The hum from the rails below muddled my mind. The white noise shook every inch of my body as I tried to fall asleep on the overnight trip to Canterlot. The provided pillow was rough and scratchy, and the blanket felt as if it were made with toothpicks. No matter how much I shifted, I just couldn't get comfortable. I slammed my hoof down to strike the pillow out of frustration just as the train lurched to the side. Missing the pillow completely, I struck the hardwood wall behind it. The loud cry from the other side of the wall made me jump, and suddenly my fatigue vanished and the idea of sleep seemed far off. With a huff I jumped down from the bed, put on my glasses, and looked around my compartment.
The small desk in the corner looked as if it were made for a foal, with just enough surface area to fit one sheet of paper. Just above it was a wall-mounted shelf full of books that looked brand new. I walked over to the desk and looked at one of the spines.
"The Rise and Fall of Naponeon Bonaparte... eh, probably a last resort." I muttered. The electric light on the wall flickered, and the smell of honey filled the air. I felt my nose flare at the smell and turned to the door. The shadow underneath revealed that the snack cart had stopped across the hall, and was soon to knock at my door. Desperately, I lunged for my bags, which held all of my bits, and frantically searched for my coin purse. Soon my room was a mess, with papers and books scattered on the floor, and several of my belongings thrown about. Levitating the bag, I took it to the door and waited patiently for the cart-peddler to knock. I could hear the merchant talking to my neighbor, and tried to resist eavesdropping.
I failed miserably. Feeling slightly guilty, I pressed my ear up to the door.
"So, it's three bits for the cherry pie?" The stallion's voice was nice and smooth. "Okay... I'll go ahead and take the cream pie, instead."
"We don't have any cream pies, silly!" The mare giggled, and just hearing it put a smile on my face. I silently put my bits on the desk.
There was a slight pause. The next sounds I heard were a squeak and a soft rustling noise. I pressed my ear hard up against the door.
"Looks like you had one in stock..." The rustling sound continued for a couple seconds before the door clicked in place. I pressed my ear even harder against the door, but there was only silence.
Quietly, I slid my door open to find that the food cart had been pushed a little ways down the hall, with no attendant in sight. I checked two more times down the hall in both directions and found only the floor and shifting shadows of the night sliding across the other doors.
"Oh, please no." I whispered as my mind raced. What should I do? Wait and see if she just went to get something and come back or bust down the stallions door and fear the worst?
The sensible thing would have been to go get some kind of authority and tell them, but it would be pretty hard to get one in time considering the fact that I was in the middle of a ginormous train.
"What should I do? What do I do?" I was torn and afraid. "Something completely horrifying might happen to that sweet mare if I don't hurry."
Then I remembered the cry from the room next to mine. I immediately raced, as quietly as possible, to the pony's door and rapped softly. The groan and muttering from inside did nothing to lift my spirits, and I feared that this pony either wouldn't believe me or wouldn't know what to do either.
The door swung open, and I was greeted with the most displeased scowl I had ever seen. The mare looked me up and down.
"What?" Her voice, while harsh, sounded sweet and supple, sending a chill down my spine.
"I need help. I'm pretty sure something terrible is happening." I must have looked rigid, because the scowl was replaced with a mask of concern. "I think the cart-mare has been abducted." I then gestured to the snack cart.
"Oh, I'm sure she's just getting supplies. They do have to restock from time to time." She moved to close the door, but I gently held it open.
"I heard it. Please help me. He dragged her in there right after he said he wanted a "cream pie"." I would've laughed at the shocked expression on the mare's face, had it not been in a dire situation. "Please, I need help. I don't know what to do." I was on the verge of tears, mostly because I didn't know if I was right and just messing up peoples lives or if something was actually happening.
The mare looked puzzled, but stepped out into the hallway, closing the door behind her.
"Which room?" She asked. I pointed to the one down from hers and across. As we were walking, she shot me a glance. "So it was you."
"Yeah, just got mad at the pillow." I hurried up to the door and waited for my companion.
