//------------------------------// // Crystal Land // Story: Stick Up Artists // by A Pony Typewriter //------------------------------// Sandy Shores, Blaine County Ron ran, he was running as fast his can leg can carry through Sandy Shores, away from what he just witnessed, something he spoke about had come true, aliens, and they took his mentor, boss, friend. He kept on running, reaching his trailer, he slam the door shut and locked it, restricting any access to his home. Still panting and sweating he took his cellphone out, then he dial a number. As he place his phone against his ear, Ron receive nothing but long beeps, he waited a couple more seconds. "Hello who's this ?" asked the voice from the other end of the call. "Wade! Wade! where are you ?!" asked Ron. "Ahm' getting an ice cream," answered Wade. "WHERE ?!" "Uhh.. Los Santos." "Wade, you gotta come here." "Here? where ?" "Sandy Shores Godamnit !" shouted Ron "Trevor's been taken!" "Taken ? you mean kidnapped?" Wade asked, "but Trevor can't be kid-" "NOT KIDNAPPED! TAKEN! WADE! TAKEN!" "But-" "ALIENS! TREVOR BEEN ABDUCTED BY ALIENS!" "Aliens ?" "Just come back here !" With their conversation over, Ron terminate the call. He got up and close any blinds and curtain in his home. ----------------------------------------- The Frozen North, Equestria It was dark outside and inside the train, but only blowing white can be seen beyond the window, the occupants in her designated car are a sleep or trying to sleep, all her friends are already asleep, with the exception of herself. Twilight is reading in her bunk, passing the time on her journey to the Crystal Empire along with her five friends to oversee the preparation for the Equestrian Game . She continue to read through the night, accompanied by a lantern, and a snoring Spike. She look outside, nothing but snow. Twilight decided it's already too late to continue reading, she seal the book she was reading, blew the lantern off and lay her head on the bunk. Behind the set of train cars, a pick up truck is keeping up with the train, in the driver's seat was Trevor Phillips. Foot glued to the pedal, and with Michael sitting right next to him, Trevor follow the train while keeping an eye the falling cargo jet direction. The meth dealer grab a shotgun out of the back bed, and began climbing out of the open cabin, forcing Michael to grab the wheel. "What the fuck are you doing T ?!" asked Michael. "I'm getting into that train," said Trevor. Before Michael could say anymore, he immediately jump to the driver seat as Trevor reach the hood of his truck. "Closer !" Trevor said. Michael forced the gas pedal to kiss the floor, pushing the truck engine, and the truck closer to the train's caboose. The truck bumper went inches from the caboose, and Trevor jump into the caboose back platform, before entering he turn to Michael and point to the other end of the train, his friend nodded, Trevor then proceed to enter the caboose. As Michael drive to catch up the locomotive, a thought came across his mind, Trevor being discreet is like regular Trevor. Trevor exited the cold through the door of the caboose, he looked around, the crew were absent in the caboose. Trevor move again towards the next car, empty of any sign of life again. The meth dealer turn on the flashlight on his shotgun and began aiming it around the car to see where he was, a stove with a cooking pot, it was the pantry. Trevor open the overhead cabinet searching for items essential for his survival in the freezing cold, there were plenty, loafs of bread, can of beans and some instant oatmeal. He looked around for anything to carry the amount of food he's about to steal, there's none that can in the dark kitchen car. He proceed to the next car. Trevor arrive an even darker car, due to the lack of windows, he point his flashlight to see where he is. All round him were varieties of bags, briefcase of all sizes and even chests. He approaches one of the briefcases, wanting to see what's inside, Trevor grab one of them and start fiddling with the combination, when that fails, he tries pulling it by hand, it didn't budge. Trevor growled in frustration and begin pounding the briefcase with his shotgun's stock, after only three times hitting the briefcase opened. He dug through the content, he finds few of the article inside useful, there are some jackets and overcoats, Trevor took them, but that wouldn't be enough to keep out the cold when he's in his underwear, that goes for Michael too. Trevor proceed to the next car, it isn't differ from the previous one he just in, it is still dark although there is minimal lighting from outside. The car Trevor in at the moment is lined with bunk beds, left and right, the sound of snoring emitted by the inhabitant of the beds. The short tempered man slowly creeps through the hallway, avoiding detection from those who sleep in the bunks, which he can't see because of blankets covering them. Slowly he move through the hallway, aiming his flashlight to one of the bunk, an empty bunk, with a sheet of blanket. He stole the sheet, but one is not enough for him or Michael to withstand the cold, he needed more. He take another one from the bunk below it, what he uncover is unreal. It was a small horse, fur glistening in off white like it was transparent. Trevor can only rubs his eyes on what he just