Chapter 6: Throw down on The Friendship Express
Jen gave a little grunt of displeasure as the first rays of the rising sun seemed to lance right across the horizon and pound against her closed eyes. Squinting them closed and squeezing the warm fuzzy body pressed in against her chest tighter, (and wondering why Isabelle was being so affectionate this morning) she rolled over to put the sun at her back. This of course elicited a very un-beagle like yelp from said warm fuzzy body…forcing Jen’s eyes open to look down at a somewhat disgruntled Pinkie Pie clutched in her arms.
With a sheepish grin she relaxed the grip and slowly sat up. “Sorry Pinkie…my dog does that sometimes…kinda forgot where I was for a minute.”
This only caused the usual smile to find itself on the pink pony’s muzzle. “Not to worry Jenny-bean! Best way to wake up is with a hug and a smile from a friend.” She shook herself out (very much like a dog Jen thought with a smirk) and her mane and tail resumed their normal fluffed look.
Jen was soon on her feet herself, stretching out the kinks left behind from sleeping on the less the soft ground. She looked at the other members of their party…both doing their best to ignore the noise she and Pinkie were making.
Pinkie was having none of this naturally. Her human friend watched in amusement as she crept up on the unsuspecting Rainbow Dash…before pouncing and tickling her fiercely around her ribs. The poor Pegasus let out a yelp and rocketed off the ground, gasping for breath. “I’m up! I’m up!”
The ‘sleeping’ unicorn wisely chose to abandon the pretense of sleep and hop to her hooves before Pinkie could launch a tickle attack her way. “Yes we’re all up.” Her horn sparked to life as a neatly packaged sandwich floated from her saddle bag to her waiting mouth.
Tilting her head a bit and observing Twilight eating her breakfast with her magic…then looking at Pinkie and Rainbow eating in a more mundane fashion she shifted her glance from Twilight’s glowing horn to the one on her forehead. “Think I can do that…move stuff with my magic?”
Her unicorn companion gave a nod swallowing a bite of her meal. Pinkie and Dash looked away and began to pack up…both recognizing Twilight’s ‘lecture face’…a face Jen was beginning to recognize as well. “Of course. Telekinesis is one of the most basic uses of unicorn magic. It’s one of the first things we learn to do as foals. It’s really simple…the easiest way to describe it would be imagining you’re lifting something with your hoof…or well…hand in your case…only it’s an invisible imaginary hand.” She finished with another bite.
This caused the girls eyes to go from Twilight’s glowing horn to the pack where the jam sandwiches Spike packed for her waited. Biting down on her lower lip in concentration she reached deep inside herself…willing up the feeling she felt when she used her locator trick. Twilight seemed to busy eating to pay much attention to her antics…Pinkie and Rainbow were just enjoying the faces she was making. Slowly but surely the green aura suffused her horn, causing her hair to push away from it as if in a gentle breeze. Pinkie was bouncing from hoof to hoof watching something bounce inside the pack…before the sandwich rocketed into the air and out of sight with a brilliant green flash of light. The ponies were sent sprawling on their hind ends, Jen wound up flat on her back letting out the breath she’d been holding.
Twilight was the first to recover…on her hooves and looking less than happy. “Jennifer that’s very dangerous! Magic needs to be studied and developed in a controlled…quiet…stress free environment! You could have…made your pack explode or something! Not to mention unnecessary use of your magic will speed up your change.” She began to pace now…moving into full lecture mode. “You really must be more responsible. That horn isn’t a toy to be played with and…” Whatever else she was going to say was interrupted by a loud SPLAT…the apple jam sandwich previously hurled into the air coming to land solidly on her head.
There was a long silence as the group stared for a moment. A silence broken by Rainbow’s guffaws and Pinkie’s hysterical giggling. Jen to her credit held out the longest…lips pursed tightly…but she couldn’t hold it in for long and she was soon laughing too. This just got a loud harrumph! From the poor unicorn, who trotted to a nearby stream to wash out her mane.
Jen’s laughter was interrupted with a pained wince. She slowly got up from the ground with a huff. “Think I landed on a rock or something.” There was an odd twinge on her tail bone.
