//------------------------------// // The Departue // Story: Same Life New World // by Whiskey Drops //------------------------------// ~~~~~The Departure~~~~ A coupe of weeks have passed since the play life strangely enough for Lowell has been peaceful and normal, till Death called upon him the moment she had been waiting for. It was early in the morning while Lowell stood there at the train station as Lighting walked up to him and placed her hand onto his shoulder as her ears flatten against her head. The time has come Death has asked Lowell to travel to Balitmare to look for an amulet of some kind. “I don't want to go....but I gotta.....can you look after my family Lighting?” Lowell asked with a sad smile. “No ponies touchin' your wife and kids on my watch.”Lighting answered as she nodded. “Thank you...”Lowell said as he waked over to Applejack and the foals- “....Jackie...”Lowell whispered to the mare. “Do yah really have ta go...?”Applejack asked as she threw her arms around him. Lowell held the mare as Golden Rays, and Paint Drop joined in the hug. “I gotta...I sure as hay don't want to go....... but its for you and the foals......I promise I'll call you every day...”Lowell replied as he slowly stood up after kissing the fillies foreheads. “Yah better... Ahn Ah know this isn' much sugarcube but here somethin' that'll keep yah company if yah miss us... “Applejack said as she handed him a locket. He opened the locket as it had a picture of him, Applejack and all three of their foals all smiling for the camera. “....I'll come back as soon as I can....”Lowell said as he slipped the locket around his neck as a tear streamed down his cheek. “Be good for your mother.... and help her watch your little brother.....”Lowell said as he wiped his eye looking at the fillies. “Can't yah take somepony with yah...? This could be a trap...”Applejack asked as she folded her ears against her head. “I can't two reasons....I don't want any of you getting hurt..and well its a thing to pay off my debt to Death....”Lowell answered as he looked towards Applejack. “Death will have yah killed... Ah can't handle loosin' yah... They don' have ta help... Jus' make sure yah don' die...”Applejack whispered as she closed her eyes. “....Jackie...I promise you I will come back.... Me...you...Rays...Paint and Apple....I'll never leave ya again when I come back......just wait for me........ I won't die cause I don't plan on leaving my family and friends alone...”Lowell whispered back as he placed his hand onto her cheek. Applejack stared at the ground and took of her stetson, switching it with his. “Until yah come back.....This is mine.”Applejack said as she held his stetson against her chest and hugged it. “Deal.......I'll care for yours Jackie.....”Lowell said as he gently hugged the mare. “Yah better, that was mah father's.”Applejack said sternly as she gave him a soft glare. “I know Jackie.....I know.....Its as precious to me as you are to me....It will come back without a scratch... I'll miss you.......and every pony...”Lowell replied as Applejack hugged him tightly. “Don't you run of picking fights Low... Ponies around there are smarter than they look...”Lighting said as she looked at the ground some. “What can you tell me of Baltimare? I know its a city.....any gangs and such?”Lowell asked as he held Applejack. “Many gangs... Tons... Stay away from the inner city..”Lighting answered as she looked at the two. “Well I'll try if I can..”Lowell replied as he looked at Lighting. “If you have to... Don't carry money around.”Lighting said as she gave him a weak smile. Lowell gently kissed Applejack's forehead as she nuzzled him while tears dripped down her face at the trains horn sounded off. “......Cry not my fair apple mare..... I'll be back...I promise ya...”Lowell whispered as he gently kissed her hand as the foals hugged their mother crying as he slowly boarded the train. “No way in hell is he going alone.”Lighting grumbled as she flattened her ears as she flew over and leapt on the back of the train. Lowell barely spotted Lighting as she climbed aboard. Lighting's phone started to ring as he sat in his cart as he looked at his phone making the call. “Shit...”Lighting muttered as she sighed and let it ring as she twisted the purple bracelet and her MDW outfit formed around her. The phone rang again as he waited for her to pick up. “Hello?”Lighting answered as she walked into the last cart and picked up the phone her robot voice kicking in. “Get off the train and keep your promise.....”Lowell said sternly as he looked out the window. “I'm keepin' my promise.. And staying on this train..”Lighting argued as she glared at her phone. “I told you to watch over my family..... I don't want to drag ya into this.....please.......I just want to do this quickly so I can come back...just please, I don't want anything happening to you... Dash would kill me..”Lowell said as he sighed. “Lowell I made a promise to Applejack okay?”Lighting answered as she sighed. “......Keep Jackie safe.. please jus..” Lowell was cut off as Death appeared before her and she could actually see Death. “Leave.....I do not need you, you will only hinder my plans....”Death said as she stared emotionless at the mare. “What the hell are you...”Lighting asked as she blinked. “Death, now leave...”Death replied keeping her stare. “Low... Something just appeared infront of me... This train is bucking haunted.”Lighting whispered as her ears flattened. “........Is it a mare with a messy white coat and ragged black robes?”Lowell asked as his eye grew wide. “Y-yes...”Lighting answered as she gulped. “Buck me...that's Death,.....the thing I've been seeing...the thing telling me to do this...”Lowell said as he looked at the phone. “I-I'll call you back.”Lighting said as she put down the phone and then glared at death. “Listen Death, I don't know what your bucking plans are for Lowell, but I'll make one thing clear. If that stallion doesn't come back alive I will find a way to put YOU in the ground as well.”Lighting growled as she glared at Death. “He will return....... but...if you were to go....your wife will die...”Death said calmly. “Touch Dash or my family and I swear to Celestia you'll regret it.”Lighting threatened as her ears perked and she glared. “Then leave.”Death replied her face unchanged. “I know your up to something... Where's your soul? I mean, come on. Didn't you ever care about anypony?”Lighting said as her glare softened up some. “.......No”Death said. “Well then I feel sorry for you... But I know under that robe thing has to be a heart...”Lighting muttered as she kept her glare. “Leave.....”Death said. “And why's that? So you can make Lowell do your dirty work?”Lighting said as she pointed at Death. “The threads of fate can change ever so slightly...”Death threatened as a small ball formed as an image of Rainbow Dash being pinned by some Timber Wolves. “It's sick and twisted that you kill off the things ponies love just you can get your way... It really is...” Lighting said as she flattened her ears and took off out of the train cart. Death slowly faded away as Lowell looked out the window and saw her flying off. “......Good bye...my friend...”Lowell whispered as he sighed. Lighting called Lowell's phone as he answered it. “Hello?”Lowell replied. “I'll be back... You better not bucking die or else I'll kick your flank in heaven.”Lighting said as she growled a bit. “Don't follow me Lighting...please I'm begging you, if something happened to ya I wouldn't forgive myself....and I would have a mad mare on my flank......I'll call you after I call Jackie..”Lowell said softly as he sighed. “But Lowell...fine... I have a flank to save... Again... Bye...”Lighting said as she sighed. “....What?...hello? Bucking hay...”Lowell muttered as the signal cuts out in the tunnel. He slumped back into his chair staring out the window at his reflection looking at the stetson in the reflection. I'll bring it back Jackie.....I'll come back...no matter how long this takes...Lowell thought to himself as he tipped the stetson over his face and closed his eye.