After the sudden reveal and escape, Sunset couldn't particularly help but wonder what Indigo's true intentions were, and why the pegasus had attempted to sabotage her trip in the first place. The only connection she could think of was the incident with Rainbow Dash, but that didn't seem like a compelling enough reason to risk derailing the entire train. In any case, it was clear that Indigo was somepony who wasn't above petty behavior, especially after pretending to be Dash, just to save her own hide.
"Might I just ask who in Equestria even was that?" Mr. Ramsay questioned. "If I had two slices of bread on me, I'd put her head in between them and call her an 'Idiot Sandwich', for thinking she could get away with stealing from me, of all ponies!"
"I've been bumping into her lately." Sunset replied. "Let's just say... she's been causing trouble for me and my friends, and it seems like now, she's finally gone too far. I have no idea why she's trying to sabotage our trip to Hope Hollow, but I'm guessing it may be personal, considering how I'm here."
"Well regardless, now that our little mystery's over with, I suppose we should all head back onto the train?" Sunny Skies proposed. "There's... not really anything interesting to see here in Bridlewood Station, especially since it's been abandoned for... too many moons to count, let's just say."
"If I may ask?" Ocellus spoke up. "Why exactly is the train station abandoned?"
"Better yet, whose bright idea was it to set up a train station in an area where nopony even lives?" Gallus questioned.
"Well, according to my Grandpa Skies, there used to be a large population here, mining for valuable crystals." The mayor explained. "But as it turned out, they became far less profitable over time, especially when ponies began to move to the Crystal Empire. The station was originally supposed to be part of a larger rail network that was supposed to connect Equestria from the north to the south, but the project was never completed. Again, this may have something to do with the rumors regarding some mayonnaise spirit haunting the forest, but we've never found any real evidence of its existence. As such, the station's just been sitting here, gathering dust and cobwebs ever since."
"Yeah, in that case, maybe we should just head back to the train." Smolder said. "We didn't come on this field trip to explore some haunted house."
"Come to think of it, we should probably check up on our other chaperone?" Sandbar suggested. "Mr. Ramsay mentioned he found her in the... freezer, of all places?"
Everyone began making their way back to the train, hoping to possibly get a better explanation from Sour Sweet, regarding Indigo's motives. The mayor approached Petunia's cabin, whilst Sunset, Mr. Ramsay, and the students all approached the Endtrak Express's kitchen, where they were all in for an unpleasant surprise, upon seeing that the aforementioned pegasus was nowhere to be seen. This prompted Ocellus and Silverstream to check the rest of the train, whilst Sunset thoroughly searched around the kitchen and freezer, only to find no trace of Sour Sweet.
"Where'd she go?" Sunset turned to Mr. Ramsay. "Didn't you mention that you found her here unconscious, just a few minutes ago?"
"I may be getting old, but I know my eyes didn't deceive me." Mr. Ramsay insisted. "She must've gotten up, while we were all distracted by that Idiot Sandw- I mean, that thief who tried to steal from me."
"Miss Sunset?" Ocellus came into the kitchen. "I just checked your cabin, and she wasn't there either. Our other chaperone's gone missing!"
"I also checked in with the other passengers." Silverstream reported. "None of them had seen her in between the time we got off at Bridlewood Station and now. What do you suppose this could mean?"
"I don't know for certain, but we have to find her before there's any more trouble." Sunset replied. "Especially since our little train bandit escaped into the station. When we find Sour Sweet, she definitely owes us an explanation for everything."
As Sunset and the others began to search every inch of the train for Sour Sweet, things had gone well back at the School of Friendship. Chancellor Neighsay and the EEA were rather pleased with the inspection of the institution, feeling as if they had truly found the one place for any creature to pursue their education in friendship, not just ponies. As the chancellor and committee left school grounds, Twilight waved goodbye to the ponies of educational authority, before she looked back to her friends for a moment, and breathed a sigh of relief.
"Well, that went rather well, all things considered." Twilight said to the rest of the council. "I'm just glad we don't have to worry about the school closing, anytime soon."
"If you ask me, Twilight?" Rainbow chimed in. "I kinda feel like we overprepared for their visit. They didn't even say anything when I accidentally knocked over Chancellor Neighsay's tea."
"I'm guessing that he really turned a new leaf, especially compared to when we first opened the school." Pinkie added. "It's either that, or he's actually taught the rest of the board to embrace friendship as well, which would be pretty surprising, considering this is Chancellor Neighsay we're talking about here."
"Well, it's pretty amazing just how much a pony can change, especially when they learn to embrace friendship." Twilight reflected. "Whether it'd be Chancellor Neighsay, Starlight, Sunset, the list goes on."
"Hey, speaking of Sunset..." Starlight reminded them of the trip that Sunset was currently chaperoning. "How do you think she's handling the field trip with our students?"
"She'll be fine, I'm sure." Twilight assured. "I know from experience that Sunset's great at leading others, and I trust her judgment. I'm certain that she'll make the most of this trip for them, and give the students a fun and educational time in Hope Hollow."
"While we're talkin' about explorin' more of Equestria, much like Sunset..." Applejack spoke up. "Should we focus back on spreadin' out and gatherin' intel regardin' the whereabouts of... you know who?"
