The hissing snow and howling wind blot out the majority of the train platform outside the terminal at the southern edge of Vanhoover. All around you the world lies shrouded in the thick folds of grey clouds and a lingering ice fog that cuts to the bone. It could be twilight given how dark and somber the landscape is but it’s barely half past nine in the morning. Everything is dulled by a foot thick blanket of ashen snow that mutes the sound of voices and stills the mind with melancholy. Any hint of a crisp breath of the winter breeze is stemmed by the suffocating staleness and the unnatural pall of oppression.

None of it is helped by the lumbering gunmetal grey behemoth in front of you, snorting soot from its copper capped smokestack. A single cyclopian eye blazes ahead on the snow-covered tracks as the locomotive idly waits for its boarders.

Beyond the train and the unspoiled snowclad departure platform is a single large building that shines like a lighthouse in a storm. Tall narrow windows let some of the incandescent glow spill outside, but any warmth is trapped in there while you are out here in the frigid cold. You have only endured the elements this long thanks to a long-empty tankard of fortified cider, a dull white cloak over your greatcoat, and the promise that you will be aboard that train soon. There is no chance for you to grab a quiet respite in the comfort of the indoors with the fear of the Unicorn Slasher gripping the city. Most of your friends are more comfortable inside the heated station.

A rattle shakes the lifeless shrubs behind you as a hoof clasps down on your shoulder. “Did I miss anything?" Rainbow whispers through a pair of scarves wrapped around her muzzle.

“I've been waiting here for twenty minutes." You hiss as she settles in beside you in part of the divot carved out by your body heat.

“Shove over." She mutters and pulls half of your white cloak from your shoulders. “It's cold."

You glare and try to pry away at least a little more of the blanket. “Yeah, so I noticed."

“I mean from where; it's about two hundred paces down south. We've still got this little retaining mound," she prods the ridge you are half hiding behind, “and it's near a fairly big tree. There's some bushes, shrubs, all that junk. So it’s a good place to hide and avoid anypony watching from the platform.”

You feel the tremor of a shiver course down your spine and right down into your numbed fingers and toes. “Then why aren’t we there now?"

She shoots you a contemptuous glance. “If you want to give up your spot, fine by me, pal." She snuggles in deeper like a nesting bird.

You hum and look at the empty tankard poking out of your greatcoat’s pocket, “Got any of that cider left?”

“Pffft, do you?" She snorts as you sidle up next to her and wait for the train.

There’s worse things in the world than waiting with her for a train. Not many I can think of, but there’s got to be a few.

“Not flying today?" You smirk a bit at the swaddled-up Pegasus, confined in her ragged cold-weather gear. Rainbow just shoots you a death-glare. “Somepony’s really grumpy." To which she shifts and grumbles uncomfortably.

A hollow peel of a brass bell rings out across the platform and movements in the rear-ward cabin of the locomotive says the engine is gearing up. “This is it! For pony's sake, move your flank!" Rainbow hisses from between clenched teeth.

You try to scramble up and dash for the train, but sharp biting pains flair through your legs. The cold and constant sitting has put them to sleep. “Just a sec-”

Rainbow’s perturbed grunt is followed by a headbutt against your side to set you straight and a slap against the back of your leg. “There, all better, now hurry!" It’s like being hit with a dodgeball, but strangely it helped get the blood flowing again. A less than gentle nudge in the small of your back thrusts you forward as you both lope through the deep snow.

The trains wheels screech and wail like a banshee as they bite into the metal. With an awkward stutter, the metal leviathan lurches forward. The vehicle’s single massive headlamp catches the first reflections on your coat mere yards from the likely point Rainbow was talking about. That glimmer along the greatcoat’s buttons would probably give you away to anyone bothering to look, and with the fear of the Unicorn Slasher fresh in everypony, it’s possible that some are looking. You throw yourself into the snow with a crunch and yank Rainbow’s tail hard, sending her sprawling. “What the flying f-" she stops as the burning light passes you by.

