The last of the guards sagged to the floor after receiving a magic bolt courtesy of Song. The stillness of the night once again prevailed, only broken by Noteworthy’s faint panting. He quickly checked over himself, finding to his relief no new wounds. He quickly turned to his sister, who rapidly pulled out her slate again.
I’m fine, they didn’t get me.
“About time we had some good news, get on the train. I need a second.” As he said that, Noteworthy stooped over one of the downed unicorn guards and began wrenching the bayonet from his horn. Stepping over the limp form he repeated the process on another guard. Song raised an eyebrow in question.
“If I can’t have magic, the least I can have is a weapon. One of these is bound to fit.” He fumbled for a bit trying to remove one of the horn spikes. Wiping a hoof across his eyes he stepped back for a moment. He looked down quizzically at his hooves.
“What the buck?” Stepping backwards, he managed to trip over one of the downed guards. By the time he had gotten his hooves under him again, Song was by his side helping him towards the train car, which seemed impossibly far away for some reason. She held his small collection of blades in her magical grasp as she supported him all the way to the train car’s door. His legs feeling like jelly, Noteworthy managed to heave himself into the car just as the shriek of the train’s whistle could be heard. He barely managed to crawl over to a crate under his own power.
“Song, it’s happening again. Everything’s going fuzzy.” He could feel himself sweating profusely.
“It’s okay, Worthy. Just drink.” He could hear his sister’s sweet voice as a vial was pushed to his lips. “Just drink.”
“Thanks sis.” He downed the contents of the vial in one quick gulp.
“Rest easy.”
Song’s melodic voice was very soothing as the welcoming folds of darkness approached from all sides.
Somewhere deep in Noteworthy’s mind a spark of a thought came to life. Since when could Song talk? Alarm bells, though dulled, rang out in his head. He struggled to pull himself up, but whatever was happening to him combined with whatever was in that vial had left him weak as a kitten. A soft pink hoof pushed him back with ease. His sister’s glowing horn filled what remained of his vision.
“I’m sorry.” Song’s voice bounced around his skull as he blacked out. Again.
* * *
Back Track landed catlike on the roof of the slow moving train, the other guard landing close by. They were able to move around fairly easily without having to bend over double, seeing as the train was still slowly accelerating. They slowly made their way down the length of the locomotive, ears pressed down to the roof. They knew that any sound they heard from below could only be the fugitives; it was merely a cargo train after all. They had to hurry and check each car before the train crossed the border.
Far ahead of them, one of the rearmost cargo cars was faintly glowing with pink magic.
“All too easy,” said the captain as he motioned for the other guard to follow him.
* * *
Song sat busily attending to her once again unconscious brother. She had known the early stages were going to be hard, but she also knew that her brother was resilient and that he would make it. She did a brief recheck of him. The illusion spell she had cast rippled away to reveal the true Noteworthy. She could feel some of the near constant strain on her horn fade away, as she watched the stallion that had only a moment ago been the picture of health degrade to almost nothing but skin, bones, and scars. Scars that were still healing. The fighting had reopened a few of them, and Song tended to these. Wiping a clean rag across several of the deeper cuts she pulled one of her bags closer to her. As she rifled through the bag, her ears perked up as she heard a small noise above her.
* * *
Back Track put a hoof to his lips, glaring at the offending less than stealthy guard.
* * *
Song stepped away from her brother, her horn still glowing. She raised her head towards the ceiling, listening intently.
* * *
The pegasus guard tried as hard as he could to drop his hoof softly. But a small clink could still be heard as his armored hoof came down.
* * *
Song started firing.
* * *
Back Track swore savagely as the roof beside him exploded in a spray of magic and splinters. Several similar bolts of energy were released all along the train car. His wingman reared up on his hind legs.
“She’s shooting at us! That crazy bi-“ he was cut off mid shout as he was enveloped in a shower of magic and splinters. His limp form slid off the roof before Back Track could stop it, rolling several times as it hit the ground rapidly disappearing in the distance. An ugly snarl on his face Back Track took to the air, trying to get out of range of the magic missiles. Seeing the heavily damaged roof of the car, an idea came to mind. Hopefully he would live to regret it.
* * *
Noteworthy fought to regain consciousness, though whatever Song had given him was definitely wasn’t helping. That was assuming that was his sister. He wasn’t sure of anything anymore. He remembered Song telling him she was mute… but that didn’t make any sense, she had spoken to him. He could’ve sworn she had… He heard noises, noises coming from outside his mind. That was a good sign right? Him hearing noises meant that he couldn’t be that much out of it. He managed to crack one eye open. What he saw didn’t help him put any pieces together.
Song standing in the middle of the car, shooting magic at the ceiling.
“S-song?”
There was the sound of something thumping down on the roof and sliding off, yet his sister kept firing, completely oblivious to the fact that he was awake. Noteworthy tried to pull himself up, but found he lacked the strength. Song slowly lowered her head, horn no longer glowing. She then noticed the stallion trying desperately to pull himself up.
Her mouth opened but no words came out, as she walked over and reached for the slate in her scarf. But before she had a chance to pull it out, a loud crash could be heard from above, as a leather clad crimson bundle tore through the weakened roof. A now-familiar bald head raised itself as Captain Back Track treated them to one of his rare smiles.
“I have you now.”
* * *
Courser and his companion touched down on the train. They were nearing the border and yet the Captain had not appeared with the prisoners. They were arguing over whether or not to break international laws and illegally stop the technically Equestria owned train without a warrant when they saw flashed of pink light far down the train, the dense fog making it hard to make out just what was happening.
“Lieutenant, should we assist the captain?”