"Finding her will certainly prove to be challenging." Rarity responded. "However, I do believe our odds of facing her head-on will have increased significantly. We've now made ourselves immune to the bell's magical draining capabilities, thanks to Smolder's dragon fire."
"That's true, Rarity." Twilight nodded. "We're more prepared than ever before, so let's focus our efforts on locating and bringing her to justice. We can't let her continue to cause chaos and hurt innocent creatures out there."
"Although we're more prepared now, maybe we should ask a certain somepony if she knows who Chestnut really is, and if she has any advice that would help us take her down?" Spike proposed.
"What do you mean, Spike?" Flutershy questioned. "Like... learning her weaknesses? Who would we even ask?"
"Celestia, of course." Spike replied. "If anypony knows what we should do, it'd be her. Plus, she's been the princess for over 1,000 years, and she's had plenty of history with the many foes we've faced, such as Lord Tirek. She's bound to have some insight on Chestnut, I think it's worth a shot."
"But she's retired now." Rainbow reminded. "Shouldn't stopping Chestnut be our full responsibility now, as a council?"
"That's true, but at the same time, asking her for some insight and guidance, it may be our only chance at learning something crucial about this pegasus." Twilight replied. "I'm sure Celestia would be willing to help us if we explained the situation, and at the end of the day, we'll be the ones to carry out everything we need to stop her. Plus, Luna specifically told us that we're welcome to visit her and Celestia anytime in Silver Shoals, back during my coronation."
"You should also mention what that monster ended up doing to Sunset." Spike added. "Didn't Celestia sometimes hint that she saw Sunset as not only her student, but like her daughter too?"
"I'll definitely make sure to mention that as well." Twilight nodded. "Alright, so we're all agreed that I should reach out to Celestia for help, then? If so, I'll arrange a chariot to bring Spike and I to Silver Shoals. The rest of you, please make sure to finish teaching any further classes you have planned for the day, then leave a note in Starlight's office, letting me know where you've gone off to search for Chestnut. Are we all clear, everyone?"
The six other ponies and dragon murmured and nodded understandingly, before Starlight spoke up.
"Clear as day, Twilight." Starlight replied. "Good luck with Celestia, and the rest of you, be careful out there. Let me know if you need any help or support."
With that said and done, Spike followed Twilight outside, preparing for a visit to Silver Shoals, and hoping to get some answers from the former princess of Equestria. The rest of the council unfortunately still had teaching duties at the school, so they had to remain occupied for a while. As the princess and dragon climbed aboard the royal chariot outside of the institution, they began to soar through the air, getting a good glimpse of Equestria as a whole. Twilight looked back at Canterlot from behind, unable to imagine the horrible fate that would seemingly await them in the future, should they fail to stop Chestnut.
"We'd better enjoy that sight of Canterlot now, Spike." Twilight said, glumly. "Who knows how much time we have left before that pegasus grows too powerful?"
Spike put a hand on Twilight's shoulder, understanding how stressful the situation truly was for her, on top of now taking on every other responsibility as the princess of Equestria. Unknown to both of them as they were getting carried off to Silver Shoals, there was another hunt going on back in Canterlot. Not searching for Chestnut Magnifico, but instead, a certain self-proclaimed diva bent on exacting her revenge on Sunset Shimmer, for exposing her true self back in Manehattan.
Max Steele was currently off-duty, and decided to grab some dinner at one of Canterlot's restaurants. He had admittedly been feeling lonely as a long-hour security guard, but was happy to finally spend some quality time with his pet puppy, Mr. Puppy.
"I know they have your favorite here, Mr. Puppy." Max fed his puppy some of his dinner. "Which is why this is my favorite restaurant in Canterlot, next to The Tasty Treat, of course."
Just then, Madame Cinch barged into the restaurant, hoping to grab a bite to regain her energy, especially after being on the run from Manehattan. She took a seat directly across from Max, catching her breath.
"Oh, hello ma'am." Max greeted. "I wasn't really expecting company tonight, other than my sweet little puppy."
"Yeah hi, whatever." Cinch replied, coldly. "You have no idea what I've been through today, I'm just hoping I can get some fresh, premium Appleloosan oats to regain my energy."
"Well, if you're looking for Appleloosan oats, you're in luck." Max replied. "I happen to know this place has the best in all of Equestria. In fact, I have a bowl of them right here, but they've been prepared specifically for Mr. Puppy's liking."
"Oh, so you're one of those types?" Cinch snorted. "Always spoiling your little pets, while you live like a slob. Well, I guess beggars can't be choosers. I'll take that bowl for myself now, if you don't mind."
"No way!" Max shook his head in defiance. "If you want some food, you pay for your own! Especially if you're going to make that kind of comment about me."
"Alright, I apologize." Cinch rolled her eyes. "Now then, would you be willing to share, if we made this a date? Just a fine night between you and I, as long as you pay for my dinner. Better yet, I wouldn't mind if you spoiled me a little, afterwards. Maybe you can buy me a new hat...?"
"Errr... I don't really date, you know, for my job and all." Max replied, awkwardly. "I have to work long hours as a security guard, and I already devote most of my time to Mr. Puppy."
