words were muttered still and any cries from earlier were muted as everyone braced themselves for the coming crash. Bodies were pressed together and hooves interlocked amongst one another. Nearly all eyes were shut as each pony reinforced their heads against one another. Psalms shared one last look with Twilight, who remained ramrod as she beheld the bubble. Her eyes reflected dread but deep down a sparkle shined within as she watched him mouth to her the only word that brimmed in his mind. Faith.

Twilight's resolve strengthened ever so slightly and she nodded to him just as he was shutting his eyes closed and ducked for cover. As haggard and drained of magic as Twilight was, hope and faith still prevailed even in this most dire situation, and If she could behold such natures at the very moment, then what reason had he to be worried? With her confidence at the display, he shouldn't, but that's easier said than done. Anticipation flooded his veins as the seconds ticked by and Psalms did not dare open his eyes lest his heart beat its last, for the third time.

Then the crash came, and nopony within that bubble would ever be able to recall exactly what happened as one second all were held within a magic bubble, and the next, Psalms found himself flailing through the dry heat as buffeting winds assaulted his ears. In his panic, his wings had unfurled themselves, and tried as he might to land safely, his expertise with the feathery appendages still equaled zilch. It was a good thing he kept his eyes closed the whole way through as he soon found himself impacting through the head of a dune. The crash softened his momentum but he found himself within the air once more but at a heavy decline in elevation. He impacted the dune once more and was rumbling and tumbling down the slope. It must've been a small dune as he soon found himself splayed out on his stomach against a coarse rocky ground.

At first, he couldn't feel a thing, his mind was a swirl as if having been through a night out on the town. Opening his eyes was a mistake as grains saw their chance and assaulted his delicate optics. His scream filled the air as he scrambled along the floor, his body flailing around like a fresh fish out of water. Eventually, he settled himself onto his knees and allowed his tears to slowly build up and flow freely, taking his assailants along with them. His relief was short-lived as his senses returned in full, and the first sensation that filled his mind was the blistering heat adorning his back and searing his knees and wherever his naked body made contact with the ground. He was quick to jump onto his hooves which too began to burn, his froggy bottoms practically melting by the heat's touch.

And then there was the stinging. Piercing, aching stings littering almost every corner of his being. Sand covered every nook and cranny on him and the aching burning pain he felt was due to finding splotches of friction burns across his hide. Shaking himself free of most of the sand, Psalms was quick to survey his surroundings, hooves dancing as he tried to keep the ever-increasing burning sensations at bay. He was situated at the bottom of a sand pit but he was able to spot a smoke trail just beyond the hill's peak. Quick on his feet, Psalms scurried along the dune's edge, his wings abuzz in the hopes he could fly his way back. No dice.

Cresting the top, he was presented with the train and its three main components a fair distance away. He could barely hear the shouts of one of the ponies, but at his distance, he was unsure as to who. Staring long enough, he spotted movement, and with the lack of enemy airships around, he was confident it was one of his friends. Feet burning, he hesitated no more and began a mad dash towards the reck.


Amid the yellow sprawling dunes, and the grey outcroppings of boulders, the smoking remains of the train and its colorful cohorts were a welcome sight for Psalms. It was Pinkie who had perched herself atop the wreckage of the caboose, train whistle blowing as a call for all missing members to regroup at. She stopped upon spottings Psalms, eliciting a cheer from her as she bounced atop the train's carcass full of glee, hooting and hollering at the others all the while.

The wreckage before Psalms provided ample areas of shade and he was quick to sprint for the nearest open spot, noting the colorful coats of his friends within his peripheral vision along the way. Two yellows, orange, pink, white, purple, crimson...no sign of blue or green. The burning within his frogs was too much as he skidded along the sand and rolled himself into the cool shade. His breaths were heavy and labored as the burning in his feet and across his hide throbbed with every pulse of his heart.

"Psalms!" Twilight cried out as she flapped her way toward him before landing by his side. "Oh, thank Celestia, you're ok! I-I-I don't know what happened, one moment we were together and the next-"

"Flying through the air," Psalsm interrupted through labored breaths, "Yeah... I know... is...is everyone ok?"

Twilight was quick to nod away. "A bruise here and a scrape there, but everypony is fine; tired and drained of magic, but fine... well, except for Sunset, I believe her leg is broken. Fluttershy and I were tending to her and the others when Pinkie started announcing your presence..." It was then that Twilight eyed the various burns adorning his physic. "Oh no, you're hurt too! Just wait right here, I'll go fetch some cream." Twilight made to get the medicine but was stopped by one of Psalms' hooves.

