//------------------------------// // And Then There Were Three // Story: One Last Quest // by Vanner //------------------------------// Chapter Eleven: And Then There Were Three When the Goddess closes one door, she opens another Pokey sat staring at the inside of his tepee for hours, listening to the rain. Cheerilee sat across the fire, and watched as the blue unicorn stared into space. “She’s not coming with us,” he said at last. “I’m betting we never see either one of them again.” “I know,” said Cheerilee. The rain outside continued, though it had slowed from a downpour to a steady cleansing rain. The ponies sat in silence for a while; neither wanted to discuss what had happened. Cheerilee tried to break the uncomfortable silence with thoughts of the quest ahead. “Do you think we’ll be okay without her?” asked Cheerilee. “We’ll be fine,” said Pokey as he stared into space. “You said you know the mare that has the sapphire?” “Ingrid Marie,” groaned Cheerilee. “I was sort of hoping she’d be dead by now.” She looked at the fire ring for a moment. “I guess that’s a pretty horrible thing to say.” “I wouldn’t worry about it,” said Pokey. “If some pony has managed to earn your ire, then I’d say they’re not a pony I’d want to associate with. You’re a good mare, and any enemy of yours is an enemy of mine.” Cheerilee walked across the tepee, and sat down next to Pokey. “I’m sorry,” she said, softly. “How long has it been?” “Years,” answered Pokey. “But every time we came out here...” He hung his head. “I thought this trip would be the one that put us together forever. I thought Celestia had answered my prayers. I should have known better. Celestia hates me and wants me to suffer.” He looked up again at the walls of his tepee, and searched for a moon to pray to for answers. “Did you ever tell her?” asked Cheerilee. “I did,” said Pokey. “Every time we lie in bed on that train, I told her I loved her. She told me she loved me too. And I suppose she did, in the way that you do when you’re lonely enough to seek comfort with some other pony.” Pokey shook his head. “But she’s with her soul mate now, and not even Celestia could tear them apart.” The rain abated to a trickle. The tent filled with the sounds of tiny patters of rain on leather. Pokey stood up, and gathered his saddlebags. He moved for the flap before Cheerilee spoke up. “Where do you think you’re going?” asked Cheerilee. “I’m going after the emerald,” he replied. “You shouldn’t have any problem finding the two stones in Canterlot. Which reminds me...” He pulled the diamond from his neck and tossed it to Cheerilee. She picked up the chain from the dirt floor. “Maybe I’ll find it,” he said. “Maybe I’ll get killed along the way. Who knows?” Cheerilee’s mulberry face turned purple with rage. How callously he tossed aside not only their quest, but the one piece of the puzzle they actually had. Pokey trotted for the tent flap, when the diamond cracked him in the back of the head. He turned around to see Cheerilee fuming. “Damnit, Pokey,” admonished Cheerilee. “You think just because you’re heartbroken you can go throwing away your life? You think you can really do this by yourself?” “What happened to your unshakable faith in my abilities?” he asked sarcastically. “Don’t talk back to me,” she snarled. “I’ve watched you do things I can scarcely believe. You’ve saved the lives of dozens of ponies. You killed a beast ten times your size. You saved an entire village. You made miracles happen, Pokey; real honest to goddess miracles.” Her face screwed up in frustration. “You’ve done so much in such a short time, and now you just want to throw it all away because you’re upset that Redheart found happiness?” Pokey hung his head and sighed. “She never told me no,” he said. “She never said her heart belonged to another. I should have known; I was just too blinded by what I wanted to see it.” He turned back to Cheerilee. “I don’t care about this quest anymore. I’ve lost everything I’ve held dear: my family’s heirloom, my faith in myself, and most of all, her.” He looked up sadly at Cheerilee. “I don’t have anything else to lose but my life. Why not sacrifice that too at the altar of Celestia whims?” “Because that’s not who you are,” said Cheerilee. “You’re Pokey Pierce. Greatest warrior of a generation. Slayer of monsters and beasts. Rescuer of children. Kin of Luna.” She approached, and put her head on his shoulders. “You’re all these things, Pokey, but most of all, you’re a fighter. You refuse to let