//------------------------------//
// Chapter 6 
// Story: 500 Kilometres 
// by Wheller 
//------------------------------//


Chapter 6


Simply divine.

Rarity continued to look in the mirror before her as she turned from side to side, continuing to admire the new cloak that she had made for herself out of the limited materials that she had access to while aboard the cheval battleship Renault. To be perfectly honest, she had astounded herself with how good she looked considering that she had started with a few old bed sheets that the cheval were going to throw out, and some purple dye. Rarity was now clad in a beautiful royal purple travelling cloak.

Of course, her reasons for making it weren't for the fashion aspect, though it was certainly pulling that off quite well. Instead, she had made it because she still Danielle Voltare's 7.65mm MAE-28 Submachine gun that she had taken off her during their time being shipwrecked on Sainte Hélène, and she had no intentions of giving it up. Sainte-Hélène had taught Rarity just how dangerous the world really was, and while the Renault was about to put into port at Trotterdam, and she hadn't been worried the last time she had been here, she wasn't about to take any chances.

She had taken some old deck ropes and tied the submachine gun behind her back, draping the cloak over it, her figure was perfectly obscured, only those who were looking a little too closely would notice that she had the submachine gun on her. Rarity trotted out and up onto deck, joining Princess Luna and the rest of her friends as the cheval Battleship glided into dock.

'Wow Rarity, you look amazing!' Fluttershy said as she glanced over to her.

Rarity smiled warmly at Fluttershy, bowing her head in modesty. 'Thank you, it's really nothing special, just something I threw together, I do apologise, I didn't have enough time or resources to make one for all of you'.

Applejack looked over at her and chuckled. 'Tha's fine Rarity, don't ya worry yer head none, we'll be fine'.

Rarity smiled at Applejack, and to the rest of her friends, they all clearly shared Applejack's opinion. She was glad that they all understood. Rarity took a look back over at Applejack. There was something different about her, something going on deep within the recesses of her mind. Something had happened to Applejack on Sainte-Hélène, something that she did not want to share. Rarity wondered what it could be, she had half a mind to ask her right out, but she decided that it was likely personal, and she might not have wanted to share with everyone just yet.

The battleship Renault pulled into its mooring and dropped its gangplanks, allowing it's Equestrian passengers to disembark.

Rarity fell in behind Applejack, leaning in and whispering to her. 'Applejack? Is everything all right?'

'Huh?' Applejack asked. 'Wha? Of... of course! Why would ya think somethin's wrong?'

That pretty much confirmed it for Rarity, she gave Applejack an annoyed glare. 'You're a terrible liar, Applejack. I understand if you don't want to talk about it... but... please, tell me one of those brutes didn't... have their way with you?'

Applejack shook her head. 'Nah, it ain't that, Rarity, ah want ta tell ya'll. Ah really do, but ah can't. Not yet, Ah need ta be able to explain it ta mahself befer Ah can explain it ta any'un else. Ya understand?'

Rarity shook her head. 'No, not really, but I respect your decision regardless'.

'Thanks Rarity', Applejack said with a smile.

Up at the front of the group, Princess Luna had her head tilted up towards the sky, her horn glowing and her face held a look of deep concentration. Rarity understood what she was doing instantly. She was detecting traces of magic, if Twilight had been in the city, she would have been using her magic. Unicorns relied heavily upon their magic, and in an area that lacked of magic users, any magic that had been in the area would be like somepony walking into the middle of Ponyville at noon and screaming their head off. Very noticeable.

Princess Luna started walking, her eyes shut and deep in concentration, began walking through the streets of Trotterdam, everypony stayed quiet, following behind Princess Luna and allowing her to concentrate.

They walked for nearly an hour when they reached the eastern edge of the city, where the strength of the background magic began to spike. Rarity started to feel it and she wasn't even trying.

'This is it', Princess Luna said, as she opened her eyes and discovered that they were in front of a warehouse. She pushed open the door and took a step inside. The background magic levels rose sharply. This was clearly where Twilight had been living. All of them went inside and took a look around. Rarity trotted around to the back of the room, it was a workshop, Rarity looked around to discover several boxes of ammunition, clips for submachine guns, several half completed Schäferhund MP9 submachine guns. This was a weapons factory.

What had Twilight been doing here? Rarity could only imagine the group that Twilight had fallen into.

'Hey! Look at this!' Rainbow Dash called out.

Rarity turned and trotted back over to the rest of the group. Rainbow Dash was hovering over a map that had been spread across the table. Trotterdam was circled in read, and there was a line drawing along the map, following a road called 'Highway 62', and ending at another city, which too was circled. 'Königsberg'.

'This had got to be where they were going!' Rainbow Dash said. Princess Luna took a look at it, running her horn over it. She nodded her head in agreement.

'Twilight did this, the paper is covered in magic', Princess Luna said.

'Well then, looks like we know where we need to go then', Rarity said.