"Cream? I don't remember us hauling cream on the wagon." He had personally overseen all their resources and there was no cream... unless-

"They came pre-packaged within the first aid kit," Twilight reported with a gleeful smile and a little dance on her hooves. "It is nothing short of a miracle we managed to find it; relatively undamaged too!"

Thank you, God, Thank you, Sophia. Psalms completed his thanks with a kiss to his pendant before stopping Twilight once more, "I'm fine, at least for the moment. See to Sunset and the others first, Thomas and I will wait last."

Worry flashed across Twilight's face as she switched her gaze to Thomas off to their left. "...If you're sure.... besides, I don't think we have medicine that could fix that anyway..." Twilight flicked her gaze to Psalms and nodded Thomas's way before turning back for the others.

Turning to his left, Psalms was witness to Thomas cradled in a fetal position against the body of the train, rocking back and forth and muttering words he couldn't hear. It appeared he had entered another state of madness, something that was increasingly worrying Psalms. He strode up by his side and tried all manners of gaining his brother's attention but his mind was gone. Pinpricked eyes, blood, sweat, and tears stained across his body, and his hide rippled and shivered with increasing frequency.

"...Hot...hot...hot...too hot...burning up...burning...burning, burning, burning... forever in a lake of fire... surrounded by a sea of glass," Thomas's eyes reflected onto Psalsm's, blazing rage bubbled in an instant, "...because of you!" He screeched as he shuffled onto his feet.

The girls all turned, eyeing the two with worry, and began to converge on them, but Psalsm was quick to shoo them away as he flicked his hoof at them, "We're ok, we're fine! Don't worry about us, we just need some time alone." Psalms flashed them a strained smile, convincing the girls to reluctantly turn back to their own affairs as they tried to ignore the shouting that followed.

Thomas was quick to seize Psalms by the shoulders and slam his frame against the exterior roof hatch of the driver's cabin, "What the hell was all that? Just what the hell was all that crazy shit, Psalms!? Outrunning an entire armada, lightning guns trying to zap us, explosive barrels raining from the sky, tracks blowing up!? We could have died back there, we almost died back there, I could have died!" Thomas emphasized his panicked rage with a heavy stomp into the sand, "I thought you said we were in some little kiddies cartoon, what the actual fuck!?"

"I know, I know, alright!? Just keep your voice down!" Psalms peeked to his right and continued upon seeing all the others preoccupied, a hoof cupped between the two, "Things... things had gotten out of control, I admit that, but so far it isn't anything that didn't or couldn't have happened in the movie...at least I think so."

Thomas's jaw slackened. "W-wha...what!? What do you mean you think so!? You said you knew what the fuck was going to happen ahead of time! Explain!"

A heavy breath escaped Psalms as he scanned the others before continuing. "Look, like I said earlier our presence is already a divergence from the cartoon's canon. I have no doubt what we went through most likely didn't happen in the movie, but I can't be sure because it was never shown how they got to the desert. One scene they were by the river where we first met, the next they're crawling through the desert dying of thirst."

"W-what!? We're going to die and you knew it ahead of time!?"

"Oh for the love of God, get your head screwed on straight already!" Psalms did not hesitate to apply a forceful slap against Thomas's face. "No, we aren't going to die, dumbass! Like I or the directors would let that happen, then there wouldn't be a movie at all." Psalms couldn't help but apply a hoof to his face as he blew out a frustrated string of air, "Look, I know exactly where we are in the story, we'll be following the girls into a dingy town and while I might have some plans in the works, we'll let the girls do their things for the most part and we'll play along. I'll give you a heads-up if or when I'm going to make some changes to the story, capeesh?"

Thomas lightly slammed Psalms into the train once more, hooves still affixed to his shoulders, nostrils flaring and eyes glaring. Thomas's lips parted but no words were uttered as he struggled with his inner turmoil. With one last flare of his nose, his hooves loosened and the burning in his eyes simmered. "Fine... if you say everything turns out just peachy then how can I possibly oppose your word? Just see to it we all make it out in one piece because it's your damn head if anything happens to any of us." Thomas cornered Psalms against the train as he pressed himself against his brother, heads clashing, "Capeesh?" He warned. 