The earth and Pegasus pony’s laughter died quickly when they looked Jen’s way. This caused her eyes to widen in alarm. “What? What’s wrong?” She started spinning to see over her shoulder and identify the source of the stares…affording the pair and a returning Twilight a very clear view of the newly grown tail sprouting from the waistband of the girl’s jeans. Long enough to almost drag on the ground, the same auburn color of her hair and just a bit of curl and bounce like her hair had as well.
Pinkie gave a little squeak, while Rainbow zipped ahead on the trail to ‘scout ahead’. Twilight of course stomped a hoof in agitation. “This is precisely what the princesses, I, and even DISCORD warned you about!”
A faint little whine was all that escaped her lips as she ran her fingers down to the tail, swishing it about with wide eyes. “This is so much worse than the horn! This thing is huge!”
Twilight was trotting to her side eyeing it critically. “Actually it IS very full bodied. You’re lucky; most fillies would kill for a tail like that.”
The whine continued as she let her new tail drop from her hands, wiggling her backside experimentally. “I just wanted to try to move stuff like you do…it looked cool…”
By now Pinkie had hopped over to give her beleaguered friend a comforting nudge. Twilight let out a long suffering sigh, (one which would mirror Celestia’s when dealing with an over excited Twilight many times) “I understand the allure. Probably better than anyone…but you have to control yourself. Unless you WANT to wind up a pony by the end of the day?”
Wide eyed and vigorously shaking her head Jen’s voice was little more than a soft whisper. “No ma’am.”
The unicorn gave a firm nod. “Good. I trust you can keep yourself under control then. Come on we need to catch up to Rainbow Dash.” She settled her saddlebags across her back and trotted ahead to catch the Pegasus.
Jen was a bit slower to pick up her pack, wincing at the feel of her tail…that was going to take some getting used to…brushing the ground. She straightened to find Pinkie smiling up at her. Not the usual big goofy one, but a warmer more personal smile. “It’ll be okay Jennifer.” (She knew she was being serious if she didn’t call her Jenny-bean) “Really. We’ll get all this nasty stuff done lickety split! The girls and I ARE professional bad guy beaters after all. And the worst case scenario is you end up living here with us. I mean that’s not the end of the world is it?”
The girl only gave a slow nod as a response, and began following after the others. “I suppose not.” Thinking about it there’s now a whole lot she’d miss. She was never very close with her dad…he was always working or watching some game or another. Mom was more interested in her next social function or gossiping about her ‘friends’ behind their backs. DEFINITELY wasn’t going to miss school. No real friends to speak of. She was kinda close with her Uncle but he lived hours away and they didn’t see one another too much. Isabelle was here with her…and it hurt a little to realize her dog was the closest thing she had to a friend back home.
Shifting her gaze to the little pink pony happily bouncing along beside her brought the ghost of a smile back to her lips. No she supposed, it wouldn’t be the end of the world to be stuck here. Though a sudden twitch from the tail at her backside jarred her from the pleasant thoughts. ‘Of course I don’t know that I want to turn into a pony any time soon either…’
For her part Pinkie kept quiet. Despite the impression she could give to the contrary she knew when someone just needed some time to think. And Jen definitely had a big thinking look on her face! Though just because she needed some quiet time didn’t mean she had to be alone to do it. Secretly she couldn’t be happier Jen was here…and the prospect of her staying filled her heart to bursting. Pinkie had said goodbye to friends often enough. Even her own family she hadn’t seen in sometime, but saying goodbye to a friend forever? Nothing had hurt her so much.
The pair soon caught up to Twilight and Dash. The pegasi had slowed her pace a good deal once she realized she was out of sight of the others. She offered Jen a quick grin. “It IS a pretty nice tail y’know? Not as nice as mine of course…but not bad.” She gave her own polychromatic one a quick snap.
Twilight looked about to admonish her but Jen spoke first. “I guess if everyone dyed their hair to imitate a clown we’d all look pretty silly?”
She WOULD make a fine clown. Make her cross-eyed. Maybe a bit dumber. Hilarious.
Jen’s brow furrowed. There it was again…the voice from before that mentioned…killing…Discord. Rainbow was opening…then closing her mouth a couple of times trying to find a proper retort. It was Pinkie who piped up. “Ooooo she burned you good Dashie!” Ending with a squeal of giggles.
The Pegasus just landed with a little hmph. Looking a bit dolefully back at her tail and flipping her mane. “I don’t look like a clown do I?”
