Seven : Travelers
“Long live the pioneers, Rebels and mutineers, Go forth and have no fear, Come close and lend an ear” X Ambassadors - Renegades
Clout, Stratta, Glacier and the unicorn's miniature guards walked out of the Golden Oak Library's war room and back into the lobby. Rhinehart was up from the desk and filing some documents away while Gold Fletching was chatting with the second desk pony. The two other ponies were still ignoring their co-workers and typing away rhythmically on their telegraphs. A line of ponies had formed in front of the desk while the group was talking to Wulf, each waiting their turn.
Stratta watched Rhinehart return to her seat and address the next pony in line before he glanced at Clout. Trotting ahead of the others some, he led them around the desk and to the exit. As they passed Gold, they heard her talking to the desk pony about an early morning meeting Wulf had to attend but their eavesdropping was cut short as they walked through the door and out of the tree.
"Well, he certainly had quite an abundance of speculation he desired to construe." the unicorn mare pointed out.
"Yeah, Wulf can be a bit long-winded. He used to be a priest or a preacher or something like that when he was younger. Hence all of the religious symbolism around the Solar Nation." Stratta explained.
Glacier looked back to the entrance then at the pegasus quizzically. "Wait, were we not supposed to–" she began.
Stratta held a wing out to silence her as Kerfuffle got up from her card game to address them. The commander looked at Glacier. "You're still alive." she looked at the foals, "No suspicious activity then?" Glacier was shocked at the fact she meant for the foals to kill her.
Both of the young ponies saluted her but it was Street Rat who replied, "No ma'am. The unicorn behaved herself."
"Hmm," Kerfuffle grunted in disappointment, "fine." She glared at Glacier and harshly said, "Get out of here."
The aristocrat returned the glare as she followed her two stallions as they walked away, her miniature guards staying behind. "She could not have been sincere when she stated those foals were to execute me, correct?" she asked Stratta, "I could not imagine anypony forcing children to kill somepony…"
The pegasus gave a hard stare ahead as he replied, "Everyone here is prepared to kill to protect each other but no, Amethyst and Street Rat had practice BB guns, they shoot tiny pellets. Feels like a bee sting and they bounce right off."
"But forcing children to fight…" she remained shocked.
Stratta turned his head to glare at her, "That's what it's come to. Most of us are freed slaves who need food and medical care before they can even lift a weapon let alone have the strength to use it properly. Females and youngsters are required to do their part, not just sit on the side baking pies and playing with toys."
"But if you stopped this fight–"
"That's not an option."
The three walked in silence for a moment before Glacier started talking again. "Were we not instructed to speak with Miss Rhinehart about paperwork?" she asked.
"We were." Stratta admitted, "Most ponies don't know how to read or write and it takes too long when a line has formed. I'll do it later."
"They don't know how to–"
"This is a very different world from where you live." The pegasus irritatedly interrupted, "If you'd stop repeating what I say and just listen you might start understanding a little more."
Glacier glared at the back of his head.
"Where are we going." Clout said.
Stratta tilted his head back to grin at the crystal pony. "We're going to my place!" he told him.
Clout furrowed his brows. "Why. I want to get this job over with. We can head to New Pegasus now." He complained as he stopped walking.
Hearing the stallion stop, the pegasus and unicorn did the same. Stratta turned around to face him. "You have a couple of days before King Sombra comes for the inspection. Don't you want to rest up before you travel?" he asked.
"I can do that on the train." Clout said.
"So… if you fall asleep on the train you would be okay with that?" Stratta asked, "Surrounded by us two and a train full of strangers you don't trust."
"I don't trust you two either."
The pegasus' eyebrows furrowed as he opened his muzzle to speak. "Okay… Fair enough." he mumbled in disappointment, "Come on, I wanna show you my place! You'll like it, promise. Just, don't steal anything." Stratta gave a huge grin to the grumpy stallion.
Clout's ears flattened and he looked quite unamused at the pegasus. "You're not going to give up, are you." he said.
"You could just stay here if that is what you desire whilst the two of us continue on to Clout's destination." Glacier suggested.
"I'm not leaving you alone with him for a second." Stratta told her promptly. She was obviously offended by his statement.
The crystal pony sighed. "Fine, whatever, I don't care. Just shut up. Both of you are very obnoxious and I hate you." he said exasperated.
The pegasus childishly grinned in excitement that he was going to show Clout where he lived. He held his head up high as he trotted down the streets of the rebel city with the two disgruntled ponies following behind. They made their way down the street, passing many creatures as they went. With the early morning sun climbing higher in the sky, more of the townsfolk were exiting their encampments to start their day. The three ponies turned onto different streets several times before they came upon an old culvert that had obviously seen a lot more hooftraffic than it should have.
The mouth of the tunnel had been made out of bricks that were cracked and falling out of place. A few wooden braces had been used to try and keep it from collapsing. The small trickle of water down the center of the floor was so dirty it almost looked black in color. Small bits of foliage were peeking out from cracks in the floor close to the entrance and the rank stench wafting out from within made Glacier's eyes water.
The unicorn mare stopped in her tracks and put a hoof to her nose. "You are not seriously walking in there, correct?" she asked with trepidation.
The two stallions stopped and looked back at her. Clout simply pulled up his face mask over his muzzle while Stratta glared at her. "Do you have to complain about everything?" he asked.
The mare only huffed in response as she watched the two turn back around and walk straight into the sewage drain. Glacier internally argued with herself over the fact that she could not lose Clout over refusing to go into a sewer. She groaned as she relented, telekinetically pulling a handkerchief from her saddlebag and holding it in front of her muzzle as she reluctantly walked forward.
As they walked, it became obvious that the rebels were in desperate need for a lot more housing. The sewage tunnels were just as crowded as the city above was. They stayed to the center of the drain, wading through a few inches of water as they traveled further in. To either side of them were walkways up out of the dirty liquid. They could see camp after camp where families were living. Each living area was separated by a curtain held up by metal rods. Everyone looked to have the same amount of space to call home no matter how many were in the family. Each camp was unique to its owner, decorated with trinkets, pictures or graffiti on the wall. Some had proper sleeping tents while others slept out in the open with just a blanket. A few had candles or lanterns while some had small campfires lit. Surprisingly, the methane from the sewer they lived in was not igniting from the flames. Glacier had guessed they had some kind of magic suppression to protect that from happening. Many parts of the wall looked to have scorch marks so it was obvious they had run into that problem in the past and had learned from their mistakes. Some had small shelves made from old boxes or scrap to house their belongings and food.
The ponies themselves looked ragged and fatigued. Many were obviously sick with missing patches of fur, a pale complexion and had really bad coughs. None of the children here were playing, instead most looked to be getting themselves ready for the day and following the healthy adults out of the tunnels. Two guard ponies and Desmund pushed past the three and swiftly made their way to a nearby camp where an infant foal was crying. The doctor ignored the child and immediately checked the mare lying on the stone floor. After a moment he shook his head and looked at his guard escorts.
"Hey, come on, stop gawking." Stratta told the unicorn as she was lagging behind.