Hard eyes reflected Thomas's visage before it disappeared as Psalms shifted his gaze to the cuffed medallion in his hoof, gave it a small kiss, and returned back to Thomas, a firm nod offered, satisfying his brother.

*BANG* *BANG* Hard thumps crashed against the train's hatch as it buckled against an unknown force behind the two. Panic filled Thomas's veins as blazing heat escaped from the hatch's crevices. 

*BANG* *BANG* Psalms summoned what little magic he had left and lifted a small pile of sand within his magical grasp, ready to repeat Thomas's action from earlier.

*BANG*

*BANG*
...
...
...
*CRKT!*

The latch blasted straight off its hinges and blazing fire along with choking smoke surged forth, eliciting a panicked scream from the red alicorn as he dove and flailed away back into the blistering sunshine. The scorched earth evoked more manic screams as the alicorn dashed back into the shade at the train's rear, earning the eyes and ears of all the other ponies. Their eyes soon fell upon Psalms and the smoking hatch.

From within the belching smoke and crackling fire emerged a singular claw that gripped the edge of the opening. With a huff and a puff, Spike struggled, then stumbled, and finished with a tumble onto the ground. Rising to his feet, he spat the wrench that he had fastened between his teeth into one claw and picked up a broken pipe he had dropped with the other, bringing both objects into view for the others to consider. "Job finished!" He stated with a cheery proud smile.

"Hahaha!" Psalms couldn't contain his mirth, "Nice job, Spike. You did good." He finished with a razed hoof that was bumped a second later. "See, Twilight? I told you he'd be sa-oof!" Psalms was interrupted as Twilighted dashed by, her flared wings catching his side as she passed.

"Spike!" Twilight cried as she hoisted the little lizard into her limbs, bringing the duo into an embrace. The other ponies were quick to follow through with their own greetings, well most did.

At the wreckage of the caboose, Sunset laid within its shade while Thomas had retreated into the darkest corner, his hide rippling as his figure shivered. Bandages were adorned across Sunset's front left limb. Her cheeks bulged with a heavy breath as she clambered onto her hooves. Applying a minuscule amount of weight, her injured limb began to twitch and spasm. With a hiss, she finally relented back to the floor.

Remorse flooded Psalms' mind as he watched the mare squirm on the floor in pain. "Hey," he called out as he reached the two, "You alright?"

Sunset lifted her injured limb before her, earning yet another hiss before dropping it with a sigh. "Well, I would say I've had worse, but I don't want to attract Applejack's ire. Where is she and the others anyway? What's happening over yonder?"

"She and the others are coddling Spike who's safe and sound, as I told Twilight earlier." Psalms settled himself on his haunches upon reaching the shade. "If it weren't for the little guy, I think we'd be buried under a new mountain by now."

"No kidding?" Sunset asked as she reclined on a small dune, "That kid's going places. Sharp mind and a strong heart, he's got a bright future."

Psalms nodded in agreement. One I intend to keep. "...I'm sorry."

"Hmm?" Sunset offered a quirked brow.

"About your leg," Psalms pointed as added emphasis, "About the train, about the mirror, about everything! I brought you along on this crazy adventure and you got hurt because of me. All of you got hurt, and the possibility for worse was never too far... isn't far even now..."

A flick on his shoulder from Sunset's magic stirred Psalms' mind from his muse. "Hey now, don't be thinking like that. It isn't your fault that all of Equestria is invaded and we're being chased around by a bunch of hulking monkeys. Twilight and the others have been through worse than this on more than one occasion. The mirror can be fixed or replaced, and this?" Sunset hefted her injured limb before them once more, "This ain't nothing. Everything is fine, and we'll all be laughing this whole adventure off in Sugar Cube Corner by this week's end, you'll see."

Psalms made to counter her point but hesitated and relented at the last second. His eyes reflected on his brother whose state had yet to change, shook his head in resignation, and closed his eyes as fatigue crawled along the edges of his mind. He was content with letting the girls sort themselves and their situation for the moment.

His rest was short-lived however as the flapping of wings disturbed their brief tranquility. Before he could peak from under the caboose, Rainbow Dash settled herself before them in a hard landing. Her breaths were nothing but wheezes and sweat dripped like a waterfall from head to tail. Her wings hung limply to her side as she settled her tush upon the metal perch that was the caboose's wheel.

"Rainbow! There ya are!" Applejack called out as she and all the others relocated to their position. "Consarnit filly, what went through yer mind to do something so foolhardy as jumping off a moving train in yer condition?"