"Hmph." Cinch huffed, folding her hooves. "Fine then. You should get your eyes checked if you're just going to throw me away like that, I am simply a prize! Besides, I didn't really want to date a crusty old geezer like yourself, who's already all gray in the mane!"
"Hey! Watch your mouth!" Max exclaimed, agitated. "And in any case, you're not my type either, you self-centered, arrogant diva! You're also one to talk about being past their prime, if you ask me."
"How dare you!" Cinch scoffed. "A beauty queen like myself deserves the absolute best, not your mangy mutt! In fact... give me that!"
Madame Cinch grabbed the bowl of Appleloosan oats from Mr. Puppy, and began downing the oats like a pig. Max sat there, completely aghast at this, as did his pet. Soon enough, she threw the bowl down on the floor, laughing in a satisfied manner.
"Heh, yeah, that feels bad, huh?" Cinch snickered. "I took your precious oats, and gave them a better home."
As the Madame continued to emit an unpleasant laughter, Mr. Puppy climbed up from his seat, before doing the unexpected. The puppy lunged at Cinch's face, biting her on the snout, and refusing to let go. This prompted the Madame to spring up in pain, screaming uncontrollably, and causing her to stumble out of the restaurant itself.
"GAHHHHHH!" Cinch shrieked. "You unkempt mutt, how dare you ruin my makeup!
As the Madame stumbled back, she didn't realize that she had backed herself into a tree. She tried to shake Mr. Puppy off of her snout, but only resulted in her constantly hitting the tree with tremendous force. To make matters even worse, this tree had a large wasps' nest at the very top, with the wasps inside becoming increasingly enraged at something seemingly threatening their home. With one final lunge, Madame Cinch ended up crashing onto the tree, her backside hitting the tree trunk with a hard thud. Satisfied at this, Mr. Puppy ran back over to Max Steele, as the Madame held her snout, still wincing from the bite.
"You insolent, flea-infested brat!" Cinch screeched hoarsely at Max and his puppy. "You'll pay for this, you and your sad excuse for an owner, too! I'll make sure you both regret the day you ever crossed paths with me!"
But as Cinch was about to get up, the impacts from hitting the tree had caused the wasps' nest to crumble from its branch, landing directly on the Madame's head. The wasps, angered at their home ending up this way, realized that this pony must've been their attacker. They began to show no mercy, holding nothing back from stinging the self-proclaimed diva, and attacking all together as a massive swarm.
"AAAAH! AAAHHHHHHH!" Cinch screamed, as she knocked the nest off her head and desperately ran for her life. "GET THEM OFF ME! AAAAH! AAAHHHHHHH!"
"Well lady, you got your wish when you said you wanted a new hat." Max watched the Madame get chased off of Canterlot's grounds. "Better be careful what you wish for. Now then, you sure showed her who's boss, Mr. Puppy. I've got no doubt that you'll one day be a great security dog. As a reward, I'll get you two whole bowls of Appleloosan oats instead of just one!"
After searching endlessly all over the Endtrak Express, Sunset and the students were completely unable to find Sour Sweet. As a result, Sunset couldn't help but wonder if these sudden disappearances had anything to do with Indigo, or better yet... was her chaperone partner up to something in connection to Indigo? By this point, Sour Sweet was nowhere to be found, prompting Sunset to call off the search, knowing that there was definitely something even more fishy going on.
"Alright, everyone." Sunset addressed the students. "I'm pretty certain that we've searched every inch of this train at this point, so it's maybe a safe bet that Sour Sweet's no longer on board with us."
"But... we can't just leave her behind, once the train is refueled." Ocellus spoke up. "If she's somewhere in the station, then we've got to go find her, before the train takes off."
"What's the point?" Gallus huffed. "She's very clearly trying to ditch her duties as a chaperone, so we might as well go on without her."
"Yona agrees!" Yona added. "Sour Sweet pony might be even more grouchy than nasty chancellor pony!"
"Once this field trip is over, you might as well report to Princess Twilight about everything she's done." Smolder gave her piece.
"I know it seems like Sour Sweet's dug herself into a hole, for not being around to explain herself, but I'm getting the feeling that we might need to investigate further in the station itself." Sunset insisted. "After all, Sour Sweet wasn't the one stealing everypony's things on the train."
"Speaking of which, out of curiosity?" Sandbar spoke up. "How did you become such a great detective? I mean, most of us believed that Sour Sweet must've been guilty, after all the clues pointed to her."
"Well, to be honest, I had a gut feeling that something wasn't right, and I decided to trust my instincts." Sunset replied. "Though the excitement for being a hero or detective primarily came from my love for Señor G. Echo. He always solved all kinds of crimes and mysteries on his puppet show, and I think he helped shape me into the mare I am today. I still remember his famous catchphrase, it's-"
"Evil will always be spotted, amigo!" Barley Barrel finished Sunset's sentence. "I could never forget that little leopard gecko's snappy catchphrase, he actually inspired my brother and I to start our own fan club, even if it's for the Rainbow Dash. Either way, always happy to meet another Señor G. Echo fan!"
"Glad to hear we have that in common, it's always been the best puppet show I've seen." Sunset looked over at the pegasus filly, before turning back to the students. "But anyways, what do you say? Perhaps we should do a further investigation within Bridlewood Station?"