“No you don’t look like a clown.” Jen said with the ghost of a smile. “But we don’t gotta hear about how great you are in every other sentence y’know?”
Another huff from their flying friend. “I don’t go on about myself THAT much!” She looked between Pinkie and Twilight…both of whom were doing their best to avoid eye contact. “…do I?”
Hearing the little hint of desperation in her voice Twilight met her searching gaze. “Not all the time…but it can be a bit much. We don’t have to go over the whole Mare-do-Well incident again do we?”
Rainbow gave a mumbled no…and an only slightly less mumbles apology before trotting ahead again. Jen glanced town at Twilight as she once again retrieved the map, levitating it before her eyes. “So what’s the name of the town we’re headed to anyway?”
Tucking the map away in her pack once again Twilight looked up at her. “Detrot. It’s not a very large city, but they produce many of the more important metal works we use all over Equestria. It’s been growing steadily. Certainly not a Manehattan or Fillydelphia just yet…but maybe someday!”
Jen couldn’t resist an eye roll at the constant barrage of city puns. Her tail even gave an annoyed flick…which caused it to snap Twilight across the flanks. Both girls gave startled yelps, Jen smiling sheepishly while Twilight put a little more distance between herself and the offending tail. “Sorry Twilight…it just kinda…does what it wants.”
Not able to keep ALL the annoyance from her voice, but dulling the edge in her tone as much she could Twilight shook her head. “It’s alright…you just need to learn to control it. I’m sure a little practice and you’ll have it down…” Her own tail gave a sharp crack…reminiscent of a snap. “…just like that!”
Pinkie wiggled her own tail back and forth with a bright giggle. “Yeah I can give ya tail lessons while Twilight gives you magic lessons Jenny-bean! And uh…well you don’t have wings but if ya did Rainbow Dash would totally give you flying ones!”
Nodding quietly Jen glanced back to regard the tail swishing across her backside. If she thought hard enough at it she could get it to flick side to side. She always just assumed horse tails were like…hair growing above the rump. She didn’t know there were muscles in it. Wiggling her hips side to side she sent it swaying and snapping in either direction….causing the ponies on either side of her to take a few more steps away. Noticing the effect she was producing on her companions she calmed soon.
The little troupe walked onward. Following the train tracks toward the nearby city. No more than a few hours passed until the first signs came into view. A clearly hoofmade dirt road a little ways from the tracks lead directly to the city. Traffic was picking up as well, many ponies hauling wagons or pulling carts into the city. Of course most of these ponies stopped and stared at the spectacle Jennifer provided. To her credit the normally shy anti-social girl kept her calm and did her best to tune out the stares and whispers.
It got worse as they entered the city itself. The dirt road gave way to cobblestone streets. While it didn’t have quite the same industrialized smell to the air she was used to the city’s back home having…the loud hustle and bustle was all too familiar. Jen had always preferred to keep out of the busier city areas (the little town of Ponyville was just the right size really), and while it may not have been a ‘Manehattan’, Detrot was certainly bigger then she liked.
Ponies of every shape, size, color, and species filled the streets in a press of bodies. She noticed a lot of the foot traffic was held up by folks stopping for a pleasant greeting to one another more often than not…a far cry from the at best, brusque indifference most citizens of big city’s back home showed one another.
Then of course Jen herself was causing a good deal of slowdown as every filly, mare, and stallion stopped to look. Some cast a quick glance while others were outright gawking. One unfortunate Pegasus smacked right into a street sign he was so focused on the unusual creature. Taking a deep breath and forcing down her nerves, she just flipped the hood up on her jacket and pulled it tight, moving quicker down the street and prompting her companions to do the same.
Twilight floated a handful of coins to Rainbow Dash and slide them into her saddlebag. “Rainbow I want you to fly ahead and get our tickets. The faster we’re on the train and out of the public the better I think for Jen…she’s starting to look like me when I have a big test coming up…”
Dash seemed about to comment until she glanced back. Their human friend did seem to be looking paler by the minute, the hairs on her tail getting frazzled as the new appendage twitched back and forth with more frequency. “Uh…sure Twilight, I’ll meet you guys there.” She zipped off leaving just a fading trail of rainbow color in her wake.
Give them something to stare at! That mare would make a fine buffalo! Maybe that filly an elephant! Could swap that gawking couple…the stallion a mare and the mare a stallion! If they want a show I’ll give them a show!