“Aye, let’s go.” Courser responded as they took off towards the rear of the train.
* * *
Song was panicking. Everything had gone to plan, or at least almost to plan up until this point. Now there was a pegasus guard, a captain no less, in the confines of the train car with them. She suddenly regretted giving Noteworthy the sedative so soon.
“You and 2460 are hereby under arrest. Will you come quietly?” he asked, taking note of the unconscious stallion leaning against one of the crates.
As a response Song’s horn began to glow again.
“I’ll take that as a no.” said Back Track as he quickly drew a hoof blade, strapping it to his foreleg.
Song’s horn continued to glow but seemingly no magic came forth. She was concentrating fiercely on casting one last spell. She knew that if she used more magic she would have to dip into her “special” supply, which wouldn’t end well. She also knew there was no way she could fight the famed Captain Back Track, at least not without help.
* * *
Noteworthy’s drug addled brain was still trying to make sense of the pegasus that seemed to just appear before his sister as he heard his sister’s voice.
“Noteworthy, I need you.”
He blinked rapidly, attempting to rise again. She needed him.
* * *
Back Track slowly advanced on the mare, her eyes shut tight in concentration. He didn’t know what she was trying to pull but frankly he didn’t care, whatever it was, he would put a stop to it.
“Enough of that horn head.” he stepped closer bringing his blade up in case the pink mare suddenly tried anything. She must be cracked in the head. Back Track mused to himself as he closed the distance between them.
* * *
“Noteworthy… please, I need you.” Song couldn’t afford to put anymore magic into the spell, other wise she might-
Oh No She could feel it happening, the familiar burning beneath her scarf. I Can’t lose control, I can’t, I can’t!
* * *
The first sign Back Track had that Noteworthy was awake was when, with a bellow of rage, he’d thrown his forelegs around his neck from behind, dragging him to the ground.
“Don’t you dare touch my sister!” He snarled into his ear.
With a wordless battle cry, Back Track slammed his elbows repeatedly into the stallion behind him, driving the breath from Noteworthy’s lungs. Gasping for air, Noteworthy was forced to release his grip under the captain’s continued assault. They both ended up in a tangled heap, each trying to gain advantage over the other. The captain trying to bring his blade to bear, while Noteworthy tried his hardest to fend him off. Seeing the blade get closer and closer, Noteworthy desperately bucked the pegasus off himself. By the time Noteworthy had gotten to his hooves, the captain was at him again, making wild slashing movements and quick thrusts with the blade fixed to his hoof. Noteworthy gave ground, having no real room to use his own horn mounted blade. As he leapt back to avoid the blade, Noteworthy felt a warm trickle down his momentarily exposed underbelly. He knew he was outmatched, especially in his current state. All his guard training couldn’t compare to the years of experience embodied by his opponent. He needed a change of strategy. He had an idea, a crazy, stupid idea, but surrender was out of the question. The stallion currently trying to kill him was a pegasus, he used his greater flexibility and mobility to his advantage, so Noteworthy was going to take away that advantage.
* * *
Back Track knew he had them. Whether or not Courser showed up, Back Track knew he could easily handle this personally. The mare most likely trembling in the corner posed little threat to him, and he knew he could easily beat 2460. True, the former guard had put up a valiant effort but it was time to finish this needless fight. To his surprise, Noteworthy was the one who finished it. The captain had forced the blue stallion further and further towards the back of the train car, when suddenly he stood his ground and came in close, almost bear hugging Back Track, attempting to gain control of the knife.
”Fool, that’s the oldest trick in the book.” Back Track thought to himself as instead of fighting against the move, he allowed the stallion’s momentum to carry them both into a stack of crates which promptly crashed down upon them both. However only one was expecting it, and he was also the only one wearing armor.
Disentangling himself from the stunned fugitive, he turned to face the mare who wasn’t cowering in the shadows. In fact, she now stood with energy almost dripping off her horn as she released a magical blast which Captain Back Tack had the misfortune of being on the receiving end.
“Lower your horn or I’ll-” Whatever threat he was about to make was lost as he took an extraordinarily power bolt of energy straight to the face, throwing him to the back of the car.
* * *
Courser saw the flash of magic, and quickly went into a dive straight through the hole made by the captain. He landed on his hooves and took the situation in at a glance as his wingman landed next to him. He took note of the downed captain, the slightly moving prone figure beneath several boxes and a familiar pink mare advancing on the Captain, her horn filling the whole car with light. Strangely enough, her saddle bag was also faintly glowing.
“Song? Songbreeze is that you?” He and the other pegasus cautiously approached the mare who had stopped just before the captain. “Song?”
She turned her head, but when Courser saw her eyes, and he knew they weren’t dealing with the same mare he had once known. Her eyes were pitch black, like twin dark pearls set into her head. Her scarf seemed to be smoldering at the knot, and excess magic dripped from her horn. The other guard took a step forward before Courser could stop him. The spell building in Song’s horn suddenly released itself, and dark lightning lashed out at the two guards before her.
Courser found himself experiencing pain, the likes of which he had never known as he and the remaining guard were hurled like ragdolls over her head towards the captain. They had barely picked themselves up before Song hit them again with flickering tendrils of hatred, this time hurling them all bodily through the wall of the car.
* * *
Noteworthy managed to shove off the largest of the crates pressing down on him, struggling to get up. His mind dully registered the flashes of light and shouts of the guards around him. He looked up and saw his sister standing tall, shocking them all with witch fire.
“…You’re not Song.”
He felt the enticing folds of darkness pulling him down, and he allowed blissful sleep to take him from the horrid events of the present.