"I'm up for it!" Silverstream said with enthusiasm. "I'd love to help you out, anything for our chaperone!"
"Is that really a good idea though?" Gallus interjected. "Pretty sure that the train's almost refueled by now. We can't miss our ride by the time we get back."
"Well, if it means getting to the bottom of this mystery, I think it's worth it." Sunset insisted. "I can put in a word to the conductor that we'll need to investigate the station for a bit."
"If I may ask, why exactly are you so invested on doing this?" Smolder questioned. "I mean, isn't our main priority to reach Hope Hollow, as if this was any ordinary field trip?"
"To tell you the truth, it's something a lot more deeper than that." Sunset began explaining. "See, Twilight and her friends are currently dealing with a... newer threat in Equestria, let's just say. Now, don't get me wrong, I definitely want to make sure that you all reach Hope Hollow safely, but I also agreed to take the job to explore more of Equestria, whilst being on the lookout for anything suspicious, since we're all searching for that new threat. Since that pegasus we arrested at the station mentioned how she was deliberately trying to slow us down, I just feel like we can't simply ignore this. Something else could go wrong during the trip, if that makes sense?"
"That does sound pretty concerning, Miss Sunset." Ocellus nodded. "If you think it's extremely important to get to the bottom of this, then we should trust you. What do you all say?"
The rest of the students murmured in agreement, now understanding where their chaperone was coming from.
"Well, if it means we'll get to explore a bit more for our field trip, I'd be on board with it." Gallus said. "At least this ain't a boring old lecture that'll entice us to ditch class, like we did on the first day of school, right everyone?"
"See, there's the spirit." Sunset smiled. "And to tell you the truth, you're not the only ones who've ditched class before, so I totally get where you're all coming from."
"Hmph." Smolder smirked. "This may be our best chaperone yet."
As Sunset and the students stepped off of the train, they noticed Mayor Skies and Torque Wrench on the station's platform, seemingly discussing something troubling. Sunset approached the mayor, wondering what was happening.
"Mayor Skies?" Sunset tapped the stallion on the shoulder. "Is something wrong?"
"Oh, hello Starlight!" The mayor greeted. "Well, no, nothing's wrong per say, it's just..."
"Something is very wrong, actually." Torque corrected. "There's no need to sugarcoat anything, Mayor."
"Well... alright then." Sunny Skies sighed. "You know how we mentioned that this stop is meant to let the Endtrak Express refuel before taking off? Well, as it turns out, the fuel pump seems to now be out of commission. In fact, no matter how long we wait, or how hard we pump, we're not even getting a drop of fuel."
"I've already put in a word with the conductor about this." Torque added. "Without a refuel, the train can't just leave the station, as it's now dangerously low on it. So unfortunately, we're pretty much stuck here at Bridlewood Station, until we can get this sorted out."
"That's certainly troublesome." Sunset replied. "Anything we can do to help?"
"To my best knowledge, there's a master switch somewhere in the station, which can allow us to power it up by force." Torque explained. "I'll have to go inside and flip it myself. From my experience, I suspect that the pump is either clogged, or something in the station flipped the switch."
"Think we may already have an idea on who, considering our little train thief made a getaway in the station." Sunny Skies deduced.
"And she mentioned that she was trying to slow us down, so it's very possible." Sunset added. "Do you think that my students and I can come into the station with you? We're... searching for somepony else, let's just say."
"I appreciate all the help I can get, especially since I've never had to actually go flip the master switch." Torque replied. "I'd advise you all to be cautious, since the station's interior is pretty unkempt, and there could be plenty of spiders or rats lurking about."
Sunset and the students all entered the station, following behind Torque, and unsure of what the repair pony was referring to. Bridlewood Station's main passenger room and ticket booth both looked rather presentable, though the paint was slowly chipping away. However, they soon realized what Torque was referring to, once they headed down the station's hallway, where bits of the brick wall were visible, and there were cobwebs in many corners. Whilst following the repair pony, the students took notice of the unsettling atmosphere, and even their surroundings.
"Hey, is that a jar of mayonnaise, underneath all those spider webs?" Silverstream pointed out.
"I don't think mayonnaise is supposed to ever be THAT color..." Sandbar gagged.
Before long, everyone made it to the station's elevator, which was located at the end of the hallway. Torque pushed the button, but the elevator wouldn't budge, let alone light up.
"Well, that's just great." Torque sighed. "I know for a fact that the master switch is in the electrical room on the floor below, but the only way to get there is by using this elevator."
"What do you suppose happened?" Ocellus asked. "You think the elevator blew a fuse?"
"No, that's not it." Torque replied. "I need a keycard to activate it, since the elevator's been inactive for quite some time. I'm certain that the only place we can get a keycard for this, is the stationmaster's office. Problem is, it's pretty far into the station."
"Well, if it's the only way, we can all help you out." Sunset replied. "Where exactly is the office?"
"The stationmaster's office is a floor below." Torque began. "We would need to go through the maintenance room, and I'm fairly certain there's also a garbage chute along the way. Past that, it should be easy to spot at the end of the corridor, since it has a big plaque on it. However, since I don't have the keys to that office, I might need to head back to the train and grab my toolbox. I'll need something to pry that door open, if needed."