"R-right…" Glacier trailed off as she looked at her surroundings with concern. She trotted slightly faster to catch up to her two stallions and watched them walk on as if this was all just an everyday sight for them. She looked back at the camps that they were passing. 'This truly is another world…' she thought to herself.
A few minutes later, Stratta jumped up onto the dry bricks and into a vacant campsite. As Clout and Glacier followed, the pegasus turned to the two and spread his wings out. "Welcome to my humble abode!" he said to them.
Stratta's space was the same size as all the others. At the front there was a wire strung across with a blanket draped along it to give him more privacy. On the left end were two bunk beds where three of the four were obviously used though his mystery roommates were nowhere to be found. In the center of the floor was an old carpet which had a wooden box surrounded by four cushions to serve as a table. Along the back wall was a makeshift shelf where his foodstuffs were kept. The back right corner was blocked off with another hanging blanket, probably hiding a bucket and not much else. The other half of the right side had yet another shelf-type structure. This one held books, trinkets and a deck of playing cards. The back wall of Stratta's space had several maps pinned to it using old nails shoved between the bricks. One was a world map that included Equestria, dragon territories, griffon lands, the zebra's domain and the massive desert to the south of the Luxurant Matron's jungles. There was a very detailed map of the bugbear territory and Fillydelphia. Another was just a large canvas sheet with hoof drawings of the Frozen North. A few notes were scattered here and there with a large portion of the Northwestern part circled. Several sketches of various structures, landmarks or animals were pinned in many places. A common painter's rendition of the Crystal Empire was also attached to the canvas so whoever was mapping the rest of the Frozen North didn't have to draw it themselves.
"So, you like it?" Stratta asked with a smile, "It's not much but I got all I need."
Glacier took a few steps as she examined her surroundings. "That is certainly an accurate statement." she said, "You do not have much at all."
"Hey, it's a lot more than some of us have." he snapped.
The unicorn mare turned to Stratta, "I had not–" she paused and took another look around at his neighbors, "This is quite a bit different from what I had expected. I had not anticipated culture shock from seeing the true nature of the lower class. I have seen ponies living in poverty before but nothing like this…" The mare turned back to see a perplexed expression on the pegasus's face. They stared at each other in an awkward silence for a moment before the mare decided to change the subject. "Well, we are staying here for the day, are we not?" she began, "So our mutual acquaintance may rest during the daylight hours? If that is the case I do have an errand to run. I am in need of postal services to reply to a friend of mine. I have been neglecting this task for some time now and I do not wish them thinking ill of me. This is not to mention the odor of… your… sturdy accommodations is actually making me feel rather ill and I could certainly use some fresher air."
Stratta couldn't help but be upset at her comments but the mare did seem like she was trying to make some kind of effort to lessen her amount of insults. He couldn't tell if she was being genuine or faking it. "Uh, yeah." he finally replied, "That was the plan."
"Splendid. Then I shall return shortly."
"You do realize that mail is taken at the train station which is outside of Ponyville." came Clout's remark who had been staring at the painted map of the Crystal Empire this entire time.
"Pardon?" the mare turned towards the thief.
Still looking at the picture, he elaborated, "It was hard enough for you to get in here the first time. You think they'll let you back in after you finally leave on your own without being tossed out by the guards? I'm sure they would rather keep you out than make a scene throwing you out the gates."
Stratta sighed, "Clout's right. I'd better go with you if you want to come back."
"Oh so you do have some manners enough to escort a lady. I would not have imagined you had any form of proper conduct." she quipped.
"Then again…" the pegasus rubbed his chin with a wing, "you have been really rude and annoying and I really don't like or trust you. So, maybe this is actually my opportunity to get rid of you."
Glacier folded her ears. "In that case I shall simply request Clout to escort me. I am fairly confident he does not wish to relinquish me of my debt to him." she replied haughtily.
"I'm not leaving you alone with him." Stratta said firmly.
"Why do we not simply ask and see what he decides instead of speaking on his behalf as if he is not here." Glacier shot back.
Both ponies looked to Clout who still hadn't taken his eyes off of the back wall. It was almost as if he was mesmerized by the map, lost in a memory of his childhood home. His eyes scanned the lines that made the roads, the blocky shapes that represented buildings, the green splotches that made the foliage and the ice blue structure in the middle of the map's center that was tall as a mountain. In his mind he could see how wrong the map was. It wasn't a pristine flat land, it was rolling hills made of black sand and stones. there were no happy little trees dotting the landscape, it was like a frozen desert where almost nothing grew. The castle in the center was massive, yes, but it was not made of beautiful blue crystals. It was cold, black and translucent. Obsidian from the ancient dead volcano that once stood in the land's center was what it was made from. His ancestors were charged with carving out the volcano's carcass to appease their king who wanted a castle like no other. Though it had been decades since he stepped hoof there, the crystal pony still remembered where he lived, who his bunkmates were, the faces of his school bullies and the voices of the guards who punished him for disobeying the stupidest rules. He looked at the train tracks at the South end of the city that led away from where he was born. Those tracks that had been buried under yards of snow were the only way in and out of the secluded city. He clenched his jaw at the thought.
A sudden hoof on his shoulder brought him back to the present and he quickly took a step away. As the thief moved out of Stratta's reach the pegasus opened his mouth. "Hey, are you alright?" he asked in concern.
"Yes, I'm fine." came Clout's quick response as he looked from Stratta then back to the map.
"Alright…" the pegasus replied, obviously not convinced, "We'll be right back. You can make yourself at home. Use any of the beds if you'd like." He watched Clout for a few seconds, not expecting a reply back before he sighed and began to walk out of the sewage drain with Glacier.
"Is there some significance to the map of the Crystal Empire I should be privy to?" the mare questioned as she walked beside him.
"You're asking the wrong buck." Stratta replied, just as confused.
The crystal pony looked at the map for a few more moments before he took a deep breath and finally looked away. He knew he couldn't stare at the picture all day and with both of his fanatics gone at the same time he was desperate for some fresh air from them. To Clout, they were more suffocating than being in the sewer. He turned around and hopped off the platform, stepping into the murky water once more.
As he slowly walked along the culvert, he examined each of the makeshift campsites for any thieving opportunities. Unfortunately, even though most of the healthy adults and foals had left there were still a significant number of residents remaining. With the way their housing was set up it would be quite easy for a neighbor to spot a stranger entering somepony's space. The thief was quite disappointed he could not indulge his urge to take everything of value in sight. Perhaps there will be someplace else in the city he could loot.
As he exited the sewage tunnel he had to squeeze his eyes shut at the blinding sunlight. He blinked a few times to get used to the brightness of the morning. He glared at the sky as if it could sense his hatred of it before he began to trot along the streets. He grumbled to himself at the thought that before he met Stratta and Glacier he had always been able to get home before dawn. He was at least glad that the cloak he stole from Merchant was long enough to cover all of him.
Interrupting his hateful train of thought, Thief poked her head out of his saddlebag and sniffed the air. Clout glanced back at her and grinned under his mask. "Morning sunshine. I'm surprised you didn't come out of there earlier." he said to his tiny furry friend.
The rodent sneezed and shook herself in response before scampering out and to the stallion's shoulder.
