//------------------------------//
// Chapter 15: lost in the city 
// Story: Quill's Journal (a.k.a. The journey to the center of Equestria) 
// by Waterwitch222 
//------------------------------//

"Oh great!"

Quill moaned sarcastically, wiping water from her face. She had been trying to get a cab for nearly 15 minutes and hadn't had much luck. She was running out of patience, and tissues to wipe all the water that was being splashed in her face from puddles.

Quill sighed in frustration. She glanced at her flightless wings angrily, knowing this whole shebang would've been avoided if she could fly.

'If I don't get a cab soon, i'll have to walk there.'

Quill thought to herself, waving her hoof in the air once more. Nothing stopped. She stood there 5 more minutes, taking the time to reflect on all that's happened.

She began wondering whether or not Ash Brush would be alright. She didn't know him, but both Time Turner and Firecracker missed him. Badly. Quill never had a sibling like relationship with anypony other than her cousin, who was all the way in Trottingham. Quill suddenly felt like a filly. She hadn't thought much about this trip, but now began worrying just by thinking about it.

Turner had said that the future is made of many paths they could go on, and that down one of them, she would die. At that moment, as the gravity of the problem dawned on her, another carriage passed by, splashing her once more with water.

Quill sniffed and felt tears gather up in her eyes. She sat down on the sidewalk and began to cry to herself, wishing that her luck could rearrange itself, for her sake as well as her friend's. Turner and Firecracker were counting on her to get a cure at Neighing Village, Wisteria was counting on all three of them to save Equestria and save Ash, and yet Quill couldn't even catch a cab!

Tears streamed down Quill's face, making her wish the ground would swallow her whole. Suddenly, a hoof touched her shoulder. Quill turned her head to see who it was. Her eyes widened at the sight of the very pony she wanted to see. Soda Pop.

"SODA!"

Quill shouted, throwing her arms around her cousin, her tears beginning to dry. Soda returned the hug with a comforting smile, glad to see her little cousin once more. 

"Hey little cousin! Long time no see! What brings you to Baltimare?"

Soda asked, gesturing to the buildings around them. 

"I was gonna ask you the same thing."

Quill sniffed, wiping tears from her eyes.

"I'm here to help with experiments on healing Sasparilla. It can heal anything!" 

Quill's hopes began to soar. 

"But it's only managed to cure headaches, nothing life changing."

Soda finished, causing Quill's hopes to shatter all over again.

"I noticed you were standing near the street, were you trying to catch a cab or something?"

Soda asked.

Quill wiped her eyes and told her cousin about the journey she and her friends have been taking, and how Time Turner had become ill because of it.



"I know somepony in Neighing village who can help you, but not without a cab." 

Soda said finally. She stood up and whistled loudly. A passing cab stopped politely in front of them. "

Where too?"

the cab drawing pony grunted.

"Neighing Village."

the cousins said in unison, as the cab pulled away.

---------------------------------------------

Firecracker placed another wet washcloth on Turner's forehead, trying to lower his fever. Sweat beaded on his forehead, and he gave a ragged cough. Firecracker sighed. She was no doctor, for all she knew she could be making Time Turner feel worse than he was already. She silently hoped Quill would be back soon.

---------------------------------------------

"She's here?" 

Quill questioned, as the two cousins stood outside of an apothecary shop in Neighing Village. 

"Yes."

Soda answered, opening the door with a creak. The place smelled damp and of incense. Candles flickered as a breeze entered, causing the pony behind the counter to lift her head to face her visitors.

The pony pulled down her hood to reveal herself more. She was a white earth pony with a short, black mane and narrow, hazel eyes.

"It is a pleasure to see you once more, Soda Pop."

she said calmly, bowing her head. 

"Likewise, Kimono." 

Soda answered, also bowing her head. 

"I sense great distress in the room. Is there something troubling you Ms. Quill?"

Kimono asked. Quill did a double take. 

"How did you know my name?"

she asked in awe. 

"Kimono has super awesome psychic mojo! She knows everything!"

Soda spoke up, earning a humble nod from Kimono.

"I also understand that you're having doubts about your usefulness among your companions."

Kimono murmured. 

"You are?"

Soda questioned.

"I am?"

Quill asked.

Kimono nodded and walked to a cauldron at the corner of the room, beckoning the two cousins to follow.

"Among the three chosen ones, you feel you haven't contributed as much as the others. Firecracker had saved you and Time Turner with strong spells and Time Turner had kept track of the map, which landed him with his unfortunate illness."

Kimono said, gesturing toward the images of these very things flickered in the boiling liquid.

Quill sighed. 

"Yeah.Turner is so strong and brave at the best of times and Firecracker has all that magic to defend herself. How can a flightless pegasus like me ever amount to that?"

Quill said moodily, staring at the ground in defeat. Kimono smiled.

"Quill, you are a special pony in your own way. You've kept the peace in the group so far and that is an excellent quality to have, and it might come hoof and hoof with another quality you possess that you'll discover in the near future."

Kimono replied, earning confused glances from Quill and Soda Pop.

"What kind of quality?"

Quill asked. Kimono shook her head. 

"You'll find out soon enough."

she replied coolly, as she walked to a nearby shelf. 

"Ah, here we go. The cure you need. Give this to Time Turner and he'll be back on his hooves in no time." 

Kimono said, giving Quill the bottled elixir. Quill smiled with glee. 

"Thank you so much Kimono!"

Quill said excitedly, hugging the wise earth pony tightly.

Kimono returned the gesture gently and waved as the two cousins walked out. 

'I do hope she remembers what I told her.'

she says to herself, as she walked back behind the counter. 

'She'll need these kind of qualities more than ever quite soon.'

---------------------------------------------