The remainder of the trip to Vanhoover was without any further incident from the outside world. Hoping to pass the time on the way there, Sunset Shimmer was playing a game of checkers with Radiant Dawn. It was a swift and intense playthrough, and Sunset was able to take four of her brother's pieces in record time, only losing one of her own on the way.
"Okay, Red." said Sunset, as she moved one of her black pieces to her brother's end of the board. "King me!"
Radiant levitated one of Sunset's extra pieces over the board, and stacked it on top of the "kinged" piece. And then for his next move, he took two of Sunset's pieces and reached his sister's end in one fell swoop.
"King me." grinned Radiant Dawn.
"Oh, don't tell me you're going soft on me, big brother." said Sunset with a dry and sarcastic tone, as she stacked a red piece on top of Radiant's "kinged" piece.
"Just trying to keep things going smoothly." shrugged Radiant, as he moved the newly-kinged piece back to his end.
Sunset Shimmer giggled a little as she took his piece with one of her own.
"Yeah, real smooth." she chuckled. "You may be a better fighter, Red...but I've got the bigger brain."
She tapped her brow with her hoof while making a straight face.
"Oh, really?" Radiant snickered, pointing out that Sunset neglected to move her own "kinged" piece out of his line-of-fire.
He levitated one of his remaining pieces in an arc over Sunset's piece, and claimed it with ease. Sunset Shimmer closed her eyes and exhaled through her nostrils. Then she lifted her head and chuckled in a refined manner. The timer that was ticking nearby buzzed, indicating the round was over.
"I think I'll consider this a draw." she said as she opened her green eyes again.
"Ditto." agreed Radiant Dawn. "So, would you like to do anything else?"
"Sure." giggled Sunset Shimmer. "How about telling me about how you hooked up with Lightning Dust?"
"Um..." Radiant stammered. "I'd...rather not talk about it now."
"Why not?" asked Sunset.
"Because she's looking at me right now." said Radiant, casually turning his head to see the cyan pegasus staring dreamily at him from the other side of the car.
"Come over here, you big red hunk!" Lightning Dust called out to him, smoothly.
"Umm...Uhh..." Radiant hesitated.
"Go get 'em, bro!" encouraged Sunset Shimmer, with a little smile.
Radiant Dawn nodded his head mechanically, and took a deep breath. He rose out of his seat, and went over to sit with Lightning Dust. Sunset Shimmer took a book out of her knapsack, which was lying under the table where she and Radiant had been playing their game, and started skimming through it. As she red her book, she heard Lightning Dust and Radiant Dawn conversing with each other.
"So, what's your hometown like?" asked Lightning.
"Well, Vanhoover is a big seaside city, with lotsa earth ponies and unicorns, plus some gryphons." Radiant summarized. "It's got all kinds of things: It's got shipyards--in fact, the biggest on Equestria's western coast, fisherman's markets, and a station for the Equestria Royal Navy with its own launching area. If you're not into nautical stuff, though, it's also got dance clubs, gyms, a stadium for sporting events, and some other things an athletic pony like you would find appealing."
"That's pretty awesome." said Lightning Dust. "Maybe you and I could hit one of those dance clubs sometime."
"That's not a bad idea." said Radiant. "But we'd both have to wait until we're both off-duty, since we'll both be working at night. Can you keep that in mind, sergeant?"
"Sure I can, lieutenant." assured Lightning. "It doesn't mean we can't plan ahead a little!"
"Good point." said Radiant, with a nod. "I'm just thankful Captain Shield was okay with this whole thing."
"Yeah, Star Shield's the coolest pony I've ever met." agreed Lightning Dust. "Present company excluded, obviously. He's calm, laid-back, and very understanding. Spitfire was pretty cool, too, but she was kind of stiff with trainees at the Wonderbolts Academy. Very strict, too."
"Well, she's only trying to help her recruits be the best they can be." said Radiant. "The Wonderbolts wouldn't be the marvels they are today if its line-up consisted of slackers and potential safety hazards. Wouldn't ya think so, Dusty?"
"You know, I never thought of it that way." grinned Lightning. "That's very inspiring, what you just said. I'll definitely keep it in mind. You really do share the same gene pool with Sunset. That just makes you even cooler, big guy!"
Eventually, the train gradually came to a halt in front of a train station that stood in the middle of a seaside city. Sunset Shimmer finally stopped reading her book, and looked out to the paved streets of Vanhoover.
"Home sweet home!" Sunset heard Radiant say. "Let's go, Sunny!"
"Right." nodded Sunset, before adding with uncertainty. "Home sweet home."
Sunset Shimmer, Radiant Dawn, Trixie, Lightning Dust, and Pressure Point got off the train, and found themselves blasted with a gust of cold wind. Everypony but Radiant and Sunset shivered.
"Well, how'd ya like that?" said a low voice that spoke with an ambiguously northern accent, which Sunset thought sounded Norwegian. "If it ain't Red Dawn!"
A buff, pale bluish-green earth pony wearing a cap and suspenders approached Radiant.