It took a moment more for Rainbow to respond, "Take it easy, AJ. I saved all your flanks with the stunt I pulled." She puffed herself up and scrubbed her hoof against her chest before replying further, "You're welcome, by the way."

Sunset looked anything but impressed if her deadpan expression was anything to go by. "Uh-huh, and what exactly did you do to save us? Because I'm assuming you aren't talking about the train." Sunset deduced.

Dash took a couple of flaps to settle herself onto the ground. "I bought us time. Did a loop back over the cliff and Tempest isn't following us anymore. In fact, there isn't a single ship in sight anywhere except for the hundreds of smoking wrecks for miles around, that's how much butt we kicked!" Rainbow topped off her exaggerated report with a couple of karate kicks into the air. Several of the girls couldn't help but roll their eyes at her display.

A small, almost imperceptible shift in the sand to Psalms left caught his eye for the briefest moment but gazing into the scorching wilderness provided no answers after a moment of surveying. Another moment later and he was back to listening to the others.

"So, the gangs all here, now what?" Spike was the first to inquire about their next course of action.

"Isn't it obvious?" Thomas filtered out as his wits returned and he shifted closer to the group. "We leave this godforsaken searing wasteland. I can't stand these boiling conditions a moment more!"

"What was the direction the Princess said again, Twilight? South, was it?" Rarity inquired as she reflected her gaze on the sun above.

"I don't think any of us are in any condition to make a trek down south in this heat." Psalms reflected his eyes on the main car, to the splintered remains of their supplies littering the dunes. "Certainly not without any supplies; did anything survive?"

Twilight turned to the corner and her magic flared as a crumbled mess of objects clattered to the ground before the group. "Barely anything. All of our food and water are gone; sleeping bags, headgear, fire starter kits... well with nopony to move the sun those would've been useless anyway... we did manage to find a partial tent kit, and thank Celestia the first aid was intact, but other than that there isn't anything else."

"Woah wait, back up a sec, whaddya mean there's nobody to move the sun?" Thomas was quick to question.

All the others shared a look before turning back to Thomas. "...Nopony told you?" Fluttershy softly probed.

Thomas could only offer a blank face in return. "Wouldn't be asking if I knew, now would I?"

"Right, yes, sorry my fault, I may have neglected to tell him a thing or two about Celestia and Luna to him." Psalms turned to his brother, "Right, I'll make it short, Princess Celestia literally controls the sun and its position in the sky, and Princess Luna does the same as well for the moon. Both are petrified so no one is controlling the time of day."

Thomas's eyes bugged out upon hearing Psalms words. "...Are you serious? That's even more reason we need to get the heck outta this damn desert! The temperature's gonna keep rising and we have no water as is!" Thomas fished into his saddle bag's pockets and dumped the four bottles from when their adventure first began. "This is literally all we have, and any water out there is gonna boil away in this heat. We need to leave, now!"

Another shift in the sand within Psalms' peripheral earned his attention. He noted not one but multiple shifts across the dunes, but they settled a second later. None of the others took notice. Then something slithered out, slithered into the air, flickering with some kind of bulbous end. Quick as a flash, it retreated back into the sand, leaving a quickly filling hole. No further movement across the desert.

"-ight, Psalms?" Thomas's words registered late.

"Huh, wuh?" Psalms blurted out as all fixated upon him.

"You came barreling from across the dune when the train crashed, right?" Thomas lifted his hoof before Psalms, earning a wince from his brother as he noted the many swelling lumps on his froggy bottom. "Your feet were blistering on the burning sand too?"

Psalms shifted upon his own hooves, the tingling stinging pain from his frogs having lingered from his trek. "Yeah, the desert was frying my hooves the whole way here."

Thomas pointed between himself and his brother, "Our feet were on fire, how come you guys have no trouble walking around?"

"Uh, horseshoes?" Twilight prompted upon inspecting her own.

Thomas was quick to bring both front feet before his eyes and took note of the scabbing adorned upon them. He shifted himself to Twilight side's and the two compared between themselves, noting the steel horseshoe Twilight adorned. "No wonder. Dammit, we need to get out of here but our feet will melt off within an hour."

"You could just fly, you have wings ya know?" Dash pointed with a flair of her wings before they slumped back to the ground.

A heavy groan was growled out by Thomas, but he was beaten by Sunset before he could so much as utter a word. "He can't. He doesn't know how. He's only been an alicorn for about a day at the most, remember?" Various members muttered in agreement as the talk they had yesterday was refreshed in their minds. Sunset sent a questioning look Psalms's way and he too shook his head, confirming his inability to fly as well.

