Chapter Two: The Plot Thickens
"What was his name, again?"
"Michael Delachord, Prince of the Water Palace and heir to the throne!"
"Ah. Alrighty, then." Finally sober, I began to question leaving home with a stranger to win privileges to a royal rump. But hey, too late to turn back now right? We sat there on the train, heading North. A pony across from us had his face buried in a newspaper. Another down the way had his headphones in his ears, looking bored. One was even snoring soundly, not awake to realize the noise he was making. Though there weren't any other ponies around, which made traveling very boring. I missed my parties already.
An attendant mare opened the door to our cart and trotted towards us, carrying a platter with a bottle of some soda sitting alone on top. "Your drink, Mr. LaserPon3."
I looked up at her curiously. "I didn't order a drink.. Sorry, this must be a mistake." I chuckled to myself, and out of the corner of my eye saw the mare smile.
"Oh, I'm sorry sir. My mistake." She then turned and walked the other way.
Already forgetting the occurrence, I turned my head, catching the stallion with the newspaper looking over said newspaper and right at me. Quickly he lifted the paper to hide his face once more. I turned to Tomb, "Did you see that pony looking-" Just then the orange stallion sprung up and pointed a gun at the two of us.
"Gah!" Tomb uttered, startled as we both threw our hooves into the air. I may or may not have actually hugged Tomb closer to me instead. The bored pony some seats away from us looked up and instantly jumped behind his seat, hiding. The sleeping pony twitched a hoof and continued snoring.
"You two!" The stallion chuckled crazily, giving us a look that read 'Insane and ready to splatter brains'. "You are handing over your gear to me, now!"
"W-why?!" I managed to squeak out. "We don't even know you!!"
That sent the pony into a fit of laughter, his gruff yet someone high pitched voice frightening me immensely. "Yeah! Durr! I'm robbing you, not making friends! What do you expect me to do? Shake your hoof, say 'Hiya, name's Yaplap, how do you do'? Pahaha! You're a funny one, you are!" He then jolted his wrist and I quickly hoofed him my bag. "And the map!" Tomb quickly tossed it away from himself, then sprung his hoof right back up.
"That's a good pony!" Yaplap bent over to pick the map up, when WHAM! The mare from earlier whacked him on the head with the platter. He fell, unconcious and drooling as we both sat there, mouths agape and dumbfounded.
"Well," the blue attendant mare started, tossing the platter casually onto Yaplap's body, "he will be out cold for an hour and 12 minutes, or less depending on how fast you two move. Good work, by the way!" Neither of us moved an inch, not even to thank the mare.
She then pulled the line to get the conductor to stop the train, hoofed us back our things and opened the door. "Alright, you two have your head start, now use it!"
Tomb took no time after that to get up and bolt out the door. I reluctantly walked to the exit, turning to talk to our hero. "Thank you for saving us, miss.."
She grinned. "Didn't save you yet! He will wake up and follow you, no matter what."
"How will he know where to go without the map? We're safe now, yes?"
She shook her head at me. "Can't say how without changing things, but you should get going."
I looked out to see Tomb flailing an impatient hoof from the woods at me to follow. I once more turned to the mare. "Who are you? How do you know all of this?"
She smiled and said, "All in good time, father." She then proceeded to push me off the train and slammed the door shut, giving me little time to scurry back as the train started again.
"...Father?!"
"Damnit Laser!" Tomb yelled, running up and dragging me away. "You heard her, we've got to skipideebop on out of here!"
"B-but.."
"Exactly! Let's go get the butt instead of sticking around here, shall we?"
And so we continued, now trying to get the quest over with as fast as we could. Who knew there'd be danger in this simple adventure? I did, or will, back then.