The many rows of amber lights shine from the first passenger car as the Pegasus rights herself. You follow suit, muscles tensing as she puts a restraining hoof on your chest to stop you, “Not yet." The clatter of the unstable tie clicks as a second, third, then fourth car pass by, “Not yet." The sixth, seventh and eighth rattle by moments later. There is maybe fifteen in total and you won’t get another shot.

“Now?" You ask as the train is starting to pick up some speed, but Rainbow still doesn’t loosen her grip on you.

“Go!" She calls and darts forward. You run straight for the side of the train, towards the warm amber lights and towards the charcoal grey siding of the passing train. Twelve, thirteen, then fourteen cars pass you by as you cross that last twenty-five paces from the retaining ridge to the tracks. There is a small embankment to scramble up and across, which slows you as the wheels squeak and squeal, sending up a shower of sparks from the uneven rails. Five paces, Rainbow is beside you every step of the way. The final car looms up ahead of you, its lantern being waved around by some conductor at the rear platform.

“Pony up." Rainbow whispers to herself. Her muscles tense like a coiled spring as the last car rattles alongside you. The light from the rear platform disappears inside.

You race alongside the car, spitting up snow in your wake as your lungs burn from the exertion. Horrid thoughts stream through your mind: mental images are conjured up of being cut in half beneath the wheels of countless tons of wood and metal, of getting caught by the conductor hopping a train, or spotted from the platform and chased down by an angry mob.

It disappears in a flash as you see the metal rails at the rear of the car and leap towards the step. Your hand catches a looped rail as you swing forward. There’s a lurch in space as you shoot your foot out and graze the metal grating. A gasped breath, a halted heartbeat, your other foot lands on the unfeeling metal as you hold on and are tugged along with the locomotive. Pulling yourself up, you grunt and heave yourself up only to feel a weight land on your back and flatten you against the porch of the caboose.

“Heh, pretty good jump, huh?" Rainbow awkwardly shuffles off your back as you feel the wind whistle past. The oil lamp lilts crazily on a spike at the rear of the cabin, creaking and scraping against its metal binds. In the dull orange light the Pegasus shuffles off and looks inside the window at the back door.

“‘Kay, she's gone." Rainbow Dash hisses as she strains against the door, “Locked." You push yourself upright, squinting against the frozen air gusting by as you press your face up against the frosted glass.

It is a large car with several seats up front, a large room off to the left with a closed door and a ladder up to the cupola up on the roof. There are a few lit lanterns inside, but the empty unpainted walls and wooden spars mark the car as being a utilitarian vehicle.

Peeking inside, Rainbow turns her hindquarters towards it, “Move.” You heedlessly ignore Rainbow’s warning when the door at the opposite end of the caboose bursts open revealing a bright shock of pink hair.

“Wait!" If she smashes the door open then they will know somepony broke in. You clasp a hand to her flank to tell her to 'hold it'.

It works. In a few seconds Pinkie unlocks the door and you and the prismatic pony slip inside. “Wow, you really need help on your entrances, no ta-dah or nothing! You reaaaally need to work on your magic reappearing act, Dashie! Ooo, you two can be Dash Rightly, or Rightly Rainbow, Right as a Rainbow? Who gets the top hat and wand?”

Rainbow Dash is the first up and complaining, “What took you so long, Pinkie? My teeth are itchy. Do you have any idea how cold it has to be for your teeth to get itchy?”

You shut and lock the door behind you then glance back through the narrow hallways to the fore of the car. You have to agree with Dash, it’s just that cold, but you are thankful for Pinkie, anyway. “Everypony else aboard?”

Pinkie bobs her head, “Uh-huh. They’re just, you know, getting out of the car and bringing everything we need. That conductor is really-reaaally snoopy."

Rainbow shifts uncomfortably and crosses her legs. “Yeah, yeah, got it, Pinkie: snoopy conductor, sneaking by, really warm. Stupid cider! Where’s the bathroom?" She looks around with a glint of sweat on her brow.

“End of the hall on the left. Oh-" Pinkie is nearly trampled as the Pegasus shoots down the corridor while tossing off a few fluttering scarves. “There's some reading stuff in there if you need it, special edition.”

“Special edition?" You enquire while rubbing your hands together to warm them up.