Twilight and Pinkie closed in closer around Jen’s legs, the latter giving her an affectionate bump. “It’s alright Jenny-bean.” She was using the voice she reserved for calming the Cake twins, her voice seemed to have a calming effect on the girl…banishing those unpleasant thoughts. “I forgot how much you don’t like crowds. We’ll be on the nice quiet train in no time and you can relax ok?”
She managed to give Pinkie a hesitant nod and the ghost of a smile. Until seeing how crowded it was she’d actually been looking forward to seeing a proper pony city. While it certainly seemed more pleasant than one back home having literally every pair of eyes focused on her wasn’t an experience she wanted to prolong.
Much to the group’s relief the train station soon came into view, and Jen fairly sprinted ahead to get to the much less populated train platform. She made her way to Rainbow Dash’s side breathing heavily and hunkering down, doing her best to stand out less.
Dash spread a wing and gave her a comforting pat. “Hey ya made it, home free from here. We’ll hop on the train and catch some z’s. No way does dopey Discord and his pack of chumps beat us now.”
Jen gave her a nod and she took another deep breath. “Yeah thanks Rainbow…I dunno what it is just…bein around tons of people always makes me queasy. Then to have them all staring is so much worse.” She shivered as Pinkie and Twilight caught up.
Rainbow Dash handed out the tickets and the group sat to wait for the train. Fortunately it wasn’t a terribly long wait. No more than fifteen minutes passed before the loud. Jen peeked from the safety of her hood to see the train coming in. Merry gouts of fluffy white steam spouted from the smoke stack on the front. The train itself was a cheerful pink and yellow affair.
Once it became clear the odd being in their midst wasn’t about to start breathing fire or attacking the ponies about her, their interest ebbed. Once the train rolled to a stop passengers began to disembark. Some greeting friends and family, others just heading off the platform. Of course any who caught more than a fleeting glimpse of the human in their midst faltered in their canter or stopped to stare. The second an opening looked clear Jen was on her feet and hopping aboard the train, her friends right on her heels.
The conductor’s eyes widened a good deal at the…creature thrusting a ticket at him. He looked from her to the three ponies obviously accompanying her frowning just slightly. “This…creature isn’t dangerous I take it?”
“I might GET dangerous if you keep calling me a creature!” Nerves strained to the breaking point she definitely couldn’t handle being directly insulted.
The poor conductor caught only a brief flash of her sharp canine teeth and the glint of the metal reflected on them and looked ready to faint dead away. Twilight hurriedly cleared her throat. “No our FRIEND is not dangerous in the least sir.” She had the huffy tone she tended to reserve for one of her friends who was out of line. “I think an apology is in order don’t you?” Her ticket was thrust under his nose magically.
Looking from the angry unicorn (an angry unicorn who was somewhat familiar…like he’d seen her in the newspaper), then back to the angry…sharp metal toothed girl glaring down at him he offered the best smile he could. “O…of course I’m very sorry miss. Took me by surprise is all! Of course you’re not a creature ehe…”
This seemed to mollify the moody teen somewhat as she brushed passed him into the train. The others handed in their tickets and were quick to follow. Twilight slowly trotted ahead and lead them to their car for the trip. “Alright girls, I suggest everypony settle in and get some rest. We’re all achy and tired. I’ll see if I can get the snack cart to come by.”
Jen just flopped back on one of the bottom bunks with a heavy sigh not noticing or caring at being included in the ‘everypony’. It was a bit cramped…obviously sized for people much smaller than herself. A pair of bunk beds dominated most of the car. A pair of large windows they could (and did), draw curtains across.
Rainbow Dash claimed one of the top bunks for herself…while Pinkie just bounced up next to Jen. “Feelin better? You’re lookin better!” She giggled cheerily.
Wiggling out of her jacket, Jen gave Pinkie a nod. “Much better now that I don’t have tons of people gawking at me.” Kicking off her sneakers she swung her legs up onto the bed, easily moving around Pinkie (thanks to years of practice with the same maneuver and a dog fond of sleeping in her bed). It took some shifting about to get comfortable with her tail under her, but she managed eventually.
The little pink pony shifted about and flopped on her back so her head was level with Jen’s. She gave her friend a little pat on the arm with a hoof. “You did really good out there y’know? I’m proud of you.”