saw. "A meth horse," whispered Trevor. It's what Trevor can come up with. A pony made out of methamphetamine, a substance in which he made a living by selling it to, rednecks, truckers, farmers, seasonal migrant workers and anyone who are willing and able to buy from Trevor Phillips Enterprises. Realizing that the one thing in front of him can supply him of meth for a very long time, and a considerable amount of profit for his business. He grab more blankets from the beds, uncovering more ponies in different colors and appendages, those who have wings, ones that have horn, and ones have none. Trevor rubs his eyes again. "Wow, this is got to be the worse trip I have yet to experience," said Trevor, "at least it's an improvement from the clowns." After he gather several blankets, he went back to the kitchen car, put the the food on the cabinets on top of several blankets, and tie it into a sack. He then move back toward the front of the train, stopping at the first passenger car to pick up his meth horse, the only problem is his hand is full. "God damn it," cursed Trevor. He leave the car and move to the forward car with food, blankets and coats, but not his meth pony, he keep walking down the narrow hallway of car closing in on the locomotive, quietly entering and exiting train cars. On the last passenger car he Trevor down the sack of coats and food, to return for his meth pony. Trevor snatch the crystal pony, carry it on his side and proceed to go toward the locomotive. As Trevor proceed in the direction of the locomotives, unknown to him the crystal pony he's carrying begin to open her eyelid. The crystal mare notice that something is holding her on the side of her belly, she tries to wiggling herself in attempt to escape, her attempt is unfruitful. She craned her neck to take a look what or who is keeping her from moving, she look up and see a head, covered in skin and little hair. She attempt to escape one more time. "HELP! MONSTER! SOMEPONY HELP!" shouts the crystal mare. Her cry for help awaken almost every passenger in the cars she and her kidnapper passes as both of them got closer to the locomotive. Trevor throw stealth out of the window and start sprinting through the hallway as more colorful ponies waking from their slumber. Noticing that the pony he's kidnapping start moving, Trevor tighten his grip on the pony and hit her on the head. "SHUT UP YOU SACK OF METH!" Trevor said. He blinks, and think what he just done and said. "Woah, I just talk to a talking sack of meth bigger than Wallace Whitman can cook," Trevor thought aloud, "what the hell is in that batch Chef cooked." Trevor sprints through cars, entering and exiting them in a matter of seconds. As Trevor passes through one of the car, the cry from the mare reaches a newly crowned princess and her friends. Twilight wakes up to see a blur pass her, she look onto the hallway and see a crystal pony being held by a two legged monster, Twilight climb out of her bed and so does her friends. "Hey stop!" Twilight commanded. The monster ignore her command and keep running toward the direction of the locomotive, she pursuit the monster through the cars with her bewildered four friends, the other one stays at her bunk, still processing what had happen. "Twi' what's goin' on ?" asked Applejack. "what are we chasing ?" "I don't know there was screaming and a monster-" Twilight answered. "SOMEPONY! HELP!" The scream for help is enough to caught the attention of the five galloping mare, they fasten their pace to catch up with the monster holding the crystal pony. Trevor arrives in the front most car where he put his stolen food and clothing, he rest his shotgun against the wall, and open the door leading to the locomotive. Trevor face is met by a wall of freezing cold and another obstacle before the locomotive, it was the coal storage for the train and with that in the way, Trevor can't bring the coats and food along with his 'sack of meth'. An idea popped into his head, he throw the crystal mare first over the coal car, despite her complain. "No! No! No!" "Up and over," said Trevor. The crystal mare soar through the freezing sky, which only about 5 feet of the train, and drop into the pile of coal then slide down the pile and into the cab. Trevor was about to throw the good he stolen, before he is interrupted by five brightly colored ponies. "Stop !" the purple one commanded. Trevor pay no attention to the command, he take the sack of stolen goods, walk outside the car to climb over the car in front. Unknown to him the purple pony that had said stop begin to charge her horn, and release a powerful beam that hit the door Trevor just went through, and knock it out of it hinges. Trevor immediately take cover behind the wall of the car, as another magic beam passes by. "First a talking sack of meth and now laser beam," Trevor said to himself, "I'm going to have to give Chef less to cook with." He bring his shotgun out from cover shot a round to the direction of the attacking ponies, his shot miss, the pellets from the shell implanted in the hard wood interior. The pellets and shrapnel of wood is enough to make Twilight and her friends to take cover. With the cease-fire of the magic beam, Trevor take the opportunity to climb over the coal car, he then slide down the pile of coal, at the bottom of the pile, two pony engineer and