anything else beat you; why would you let this?” Pokey closed his eyes, and sat quietly in the dirt. Cheerilee sat next to him, quietly offering what support she could. “You’re right,” he said at last. “I can’t leave you out here alone. We’re not done yet, and I can’t let personal tragedy get in the way of our insane despot’s request. Let’s head to Appleloosa. We’ll figure out what to do when we get there.” ... The fledgling sunrise shone dully through the clouds, barely illuminating the valley as it crept over the horizon. He should have been tired, but all Pokey felt was numb. He realized that trekking four hours over open ground in the rain and dark probably wasn’t the best idea, but he no longer cared. Cheerilee walked silently beside him as she followed the soft glow of Pokey’s horn. They walked silently over the miles. The wrinkled brown husks of moss fell away from the rock faces as they walked by. Sure enough, the rain had caused the moss to crumble, and the ground lost its vermillion tint. Their plan had worked as expected. The ponies and buffalo both would be happy to be free of the mosses’ scrouge. In that early morning hour, Pokey and Cheerilee trotted into to the city of Appleloosa. It was far too early for anything to be open. The stores sat closed as they waited for the morning sun to peak through the clouds and dawn a new day. The pair sat in silence at the rail station, and listened to the rain patter against the station roof. True to her word, Redheart had saved the ponies of Appleloosa, and given their quest at last a meaning. It had also given her what she always wanted. Whatever Celestia would have offered would pale in comparison to what she’d already received. Pokey knew that no such reward lay at the end of this road for him. He thought back to Medley, and how he had watched her annoyed pouting when her train rolled away. She would get what she wanted eventually. And Cheerilee? Well, they were headed to make the life of her arch nemesis miserable, and she’d go down in history as the mare who found the Stones of Brilliance. What more could she ask for? In the distance, a train whistle sounded. Pokey checked the town clock, and then looked at the schedule. This train was six hours behind. It occurred to him that the sudden rain had probably washed out the track somewhere along the line to Bridleburg. The ponies aboard the train were going to be really annoyed when they found out the town was still shuttered for the evening. Pokey watched as the train pony’s iron shoes sparked against the metal tracks as the cars ground to a halt. One of the train ponies looked up at the clock, and, upon seeing the time cursed loudly. He looked over to see Pokey and Cheerilee at the station. “Hope we’re not too late for you,” he said. “Track washed out a few miles up. Darnedest thing, a real gullywasher blew up from out of nowhere. I did take all that red moss off the tracks though,” Pokey just nodded, and watched as the passengers exited the train. More than one of the ponies had a few choice words for the train ponies. “Where’s the next stop?” asked Pokey. “This train is headed back to Bridleburg,” said the lead train pony. “We’re far enough behind that we’re just gonna combine the two.” “There’s not a roundhouse till Stalliongrad,” said Cheerilee. “How do you switch the cars?” “Oh, we got a unicorn that does that,” replied the pony. “Not so bright, but boy howdy can he lift stuff.” It would be several hours before the train had been flipped to the correct direction. The town had long since opened for business again and Cheerilee and Pokey found themselves at the Salt Lick. Despite the seedy atmosphere, they really did have good waffles. “And then there were two,” sighed Pokey as he staring down at his breakfast. “Do you think Celestia had a purpose for sending us specifically on this quest?” “What do you mean?” asked Cheerilee. She covered her own breakfast with syrup. “Look at how it’s turned out so far,” said Pokey. “She sent Redheart out here to reunite with Plain Strider. You’re out here because you’re the only pony smart enough to figure out what we were supposed to be doing. Medley wasn’t supposed to be out here, and I’m pretty sure she sent me out her because she wanted me to be miserable,” said Pokey. “That’s unfair of you,” chastised Cheerilee. “She sent you out here to protect us. Somehow, she knew that the road would be dangerous. There isn’t another pony out there that I’d rather have by my side.” Pokey nodded and continued