"Did you try listening through his door?" She whispered. I quickly slammed a hoof into my face and pressed my ear up against the mahogany door. I heard a couple chuckles before the stallion actually spoke.
"Oh, I haven't gotten to do this in years. Been a while since I seen a cutie like you..." He trailed off before I heard a couple of shifting noises. I could tell I looked horrified, and apparently so could my companion. Without waiting for a signal, she spun around and slammed her back hooves into the door, turning it into nothing but splinters.
One glance into the stallion's room and I knew I had made the right decision. The mare's uniform was in tatters and strewn all around the room. I could definitely spot her, as her coat was a bright pink, as well as her mane. She was dumped unceremoniously onto the stallion's bed, sprawled out, and her mane unkempt and tangled. The stallion was cowering in the corner, obviously spooked by the sudden loud noise. I turned away quickly, as his "friend" was out.
We must have been right on time.
"What in blazes are you doing?!" My companions voice was filled with pure bewilderment. She marched into the room, a look of pure anger upon her face. I sped over to the unconscious mare and telekinetically lifted her off the bed and out into the hall. I cleared the multitude of sweets off of the cart and laid her down on it. A syringe was lodged in her forearm, filled with some kind of liquid. This pervert was prepared for an all-nighter.
With a shock, I realized that my companion was still in there with the offender. I peeked inside right in time to see her beat some sense into him. She was using anything as a weapon, and her attacks were no laughing matter. Feeling it was safe enough, I shouted that I was going to go get some help, and hefted the cart along with me. It took about five minutes before I reached the front of the train, where a sleeping security guard was propped against the wall. I shook him awake, and quickly told him the situation.
"Just stay here and keep an eye on her." He yelled as he left through the door.
Using my time wisely, I checked for any serious injuries on the mare, as well as any bruising. With nothing serious, other than the syringe I took out of her arm, she seemed to be in good condition. With a shudder, I realized just how serious the situation was, and that I should've acted sooner. I should have known that he had taken her when I heard the noises. Why hadn't I just done it myself?
The door flew open and the security guard ushered the stallion inside, a magical bind around him in case he tried to escape. Next came the mare who had helped me immensely. She came and stood next to me as the guard led the offender into another door.
There was a long silence before one of us spoke up.
"So, how is she doing? Is she okay?" She looked over to the sleeping victim.
"Well, I'm not a doctor but, I'm pretty sure she'll be fine. She had this," I levitated the syringe up to her, "in her arm. I don't know what it is, but I'm pretty sure it's not good."
She nodded in agreement. "Do you know her?" She asked.
I shook my head. "I know she works for Sugarcube Corner, but other than that I've had no affiliation."
"So, you live in Ponyville?"
"Yeah, I guess you could say that. It's been on and off between Ponyville and Canterlot..." I paused, not sure whether I should go through the whole Magi escapade, "There was a rough spot when I was younger, so I had to be in Canterlot sometimes to work out some problems."
"So, would... would those problems happen to start because of Magi?" Her face was expressionless, but the glint in her eye made me nervous.
"Um... yeah, it would. How did you know?" I asked in wonder.
She smiled. "I was there, remember? I was sitting right next to you when... when that happened." She pointed to my glasses.
"Sitting next to..." I trailed off, and I suddenly remembered, "Sweet Luna, it's you!" I beamed.
"Yep! It's good to see you, Shard. I've been meaning to see how you were doing." She stepped forward and wrapped her leg around me. Not wanting to be weird, I did the same. A few moments later and the embrace fell apart, but the happiness was still there.
"It's good to see you too, Sweetie... Belle." I could even feel the rosy tinge on my cheeks. "So, where are you headed?"
"Oh, I'm headed to Canterlot. I recently applied to Princess Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns. As long as I meet the test requirements, I'm in." She smiled. "Where are you headed?"
"The very same place, believe it or not. Since I've been working with Princess Twilight, she's given me a scholarship. As long as I meet the test requirements, I'm in as well." I grinned. "At least I'll know one pony there."