"So," Thomas piped up, "back to square one, me and Psalms can't go galloping off into the sunset without our legs catching fire."

"Leave that problem to me, darling." Rarity called out as she trotted upon the ruined tent canvas. Within her magic, she hefted eight broken wooden planks and tore off small portions of the tent's fabric. "Twilight, if you would be so kind?" Rarity asked as she nodded to the two humans. Getting her gist, Twilight struggled to magic the two into the air for a brief moment as Rarity went about jury-rigging the planks and cloth strips into makeshift crude sandals before forcefully applying them to each individual hoof. With a nod, Twilight released the two. "Certainly not my greatest work, but hopefully they shall do for the time being."

A quick test from the two proved the tight apparel functional if not comfortable. "Alright, with that out of the way, we can leave."

"Can we though?" Pinkie of all ponies questioned Thomas, her hoof cuffed to her chin as she entered analyzing mode. "Because I'm party pooped, and if I'm pooped, then everypony else is super-duper-ultra-double-triple-pooped."

It hadn't occurred to Thomas yet, but as he surveyed each pony and lizard one by one, well it's a tale already told. Everyone was filthy, sweaty, haggard, and all other manners of dead tired, especially the magic users. As Thomas took their appearances in, his adrenaline decided then and there to high-tail it and his muscles nearly gave way as numbing darkness threatened to overtake his mind. He vigorously shook the darkness away, "We have no choice, stick around and we'll waste our water. Time is of the essence, and that's not even mentioning how airships could peak over that cliff any moment without warning. We need to leave before they find us."

"We need rest more than anything else. Can we spare ten minutes?" Fluttershy requested.

"No," Twilight asserted, "Thomas is right, we can't stay and wait to be caught or needlessly lose any more water."

"Thank you, Twilight." Thomas spared a moment to look from one pony to the next before fixating upon Sunset. "Who's gonna carry Sunset? I-I don't have the strength anymore."

The sand shifted and this time, Psalms wasn't alone to spot it. Rainbow Dash redirected her gaze toward the movement, her wings flared and tension flooded her figure, a sentiment shared with Psalms as the bulbous figures slithered from the sand once more, much closer than before. "Hey! Eyes up!" Dash helpfully called out as more of the figures emerged. Rarity screamed as one of the things emerged to her right and Applejack was quick to haul Sunset onto her back as the group back peddled against the train's corpse.

There were dozens, maybe even a hundred of the things that emerged from the sand, their bulbous figures pulsating in the air sporadically. They were stalks of three spherical bud-looking sacks with the appearance like that of a thistle weed, the tips even adorned with red colorful petals. They shifted ever so slowly toward their position, the group's shouts or screams drawing them in with renewed vigor. twenty-five meters, then twenty, fifteen, ten, five... then they halted. The stalks ceased their advance and their motions stilled, then one by one they retreated back into the sand. The last disappeared into the dune and silence descended amongst all.
...
...
...
"...Ok," Twilight cautiously ventured forth, "I think it's safe to mo-"

*SPFFTH* Ruptering forth from the dunes, a great many oily-black slithering bodies took to the air and descended upon the train in quick succession.

*SPFFTH* *SPFFTH* *SPFFTH* The waves were endless as they converged upon the train and began to tear away chunks of steel and iron as others secreted a foul-smelling ooze that melted through the exterior hull. "Everypony run!" Twilight ordered as the others scrambled away.

"What in Equestria are these horrid things!?" Rarity squealed as she and the others ducked and dodged as more of the snake-like things flung themselves onto the train.

"Slag Worms, a whole colony by the looks of it!" Fluttershy answered, screamed, answereamed. 

The things just kept springing up from everywhere as the group bobbed and weaved with the only silver lining being that the worms were fixated on the train alone, but that didn't stop everyone from doing everything they could to avoid catching one in the face. 

Wheezing and coughing, eventually they crested over the largest of the sand dunes and took a moment to catch their breath as more and more of the worms swarmed the train's frame. From their view, the train quickly became nothing more but a rippling black mass of mucus and tendrils.

"Wha-" Spike took another gulp, "-What are they doing to the train?"

"They're using their corrosive stomach acid to melt it down into a soupy sludge," Fluttershy explained further. The worms had fully converged on the train as the last of their kind trickled from the sand. "They break down the complex metals and materials for egg production, creating an impenetrable egg sack for their young."

