Chapter 7: Start Spreading the News, We’re Leaving Today
“Manehattan?!” sputtered Owlowiscious. “Winona, are you insane?!”
“Yeah, I second that,” said Angel. “Winona, what the hell are you thinking? Even ignoring the fact that none of us know our way around Manehattan, how are we even going to get there?”
“By train, of course!” Winona exclaimed. “Babs takes the train back n’ forth ‘tween here and Manehattan all the time, so why can’t we?”
“Winona, we’re pets,” said Tank. “They’re not just going to let us on without our owners with us.”
“That didn’t stop us from goin’ to the Crystal Empire that one time.”
“That’s because Spike was with us, dear,” said Opal. “We wouldn’t have been able to get on if he wasn’t.”
“Angel did,” Winona responded.
“That's because I snuck on, you dingus,” Angel said, smacking Winona upside the head. “Are you seriously suggesting that we all try to sneak onto the train without anyone noticing us?”
“Well, it’s worth a shot, ain’t it?” asked Winona, rubbing her head in pain.
“No,” Angel said flatly. “No, Winona, it is not worth a shot. I mean, let’s assume for a moment that your crazy- ass plan actually works. We get to Manehattan… and then what? Wander around in a massive city that none of us know the first thing about?”
“Exactly!” cried Winona as her tail started wagging rapidly. “That’s the fun of it! It’ll be an adventure, y’all!”
“Yes, an adventure that will likely lead to us getting hopelessly lost for days on end,” said Owlowiscious, shuddering at the thought. “The last thing I want is to come home to see Mistress Twilight turning the entire library upside down looking for me.”
“You’re worried about Twilight?” Opal scoffed. “Imagine how hysterical my owner is going to get when she notices that I’m missing.”
“Or mine,” said Angel.
“Oh, y’all don’t have to worry ‘bout that!” Winona said. “They won’t be comin’ home till three in the mornin’, at the earliest. If we can get back by tomorrow, they prob’ly won’t even notice we’re gone!”
“But that’s quite a big ‘if’, Winona,” Owlowiscious said with some concern. “Who knows how long it’ll take us to get back? What if we end up lost for days? Or weeks? Quite frankly, that’s not a risk I’m willing to take.”
“Well, it’s a risk that ah’m willin’ to take,” Winona said defiantly. “Ah sure as sugar ain’t gonna let this opportunity slip away. No, sir.
“Every week our owners go on some wild adventure an’ leave us behind. Fightin’ dragons, baitin’ timberwolves, explorin’ the Everfree Forest, savin’ the universe, and what do we do? We wait ‘n wait ‘n wait ‘n wait for them to get back.
“Well, now it’s OUR turn!” she barked, banging her paw on the ground. “Ah’m tired of waitin’ around for somethin’ excitin’ to happen! Now’s our chance to take the initiative and make somethin’ excitin’ happen! An’ it might just be the last chance we ever gon’ get!”
If she says ‘YOLO’, I’m going to pummel her, thought Angel.
Winona strutted directly up to Owlowiscious and started poking him sharply in the belly. “Don’t cha agree, Owlowiscious? Don’t cha wanna get out there and do somethin’ you’ll really remember?”
“W-well,” he stuttered, “I appreciate the offer, but I’m still going to have to say-”
“Don’t cha?” She continued to jab him, while bringing her face inches away from his.
“Well, I-”
“Don’t cha?”
“I-”
“DON’T CHA, OWLOWISCIOUS?”
“YES!” Owlowiscious cried, forcefully shoving Winona down onto her hindquarters. “Yes, yes, yes, yes, YES!...Winona, I've told you about the time I burst into that dragon’s cavern to save Spike, right? Well, when that happened, something awoke inside of me. It gave me a rush, a burst of adrenaline that I’ve been longing to feel ever since! I came within inches, INCHES of having every single one of my feathers singed off! It made me feel so… so alive!
“But until now, I’ve just had to keep that desire bottled up, buried within the dankest crevices of my unconscious. Not anymore!”
“Ah KNEW it!” Winona cheered, hopping to her feet. “Can’t hide nothin’ from a dog!”
Okay, in all honesty, I did not see this coming, thought Tank.
“I’m getting on that train, Winona,” the owl continued. “I’m getting on that train, and the rest of you are welcome to join me if you have the balls!”
"WOO-EEE!" hollered Winona as the two of them immediately took off for the train station. The other four were, understandably, a little stymied by the normally cautious owl’s outburst.
“Gosh, you think we should follow them?” asked Tank.
“Eh, probably,” Angel responded. “Just to make sure that they stay out of trouble. Besides, if anything happens to us, we can just blame it all on them.”
“Well, you’re not going to have any fun if you go in with that attitude,” said Opal. “Quite frankly, I’m actually a little excited for our impromptu venture. There are just so many wonderful things to do in Manehattan! The parks, the museums, the discos, the wonderful places to shop… oh, and the FOOD! I’ve always dreamt of getting the chance to eat at-”
“Yeah, yeah,” Angel said dismissively as he hopped after Owlowiscious and Winona, desperate not to let them disappear into the thickening darkness of the evening. “Save it.”
“But I haven’t even told you about Bridleway yet!” called Opal, struggling to keep up with her Leporid companion. "Have you ever seen My Fair Filly? Oh, you MUST see that show if you haven't already!"
And so, the (other) Mane Six set off to begin their journey. What trials and tribulations awaited them in the City of Dreams?