In the bunk above the pair Dash’s ears perked up curiously. She’d never heard Pinkie be so…serious. Well except the time she went nuts and was having a party with a bunch of inanimate objects, but this was a different kind of serious.
Jennifer just smiled over at Pinkie letting out another slow breath. “Thanks. Kinda crazy how I can face down a big god of chaos…but something like a crowd scares me silly huh?”
Pinkie, struck with sudden inspiration hopped off the bed. “Lemme sing you a little song Granny Pie would sing me when I was scared Jenny-bean!”
This brought an eye roll from Rainbow as she flitted from the bunk to the door, slipping out unnoticed. Now THERE was the Pinkie Pie she knew.
-Twilight-
Twilight was trotting through the now-moving train toward the dining car. The events of the past two days rolling through her head constantly. What would have happened if Jennifer wasn’t here? Would things have turned out different with Discord…or would they all be trapped as literal playthings? Shaking her head to again banish the melancholy threatening to take hold she glanced out the window instead. The setting sun was a pleasant reminder that her sister-in-law was fulfilling her new duties well which was something of a relief.
Slowly she pulled herself from her own thoughts as she reached the dining car. Glancing about curiously at it seeming to be entirely empty. “Well that’s odd…you’d think somepony would at least be here to serve the customers…” Trotting to the counter where the waiter would normally be she peeked over it into the kitchen. “Helloooo~?”
She glanced to the opposite side of the car as the door slid open. About to call out a greeting it was cut short as a pale pink blast of magic ripped from the hall on the other side of the door catching her full in the face. She flailed falling back on her side with a startled yelp. Blinking her eyes rapidly to try to clear them…she found she couldn’t. Her vision was clouded with a magically induced haze.
A familiar voice spoke from the direction of the door. “I…I AM sorry Twilight Sparkle. Believe it or not this brings me no pleasure.” The voice was Trixie’s of course, though she wasn’t referring to herself in the third person. She couldn’t see the ice blue unicorn but she recognized the distinct voice anywhere.
Ears swiveling toward her voice Twilight spun to face her. “Trixie! What did you do to me? Undo this right now!”
She could hear what sounded like genuine shame in Trixie’s voice. “A blinding spell. It will wear off on its own in a few hours.”
Twilight’s ears splayed back in alarm. “A blinding spell? Trixie that’s powerful and dangerous magic! It can have long lasting consequences!”
The other unicorn was frowning. “I know but I have no choice. Our orders are very clear. We are to ensure that you don’t reach our ancestors homeland first. This was the only spell I could think of that wouldn’t do you harm.”
Twilight took a hesitant step toward Trixies voice, some of the anger had left her face and was replaced instead with concern. “Trixie…why are you helping Discord? I thought you’d changed. We may not have parted as friends last time but…but I hoped we’d moved passed this rivalry at least.”
The show mare’s frown deepened. “I bear you no ill will Twilight Sparkle; you simply defended your home and then forgave me for my foolishness afterwards. As tarnished as my reputation was after the Ursa Minor incident…that awfulness with the Alicorn Amulet made it even worse. Not only was I not allowed to perform in any town bigger than Ponyville, but my reputation seems to have spread far and wide. I am not even allowed within many city boundaries.” Twilight could tell without seeing her face the tears were rolling down Trixie’s cheeks. “I loved the attention…I won’t lie. But more than that I loved to perform…I lived for it Twilight.” She gave a rueful chuckle glancing at her cutie mark. “It’s my special talent after all. Can you imagine what that would be like? Not able to do the one thing you love most in the world?”
Almost at a loss for words it took Twilight some time to respond. “I can imagine it’d be one of the most horrible things to happen to a pony. But that doesn’t explain-“
Trixie cut her off. “Discord has promised to wipe my slate clean. Remove the memory of my misdeeds from everypony in Equestria. He defeated the princesses with no effort at all. I have no doubt he can do what he promises for me.”
Twilight was now truly at a loss. She only looked toward her fellow unicorn with sympathy in her unseeing eyes. “I…I see. I wish I had known Trixie…I would have tried to help.” She closed her eyes taking a deep breath. Her horn sparked to life and when her eyes opened again they were surrounded by a new glow. The blindness still in place, though now she was looking unerringly into Trixie’s face. “But there’s more at stake than one ponies happiness.”