"So, they eat metal?" Dash asked.

"Oh no, they absorb and store the melted metal in pouches across their skin. When the time comes for egg laying, they secrete the metal into a soft fiber that they weave like silk, it hardens as the mucus dries up."

The last of the train disappeared within the black mass and soon enough, the bulbous stalks emerged from their maws that flooded the air with pulses once more.

"...Well... least no ships will find the train now." Applejack pointed out.

"So, if they didn't eat the train... then what do they eat?" Spike asked with a heavy gulp. His words seemingly earned the worm's attention as every stalk shifted toward their direction once he spoke.

"What any other carnivorous creature eats." Fluttershy relayed with a smile, happy to inform her friends of such an amazing and unique creature as the Slag Worm. Nature is so fascinating.

The stalks pulsated one more time and in quick succession, they retreated back into the sand, their movement kicked up sand into the air as they closed the distance to the group.

"Can we never catch a break!?' Thomas screamed into the air as he and the others made a mad dash away from the coming death tide.


*Gulp* *Gulp* *Gulp* "Guh! ...Gah!... *cough* *cough* ...Oh, thank you, Lord above." Psalms finished his thanks with a quick kiss upon his medallion before hefting his water bottle to one of the other parched throats.

Hours. They had run for seemingly hours as it was impossible to tell what time of day it was without having the sun move from its fixed position. Whatever the case, they pushed themselves to the limits as they escaped further and further into the never-ending sea of dunes. The whole time through being chased by the worms which rarely relented for a moment of rest. The things would split up and forced the group in all manners of directions other than south, leaving them to waste more energy and time. Multiple times the group became lost in the desert as scattered clouds blocked the sun's position in the sky.

Eventually, a large sandstorm peaked over the horizon and the group was left with no choice but to brave the storm in a desperate attempt to rid themselves of their slippery foes. More hours passed within the blazing desert and the group had dropped dead of energy just as they passed through the sandstorm's threshold. Sand stinging their eyes and filling every nook and cranny, the group swiftly pitched their tent and a wave of relief filled them as they settled themselves within. The human's feet were pulsing with pain as their makeshift shoes caused even more blisters to flair in their rugged journey.

They feverishly dug through Thomas's saddlebags and tore through what little food snacks were available while their limited water was rationed as much as possible between each member. They had survived the worm's onslaught, but being down to a single bottle, their prospects were anything but good.

"Hey! Give that back! I'm dying here!" Dash demanded as the last water bottle was fished into Twilight's magic.

"Dash, calm down," Twilight asked as she secured the water back within the saddlebag. "All of us are thirsty but we need to conserve what little we have left for tomorrow."

"Maybe if ya stop flapping 'em wings ya wouldn't be so thirsty." Applejack pointed out, earning a groan from her feathered friend.

"There's no space for me on the floor as is, AJ. Besides, I can't make them stop, they've been numb for a couple of minutes now." Applejack responded by hooking her lasso onto Dash and yanked the pegasus down to the ground earning, an 'oof' which was followed by a quiet 'thanks'.

"I must say," Rarity began as she attempted to comb the sand out of her filthy mane, "out of all of the adventures we've gone through so far, none have been so hazardous and left us so ragged quite like this current one has."

Sunset shifted from her spot as she tested her leg on the floor. The medicine Twilight had delivered earlier along with what little magic she could supply left her limb sore but healed enough to allow her mobility once more. "Yeah, I was going to say, If this is what you and the gals do on a daily basis, then I'm extra glad I didn't somehow become an element bearer."

"Ain't so bad a gig, Sunset. Saving the world is somethin' we all can be proud of." Applejack said from somewhere amid the crammed bodies.

Murmurs of agreement filled the air before a companionable silence settled within their tight quarters, raging sandstorm blasting against the tent aside. Eyes drooped and yawns were shared as one by one the ponies settled themselves as comfortably as they could before dozing away.

Twilight settled herself between the two brothers, "I've set a magical alarm for five hours from now. The storm should be gone by then. I wish we had a chance to stop in Apple Loosa; aside from moving south, we're completely lost. With only one bottle of water left, I fear we won't make it far in our travel."

"We'll just have to make do," Thomas stated as he settled his cloak upon the floor and promptly plopped himself down on it. "No matter what, we keep moving or else we're done for. Get some sleep, you two." With his magic, he seized his saddlebags and used them as a makeshift pillow. His snores soon joined the others.