"Alright, in that case, we'll wait for you outside the stationmaster's office." Sunset proposed. "Hopefully we can find that keycard when we meet up again."
"Sounds good to me." Torque nodded. "Thanks again for the help."
Torque rushed back to the Endtrak Express, while Sunset and the students continued on. The creepy atmosphere of the abandoned train station had made everyone feeling uneasy, not helped by the various cobwebs, dead insects, and rat bones scattering the hallways.
"This is quite the contrast from the train we were just on, isn't it?" Smolder said. "It's like we're now in a dungeon, or something."
"You're telling me!" Gallus nodded. "Rats, bugs, and spider webs everywhere. You'd think with the budget they have for the Endtrak Express, they'd invest a bit to tidy up this station."
"That's true, but I'm not entirely sure if they own the station." Sunset responded. "Plus, they mentioned that this station's meant to let the train refuel, since nopony actually lives here in Bridlewood. I wouldn't really see much of a reason to remodel the dilapidated interior, especially considering how expensive that would be."
"Well, if we're going to be here for a while, at least we're going together as a group." Ocellus said. "This place gives me the creeps."
"Tell me about it." Smolder looked around the hallways. "Even these bugs couldn't make it here, since there's little to no food. Looks like a bunch of dead ants, cockroaches, termites, and... what do you suppose those are?"
"Yona not certain, but they look like beetles." Yona observed. "Or maybe... beetle shells?"
"Beetle shells?" Sunset's eyes widened, realizing that it was entirely possible that these other bugs didn't simply starve to death. "Do they look like cocoons, by any chance?"
"Kinda, but they look more like actual shells to me." Sandbar observed. "Why?"
"Err, no reason, I was just curious." Sunset brushed off, hoping internally that this wasn't a sign that a certain species of beetle was nearby. "But hey, the sooner we get that keycard, the sooner we can enjoy our field trip to Hope Hollow. Let's go find the stationmaster's office, but be sure to stick close together."
"You know, Miss Sunset?" Smolder said in a satisfied tone. "You might be the coolest teacher we've ever had, even if you're more of a chaperone. You wouldn't believe the number of times Princess Twilight and the other teachers have made class completely unenjoyable for us students."
"Second that." Gallus agreed. "Remember that field trip we had, where our teachers were pretty much at each others throats, purely because they were competing for Teacher of the Month?"
"And I'd almost be certain that Princess Twilight herself would be against us going off into an abandoned train station like this." Silverstream added. "She always tends to do things by the book, which is why we ended up skipping class once. So I gotta say, thanks a bunch for making this field trip extra fun, Miss Sunset!"
"Well, I'm just glad you all seem to be enjoying yourselves on the trip, even in spite of the circumstances." Sunset said to the rest of the group. "Now let's head on over to the stationmaster's office and make this a field trip worth remembering!"
Everyone made their way down the hallways, searching for a way to get downstairs. The students kept their minds off of the station's creepy atmosphere, now that they were filled with newfound enthusiasm and a curiosity for exploration. Eventually, Sunset came up to what appeared to be an abandoned gift shop, with a rather rusted door. Since her priorities were still on finding the stationmaster's office, she trotted past it, before noticing that the hallway leading downstairs was caved in. A pile of old bricks and debris had blocked off access to the staircase, as if it was caused by an earthquake.
"Awww, those poor stairs." Silverstream examined what was left of the staircase. "We could've gone up and down you all, like you would've wanted."
"Well, this place has certainly seen better days." Sunset noted. "Maybe there's another way to get downstairs through that gift shop. You students feel like doing some window shopping?"
"Eh, why not?" Sandbar shrugged. "Not every day we can pick out a souvenir at an abandoned train station."
Sunset went over to the gift shop's door, and as expected, it was locked.
"Hmm, this is probably why Torque went back to grab her tools." Sunset began pondering. "We'll need to figure out a way to get inside."
"Maybe Yona can make friends with door." Yona proposed, before turning to the door, and turning into a more aggressive demeanor. "Mr. Door! You must be our friend! BE! OUR! FRIEND!!!"
The yak then rammed into the door, making it fly off of the hinges, as everyone else's eyes widened.
"Well, didn't think you had it in you, Yona." Smolder commended. "Pretty impressive."
"Teacher Iron Will taught Yona how to do that once." Yona recalled. "May not be most friendly way, but it seems like it works!"
"Nice work at getting us inside, but please, try not to hurt yourself, Yona." Sunset said. "I want to make sure you're all safe on this field trip, after all."
As everyone entered the gift shop, it admittedly looked like the place had been out of business for decades. The shelves were completely empty, the walls were rotten and deteriorating, and the floors contained more dust than the average vacuum cleaner. The only items that remained on the shelves were an assortment of snacks, which Silverstream and Ocellus took notice of.
"Is that what I think it is?" Ocellus walked over to the shelf. "I forget what they're called, but... the kind of cream cakes that never go bad, if you leave them in their wrappers?"
"I wouldn't, if I were you." Gallus advised. "For all we know, those cream cakes are older than Grandpa Gruff."
"Yeah, maybe, but I mean..." Silverstream continued looking at the cakes, rather enticed.