She nods and gestures with her muzzle towards the next cabin, “Of the newspaper, silly. Though, I liked the one I picked up this morning better..." she trails off as the train steadily rattles and clacks towards its destination.

It is almost a surprise when the front door swings open with a jarring bang. The serpentine winds scream through the open doorway and snuff out one of the oil lamps. Two other ponies trundle in, wrapped in a cloak of frost that sweeps around them like it’s alive. Each is laden down with bags of supplies. “Oh, right, stuff." Pinkie’s apologetic smile lasts only a moment before she makes her way towards the other car, squeezing by Applejack then Fluttershy with a simple “‘scuse me."

Applejack mumbles something, but the farmmare quickly puts down the bag and lets Pinkie pass by. “It took us a little while ta’ get everythin’ gathered up, but everythin’ is done. The route’s marked out, food’s good’n ready ta’ go, clothes are all clean’n up ta’ scratch." She is sounding more cheerful now than any time in the past day, but she still looks tired. Almost assuredly, the mare hasn’t gotten any sleep.

You dutifully bob your head and drift over to take some of the extra baggage off her hooves, “Well, that’s good then. So there’s nothing to do?"

“Good, you’ve done a great job. Simply fantastic" She hadn’t told you where you are going, Rainbow had merely pointed a hoof at one point and that was the extent of your knowledge. Nevertheless, the beaming smile is what you needed to see. She looks worn to the bone and her bronze coat is tarnished by the burdens of grief, but those lines of fear, worry, and admonishment have disappeared from her muzzle. Better yet, there is a spark of life in her emerald eyes that had left when Rarity was taken. It’s small, the lifegiving glow has been rekindled from a guttering ember. Patting her shoulder, you nod to the little room off to the left, “Go take a rest. We’ll tell you when we’re getting closer. After all, there’s nothing left to worry about checking over. Right?"

Applejack pauses as if to refute what you said but can’t conjure up a reply. There is always something needing to be done on a farm, but she’s seen to all the needs here and left nothing to chance. With the relentless clack of tracks and gentle sway of the carriage cars, she stoically nods. “Alright, but you tell me the moment we get close. Got it, pardner?”

“Got it." You nod and half salute while struggling to pick up a heavy bag of tools that rattle in their cloth satchel bag. It didn’t looked that heavy, but it’s sizeable. “I’ll stay out here and make sure nothing happens. That and there is some new newspaper I wanted to skim, but Rainbow’s got it."

“Hmm, here." She tosses you her saddlepack, “Pinkie picked up a second copy so it’s somewhere in there." With a loud yawn she gives you a pat on the side and ambles back to the small room.

It feels strange to root through Applejack’s stuff, but she did give you permission. There are all the ‘needed’ utilitarian items, from extra scarves to bandages, gauze, red ribbons, and chalk markers, to a small sepia tinted family photo. It is a happy looking picture aged and faded with a young filly and colt, an infant, a mare and a stallion. You reflexively bite your lip and carefully pack the picture away. That gleaming grin, white freckles, saucer-like eyes, and the two telling shadows of strangers half burned away from over exposure.

Shunting it aside, you come across the stash of maps and papers including a folded-up newsprint. “Is something bothering you?" Fluttershy’s harmonious lilt drifts through the air.

You tense, as if caught. You hastily snatch the newsprint and unfold it with an awkward snap and look back over your shoulder. The buttercream coloured mare stands in the middle of the aisles. “No, nothing. Nothing at all, Fluttershy. Just looking through the paper." Pinkie backs into the door, flinging it open with the howl of a wind, causing the meek Pegasus to start with a strained squeak of surprise.

The bathroom door opens wide, but Rainbow Dash merely stops and watches as Pinkie slowly drags a full satchel down the aisle after headbutting the door closed. A grumbled, "Mmm-gerdid," was completely indecipherable.

Rainbow quirks a brow, “You got it, huh?" Pinkie nods, though she doesn’t let the bag’s cloth handles go either. “Alright, well, somepony’s got to go and keep watch. That way up?" She points to the ladder to the cupola and quickly scrambles up to the small lookout post.

Fluttershy watches unblinkingly before cracking a small grin, “She’ll probably get bored and come back down in a minute or two."