a pony conductor, so it says on the pony's hat, who are comforting his 'sack of meth'. "PUT DOWN THE METH AND WALK AWAY !" Trevor shouts. There is no response to his threat. "NOW !" Instead of complying, one of the engineer retaliate, he charge at Trevor with a shovel, Trevor step aside and grab the shovel and kicked the pony overboard, he then grab the conductor and the other engineer by the tail and threw them overboard as well. The crystal mare take this opportunity a chance to escape, she gallop to the coal storage, passing between Trevor's legs, climb up the pile of coal and back into the passenger car. Trevor can only stand as he watch, what could have been a potential profit, ran away, literally. All he can do is grunt aloud. Michael still has his foot glued to the gas pedal, and trying to spot Trevor between the blowing white. Hearing the sound of gunshot was enough that to tell that something was wrong, then again he expect nothing good whenever Trevor and stealth is in the mixture. The retired bank robber steer right, getting closer to the train, Michael now can make out more detail of the train beside the windows, and pinpoint his position next to the train. Michael was now beside the locomotive and closing, he realize that there's somethings were odd, the locomotive isn't diesel, like the one he robbed which belong to Merryweather,it isn't boxy, but more cylindrical and have smoking chimney on the front, it was a steam engine like in old Wild West movies he usually watch, and no one uses steam engine to pull passenger car anymore. Michael drove closer to the locomotives cab, inside Trevor was busy shoveling coal into the boiler. Trevor keep shoveling coal into the boiler, he then sealed the lid to the boiler and cover it with more coal. Trevor threw the shovel aside then he call Michael. "Mikey! Over here!" Trevor shouted. Michael steer closer to the locomotive. When the truck was close enough Trevor jumped into the bed with food and coats, he move to the passenger side and open the glove box compartment. Inside is a Micro Uzi with a 32-round magazine instead of the 20. "Slow down a bit Mikey!" Trevor said. "Why would I slow down ?" Michael asked. "Quit asking and slow down!" Michael ease on the gas pedal, and the truck slowed down, letting the train overtake them a bit. As they slow down they are neck-to-neck to the car where the five mare that were chasing Trevor. The meth dealer stand up on his seat and pull the bolt. Inside the train car, Twilight and her friends slowly approach the gaping door way except her friend Rainbow Dash, who is now eager to challenge the mysterious beast, but Applejack restrain her by pull her prismatic tail. RATATATATATATATATATATATATATATA Sound similar to firecrackers assaulted their ears, pieces of glass rain upon them and wooden shrapnel flying through the car pepper them, the five mares hit the floor with hooves covering their ears. They lay down and wait it out for a few seconds hoping whatever that attack the train had gone. Rainbow Dash as the first one to recover, she hover to one of the bunk and look outside from the now glassless window, between the raging wind and snow, she could see a red carriage with nopony pulling, beams of light emitted from above and front of the carriage, lighting it's path, but only caught the glimpse of it's occupants as the train is peppered again with material or forces unknown to them, which is actually pieces of led. Trevor sit back down as Michael pulls away and make distance between them and the train. The company founder is still agitated due to the loss of his 'talking sack of meth' but satisfied he done some damage to something today. Trevor then dig through the stolen good he give Michael one of the coat and some blankets. Both friends keep going in parallel of the train's direction along with the crippled aircraft above. "What do we do now T?" asked Michael. "Keep following the train," Trevor answered, "where's the jet headed?" "It's still going straight following the track." "Good, that train full of horses must be heading somewhere," Trevor stated, "after we know where they headed we follow the jet, that thing isn't going anywhere far." "Alright- wait did you said train full horses ?" "Yes train full of colorful,talking, laser shooting miniature horses." "Are you high ?" "I don't know Mikey 'cuz I don't remember taking anything tonight, do you remember I took anything?" "No, just beer." "Man this is really weird, even by my standard." "You don't have standards." "And you don't have a fucking sense of humor." They kept following the train with very limited visibility from it's side. As they sped through the icy wasteland, the further they go slower the wind got, and the brighter the sky get. Their vision is met by something astonishing, a scene that only fantasy movies could make, a city, approximately the size of Los Santos, minus the airport and the LS Port also the Vinewood Hillls, stand about half a mile before them, made entirely out of crystal. Michael let go of the gas pedal slowing the car down and eventually come to a stop, both of them stand up from their seat to admire the city, ignoring the speeding train, and the cargo jet that took out chunks of the city's tallest structure and crippling the aircraft even more. "Holy shit," said Trevor. "Holy shit indeed," Michael agreed.