"Hmm, does anyone see another way we can get downstairs through here?" Sunset searched around the dusty old gift shop.
"Not really." Smolder shrugged. "We could maybe try looking for another way through the back, but I don't see any doors or anything."
"Gift shop just looks like a gift shop." Yona looked around, before noticing a hole in the wall, with a sign that seemingly said 'Trash' above it. "It looks like there is garbage chute in the corner there."
"Oh yeah, didn't Torque mention a garbage chute earlier?" Sandbar recalled.
"She did." Sunset replied. "But I'm not really sure if that's going to help us, if we can't even get downstairs."
Sunset continued pondering, as the gift shop appeared to be nothing more than a dead end. However, this thought was derailed almost immediately, once she noticed the commotion coming from the other end of the shop.
"Give it back!" Silverstream began playing tug-of-war with Gallus and Ocellus, over the box of old cream cakes.
"Come on, Silverstream!" Gallus insisted. "You already had dinner earlier, there's no need to make yourself sick by eating these hundred-year-old cakes!"
"My stomach could still use some mouthwatering dessert!" Silverstream persisted. "Mr. Ramsay refused to give us any, earlier!"
"I'm with Gallus on this one!" Ocellus spoke up. "You don't know where these cakes have been! Even if they seemingly never go bad, we're not risking you getting sick from them!"
"Alright, alright!" Sunset stepped over to break up the fight. "Listen, why don't we just wait for Torque to come back, and maybe she'll help us reach the stationmaster's office? There unfortunately doesn't seem to be an easy way to get downstairs, and she's more familiar with the station than any of us."
Despite stepping in, the three students continued fighting over the box of cream cakes, before Silverstream ended up tugging the box back too hard, and accidentally letting it fly backwards, directly into the open garbage chute.
"MY CAKES!!!" Silverstream screamed, as she immediately dove into the garbage chute, wanting to retrieve her snacks.
"Silverstream, no!" Sunset tried to stop the hippogriff, but realized she was already too late, prompting herself to jump through the garbage chute as well.
"Well, she is our chaperone, so we kinda have to follow her." Smolder shrugged. "Let's ride!"
One by one, the remaining students lined up and began throwing themselves down the garbage chute as well. Despite the funky smells, they were able to enjoy the ride down, as it felt like an extreme version of a playground slide. After a while of sliding down, Sunset and the students found themselves inside a dumpster, which still had old bags of trash that had broken their fall.
"Well, that was admittedly fun." Sandbar commented. "But I think now, we'll all need a bath after this field trip is over."
"Are you all okay?" Sunset got up from the trash pile and looked around, seeing that five out of six students were present. "Silverstream, where are you!?"
"Here I am!" The aforementioned hippogriff popped out of the trash pile with her box of cream cakes, after fishing around in the garbage for it.
"Silverstream, we still wouldn't recommend-" Ocellus tried to stop her friend again.
But Silverstream had already begun snacking on the cakes, initially enjoying the sweet sensation, before realizing that the cakes were as hard as a rock.
"Awwww, are you kidding me?" Silverstream pouted, before throwing the cakes back into the dumpster. "These cakes are harder than that pop quiz we had in class last week."
"We tried to warn you." Gallus sighed. "Besides, if you really wanted dessert, I'm sure Mr. Ramsay would be willing to make his Sticky Toffee Pudding, once we get back."
"Actually, speaking of which... how exactly are we supposed to get back now?" Sandbar questioned. "Certainly not back up through that garbage chute, that's for sure."
"Well, on the plus side, we're downstairs now, aren't we?" Smolder reminded. "And look, that sign says we've reached the maintenance room!"
"You're right, it does!" Sunset squinted her eyes to read the sign from a distance, before turning to Gallus, Ocellus, and Silverstream. "I should probably chastise you three for fighting like that, but since you inadvertently helped us get downstairs, I'll allow it. We're not going anywhere without that keycard, after all."
"Like I've said, coolest chaperone ever!" Smolder repeated herself.
Sunset climbed out of the dumpster, trying her best to ignore the awful odor of the trash, as the students did the same. They began to slowly approach the maintenance room, which was surprisingly unlocked. Sunset didn't know whether to feel grateful or uneasy, realizing the foreboding possibility that somepony else was already awaiting her in the station.
As this was happening, Twilight and Spike had already arrived at Celestia and Luna's home in Silver Shoals, where the two former princesses were curious as to how their new ruler was doing. The princess and dragon sat on the couch, enjoying some tea and snacks that Celestia had provided for them.
"So, I take it that you're already getting used to your much bigger workload as the princess of all of Equestria?" Luna asked, as she sipped her tea.
"Well, I've been busy trying to adjust to my new roles and responsibilities, but it's not easy." Twilight reflected. "I've already worked on plans to improve our magic schools, found a way to help those who were affected by the recent changes, and dealt with all sorts of other matters."
"Speaking of which..." Celestia spoke up, before taking a seat nearby. "You wanted some guidance and insight on this... Chestnut Magnifico, is that correct, Twilight?"
"According to Sunset, that's what her name is." Twilight nodded. "I'm guessing that she most likely knows her name, because she's met her before in the Human World. And I've already given you her description, blonde mane, orange fur, purple eyes, and green eyeshadow."