"Yeah, I get it. I didn't enjoy the stench either and that is a very different type of, eh, rotten food than you normally enjoy."
Thief twitched her whiskers as her ride continued down a random street. They passed many different creatures, mostly ponies and changelings, who were all working in some way. A few were escorting sheep to a pen, others were sheering them and the foals took the wool inside a clothing boutique. A white unicorn mare with an elegant purple mane was heatedly explaining to a stallion the difference between the colors red, cherry and cinnamon as he held a bucket of fabric dye in his muzzle.
A group of young teenagers ran past Clout, keeping inside the two yellow lines painted on the cobblestone. They kept in line with each other and when one fell behind a signal was given by one of the mares in the back of the group and they all slowed. This gave the exhausted foal a chance to catch their breath for a bit.
A minotaur hauling a cart of corpses entered into a large warehouse with the doors propped open. Curious, Clout slowed his pace to examine what the building was. It was obviously some sort of soot mill but unlike any he had seen before. Stone slabs lined most of the massive room large enough for an adult pony. Creatures dressed in personal protective clothing looked to be carving the cadavers up into very specific pieces.
Hide was put into more carts and full carts were then hauled out of the building to a different location. Cutiemarks were all collected and put into a basket on the top of a table set in a corner of the room. A changeling was sitting at the table, using various tools and oils to carefully turn the butt tattoos into trinkets. Bones that were intact were collected into another wagon set aside, its transport pony nodding off as she waited for the wagon to be filled. Tiny pony-like creatures with long bug wings buzzed around the building collecting the manes and tails set aside by the workers and the insect sized creatures put them in a large clay bowl in the center of the room. Any organs that could be repurposed were dumped into baskets on the floor next to each stone slab while the rest of the unusable bits and the meat were tossed into the furnace at the far end of the room. Any clothing the deceased had worn was collected by foals wearing baskets on their backs.
Clout shuddered at the thought of having somepony's hooves inside of him like that so he promptly moved along. Turning down a random street, he saw a large field that was fenced off and many people were practicing various fighting techniques. Some were throwing each other around with hoof to hoof combat. Some were shooting firearms or bows while others were fighting with bladed weapons. The thief's walk slowed to a halt as he watched in amusement at how terrible everyone trying archery were. He had a fleeting thought of going over to the range and showing them how it was done by someone much more experienced than the clumsy changeling who looked to be the teacher. That thought quickly vanished when he scoffed at himself for even thinking of willingly getting the attention of about two dozen ponies and other creatures.
He continued, passing an over crowded blacksmith where weapons and armor were being made in abundance. Next door was a tailor's shop where two wagons of hide sat just outside the shop's door, waiting to be tanned and turned into leather armor or other useful items. The carpenter and stone masonry buildings also looked to be crowded and crafting war supplies.
Clout sighed, wondering how to get out of the industrial section of Ponyville. He wouldn't have minded so much if it were empty, but full of people he had little to no chance of stealing much. That wasn't to mention the loud noises everywhere this early in the morning were giving him a headache.
After wandering around for another half hour through vast crowds, he finally came upon the less populated residential district. Clout decided he really should have paid more attention to where the pegasus had led him earlier but then again a crowded street looks a lot different from an empty one. He sighed to himself in relief as he casually walked along the street. Looking at the housing units around him, they were as densely built as he had noticed before. There wasn't much in the way of walking space as some tents were set up on the edges of the street. Every alleyway was filled with makeshift shacks and walkways made of wooden planks were often overhead so those living in the roof lean-tos could cross over to a neighbor's home.
Just like in the sewer, many of the young infants or elderly folk were still home. The older ponies cared for the toddlers and the living spaces. Several of the adults were cleaning wastematter off the street and into wheelbarrows while some others could be seen in their open sided camps sewing torn clothing that the older foals brought them. The apparel suspiciously smelt of rot and soot.
As he walked down the street, everypony that he passed smiled and waved at him. Most of them even greeted the thief with a, "Good morning." Clout quickly veered down a different street. This road was thankfully a bit more vacant but he soon realized that he had wandered his way back to Charity's orphanage. He folded his ears and desperately searched for an escape route before the old mare came out of the building to harass him again. He finally spotted an empty alleyway and swiftly made his way there. To his disappointment there was absolutely nothing of value in the four camps that cramped the small space. Grunting at the annoyances that kept piling up today, he pulled a rope arrow from his quiver and set it in his bow. Drawing back, he aimed and released his shot. The arrow dug deep into the top of a windowsill. Clout put his bow away before climbing up the side of the building. Once he reached the bottom of the window, he carefully peeked in to make sure there wasn't anyone inside.
The room looked to be a bedroom of a decent size with four beds in it. Each had a side table to their right and a small chest at their ends, lining the thin walking space from the door to the window. To the left of the door was a wardrobe while a sparsely filled bookshelf sat to its right. Satisfied that the room was empty, the thief hoisted himself up to sit on the windowsill while he pulled the arrow out of the wood above his head. As he was shoving it into his saddlebag a small voice came from within the room.
"Um, hello."
Clout turned his head to see a young mare had been hiding behind one of the beds. He furrowed his brows.
She flinched at his facial expression but decided to continue. "You m-must be… new here, right?" she nervously asked, "I know the city's crowded but i-if you want to sleep here my family can make room."
An awkward silence filled the air as the stallion stayed quiet.
"We don't mind sharing, really. If you're hungry my mom makes a pretty good cassar–"
Clout looked back out the window and toward the roof. It wasn't too far so he decided to climb the rest of the way without the help of his rope.
"O-okay…" the mare awkwardly trailed off as her intruder climbed out of view.
As he pulled himself up over the ledge, he could immediately tell why there wasn't another shack on top of this building. The entire roof was covered in mold and the wood bowed down with his weight. Carefully, he situated himself on the corner edge and laid down. He rested his head on his forelegs as he watched the townsfolk three stories below.
Ponies, changelings, donkies, some buffalo and even a couple griffons were all going about their day. They were helping each other when something needed to be fixed, greeting each other happily, laughing together and acting as if they were all friends. All of this behavior seemed foreign to Clout. He didn't see anyone yelling, throwing insults or kicks at each other. Nopony was being violent or even threatening. Most shockingly, he didn't see a single creature in chains. It was the weirdest thing. It was almost creepy that it didn't seem like there was a single slave here. He also didn't understand how life seemed so against this massively populated city yet everypony seemed so happy. Were the rebels actually one giant cult like Glacier said or did these ponies truly have that much faith in Wulf's plan to liberate them from the King?
The crystal pony gave a sigh, wishing he could make sense of anything these weird ponies did. Then he began to wonder why he should even care. He looked away from the street below him and toward the thicket of trees nearby that concealed the town of the Everfree. Someplace more familiar, someplace he understood with creatures he knew how to interact with. Folding his ears back, Clout decided he needed familiarity. He did not enjoy being out of his comfort zone. He couldn't even steal anything here to calm his nerves. He stood up and scanned the area for the closest section of the town's wall.
Thief climbed up Clout's withers and jumped onto the top of his head.