Princess Luna nodded and the rolled up the map, placing it into her saddlebags. 'Come, the magic is recent, if he hurry, we can catch up to her'.

…

HMSIS Dash, pulled into port in the Bundesrepublik Schäferhund port of Venedig, one of the busiest warm water port on the Hadriatic Sea. Vinyl Scratch watched as the ship pulled into its mooring. Schäferhund dockworkers, these ones wearing storm harnesses with pistols clipped into them, scrambled to secure the ship to the dock. They pushed a boarding ramp towards the ship and set it against the side of the ship. Vinyl Scratch, Whirlwind, Surprise, and Benjamin Willoughby gathered on the gangplanks, giving the crew a goodbye before disembarking.

Vinyl Scratch was the first to step off the ship; she turned back and gave the Lieutenant Conmmander a grin. ‘Hey Lieutenant Commander? I’m off your ship!’ she said brightly.

‘Couldn’t have happened any faster’, the kangaroo commander replied with a sigh. His voice regained a serious tone. ‘We’ll make for the port of Trotterdam, you’ve got a week to get there, or we’re going to have to leave, and you’ll have to find your own ride to Equestria’.

‘Understood’, Vinyl said. ‘See you in a week’.

The group stepped onto Schäferhund soil and made their way into town, where they’d head north east, by rail to the town of Mün, a railhub close to the border with the Nederlands. They’d be a couple of hours, but hey, it beat walking.

...

Twilight Sparkle didn’t want to keep walking. The town of Mün was some fifty kilometres to go, really, fifty kilometres until she and Heinrich were home free, at Mün, and Twilight could risk boarding a train. Since she wasn’t wanted for any crimes in Bundesrepublik Schäferhund, and they weren’t yet a member of the Police Internationale, Twilight could move about freely in Mün. They just had to get there. Safety was in sight.

Both she and Heinrich were tired, though neither would complain, they’d only been walking for a few hours, but they kept a brisk pace, faster than a trot, slower than a full out run. They stayed off the roads, lest someone see them, instead tracing the path of this bend of the River Rijn. Twilight was on edge, this was too easy, their path was clear, and their endgame in sight. Surely, the Police Internationale Inspector, Pierre La Roche, he should have tried something by now.

Twilight hated herself; she’d opened her proverbial big mouth. She looked up to discover a Pegasus diving on her. It was La Roche. Twilight hit the deck and tried to roll out of the way. La Roche anticipated the manoeuvre, and adjusted himself at least minute. He tackled Twilight, to the ground, with a hard thump. Her saddlebags ripped, sending the Tome of Alhazred flying into the air. Twilight watched in horror as the book sailed to her left, landing in the River Rijn with a loud splash, and the strong currents carried the book away from her.

‘No...’ Twilight cried quietly.

Heinrich dived at La Roche. Pierre leapt into the air and circled back around. Heinrich anticipated this, and hit the manual adjustments on his storm harness, turning both of the Schäferhund’s MP9 towards the sky. Heinrich bit down hard on the control yoke, spraying bullets into the sky. La Roche anticipated this manoeuvre, and dived below the firing arc that Heinrich had adjusted to, slamming hard into the Schäferhund’s chest, knocking him cold.

Twilight was far too preoccupied to notice, she crawled to the edge of the River Rijn, reaching into the water, feeling around for the Tome of Alhazred. No use, the book was gone. Carried off by the current to who knows wear.

She felt somepony bite down on her tail and before she knew it she was being dragged backwards. La Roche flipped her onto her back, and drove his hoof into her face. Twilight’s nose began to bleed, La Roche, however, was not satisfied, and hit her again, this time in the stomach with his back hoof. Twilight cried out in pain. La Roche could only grin. Twilight looked up, and to her horror, discovered La Roche’s fully erect penis hovering dangerously close to her.

‘No...’ Twilight pleaded, before feeling a sharp stabbing pain. She closed her eyes, this wasn’t happening to her. It couldn’t be happening to her. She cried out, wanting it to stop.

She felt a gust of wind blow across her face, and the sound of hoof steps approaching.

‘La Roche!’ cried a voice from the side.

Pierre La Roche turned and looked to his left. Something happened, something that Twilight Sparkle would never be able to explain, for Pierre La Roche exploded. It was as if he was a water balloon, and someone had taken a needle to it, showering Twilight in blood. Twilight turned to the left. There were three ponies standing several metres from where she lay. Two were pegasi, a mare, and a stallion, the mare’s mane and tail were an icy blue, with a matching icy blue colouring on her legs and hooves. A coat of white, and a cutie mark of a snow flake, likewise, the stallion was also white coated, his mane and tail, however, were a deep blond, and he had a cutie mark of a wing.

Twilight recognised the third. He was an Earth Pony, grey coated, orange mane. But what stuck out about him were the eyes. They were blood red.

‘Monty?’ Twilight asked.

The earth pony smiled at her, and in a blink, her saviours were gone. Twilight quickly fell unconscious.