You chortle and pull the extra bags towards one of two large bench seats nudged up against the wall. “Four if it’s that foggy and three if it’s foggy and cold." With that, you take a seat and start to read the paper. On first glance, the headlines are even worse than before:

Dawn of the Dead
The Slasher Returns!

The small cabin's heat is a welcome relief but the clammy sweat dripping down the back of your neck has nothing to do with temperature. Not one, but two more murders happened overnight. The presses had gone into overdrive and the ink had barely dried, then subsequently froze, before they were handed out in the few last civic centres that ponies frequented.

From the train attendants to the terrified passengers, everypony seems to be on the alert for the next slaying and expecting macabre displays around every corner. You even leave your seat and stalk over to look into the next train car, hoping to catch a glimpse of its occupants. It’s an effort to see if ponies here are as worried as those described in the paper. The stiffness and worry is visible and almost tangible. They sit on their benches where the slightest little sound or undue motion makes them seize up and balk at it. The air is heavy and rank with fear, not to mention as stale as a freezer.

“Are you sure nothing’s bothering you?" Fluttershy's gentle voice enquires from across the aisle. She rests on her side, enveloped in a floral patterned, moss green blanket while staring straight at you.

“Sort of." It requires a moment of thought before you hold up the paper for her, “The symbols here are the same as before, but at the same time look what's written next to it.”

The Pegasus scans the paper, her eyes glossing over what you decide to read aloud:

“'By the Dark Father,
I pray thee no bother,
but I've taken horned mares.
Those of the air have no cares,
and earth mares do totter.

Face me, O goddess on high,
or your evening princess will die.
Others shall share such a fate,
while you cry 'it's too late,
and eternal darkness draws nigh.'”

Fluttershy quakes and shivers with revulsion as you recite the lines. She tilts her chin and shivers up as if holding back a tide of bile, “It's the same thing for both… I never thought he would-”

“He, nothing." You huff with irritation as she 'eeps' in surprise at your raised voice. “They were hacked in the back like the others but I don't think it was him at all. This is flowery rather than, than… I don’t know, religious. What could Ulf have to gain from all this? After all, he could have killed me, or you, or anypony else on that bridge. The question with all of this is ‘why’. Why is this message written like a fairy tale rhyme? Why is this just a ridiculous ‘come at me’ statement? Celestia isn’t all there right now, but the Canterlot guard sure is and there's a lot of them. Fluttershy, how does-”

“Is everypony aboard the Party Car?!" Pinkie’s voice blots out any further conversation.

You and Fluttershy hush her at once. Pinkie's joyful cry can’t dispel the aura of discomfort and sombreness of the train car and you don’t want her to wake Applejack if she is asleep. As you and Fluttershy look up to her, Pinkie’s voice fades, as does her smile.

“Applejack’s asleep.” Fluttershy whispers and flashes a quick grin to alleviate that mood crushing blow. The smile blossoms across Pinkie Pie’s face as the realization dawns on her. The wince and ‘sorry’ she offers back are both waved aside as you pick up where Fluttershy left off.

“And Dash is up there.” You jab a finger towards the ladder just as you hear hooves tapping the iron rungs. “Actually, where have you been, Pinkie? You were here five minutes ago.”

“Oh, well I made a cake to make everypony feel a little better.” She tilts her head aside so you could see the confectionary ‘delight’ tray plopped on her back. It’s a leaning tower of pancakes, stacked high with jam between the five layers that is starting to slowly slump to one side. At its crowning peak is apple butter, some mint leaves, and crushed nuts with a single toothpick with a paper Equestrian flag to top it off. “It's the ‘Too-too tall but still a liiiittle bit short cake’." Fluttershy's warble of a laugh is easy to mistake, but the bright grin is impossible to overlook.

Rainbow pointedly snorts, “That’ll be a few hours yet. It’s just fog and trees, nothing else. It’ll be hard to miss the mountains after all. Huh.” She clambers down and blinks at the bizarre looking breakfast ingredient concoction, “That’s the cake?” Pinkie's masterpiece of on-the-road cooking is a marvel of a different sort as you lift the newspaper to your face in a concentrated effort not to laugh.