"Hm? Oh, we're just going to go home." He told her but the little rat jumped down to the top of his muzzle and turned around to stare at him. "Look, I know I accepted the job. I don't care. Wulf didn't even seem like he cared either." The black rodent continued to stare at him, nose twitching. "I-no, it's not an excuse," he sputtered, "Okay, yes, this town and these ponies are really kind of freaking me out and I need some kind of normalcy but it's not specifically just because of the pegasus." Thief twitched her whiskers, "Just, no but… I can't… look, the two of them are exhausting to be around okay. I can't take much more of them. A day and a half is already too much but an extra few days? Yeah, no. They fight all the time, they talk non-stop, they refuse to listen to me and demand I do what they want. I mean, why exactly are they so clingy anyway? The mare I can kind of get, she's an aristocrat and I'm, well, expensive. That doesn't take a genius. The stallion though," Clout sat back down on the roof, "He's… clingy in a different way. They both just need to back off and leave me alone. Things should go back to the way they used to be, not all this, staying awake past sunrise nonsense." Thief grinded her teeth a few times at him, "No! I'm not! Why would you even-" Clout's gaze at his friend faltered and he sighed, "Okay, yes, I am. But you know why I don't do that sort of thing and don't tell me that I can, you weren't there!" he turned his head and looked away, the rat still on his snout, "You don't understand." He heaved another sigh and felt her giving him a few licks. Looking at the rodent, Clout couldn't help but to give a small smile. "Okay, okay, you win. I'll go back and I'll do the job. No promises on me liking the two of them though."
Thief jumped back on top of his head and nibbled on one of his ears. "Hey, stop that! Okay, you win, again. I'll try to be nice, just knock it off." He shook his head gently and she jumped down, burying herself back into his cloak.
Clout groaned, grit his teeth and flattened his ears, wondering to himself why he gives in so easily all the time. He sucked in a breath and began to descend off the roof and back down to the cobblestone street. A couple creatures gave him strange looks but he just pulled his hood farther down over his face and trotted his way back to the sewer.
It wasn't long before he had reached Stratta's home and he was quite surprised the other two ponies had not returned yet. Having nothing better to do while he waited, Clout went over to the bookshelf to see if there were any secret documents he could snoop on. Unfortunately everything looked to be more maps or books on specific locations, encyclopedias on ancient cultures and a leatherbound book full of hoof drawn dragon-like creatures with no wings next to matching drawings of skeletons.
One book caught his eye though. It was an old bundle of papers wrapped in a small canvas sheet and tied together with a string. The first page acted as a cover of sorts, displaying the title of, 'Tagebuch der Dopplerunde'. He looked at the letters for a long moment, swearing to himself that he was familiar with the language but he couldn't make out what it said. He then flipped through a few pages, all with the same foreign words. From the text's format he gathered it was a diary of sorts but still couldn't understand the writing. Frustrated, he bundled it all back together and stuffed it in his saddlebag for later when he had more time to figure out the mystery.
"I'm surprised you're not sleeping, it's almost noon." an annoyingly familiar voice said accompanied by the sound of hoofsteps walking into the small camp.
"I am astonished you simply did not leave us behind." a mare said.
The stallion scoffed, "At least I have faith in my friends."
"He has, on a considerable number of occasions, expressed a disdain towards the both of us," the mare replied, "It is not a difficult conclusion to grasp."
Clout sighed, already missing the silence he had only moments ago. He turned around to face Glacier and Stratta. The moment he laid eyes on the mare it was obvious what took them so long to return. Glacier had herself groomed of the sewage muck from earlier and she purchased a few new things to wear. Protecting her hooves were large boots, not at all her style. She wore a raincoat with a hood to protect her mane, over her tail was an extra piece of cloth attached to the coat to keep it in place and to top off her ridiculous outfit she wore a gas mask on her face which distorted her speech a bit. Clout was not surprised in the slightest.
The pegasus adjusted his wings awkwardly before opening his muzzle. "Um, I hate to ask but… when we were walking up, did I see you put something in your saddlebag?" he asked.
"No." came the instant reply.
Stratta furrowed his brow. "Well, I could have sworn I saw you take something," he accused.
Clout rolled his eyes. "The sewer gas must be messing with your head," he told the pegasus.
"No, I saw you take something."
"No you didn't."
"Yeah I did, you put it in your saddlebag."
"I have no idea what you're talking about."
"Then show me your saddlebags."
"I'm not showing you anything."
"What did you take?"
"I didn't take anything."
"Liar!"
"Pardon me," Glacier interrupted, "whatever he took he should have the rights to. You had instructed him to, 'make himself at home,' did you not?"
Stratta's frustration sputtered out and he heaved a sigh. "I… guess," he relented. He gave Clout another hard stare for a few more seconds before pushing past him to the bookshelf. The crystal pony rolled his eyes as the other stallion scanned for the missing object. After another moment Stratta's ears perked up in realization. "Oh!" he said, "So that's what you took. You should have just said so, it's yours anyway."
"What." Clout said as he watched the pegasus trot over to the carpet to take a seat.
"I was just worried you took something that belonged to one of my roommates." Stratta said as he waved a wing.
The thief gave him a concerned look.
"So, what do you want to do to pass the time?" the pegasus asked cheerfully.
"What do you mean it's mine?" Clout questioned.
"Oh, did I say that?" Stratta chuckled, "I… only meant that in reference to what I said earlier. Make yourself at home!" he opened his wings and gave a big smile, "What's mine is yours!"
"Bad excuse." Clout narrowed his eyes.
Stratta stood up. "So why don't I show you around the rest of Ponyville." he said, changing the subject, "Oh! I could introduce you to the queen of the Changelings, she's always fun!"
"Or you could inform him of the news about our mode of transport?" Glacier offered.
The pegasus put a hoof to his chin. "Actually she might still be mad at me…" he pondered.
"There's something going on with the train?" Clout looked at the unicorn.
The mare nodded. "Quite." she affirmed, "Due to a recent incident all locomotives have declared that until conditions at the Ponyville stop improve to their standards they will refuse to stop here. It seems quite the predicament and I am astonished this news was not brought to your attention promptly. I assume this will impede your plans?"
"It does." Clout said with a glare at Stratta.
The pegasus gave him a sheepish grin. "I didn't think it was that big of an issue," he said.
"Not that big of an issue??" the thief repeated in anger as he took a step forward, "The train is closed for who knows how long, you said we're on a time limit for this job and you're ignoring telling me the trains refuse to stop here now!"
Stratta fluttered his wings as he tried to mount his defense. "Well…" he began, "I just thought this would give us more time to hang out, get to know each other better and become better friends. There will always be a next time to try and take the amulet. It's fine, we can…" the pegasus trailed off as Clout began to trot out of the sewer. "Oh, wait up!" he called out to him as he ran after, Glacier not too far behind.
Stratta glared at the unicorn, "I blame you for this."
"Me?!" she said in outrage, "You are accusing me of his poor attitude due to the fact I had informed him of vital knowledge that will greatly impact his ability to do his job that you refused to disclose? You, sir, only have yourself to blame!"
"I was gunna tell him, I just… I didn't mean to…" Stratta trailed off as he looked at Clot who was angrily stomping through the sewer. He sighed and decided it was probably best to keep his mouth shut for a while.