"Hey, Nose Nip!" chuckled Radiant. "Haven't seen you in a while! How's Frosty doing?"
"Oh, he's fine." said Nose Nip. "He's got a bit of a headcold, but nothin' too serious. Anyway's it great to see you again."
"I'm sure it is." smiled Radiant. "And look who I brought back with me!"
He turned to Sunset Shimmer, and made a gesture for her to talk to Nose Nip.
"So you're Sunset Shimmer, huh?" asked Nose Nip. "Red here's told me all about you. Your brother said he had a cute li'l sister...and now I'm looking right at her!"
"That's right." nodded Sunset. "And who are you supposed to be?"
"Sunny, this is Nose Nip." said Radiant. "He's one of my buddies here in town."
"Drinking buddies, to be exact." said Nose Nip. "speaking of which, do you wanna go on a cider run with me later?"
"I've kicked the habit, Nips." declined Radiant Dawn.
"What about you, Sunset?" asked Nose Nip, in a polite tone. "Do you like apple cider at all?"
"I don't." Sunset told the earth pony in the most neutral tone possible.
"Well, that's fine with me." shrugged Nose Nip.
"What is it you do around here?" asked Sunset, adding under her breath: "I mean, besides consuming mind-numbing beverages?"
"I'm a mountain climber and guide. If you need to climb someplace, I can help you get to the top, the bottom, or anywhere in-between."
"That reminds me:" interjected Radiant Dawn. "Nips, have you seen any strange creatures in or around town lately?"
"That depends on your definition of 'strange creatures', I guess."
"Changelings." said Radiant. "You know: They look like ponies, have bug-wings, shiny black hides, and stuff?"
"About once or twice, I think I saw some in the woods." said Nose Nip. "Can't say I ever saw any here in the city. Though I do run into some very strange ponies now and again. Like this weirdo pegasus in a ten-gallon hat, said he was a painter or something."
Sunset Shimmer's eyes flickered at theses words, remembering Crazy Graffiti.
"Yep." she said. "This city has definitely been infiltrated."
"You sure?" asked Radiant.
"Positive." replied Sunset. "I know who exactly your friend's talking about."
"Just what I thought." nodded the earth pony. "I mean, who goes around in a ten-gallon hat all day, anyway?"
"The Apple Family." said Sunset Shimmer and her companions in unison.
"Well, you got me there." Nose Nip rolled his turquoise eyes.
"Nips, we have to get to the royal guard barracks here in the city." said Radiant. "Can you tell us where we can find it?"
"I think it's downtown." answered Nose Nip, turning his head towards the northern end of the city. "But that's all I know; I don't normally go up that way. If you want any more directions, you'll have to find somepony else."
"Thanks, anyway." said Sunset. "Let's go!"
The six ponies proceeded down the streets. Before long, they crossed paths with a large gryphon.
"Bonjour, monsieurs and mademoiselles." he said, with a thick French accent. "What are you looking for, huh?"
"Oh, great." Nose Nip said flatly. "Another fancy-speaking gryphon."
"Sacre bleu!" spat the gryphon, offended. "I have no time for your rudeness, monsieur pony. Now off with you!"
"Let me handle this." Sunset Shimmer said to her fellow ponies, and then approached the gryphon.
And then she did something that completely took the other ponies by surprise: She started to speak French to the gryphon.
"Bonjour, griffon." she said, politely. "Nous sommes à la recherche pour la caserne de la garde royale du centre-ville. Pouvez-vous nous aider?"
"Qu'est-ce que c'est?" gasped the gryphon, speaking in the same language. "Vous parlez ma langue? J'ai pensé que vous poneys étaient trop faibles pour prendre le temps d'apprendre une autre langue!"
"Oui, C'est vrai." nodded Sunset. "Vers le même caserne..."
The gryphon pointed his claw to the north-western side of the city.
"Il sera le bâtiment avec la statue d'un poney de terre, licorne, pegasus et opposé à l'autre." stated the gryphon. "Il ne devrait pas être difficile à manquer, car il y aura beaucoup de formation vous des poneys extérieur."
"Thanks!" Sunset smiled, speaking in English again.
"My pleasure, mademoiselle." the gryphon acknowledged. "Au revoir, my little ponies."
And then the gryphon took off into the air. Sunset Shimmer turned to face her friends, who all had awestruck expressions on their faces.
"Sunny, that was incredible!" Radiant finally said.
"Where'd you learn to talk like that?" asked Trixie.
"I picked up a few things in the human world." said Sunset. "In fact, Craw--my second human boyfriend--was the one that taught me the language. He comes from a Cajun family, so English and French go hand-in-hand with him. Though you wouldn't be able to tell, since he doesn't normally sound French or Cajun. Anyways, that gryphon told me where to find the barracks. Follow me, everypony."
The six went on until they reached a building complex that was distinguished by not only the dozens of ponies training outside, but by a statue in the shape of an earth pony, a unicorn, and a pegasus standing vigilantly back-to-back against unknown foes.
"Looks like we've made it." observed Radiant Dawn.