"Does she by any chance ring a bell to you?" Spike inquired.
"I'm afraid that I don't recognize that name, nor do I recall anypony with the characteristics you've described." Celestia sighed. "But then again, my memory isn't as sharp as it used to be, especially after 1,000 years of ruling Equestria."
"Are you sure that this Chestnut Magnifico is out to destroy Equestria, much like Lord Tirek, Chrysalis, and Cozy Glow?" Luna questioned.
"Well, if stealing Grogar's Bell doesn't imply that's her end-goal, I don't know what would." Twilight shrugged. "Oh, and did I mention that she hurt Sunset, too? She used the Bewitching Bell to not only drain her magic, but also stole her horn!"
"What?!" Celestia's eyes widened. "If this Chestnut Magnifico harmed my daughter in any way, she will have to answer for it! We must find this mare and bring her to justice at once!"
"Well, that's just it." Twilight began explaining. "See, we have absolutely no idea where she's gone off to, nor what her true intentions are. Which is why the council and I are now doing a thorough search all over Equestria."
"Are you absolutely sure you've never come across this pony?" Spike asked. "Maybe you have, but forgot about her?"
"Better yet, are there any other foes you've had history with, whom my friends and I have not dealt with?" Twilight pressed on. "Let's see, there's King Sombra, Lord Tirek, Queen Chrysalis, Nightmare Moon, The Storm King..."
"I'm afraid that just like Cozy Glow, I have little to no knowledge on this Chestnut Magnifico, based on what you've described of her." Celestia sighed. "But as for other potential foes my sister and I have known... Luna, do we know anyone like that?"
"Other than those you've already listed, who are all no longer a threat to us, I believe that there are two more, whom we haven't seen in a while." Luna reflected. "But to be fair, I was stuck in the moon for most of that time."
"Two more?" Twilight listened on. "Who would they be?"
"Well as a possibility, could this Chestnut Magnifico have any connection to that slippery sorceress, who used the Memory Stone to erase memories?" Luna suggested.
"It doesn't seem likely, Luna." Celestia dismissed the idea. "I firmly remember Clover the Clever outsmarting her, and trapping her in a stone coffin for the rest of eternity. Just the fact that the coffin was never uncovered, leads me to suspect that he had hidden it in a place nopony would ever think to look."
"He was Clover the Clever, after all." Luna reminisced. "Well, if it wasn't the sorceress, there is another possibility. Sister, do you remember our birthplace and foalhood home, the city of Skyros?"
"I remember it well." Celestia began reflecting. "It was a beautiful city, full of life and magic. We had many friends there, though there was that one pony who only tried to befriend us for popularity reasons. She never really wanted to be our real friend, in fact, I'm pretty certain that she merely used us, just to get favors from the other residents."
"Sounds like something that still happens in today's time and age." Spike acknowledged. "Remember when the Cutie Mark Crusaders did just that for Twilight Time?"
"Well, nopony's perfect during their youth." Twilight replied. "So anyways, who's this potential threat that you speak of?"
"That's just it, actually." Luna began elaborating. "When Starswirl the Bearded turned my sister and I into alicorns, that was when we moved from Skyros to Equestria. However, before we moved, we distinctly recall hearing this pony from our hometown saying something... rather disconcerting."
"That's right." Celestia began remembering everything. "She claimed that we're no more special than she is, even if we suddenly gained the abilities to raise the sun and moon. And that the next time we would see her, she would rule all of Equestria as the most powerful fire alicorn."
"Fire alicorn...?" Twilight raised an eyebrow. "Is that even a real thing?"
"As far as we know, it isn't." Luna insisted. "At least, not in the way she described it. However, my sister soon theorized that it was possibly an indication that she had been studying forbidden lore, and perhaps made some... questionable discoveries."
"Do you remember what her name was?" Spike questioned.
"Sadly, we never got to know her name, since she didn't even have the courtesy to give us a proper introduction." Celestia recalled. "That's how false of a friend she was, but even then, this could all be farfetched. The idea that the childhood... 'friend' of ours becoming an alicorn, still being alive today, and thriving to become the most powerful fire alicorn in Equestria, I just don't believe it's likely. Especially because she doesn't even remotely resemble this Chestnut pony you've described."
"Unlikely, but not out of the realm of plausibility, if it's not the sorceress." Luna reminded. "But then again, I suppose you could be right, Sister. After all, if even you haven't seen her over 1,000 years of ruling Equestria, for all we know, she could've simply been bluffing."
"Well, I appreciate the tips and guidance you've both given me, but I'm afraid that if even you don't know anything about this Chestnut Magnifico, we might've hit a dead end. Only Sunset seems to remotely know something about her, and even then, it's mostly her name."
"Speaking of which, where exactly is Sunset, now?" Celestia questioned. "Is she all right?"
"We were able to give Sunset some temporary magic, so she's just as strong as ever." Twilight replied. "She still lacks her horn, but she's still the same determined student we both know. Currently, she's busy chaperoning a field trip to Hope Hollow with our school's students. It's a good thing she stepped in to do this, since... let's just say, it was necessary to help us become immune to the Bewitching Bell's powers."