-Rainbow Dash-
Rainbow couldn’t keep from chuckling as she cantered from their car toward the caboose. She could hear Pinkie singing about laughing you fears away. “Sometimes it’s like she thinks that kid’s her filly.”
She lazily made her way through the cars to the back. Giving a polite nod to anypony she passed. The train was nice and all and she definitely didn’t mind giving her wings a rest…but it was always better to feel the wind in her mane and feathers. Studiously ignoring the ‘Do Not Open Door’ sign she nudged the caboose door open and stood out on the balcony watching the landscape rush away behind her.
With a playful smile she flicked her wings open and sprang off. At first the train rushed away but a few quick beats of her wings and she was resting atop the train. Wings tucked tight against her flanks the cyan Pegasus sat with her rump planted firmly on the train, a huge grin plastered on her face.
The only warning she got of the impending attack was a faint whoosh of air behind her…then she felt four hooves slam solidly into her back sending her rolling across the train car, limbs flailing wildly. “What the hay?!”
A solid CLOP from the roof of the train behind her heralded the landing of another Pegasus. Rainbow flexed her wings, relieved to find them in working order though she felt a bit dizzy from the waves of pain rolling up her back. She slowly got to her hooves and turned to see Lightning Dust. The teal Pegasus mare sneered down at the slowly recovering Rainbow Dash. “Look at you, pathetic. Only little hit and you can barely stand.”
The sight of the mare that nearly got all her friends killed gave Dash a surge of adrenaline…enough to momentarily ignore the protests her body shouted as she shifted into a more aggressive stance. “Lightning Dust? Jen said Discord brought you on board but I still can’t believe it.”
Lightning gave a derisive snort. “What you didn’t think I’d work for him?”
A spark lit in Dash’s eye as she gave a smirk of her own. “Nah, I didn’t think he’d settle for a wash out like you.”
The other mare’s eyes widened in shock…then rage and with an inarticulate scream she charged. Dash didn’t need prompting and lunged forward in an attack of her own. The pegasi clashed together, wings beating, hooves flailing and teeth gnashing. Rolling across the roof of the train the pair fought with a viciousness one wouldn’t expect from such innocent looking creatures.
Lightning slammed Dash hard against the roof, fore hooves crashing into her chest just under her forelegs. With a strangled cry mixed with rage and pain Rainbow Dash brought her hind legs up and bucked Lightning Dust in the stomach with as much force as she could muster. With a grunt she took to the air, the wind barely knocked out of her and showing little damage from the hit.
Dash wasn’t as lucky. The initial surprise attack sapped much of her strength and Lightning Dust was rapidly gaining the upper hand. Rolling to get her hooves under her she experienced another wave of pain, intense enough her eyes lost focus and she swayed on her hooves. She barely registered the loud thump as her opponent landed in front of her again.
“This is why YOU were the wing pony Rainbow Dash. You’re a loser.” Dash looked to be gathering her wits to offer a retort. Slowly lifting her head to face Lightning Dust. Instead she was facing the other mares’ hind hooves crashing against her face.
-Jen and Pinkie Pie-
Peals of shared laughter rolled from the train car and spread to the cars on either side of it no less. Once again Pinkie was up on the bed with Jennifer, though they were sitting side by side now. “You should join in next time Jenny-bean! Nothing helps chase away bad feelings then a good song!”
Jen just shook her head still grinning widely. “How’m I supposed to join in a song you make up on the spot.”
Pinkie furrowed her brow and tilted her head. “What d’you mean? Everypony can do it.”
This caused her smile to fade a bit as the human blinked a little. “…do it? Like…all you ponies can just make up music on the spot, and all the rest just…know how to sing it?”
Her pink friend bobbed her head in a nod. “Well of course. Not just sing but dance too! …you didn’t feel the music when I was singing?”
Now the smile was gone completely, replaced with a look of confusion. “Feel the music?”
Both girls looked up as their door slide open. Though it wasn’t Twilight or Rainbow Dash returning…but rather another human…Discord to be precise, in human form. Still wearing the fine burgundy silk suit and wearing the same slightly unsettling smile he seemed to be so fond of. “Well of course my dear. All the happy little ponies of Equestria are linked by an unseeable force!” He chuckled to himself. “And the force is strong with this one.” Nodding toward Pinkie…who looked confused, Jen just looked unamused.