"Don't worry, Twilight," Psalms reassured as he too settle onto the floor, "I have faith that we'll make it outta here in one piece."

Twilight fixed him a raised brow. "Are you sure it's just faith alone? Not because, oh I don't know, future knowledge?"

Psalms couldn't hide his sheepish features. "I may or may not have foreseen us reaching relative safety, but nothing is set in stone, not anymore anyhow. As my brother said, we just need to keep moving." Psalms reclined on his side as the last of his energy receded. 

Being so close to one another, it was only then that Twilight took note of the many inflamed spots dotting all across Psalms' hide. "Why didn't you tell me you had friction burns?"

Having been reminded of their annoying existence, the stinging reared its ugly head upon Psalms, earning a small wince from him. "Well, frankly I completely forget I even had them. I suppose being chased by a bunch of pony-eating worms tends to make you forget a couple of things in the heat of the moment. And I guess you forget you saw them earlier when I first arrived, remember? You wanted to give me some cream for 'em?"

Twilight's adorned a mask of perplexion before she emoted an 'Oh' which was followed by a sheepish smile, "Oh, right, my bad. Hah, being chased by pony-eating worms does make one forget a thing or two. Well, how about I take care of this while we have time to spare." Summoning her magic, she fished out the relatively pristine first aid container out of a corner. She eyed the goods for a moment and tsked at the lack of options before picking out an antibacterial spray and a couple of extra-large bandaid patches. "Sorry, Psalms, but this is all I have at the moment. Half a spray left and the last of the big bandaids. You weren't the only one with burns." Spray in hoof, she went to work dispersing it to the most severe spots before applying the bandaids.

Psalms hissed as the wounds stung with increased fervor. "Argh! ...Damn, that stuff hurts! Honestly, Twilight, I'm good... should save that stuff for the others."

Within Twilight's magical grasp, the now empty first aid box lingered before his face. She rattled it for added emphasis before flinging it through the tent's entrance. Psalms relented with a nod and allowed her to do her work in companionable silence. Bandaids applied, Twilight sprayed the last of the canister's contents before it too took a trip to the outside. "And that's that. Let's hope we can get out of this desert in one piece."

Psalms took a second to look upon his tended wounds. "You didn't have to do this, I could have gotten someone else for it, you of all ponies need the rest after what we went through earlier." 

"It was no trouble, Psalms. Alwa-" A yawn interrupted her words, "-ays happy to help a friend, no matter what. And besides, I'm the Element of Magic, I figure I have more mana in the tank to spare."

Psalms couldn't help but flash her a smile before he too yawned into his hoof. Eyes drooping ever so slowly, he reclined once more. "Goodnight, Twilight."

"Goodnight, you two." Twilight yawned as she curled herself up between the brothers. Her gaze shifted upon the little holes and tears on one side of the tent canvas that allowed the tiniest rays of sunshine and sand to filter through. She was amazed at how everypony could sleep so peacefully after everything they went through not even a day ago, her nerves were still fried from their time on the train earlier, but it wasn't enough to stow away the ravenous fatigue that coursed through her frame. It finally reached her brain and all grace was lost as she hit the ground snoring up a storm, drool pooling out her mouth.


Far as her eye could see, the land below was little more than a desolate wasteland, there was little chance the princess had survived this far on hoof. Tempest and her fleet had been scouring the wastes for over ten hours and not a single sign of the ponies or even their train for that matter existed anywhere. If she didn't already know the Badlands and the many creatures that dwelled within, she would have been baffled by their lack of progress. No, the most likely outcome of the princess's little flight was their doom by Slag Worms, of which proof of the creatures was found at the predicted crash sight of the train.

One would assume all were lost to the creatures, but evidence suggested they made a break for it as the worms left many trails, all in one direction, deeper into the desert. Their search was discontinued as a giant sandstorm ravaged the land below, delaying the fleet further. Tempest wasn't worried, there was still time before the Storm King arrived, and if her research was true, alicorn numbers aside, then these ponies have been through worse than carnivorous worms. Irritatingly, this sentiment wasn't shared by all onboard.

Specifically, by one little pudgy weasel who droned on and on endlessly as he leaned upon one arm, surveying the wastes down below with a weary mask. "Sand...sand...sand...more sand... oh! Oh, wait, that's a rock. Yeah... I don't think we're gonna find them out here, can we leave this place yet?"