The trio moved swiftly in silence through the town, the thief setting the pace. Glacier had removed her gas mask to be able to breathe in the fresh air but kept on the rest of her new outfit. The pegasus, lagging behind, almost losing his two companions in the crowded streets so he had to take flight to keep track of them. He was pretty sure he knew where they were going to go if they lost him though. They reached the large entrance of the town where Clout glared at the guards until they opened the gates for them so the small group could leave.
The buckskin stallion kept his pace, ignoring the two annoyances behind him and glaring at everything ahead of him. He quietly fumed at the pegasus, at his decision to not ditch them when he had the chance, at Merchant for basically forcing this upon him and at the sun for being so annoyingly bright.
They followed the train tracks South, no one uttering a word to each other. After an hour of silence, the mare was starting to grow bored of the situation. She looked behind her at the pegasus who still walked several paces behind them and was still looking sorry for himself that he angered Clout. She looked to the crystal pony who seemed to run out of fuel for his anger and had slowed his furious trot down to a decently paced walk a while ago.
After a bit of thought, she had an idea on how to break the silence and relieve her boredom in addition to helping her ignore her aching hooves. She knew the buckskin would be cross at her complaints and she did not intend on adding fuel to his fire.
"Say, how about we play a game while we walk?" Glacier pleasantly asked.
Both stallions looked at her in confusion.
She returned their gazes one at a time, "It will not slow our pace and it will get the pegasus to stop sulking."
Clout returned to looking straight ahead. "I don't play games."
She pouted. "You want to play, correct?" She looked at Stratta.
The pegasus looked away. "Let's just walk, okay?"
Glacier folded her ears with a harrumph. "Fine, be that way." she said haughtily, "And here I thought you wanted to get to know Clout better. I guess I was wrong."
Stratta's ears perked up and he glanced at her. He could only resist the temptation for a moment before he had to ask, "What game did you want to play?"
The mare smirked in triumph. "It is a game some nobles play for entertainment and if one is smart enough at it they may sneak secrets out of their opponents. It is a rather simple game, you say something that you have never done and if the others playing the game have, they take a drink." she explained, "For example I could say, 'I have never entered into a sewer prior to today.' and since you have, you would take a drink."
"That does sound kind of fun…" Stratta admitted.
"The only issue is that we do not have alcohol to drink so we will have to think of an alternative way to say that we have." Glacier said.
Stratta folded his ears and his grumpy expression returned. "Why would I want to play with you though? I don't even like or trust you. I'd rather just play with Clout but he's obviously not going to play." he grumbled.
"Well," the unicorn mare started, "we could start playing to show Clout how enjoyable it is and he may join us if he is so inclined." She gave a wry smile at the stallion ahead of her.
The pegasus gave the idea a bit to sink in before he decided he actually did want to play. He trotted to finally catch up to his two companions. "We could just say that we have done it instead of drinking." he offered.
"I suppose we could but it will not be as much fun without the partaking of alcohol." Glacier said as the two of them looked at Clout barely a step or two ahead of them. "Will you join us, Clout?"
The buckskin stayed silent as he walked.
"Have it your way then." Glacier said to him before she turned to the pegasus, "Would you like to go first?"
"Oh, uh…" not expecting to be the first one to go, he tried to think of something, "Well, I've never played this game before." He knew that was a pathetic way to start the game but he couldn't think of anything else on such short notice.
The unicorn smiled, "And now you have! Oh, and I have played this before obviously. Alright, my turn." She paused for a moment, "Despite what you may think of me, I have never owned a slave."
Stratta's ears folded. "Why do I not believe you." he said.
"What, it is the truth! Every slave I have interacted with belonged to somepony else. Most of the time they belonged to my parents, however, I am quite positive they will pass ownership of several to me in my inheritance. I have never purchased a slave myself nor am I the contracted owner of any, thus my statement is true." she told him with a smug grin.
Stratta snorted, still not believing her. "Well I've never been in debt with the mafia before." he retorted.
"Hm, fair enough, I have." was all the response the unicorn gave .
"You're not going to explain, are you?" the pegasus questioned.
The mare cleared her throat, "That is a complicated and personal subject that is none of your business." Glancing at him, she was rather pleased with the look of frustration on the pegasus' face. "Moving on," she said, "I have never been a slave."
Clout swished his tail, still silent, as Stratta replied, "I have."
"Oh? I honestly had not expected that, you do not have the standard slave brand."
"Different countries have different identifiers, customs and laws regarding their slaves. When my mom sold me she made sure it was to a place that would take care of me." The pegasus explained, "It wasn't so bad but not everypony is so lucky to have such a kind master." He paused for only a second before continuing, "My turn then, I've never been in prison."
Glacier opened her mouth, ready with a very rude comment before she thought better of it and closed it. The mare opened her muzzle again, "Well… hopefully that trend continues and… neither your alliance or… actions change that." She said with an obvious awkward tone of voice as if trying really hard not to insult him.
The pegasus narrowed his eyes at her as she took her turn.
"I have never dated a mare."
Without skipping a beat Stratta took his turn again, "I've never claimed I could time travel."
"I do not claim to do so, I can." Glacier corrected.
"You haven't proven it yet." Stratta commented.
"Are you requesting to stop our game?" she asked innocently.
"No." he glanced at her, "just reminding you that you haven't proven it yet."
"I will in due time, I have not forgotten." she said, "I have never been religious."
Stratta's ears shot back. "Is there something wrong with being religious?" he asked, slightly annoyed.
"I never claimed being religious was a bad thing, I just personally do not believe in anything of the sort." she said as she grew curious, "Do you?"
The pegasus ruffled his feathers. "I… don't know what I believe," he admitted, "At least I've never worn ten pounds of jewelry."
"It was not ten pounds of jewelry, that is quite the exaggeration." Glacier said with an eye roll. "I have never flown before."
"Wait, really?" Stratta asked, "Isn't that one of the main modes of transport for super rich ponies?"
She nodded, "You are correct but not every aristopony uses sky carriages."
"Well, I've never been on a boat before."
Glacier grinned, "I have. Luxury cruise ships are simply divine, you must try it someday."
"Eeh, I think I'll pass." Stratta said with a disinterested expression on his face.
The mare put a hoof to her chin in thought. "I have never… You know, I do not think I have ever seen any of my sister's films before." she reflected.
The pegasus blinked in surprise, "Your sister is in film?"
"Yes, she ran away from home at a young age. We got a letter from her several years ago telling us she was well and that she had been recruited to be in a film or two. I forget what it was titled though. I have been meaning to go watch it, I just have not had the time." Glacier said.
Stratta chuckled. "Why would a high class even want to run away from home when they have everything they could ever want." he commented.
The mare sighed. "You would be quite surprised. We have struggles we wish we could run from quite like everypony else." she replied.
"Well I've never seen any films before." the pegasus said, "Gotta admit I'm a little jealous, I hear they're a marvel of technology. I mean, moving pictures? Who even thought that pictures could move in the first place to invent it!"
She mused at his foal-like wonder at the thought. "Yes, they are quite the sight to witness." she said with a smile, "I have never… been to the Crystal Empire."