“Oh, AJ found a way to haul your sorry flank up the mountain. It’s just past the mountains in the Swamps of Sadness near the old Daunted Peak forestry station.”

Looking out the window, you see something looming out of the fog bank. Just ahead are monolithic cliff faces. They are sheer granite slabs that jut up almost vertically and tower over the train as it lumbers by, grinding uphill with a screech of metal-on-metal. Pinkie sets the sliding cake on the bench next to you, using the tilt of the slope to even out the lopsidedness of the creation. With that, she divvies up several portions.

How did they ever build something like this? How did anypony… or anyone for that matter?

“Hey, Fluttershy?" You turn your head back to the Pegasus who relaxes across from you. “What happens if Equestria goes to war?”

She blinks with a trill of hesitation, “It… doesn't really happen much. I'm not even sure everything would work in the same ways anymore. There was a changeling incident, but they just warned the royal guard, and a generation ago Canterlot was almost sacked, a horde of cockatrices ran amok some time ago, too, but I wasn’t there. I’m sorry, I don’t really know.”

“Celestia would drag out most of the royal guard to go show whoever it was who's boss. The Wonderbolts would be right there, too-”

It' as you suspected, but you cut her off and pose the question anyway, “And how would they get around?”

“Well, there's a lot of Pegasi, and then there's the Wonderbolts, the Princess can fly…" Rainbow halts as if waiting for the inevitable question. She gives in with a sigh, “The Unicorns and Earth-ponies would probably have to be shipped wherever it is by train." The Pegasus reluctantly acknowledged the other components of the guard as she'd likely been chided about her definition of ‘inclusion’ before.

“What kind of question is that? Then they would take the train. Canterlot connects to all the train lines." She confirms that much as you look back out the window. It is what most militaries would do in the past and still do locally.

“Oh, my…" Fluttershy has evidently caught on to what you are thinking as you stare at the imposing cliffs, “With the northern rail-line blocked, there's only one way to get through to Vanhoover.”

“A large train with most of Equestria's standing defence would have to travel through here, a narrow gorge passing between two mountain faces-”

“Well this isn’t an avalanche zone." Pinkie smiles, “Meaning we can be as loud as we want!” She gets a quick warning glare from Fluttershy, “When Applejack’s up.” Pinkie sheepishly corrects herself.

“Avalanche, schmavalanche, you saw what they did to the bridge. They could bring down half the mountainside-”

“Wiping out most of the standing army and half its monarchy." You swallow hard as an audible gasp is dragged from everypony else present. The notion is nearly inconceivable. The plan slowly forms in your mind as you look outside, “They're trying to drag Celestia out and she's not at her strongest or smartest right now. This can’t be Ulf, but it might be the Storm Gremlins. They thrive on mayhem and despair, right? If Celestia does hear about this from the letters and messages on this train, then she might very well be walking right into a trap. We’ll leave a letter for Spike. Can we still send some sort of diplomatic dispatch so it’ll get to the princesses before the news does?”

“I can take it to the head conductor. I’ve got experience as an Equestrian class negotiator, so I’ll be sure that they send that letter marked as a ‘super-super-extra-important diplomatic thingy’.” Pinkie offers with a completely straight face while tapping her hooves together like some kind of impassive government official. Given the current company, she might actually be the best choice you have.

“Good, that’ll do nicely.” You can't stop the train, in fact you can't even be sure that Celestia would listen to you if you told her. You close your eyes and picture Princess Luna; she is seated motionlessly, all but entombed atop a regal throne without the guiding light of the day and the elder voice of reason.

No, you can't chance fighting Celestia's stubbornness and distress. She might just recklessly rush into the fray if Twilight is so much as mentioned. It might very well be averted, but you have a real chance of stopping it at the source with plenty of time to spare. All you have to do is find Twilight and Rarity, then you will have the leverage you need to convince Celestia to avoid any rash, punitive action.

Someone is spoiling for a fight. They planned for it. ‘Why’ was another question entirely.

Icon: Remnants of the North

by Vixavior

Act 3- Chapter 10: Chevaucheé