“What are you doing here Discord?” Now she was standing off the bunk, hands on her hips.
The draconequus turned human gave an indignant huff. “Oh come now that was a good one! For YOUR benefit no less, obviously Pinkie Pie wouldn’t get it!”
Pinkie was off the bunk now too standing between Jennifer and Discord protectively. This seemed to amuse him even more. “Unless you’re here to throw in the towel just move along mister!”
Throwing a hand to his breast as if her words were inflicting physical wounds Discord gasped. “Why Pinkie Pie! And here I thought you were all about making friends with EVERYpony! Am I not included?”
This seemed to give the little pink mare pause and her ears lowered a bit. “Well sure but…you’re not very nice. You hurt our friends and the Princesses! They must be really scared! Why don’t you just change them all back and we can call this whole silly race off! I’ll even throw you the best party you’ve ever seen!” She ended with a smile.
Now he was clutching his stomach, bellowing great guffaws of laughter. “Oh Pinkie Pie you are always a delight! What do you think Jennifer hmm? Should I call it all off? Put things back the way they were and let your pony friends show me the magic of friendship?”
Pinkie looked up at Jen hopefully. Throughout their exchange Jennifer had said nothing. Just watching the pair. “Do I think you SHOULD…absolutely. Do I think you’re going to? No.”
As the pony’s expression shifted from hope to sad…Discord affected the wounded look again. “Do you really think so little of me my dear?”
The other human in the room shook her head a bit. “I just know a bully when I see one is all. And you’re definitely the big kid on the playground pushing around the smaller ones.”
Now the amusement fled his eyes, a look of anger contorting his features. “No young lady I am in fact NOT a bully. The bully is the Pegasus putting that brutal pounding to your little rainbow friend on the roof above us.” As if to lend evidence to his words a loud WHUMP and muffled cry could barely be heard above them.
Jen’s eyes widened and Pinkie let out a little gasp, jetting out of the room around Discord…who made no move to stop her. He simply shrugged and slide the door shut behind him walking fully into the room. “Well…now that we’re alone.” He seated himself comfortably on the bed Jennifer was occupying a moment ago. “Have you heard it yet?”
Torn between her friends being in trouble and a niggling curiosity she paused in her move for the door, turning back to Discord. “…heard what?”
Discord chuckled softly and nodded his head toward the jewel around her neck. “The ‘other’ you. The one it’s trying to bring out.”
Her mouth fell open in shock at the revelation. The voice she’d been hearing…the one urging her to do…those things to Dash, the crowd, even to Discord himself. “That’s…that’s where it came from? So it wasn’t ME thinking those awful things?”
This seemed to draw more mirth from her fellow human. He laughed a good while before collecting himself. “Oh no…it’s you. It’s very MUCH you. Just a part of you you keep suppressed. The one that urges us to spontaneously get a tattoo or a rebellious piercing. The part of us that wants to rebel against our parents or run away from home.” The unpleasant smile returned to his face. “The part of us that revels in…chaos.” He drew the last word out long and slow.
Looking down at her feet her hand moved to the necklace, holding it gently in her palm. It was making her think horrible things…but she couldn’t just give it back. Her friends were depending on her. She was only dimly aware of Discord sliding her pack across her back, and slinging the ponies’ saddle bags over her shoulder. “Now now m’dear don’t fret. You seem a strong willed sort. I’m certain you can resist such paltry temptations hmm?”
She allowed herself to be walked through the train. Too caught up in her own thoughts to pay much attention to her surroundings. It wasn’t until she heard the door of the caboose slide open that she looked up questioning. Discord gave a little shrug. “I hope the landing isn’t too rough.” Then with a hard shove…he pushed her over the rail of the moving train.
-Twilight Sparkle-
The crackling sound of unleashed magic filled the air of the dining car as Twilight and Trixie faced off. Trixie may be a powerful unicorn with a talent for magic like Twilight’s own, but she wasn’t trained by Princess Celestia. She certainly hadn’t spent years with her nose in every book of spells she could come by. All in all…she was losing.
Magenta and pink beams of pure eldritch energy met between the two mares. Twilight’s face locked in a grimace of concentration, Trixies beginning to look desperate and panicked. “How…how can you see?”