Clout swished his tail which caught the mare's attention.
"I've never stepped hoof inside a mansion or castle before." Stratta said as the buck ahead of them swished his tail again.
Glacier raised an eyebrow. "I have, obviously." she said before she looked at the pegasus then back to Clout. "I have…" she started, looking back at Stratta and tilting her head towards the crystal pony, "never used a weapon."
Clout swished his tail again.
For a moment, Stratta was confused as to what the mare was trying to silently tell him. "I have a pistol but I don't use it much." he tilted his head.
She raised her brows and tilted her head at Clout. Stratta's eyes narrowed in confusion. She gestured toward the crystal pony again.
The pegasus looked at the stallion in front of him and studied his appearance. He opened his muzzle, "I've never shot a bow though." As he watched Clout swish his tail again and understanding dawned on Stratta. Both the pegasus and unicorn stifled giggles.
"I have never been to Ponyville before today." Glacier took her turn.
Stratta couldn't hide his smile as he saw the buckskin swish his tail again, glad to see the stallion was playing along with them even if it was in his own way. "And of course I have." Stratta said, "I've never owned a pet."
Clout swished his tail and both his companions knew he was thinking of his pet rat.
"I had a cat when I was a little filly." Glacier said, "Unfortunately she escaped the grounds one day and was preyed upon by a pack of street dogs." she gave a sad smile, "Princess was her name. I loved that cat." After a moment of internal reminiscing she took her turn. "Other than Princess, I have never had an immediate family member pass away.
Clout swished his tail and the pegasus' ears drooped. "I have." Stratta said solemnly, "I don't know about my mom but my dad is dead."
"I am so sorry." Glacier said, "I could not even imagine my life without my father." Her expression of sorrow quickly changed to anger when she added, "My mother on the other hoof, we would all be better off without her at home."
With the amount of scorn in the mare's tone of voice, Stratta thought he'd be better off changing the subject. "Uh, I've never seen a dragon."
The mare looked to the pegasus as Clout swished his tail. "I have." she replied, "Foul beasts, most of them as very few have sophisticated themselves. Mrs. Roth and her descendants are truly the only family who understands what it means to be of high society. They are often invited to soirees but only attend those they deem worthy of their presence."
"Hm, I guess ponies aren't the only ones who can have fat heads." Stratta mused.
"Pardon me?" she said, offended at the remark.
He waved a wing, "Oh, nothing. Your turn."
She folded her ears and glared at him before talking again, "I've never killed anypony."
Clout swished his tail.
"Are you implying that just because I have that I'm a bad person?" Stratta heatedly asked.
"I do not know how you came to that conclusion. However, if the shoe fits, you said it, not I." the mare said haughtily.
The pegasus glared at her. "Just because some of u– oof!" He started but was cut off when he collided into the crystal pony. Clout glared at him as he took a couple steps back and gave the thief an apologetic look. "Uh, s-sorry."
Glacier looked at the crystal pony. "Oh, are we taking a break? I would be ever so grateful if we did, I have never walked so much in my life." she said as she lifted a sore hoof off the ground.
Clout gave her a flat look before finally breaking his silence. "We need to go off the trail for a bit."
"Pardon?"
"Can I ask why?"
"No." Clout stubbornly answered as he veered off the path and into the brush.
"Wonderful, you have soured his mood once again." she scolded the pegasus before daintily following their leader into the thick brush.
"I didn't– Ugh!" Stratta grumbled before he too followed.
Clout swiftly and mostly quietly made his way through the brush while his two companions didn't bother even trying to avoid making noise. It wasn't even a couple minutes before the uppity mare decided to begin complaining again.
"While I do understand that you have a sort of… method to your madness so-to-speak but might we return to the road? You seem to be unwilling to slow down so we can keep up and with us tromping through the woods I would feel safer being by your side rather than several pony lengths behind you." Glacier said, hopeful that she wouldn't anger him again.
"Then keep up." was all Clout said in response.
The pegasus looked at her, offended. "What am I, chopped liver?" he asked.
"You have expressed on a number of occasions that you detest me. I highly doubt in a situation requiring somepony's assistance that you would actually offer your support."
Clout turned around and glared at the two of them. "Would you two shut up!" he scolded. Just as he finished his sentence a dagger was magically held against his throat. He flattened his ears. "This is exactly why I travel alone." he said as the magic user brought it closer, "I hate both of you."
"Why are you trying to sneak up onto our camp?" the stranger questioned as he stepped out of the brush from behind the crystal pony. He was a young stallion, dark brown in color with a black patched coat. His yellow and orange mane stuck out from under his hooded jacket. He had another dagger in its sheath on his foreleg, a pistol in a holster attached to his saddlebag and several small bottles filled with unknown liquid attached to a belt around his back leg. His muzzle was hidden by a mask but his eyes gave both the mare and pegasus an icy stare.
"You know, hate is a really strong word and you use it a lot." Stratta pointed out, "Couldn't you try using another word that's… less? Like dislike or that you find us unpleasant?"
"No," Clout replied, "hate is accurate."
Before Clout could say anything else, the young unicorn levitated the dagger so close to the crystal pony's throat that it would break skin if he moved it a hair closer. "I asked you a question!" the stranger chastised, "Why were you sneaking up on us?"
"I do not believe we were attempting to." Glacier said, trying to calm the intruder, "Now please, if you would sheath your blade we may address your concerns in a more civil matter."
The young unicorn glared at her.
Clout glanced behind himself, trying to see his attacker. "We weren't sneaking up on you. I was trying to avoid you. We're on a time restraint and I was trying to prevent a stupid encounter exactly like this."
"Liar!" the stranger accused as he levitated his pistol out of its holster.
"Ooh, are you gunna shoot them? Actually, that's kinda disappointing, I was really hoping to see you use your poisons on them." came a young colt's voice from under some nearby brush.
Everypony looked towards its source to see a tan colored pegasus colt with a dark blue and silver mane.
"Rabbit!" the cloaked unicorn scolded as yet another stranger made her way past the foliage and to the growing group of ponies.
A darker tan pegasus mare with a long black and dark purple mane glared at the colt. "Rabbit, don't run off like that!" she chided.
Rabbit ignored the mare and asked the unicorn stallion another question. "What about putting your poisons on your sword? Does that even work?"
The pegasus mare picked up the colt by his scruff and put him on her back. "Ugh, sorry Jinx, he's just too fast sometimes." she said.
Jinx grunted as he allowed his dagger to ease up off Clout's throat. "Strangers can be very dangerous, you can't just go up to them. You must be cautious. You are still young and can easily be overtaken." he told the foal.
"I'm only four years younger than you." he shot back.
As the two continued to berate the colt, Clout grew bored of waiting and backed away from the floating blade before starting to walk away. Glacier and Stratta followed.
Tired of having his two elders give him safety lectures, he pointed a hoof to the three fleeing strangers. "They're leaving," he said. Rabbit's change of topic was successful as both Jinx and the pegasus mare looked at Clout and his stalkers.
"Where do you think you're going?" the cloaked unicorn asked as he levitated his pistol to point at them.
The crystal pony glared at him. "Leaving," he said flatly.
