//------------------------------//
// Chapter 6: The Train Stops 
// Story: Time Fetch 
// by MrAwesome343 
//------------------------------//

	Chapter 6: The Train Stops

The train rolled down the tracks to Vanhoover. No stops in between unless for more supplies for the train. Twilight lay on a bed, reading a book, Rainbow Dash and Taro sat on a bed together, Silus practiced her magic, and Faust was speaking to the Conductor.
Rainbow Dash whispered to Taro, "So why did I need to regenerate energy by sleeping, but Twilight is wide awake?"
"You have to remember, Twilight is an alicorn. She has energy to boot, even after death." Taro took a deep long sigh. "But that doesn't mean, I'm not BORED!" Silus's water base fell from the distraction and Taro jumped off the bed and went through the drawers in the nightstand next to the bunk bed he was on.
"Let's see, pair of socks for ponies who don't wear them. Well... Empty can of popcorn, oh. That's cool. Hey Twi."
"Hm?" she asked, not looking away from her book.
"Chess bored. We never did play each other."
Twilight looked at him and he held a wooden board and some pieces.
"Want to play?" Taro asked, setting up the bored on the floor.
Twilight put a ribbon in her book and jumped down to the floor and sat across from Taro.
"Oh boy, this is gonna be a long match," Rainbow Dash said, turning toward the chess board.
Taro moved a piece. "All this time we've known each other, and we haven't played a single game of chess."
The game went on for a while, Twilight carefully considering each move. After Taro had collected several pawns, a bishop, and both her knights, and Twilight got a rook and three pawns, Taro made a move and walked outside for some air, Rainbow Dash following behind him.
"I don't think I've seen a game last this long," Rainbow Dash complained.
"Twilight's a strategist player. She seems to like taking her time to play over several possible moves in her head. Even with her, it takes a while for her to figure these strategies out. I, however, have done things like this my whole life. I'm used to going out on a whim and analyzing the situation quickly. By the time it takes her to think of a third plan, I've got ten."
"Really? What happens when she moves that queen to take out your knight?" Rainbow Dash asked.
"I move my bishop to take out her queen. Check."
"Twilight moves her pawn, taking out your bishop."
"Take a knight out with my rook."
"And if she moves her bishop to get your pawn?"
Taro looked at her while leaning forward on the rail. "Are you just guessing the location of her pieces?"
Rainbow Dash laughed. "Pretty much." Rainbow extended her wing over Taro's shoulder and Taro leaned into her.
"How much longer until we're done collecting our friends?" Rainbow Dash asked.
Taro took a long deep breath. "Depends," he started. "If we can keep the conductor going where we want and we get no trouble along the way, we shouldn't be out longer than a week and a half. Maybe two weeks."
"Two weeks that I get to spend in your arms," Rainbow Dash replied blissfully.
Taro looked up and sniffed the air, closing his eyes. "Shame. I was having fun here too."
"What? What is it?" Rainbow Dash asked.
"Well I don't know what, but something is off..."
"How can you..." As Rainbow Dash spoke, Taro's eyes grew wide. He quickly grabbed her and jumped as high as he could right before an unseen force knocked the train on its side.
Taro quickly ran into the train to make sure his friends were alright. When he entered the sideways train, Silus had a small cut on her forehead and the beds were on top of each other. Other than that, everything was fine. Well, the chess board was flipped over.
"Taro, what was that?" asked Faust.
"I don't know yet, but I intend to find out." Taro dug his sword out of the rubble and jumped out of the train to face the attacker. He looked around to find nothing but an open field. Taro grunted and flew up a little to get a larger view of the surrounding area. Nothing. "Great," he mumbled to himself as he flew back into the train.
"What was it?" asked Twilight, dusting herself off.
"I don't know, whatever it was, it got away. I'm going to check on the conductors."
As if on cue, the two earth pony conductors entered the overturned car. "Is everyone alright?" asked one.
"We're all fine. I was about to see if you two were alright," Taro replied.
"Well we're just fine. Unfortunately, we can't go any further. Half the train is turned on its side. We're going to have to call it quits. Journey's over."
"What, no. We can't. We have to keep moving. What if we get the train back on the tracks?" Taro asked, trying to reason with the conductors.
The second engineer scoffed and said, "Good luck. I don't think anyone would be able to do that."
"But what if we can?"
"Well I suppose we'll get going again, but it's not very likely you'll manage it. Not even that alicorn would be able to lift this with her magic. Or that other alicorn for that matter."
As Taro was about to exit the train, Twilight stopped him. "Are you sure you can do this? I know you're strong but, do you really think you can do this?"
"Nope. But I've learned a few tricks and I've discovered a few things since you left."
"Like what?"
"Well, being the last dragon rider or really the only one who can understand the ancient language at all means there's no one left to govern the rules. I spent the last couple hundred years or so weakening the barriers a little."
"What did you manage to come up with?"
Taro exited the train with a look that said "see for yourself." Inaudible words came from the outside of the train as everypony began to float and the train flipped back onto the tracks. All the beds, sheets, and even the chess bored with all the pieces returned to their normal spots. Soon, Taro opened the door to the train panting slightly and grinning. "Shall we be on our way, then?"