With a shout of triumph Twilight’s magic overtook Trixie’s and slammed directly into her horn. The struck unicorn gave a keening wail and fell back body contorted with pain and breathing heavily. Twilight slowly approached looking down sadly. “I can’t see like normal. I’m still very much blinded by your spell. But I can see magic. And your horn is shining like the sun Trixie.”
She could see the bright point of light that was Trixie’s horn struggling to rise…though the magical feedback fed directly into her horn was unimaginably painful. She heard another pair of hooves enter the room behind her and turned toward them but stopped cold when she heard the voice.
"Then you probly won’t see this coming.” It was deep, male, and gravelly. Before she could mount a defense Twilight felt a pair of hooves buck her right in the stomach. The air whooshed from her lungs and she doubled over, falling to the ground with a pained wheeze. “Hmph. Striking fillies…this is what I’m doing now.”
Twilight struggled to regain her breath…from the corner of her eye she saw the gleam of Trixie’s horn as she slowly got back to her hooves. She could hear the pain in the other mares’ voice. “I…hnn…I am still sorry for what we have to do to you and you…ngh…friends Twilight Sparkle.” Twilight saw the horn bob in a nod and heard the other pair of hooves move across the car…then the sound of the train door opening and whoosh of open air.
Her own horn was glimmering weakly as she began to bring a shield spell to life…but Trixie was the quicker this time. Lifting Twilight swiftly with her magic she maneuvered her out the door and into the air. “I doubt you’ll forgive me this time…but I pray you do.”
Twilight felt Trixie’s hold over her vanished…then she felt the ground…hard.
-Rainbow Dash-
Rainbow could taste blood in her mouth. The full on buck to the face knocked at least one tooth out and another loose. Her right eye was swollen shut and she couldn’t get her bearings to save her life. Which was probably literal given the beating Lighting Dust was laying on her.
“You ruined my life! My dream! Being a Wonderbolt was everything to me and you took it all away!” The other Pegasus was in a frenzy. Frothing at the mouth, eyes wild as she pummeled poor Rainbow Dash atop the train. Her coat lathered in a sheen of sweat, she had to pause in her brutal ministrations to catch her breath.
Dash was on her side wheezing heavily, her voice was a croaking whisper…but her foe could hear her clearly. “YOU took it away. No one but YOU Lightning Dust.” She punctuated with a wet cough.
Lightning Dust’s eyes narrowed to pin points as a very unponylike growl escaped her lips. “To Tarterus with what Discord says! I’m ending you right now!”
-Pinkie Pie-
Pinkie dashed through the train cars as fast as her legs could carry her. She was worried about leaving Jennifer alone with Discord, but for some reason he seemed more interested in befriending her then fighting. Twilight was missing too but she was probably the most capable of their group. Rainbow Dash though was in trouble…and nothing could motivate her to move faster than a friend being in trouble.
The few passengers she passed in the hall saw little more than a blur of pink rush by them. She was out the back of the train in seconds and climbing the ladder to the roof even faster. It didn’t even register she should be afraid to fall. She didn’t have wings or magic to help her if she slipped like her friends did. All that mattered was getting to Rainbow Dash.
The scene that greeted her stole her breath. A badly beaten and bloody Dash was lying curled up on the roof of the train as a frenzied Lightning Dust rained blow after blow on her prostrate form. A wall of red rose up in the party pony’s vision. She felt herself rush across the train but it was as if she was watching it happen from outside her own body. It would be funny if one of her friends wasn’t so hurt!
When the red went away a groaning, and very unconscious Lightning Dust was laying atop the train a little ways from Rainbow. Pinkie rushed to her fallen friends’ side when she caught sight of something just as awful. Jennifer was flailing her arms, falling from the back of the train. Pinkie let out a cry of anguish that was cut short as the girls horn flashed to life, covering her in a protective shielding of magic. She bounced once…then twice…then sat up woozily.
Relief flooded the beleaguered earth pony. One hurt friend was MORE than enough for one day. The relief was short lived as she caught sight of a flash of magenta, as Twilight erected a similar shield to Jennifer’s to cushion her own fall from the train. Eyes flicking to the now distant Jennifer, then to Twilight, then to Dash lying at her hooves she forced her tears back and took a deep breath. Carefully she gathered Rainbow Dash onto her back and moved to the edge of the train.
“This is going to be SO not fun…”
And then she jumped.