"Look, we really weren't sneaking up on you. We're on our way to Los Pegasus. We just didn't want a confrontation." Stratta explained.
"Well, if you really don't mean us any harm, why not join us for lunch?" the pegasus mare asked with a smile.
Glacier smiled back, "A rest after walking all day sounds absolutely delightful!"
"Sure!" Stratta replied happily, "Thank you for the offer."
With the situation defused, the group began to walk out of the brush and back to the road. The unicorn mare glanced behind them and noticed that Clout was not following them. "You are coming as well, are you not?" she inquired.
"We are on a time limit."
Glacier gave a dainty sigh. "We have several days, a couple of hours will not put you past your schedule and besides, you look like you could use a rest as well." she said.
Clout snorted and folded his ears back. "Fine, I'll just go alone like I've been wanting to," he said as he began back in the direction he was headed before Jinx had stopped him, "It'll be better for everypony this way."
Refusing to continue chasing after the crystal pony with how much her hooves ached, Glacier used her magic to grab his short tail. His rear end raised into the air so his rear hooves could no longer touch the forest floor.
"H-hey!!" Clout said in sheer terror, "Let–let me go! Get your magic off my tail!" The stallion tried to grab onto anything he could reach as the unicorn dragged him to the stranger's campsite. Clout's little rat friend fell out of his cloak due to the extreme angle he was being held at and after she took a second to figure out what had happened, she began to follow.
"You are acting like a belligerent child and I will not tolerate it any longer." Glacier stated as she ignored the panicking thief behind her.
They returned to the road and followed it for only a short distance before bellowing laughter could be heard, an aroma of stew wafted on the soft breeze and two covered waggons could be spotted between the trees.
"My, that smells quite delightful!" the unicorn mare commented as her captive continued to fruitlessly flail in distress.
Just off the road in a small clearing that was boxed in by the waggons were seven ponies including Stratta. Three of them were Jinx, Rabbit and the pegasus mare. One of the remaining three strangers was an earth pony stallion bigger than anypony Glacier had ever seen. He was almost as big as the waggon he was strapped to. He had a long gray-brown mane that was tied back and his coat was a burnt orange color. He had a white laced shirt on and two large saddlebags at his sides. Almost hidden by his packs and the waggon straps was a large white splotch that painted his hindquarters. He was laying in the grass, holding a sharpening stone in one hoof and a large shovel in the other. The sound the stone made against the metal of the shovel head was almost drowned out by the joyous sounds of the other ponies and the boiling stewpot over the campfire in the center of the clearing.
A heavily pregnant skyblue and white mare held a wooden spoon in her wing that she used to stir the bubbling liquid. Her black and white mane was long and her tail had been braided, most likely a hygiene preparation for her inevitable childbirth.
The last stranger was also a pegasus. He was medium-gray in color with a pink mane and tail. His bright blue eyes looked lovingly at the pregnant mare as he hooved some bowls to her that he recently retrieved from one of the waggons. He wore a simple black cloak with a white neckpiece. Pinned to the chest of his uniform was a pendant of two alicorns revolving around the planet of Equus. It was obvious he was a priest of the Two Sisters religion.
"But I wanna see Jinx use his poisons!" Rabbit complained as he jumped in place.
Jinx sighed, "I told you the effects take time, they're not for immediate combat." he tried to explain and from the tone of his voice, they have had this exact conversation several times over, "Even if I use them, by the time I part ways with who I use them on, the effect would be barely noticeable as maybe a small rash. I have not yet the skill or rank to use anything more substantial."
Stratta looked over to Glacier and Clout, brows furrowing. "What took you two so long I thought you were right behind us." he said as he examined Clout's awkward predicament, "Um, are you going to let him go? That can't be comfortable."
"Hmm?" Glacier questioned as if she had no idea what he was talking about, "Oh, I was simply making sure our mutual acquaintance made his way safely here so he could rest as well instead of continuing along to Los Pegasus solo." She gave Clout a glare which he didn't even acknowledge in his continuing panic before she dispelled her magic, letting the crystal pony drop to the ground.
"Oof!" he exhaled as he collapsed to a heap, Thief running to him to lick his hoof. He quickly got up and shook himself off as the rat quickly climbed back up to his withers. Out of rage he galloped to cut Glacier off from entering the small clearing. "Don't you ever do that again!" he shouted at her through clenched teeth.
Everypony's attention was now focused on the two of them as Glacier took a step back. "Well pardon me for being tired of your infantilism. The least you can do is act like an adult if you refuse to use even the simplest of manners. When somepony offers you a seat at their table instead of stabbing you in the throat you either politely turn them down or oblige with their gift. You don't insult them by acting like a child."
"Fine, you want manners so bad. Payment is manners right, why not offer them a unicorn horn in exchange for your bowl of slop? Here, I'll help you take yours off!" The crystal pony growled as he pulled a dagger out from under his cloak and swung it at Glacier's face.
"How rude!" she shouted as she took several steps back.
Suddenly, a massive white hoof slammed Clout to the ground, knocking the wind out of his lungs and the blade from his hoof, once again throwing Thief off of her ride. The earth pony stallion was even larger standing up than he was lying down and he completely dwarfed the small crystal pony. He lowered his head just a few inches from Clout's face and gave a very deep growl in threat as he shifted his weight to the hoof pressing down on the thief's side.
"Spot Butt doesn't like it when ponies fight." Rabbit explained.
The unicorn mare blinked up at the massive stallion in shock at his swift appearance to defend her. "I thank you, good sir. Your assistance is truly appreciated." she told him with a small smile.
He simply looked at her with a neutral expression before glancing down at his prey. After a few more seconds he slowly lifted his hoof to allow the thief to get up.
As the earth pony backed the wagon into its previous spot in the clearing, the pink maned buck walked over to Glacier. "Are you hurt?" he asked as he offered her his wing, "Why don't you come sit down."
"Why thank you." the unicorn said as she walked over to him. She looked back at Clout briefly who was still lying on the ground, removing the mask from his face as he struggled to catch his breath. Satisfied that he was not crushed to death, she followed the stallion and they both walked over to the pregnant mare.
"Are you injured dear?" she asked Glacier.
"No, I am alright thanks to… Um, is that truly his name? It seems…" she replied, struggling not to insult her savior's name.
The priest chuckled. "No, but it was for a time. Tombstone doesn't talk much, so young Rabbit named him until he felt comfortable enough to tell us what he was called."
"Oh, that is a better name. It is a bit morbid, however." she admitted.
"Well once upon a time he was an undertaker so it is an appropriate fit."
As the three of them chatted, Stratta got up from his seat and walked over to Clout. "Hey, you alright?" he asked in concern.
Ignoring the pegasus, the crystal pony continued to try and stand while Thief gave his nose licks of encouragement. His legs were slightly shaky and he grit his teeth against the pain in his side. When the pegasus offered to help support him, Clout shoved him away with a hoof. "I don't want help!" he told Stratta.
"I know you don't want help but you need it. With how you're breathing he probably broke a rib or two. Not surprising considering how hard you hit the ground." the pegasus quietly said, hoping the stubborn pony would give in.