"And go back to the Storm King empty hoof after we promised him limitless power?" Tempest let out a shrill whistle, "Color me impressed, you actually had me fooled that you had any semblance of a brain all along."

"Momma always did say I had traded my brain for a second stomach." Grubber fished within his pocket and presented a slice of pie before Tempest. "Fair trade if you ask me!" He exclaimed before digging in.

Just then, a storm beast emerged from the ship's bowels, a scrying spell in claw, and began grunting and growling at Grubber. The two exchanged grunts until the creature retreated back into the interior while Tempest impatiently waited for her little pig to flush his food down. "*BURP* Oof, 'scuze me... ok, uh, our scout ship has spotted Klugetown ahead. We've reached about as far south as we can go. Want me to turn them around?"

"All but three are to turn back and resume the search in the desert. Set course for this Klugetown." Tempest ordered.

"Aye aye, commander. Still, if you ask me, I think them ponies bit the sand already."

Tempest eyed grubber from the side. "It's a good thing then that I didn't ask, now get us going." Grubber shrugged his shoulders in resignation and made way for the cockpit. For both our sakes, we better find the princess alive.


*BEEP* *BEEP* *BEEP* *BEEP* *BE-KONK* "Ow!" Twilight yelped as hoof thwacked her noggin, leading her to nurse her forehead as she glared at her colorful assailant.

"Five more minu..." Dash's coarse throat ceased its words and instead filtered out heavy snores once more, but Applejack was quick to get the bird up with a few kicks in the shin. "Ow, ow! Ok, ok, I get it, I'm up. Ow! I said I'm up!"

"Just makin' sure, sugarcube. Long day ahead, an' the early bird get's the worm." Applejack stated as she strode back to her sleeping spot, snatched her signature hat back into place, and blew a sharp whistle. "All y'all best be getting up now, ya hear?"

None of the others were as quick as Applejack hoped to stir awake. Dry crusty eyes, haggard manes and tails, and parched lips adorned every single soul present.

A yawn tore through Thomas's face hole as he fished within his saddlebags and found his target, the last of the water. With a flick, he tossed the bottle into Applejack's hoof. "That's all that's left so I don't want to hear any complaining. Anyway, I gotta... do my business outside so nobody leaves the tent just yet."

"Thomas! Wait," Psalms slid up to his side and cuffed a hoof between the two before whispering away, "number one, right?" Thomas slowly nodded as he fixed him with a raised brow, "Aren't we supposed to...I mean wouldn't it be smart to... collect some into a bottle? Isn't that something they do in those desert survival documentaries?"

Thomas couldn't help but revolt a little at his suggestion, disgust barely adorning his face. "One, that's disgusting. Two, even if I'm somehow convinced to go through with it, no way in hell am I willing to share that with the others. And three, that would do more harm than good in the long run. I know we're desperate, but not that desperate. Didn't you say we would be hitting a town soon?"

"Like I've said time and again, nothing is set in stone, not with either of us existing presently. Ok, I see your point, and yeah, I wouldn't want the others to go through what I'm suggesting."

"Hey," Thomas settled a hoof onto Psalms' shoulder, "At least you're thinking of some way to remedy our water problem. My plan is to just run like hell till we're out and that's it. Your idea has merit, but... we'll keep it on the back burner for now alright?" Psalms nodded at his suggestion. "Good. Now, if you'll excuse me." Thomas turned back towards the tent's entrance and flung the covers away before a hoarse scream filled his lungs as he fell upon his back at the sight of three bulbous stalks just beyond the opening.

The stalks were pulsating with ever-increasing frequency as they homed in on the prone alicorn before they quickly descended back into the sand. Panic filled Thomas's veins as he knew what was to occur next. Luckily for him, he had an ace up in his saddlebag. With much haste, he feverously dug threw the pockets of his bag until he found and promptly hurled out a small satchel. Digging in with his magic, he snatched up three grenades within the nick of time.

*SPFFTH* *SPFFTH* *SPFFTH* Three worms soared into the air and straight for Thomas, their razor-sharp maws locked open and ready to tear him asunder.

Too panicked to analyze the coming threats, Thomas hoped for the best and tossed the grenades their way before booking it into a corner. His aim struck true as the worms petrified instantly upon breaching the entrance, but not before eliciting screams from various ponies. The screams eventually subsided as the creatures remained fixed in their position, but the group did not hesitate to book it out of the tent in a panic, tearing it apart as they resumed their mad dash for sanctuary.