"Alright, well I'm glad to hear that she's fine now." Celestia breathed a sigh of relief. "It's emotionally draining to hear that somepony ended up hurting my daughter, especially after she came around yesterday night to visit Luna and I."
"So Sunset really was in Silver Shoals after all." Spike realized. "You really did end up meeting an imposter in the restricted section, Twilight."
"And I wouldn't be surprised if this imposter was Chestnut herself." Twilight deduced, before turning to her former teacher. "Alright, well I'm glad that you and Luna were able to clear a few things up for us. But if even you don't know who Chestnut is, defeating her... is going to be quite the challenge."
"The only advice I can offer is to continue your research and seek out any information you can find on this Chestnut Magnifico." Celestia advised. "Perhaps if you can find somepony who knows more about her, it might lead you to uncover her true intentions. Just be careful in your search, and do not hesitate to come to me or Luna if you need our help. We may be retired now, but we are most certainly far from obsolete."
"I appreciate the words of wisdom." Twilight nodded. "Hopefully soon, we'll make a breakthrough and put an end to her plans once and for all."
Back at Bridlewood Station, Sunset and the students had already entered the maintenance room, which to Sunset, appeared to be much more industrial than any other part of Equestria she had seen before. This was admittedly ironic, considering how the station itself had been abandoned for quite some time, yet contained fully functional machinery that appeared to be more complex than most modern technology in Equestria. Sunset knew that it was in everyone's best interest to avoid touching anything, unless it was absolutely necessary to reach the stationmaster's office.
"Okay, everyone, stay close together and try not to touch anything." Sunset instructed her students. "Remember, we're here to find the elevator keycard in the stationmaster's office."
"Right, lead the way Miss Sunset!" Ocellus followed behind.
"Wow, are we even on our home planet anymore?" Silverstream commented. "It looks like we're on a spaceship! It's a real shame that most creatures won't get to see this, since the station's abandoned and all."
"Actually, I'm almost certain that even if the station was in good condition, they wouldn't normally let us come in here." Sandbar deduced. "It looks like only engineers or repair ponies are authorized."
"So our chaperone's intentionally letting us break the rules?" Smolder grinned. "I swear, I don't ever want another chaperone other than Miss Sunset here. She really knows how to live!"
"Well, although I love having fun whenever I can, I'm just doing my best to keep you all safe, and show you an interesting part of Equestria." Sunset looked back to her group, before coming up to a halt.
The staircase to the top of the maintenance room was completely broken, and it unfortunately seemed to be the only way to reach the exit. Sunset looked around the area, searching for something that could get them all upstairs.
"Awww, what does this place have against stairs?" Silverstream pouted. "Not that I need them or anything, since I can fly. But still, who would vandalize them?"
"I guess it's a good thing most of us have wings." Gallus spread his wings out. "But now the question is, which of us have both wings AND muscle? Cause to tell you the truth, I typically don't go lifting and flying at the same time."
"I suppose we'll all just go one at a time." Smolder suggested. "At least four of us here have wings, so this shouldn't be too bad."
"It looks like there's a switch there, which can help us get a bit of an elevation on the platform." Sandbar pointed.
"Good eye, that should certainly help us out." Sunset trotted over to the switch and flipped it, but to her confusion, the platform remained where it was.
Moments later, a giant steel cage began to drop from the ceiling, directly onto the students. However, Smolder had heard the noises just in time, prompting her to push Silverstream out of the way.
"WATCH OUT!!!" Smolder screeched, as she managed to push Silverstream out of the cage's range, allowing both the hippogriff and herself to avoid being trapped.
"Miss Sunset, please help us out of here, quick!" Ocellus said, worried.
"Yona... no like small spaces!" Yona said, teeth chattering.
"I'm on it!" Sunset assured her students. "Everyone stay calm, we'll find a way out!"
"Sure you will, but at what cost?" A voice said from a distance.
Sunset immediately turned around, prepared to fight the seeming threat.
"Who's there!?" Sunset looked around the maintenance room. "Show yourself, now!"
Moments later, a pony stepped out of the shadows, revealing herself to be none other than Indigo Zap. The former apprentice of Rainbow Dash glared at Sunset, Smolder, and Silverstream, before speaking up.
"So, you really came this far, even after I purposefully blocked off that staircase on the main floor?" Indigo said, impressed.
"That was you!?" Silverstream snapped. "You big meanie! What do you have against stairs, they've done nothing to you!"
"And ironically, it seems like I was right about you being a thief after all, since you tried to steal everypony's things back on the train!" Sunset narrowed her eyes. "Better yet, what exactly are you doing, trying to keep us from reaching Hope Hollow?"
"Oh, shut your traps!" Indigo hissed. "There's no need to get all worked up. What I'm doing is none of your concern, but just know that since you're involved, it makes the sabotage feel that much sweeter. It's just a shame that trap I set up for you didn't manage to trap all your friends back there."
"That's right, Sunset has us on her side!" Smolder cracked her knuckles. "So if you know what's good for you, you'll let our friends go, before we give you a real thrashing."
Suddenly, Indigo began glowing like she did before, and began to use her mysterious new power to transform her outer appearance into Sunset herself.
"Well, how exactly are you going to do that, if you can't even know who Sunset really is?" Indigo asked, rhetorically.