Clout turned and slowly made his way towards a tree as the rat climbed back up his leg, hoping she wouldn't get thrown for a third time. "I don't need help." he complained as he took out his bow and a rope arrow.
As the crystal pony shot the arrow into a branch of the tree, Stratta debated on if he should just fly Clout up to the branch. He didn't want his new friend to hurt himself more but at the same time he didn't want to make their relationship worse by having Clout be even more angry. His pride was probably damaged from the blow as well which might be made worse by Stratta helping. The pegasus sighed in disappointment at himself and he made his way back to everypony else while Clout climbed the rope and tried to get comfortable high above the group where he felt safer.
"I do hope your friend isn't hurt." the pregnant mare said as she watched Stratta sit down, "Spotts just wanted us to be safe from danger. I'm sure he didn't mean any harm."
The stallion rubbed a wing against the back of his head as he avoided eye contact. "Oh, I'm sure Clout's fine," he said, "Probably just a bruised pride."
"I'll be glad if that's true, we lack any sort of medical assistance." the mare replied.
"May I ask your names?" Glacier interjected, "I am Glaciated Era but you may call me Glacier."
The pregnant mare smiled. "Of course, I am Pepper Tree, my husband is Creed," she said as she looked over to the priest, "Those two are Rabbit and Dust Bunny," she said, pointing a wing towards the two younger pegasai, "Our unicorn here is called Jinx Hunter and our protector is Tombstone but most of us have taken to calling him Spots."
"I'm Garrett Stratta," the pegasus chimed in, "Our grumpy friend over there is Clout Upshot." He pointed a wing up to the tree and the crystal pony gave an annoyed growl.
Creed sat down next to his wife. "It is nice to meet you all despite the eventful start." he said with a chuckle.
"Yeah, sorry about that." Stratta rubbed the back of his head again, "He's usually grumpy but this is the first time I've seen him turn to violence. I can kind of understand why though, we're on a time limit for a job."
"May I ask what it is you three do?" Pepper inquired.
"Well…" the pegasus stallion started as he looked around at the group of strangers, unsure how they would react to them working with the rebels, "we're couriers basically. We need to get to Los Pegasus to pick up a delivery."
"That's very nice to hear you three make an honest living." Creed said with a warm smile.
"Hmm, yes, honest…" Glacier mumbled as she eye'd her two stallions.
Hoping nopony overheard the prissy unicorn, Stratta decided to try and steer the conversation. "So! Where are you ponies headed?" he asked.
"We're headed to Sanctuary!" Rabbit blurted in excitement before his older sister lightly smacked him with a hoof. He glared at her in return.
"Pardon?" Glacier inquired.
Pepper stirred the stew as she elaborated. "We're headed North to a town outside of the Equestrian border. It's kind of like a sanctuary. Safe from the plague at least." the mare sighed.
"It will be safe." Creed tried to reassure his mare. As he rubbed her back with a hoof he continued, "The plague, it has devastated this land, taken away our families. It almost took Pepper and our foal from me."
"Almost?" Glacier asked with furrowed brows.
Stratta had a huge grin on his face. "You survived the blight?" he asked with a hint of excitement, "Was it the new curative tonic by 2B? I knew their cure would work!"
"New tonic?" Bunny questioned.
Jinx gave a soft chuckle. "Everything 2B creates as far as tonics and potions go are nothing but jokes. None of them do what they claim." he chimed in.
Stratta's smile faded and his brows furrowed. His love of the idea that 2B Pharmaceuticals created the miracle that would solve one of the world's biggest problems taking a blow.
"No." Creed said simply, "It was no tonic or anything Flim and Flam's company produced. I do, however, truly believe it was a miracle from the Goddesses."
Pepper began to spoon the stew into the bowls to pass around as she spoke up. "It was a shaman from a foreign land. He traveled with his wife and daughter." she explained.
"It was a zebra!" Rabbit proclaimed.
"Was not you dummy. He was a pony." Bunny corrected.
"Nuh-uh, he was a zebra!" he glared at his sister.
"He was not!"
"He was black and white all over," he wiggled his hooves in the air to show what he meant by 'all over', "and he didn't speak Ponish it was some kind of funny talk. That's a zebra!" As he concluded the details of his analysis he crossed his hooves with determination that he was correct.
She rolled her eyes. "You have no idea what you're talking about. He was a black and white painted pony, not a zebra. Zebras have stripes." she corrected again.
"Ha! See, you admitted it. He was painted, that's why he didn't have stripes. Zebras use war paints, ponies don't. He was a zebra."
"Ugh! You're such a pain!" she exclaimed as Jinx chuckled at their interaction.
Creed hooved a bowl of stew to Stratta. "Well, whatever he was, whatever he did, he performed a miracle that day." he said as he gazed at Pepper Tree.
"But, how? What did he do that saved you?" Stratta asked.
The pregnant mare rubbed her belly as she answered, "To be honest, I don't know. I was so feverish that I don't remember most of the time that I was sick. I do remember my dreams filled with strange words that I didn't understand. A song I think. It was beautiful. I remember smells of some kind; something flowery, something with a sharp tone to it, something that reminded me of the woods on a rainy day and a few others I couldn't put my hoof on. I remember I was burning hot but then this wonderful wave of cold washed over me and there was the flavor of citrus. I don't have any idea what he did but when I woke up it was like the fog had been lifted, the fire extinguished and the pain in my body was gone. It felt like my body was made of lead and I was exhausted but I didn't feel like I was dying anymore."
"May I inquire as to what price he demanded for your treatment?" Glacier asked, "I imagine it would have been rather expensive for a proper cure."
"Nothing." Pepper answered.
"I had offered what little I had but he refused any kind of payment. He just asked for his family to have a hot meal and then they went on their way." Creed stated.
Glacier scoffed, "Well with an endorsed elixir for the blight and you as the living proof, he could certainly advertise his medical practices and profit quite well. Especially if he is a proper licensed physician. He could offer his services to the wealthy and become a concierge. I know many well-to-do who only use private medical practitioners and they pay them very well."
Stratta glared at her. "Not everypony's out for money. He's probably doing it out of the kindness of his heart. We need more ponies like that, then maybe Equestria wouldn't be such the shithole that it is." he argued.
Pepper had an uneasy look on her face as she attempted to change the subject, "The stew is getting cold, why don't we all dig in."
Taking her suggestion, the conversation was temporarily paused in exchange for compliments to the chef. Stratta looked up at the only pony in camp who still hadn't gotten a bowl of food. "Hey," he called up to Clout, "you gunna come get some food? It's really good, you should try some."
No response.
"Is he dead?" Rabbit asked with a muzzle full of food.
"Clout, did you fall asleep or something?" Stratta questioned.
The crystal pony's ears swiveled and he gave a growl, prompting Tombstone to give an icy glare at his back.
The charcoal pegasus gave his hosts a sheepish grin on the thief's behalf. "I-I'm sorry about him. The stew is really good, he just has trust issues. Probably thinks it's poisoned or something." he tried to explain.
"Ooh, is that something you can do with your poisons?" the colt asked Jinx in excitement.
"Please don't give him ideas." Bunny groaned at the unicorn's grin.