to eat his breakfast. They ate in silence for a while before Pokey spoke up again “That really means a lot to me,” Pokey admitted. “I realize that I’m not going to get what I wanted out of this journey, but I’m glad that I can keep you from harm.” “Don’t forget about Medley,” said Cheerilee. “You saved her life twice.” “She’s probably at home right now, curled up in front of the fire with her foals,” mused Pokey. The thought actually made him feel less miserable. ... Medley winged into Bridleburg late that evening. The high winds and sudden rush of clouds to the south had really surprised her. She had gotten her cutie mark from being an expert on predicting cloud patterns and rain, but it was a skill that turned out to be not that helpful. Most pegasi were by weather savvy by necessity, and there were more weather savvy pegasi then there were jobs for them. She had lost her previous job in the snow factory because she had taken maternity leave, and there were scads of other equally qualified pegasi to take her place. The way these clouds moved, and the way they took moisture with them was unlike anything she’d ever seen. Medley was sorely tempted to follow them, but her nagging instincts told her to do otherwise. She flew over the city and searched for the clinic. The plan was to find Dr. Castor, give him the emerald, and then go home. Medley had come to the realization that she probably shouldn’t be out here in her condition, but she couldn’t just take the stone to Canterlot. The trio would go looking for it in the Diamond Dog Territories, and realize that some pony else had already gotten it. Redheart, Cheerilee and Pokey would have to come back through Bridleburg on their way to Canterlot. Even if they wanted to go directly after the emerald, they’d still have to come back here. She’d leave word at the train station for them, and leave the emerald with whoever she could trust. That way, Pokey couldn’t yell at her for having completely ignored his instructions. She fluttered over the city and finally spotted the enormous red mosaic cross that served as the landing pad atop the hospital. She touched down on the red stone to find the vermillion moss covered most of it, as it had in the Diamond Dog territories. She shook it off her hooves, and headed down the stairs. Dr. Castor stood in the middle of the clinic; He was ordering around ponies like some mad orchestra director. Many of the ponies here were emaciated, and closer resembled the walking dead than a healthy populace. The red moss began to creep along the edges of the walls, and ponies. Dr Castor spotted the turquoise pegasus coming in from the landing pad, and ran to her. “What are you doin’ ‘ere?” he demanded. “You think you’d have the good sense to go home after yah nearly died. Trust me when I say Luna’s not stingy with the miracles, but you’re pushin’ your luck.” “What happened here?” asked Medley, staring at the scene in shock. “That damned red moss is what happened,” said Dr. Castor. “All those ponies from the caves? They brought it back with them, and it’s spreadin’ like wildfire.” He looked at Medley for a moment, and then tossed a surgical mask at her. “I don’t even wanna think about how this moss would affect your baby. Get out of town while you can.” “I need to give you something,” said Medley. “What, your undying gratitude?” asked Dr. Castor as he set up another vaporizer. “Luna did all the work, love. Send some thanks her way. Poor gal really doesn’t get the respect she deserves.” “No,” said Medley. She pulled the emerald collar from her saddlebag. “I need you to give this to Pokey.” The emerald shimmered in the hospital lights, then flared an explosive green. The room filled with the light and bathed the ponies in its warm emerald sheen. For a moment, the world went green as the emerald pulsed lights into the clinic. One of the ponies whinnied in terror as the light pulsed, then flickered away. The room went silent, as every pony in the room felt the weight of the sickness lifted. Dr. Castor looked at the emerald with utter confusion. “What the duece was that?” he demanded. The moss in the corners of the room had shriveled into black husks, and then crumbled into dust. Ponies scarcely able to breathe before found their lungs cleared, and the color returning to their coats. “I... have no idea,” said Medley. “Is that what these things are for?” “Love, I dunno where you got that rock,” said Dr. Castor. “But you may have just saved Bridleburg.” ... Once again the ponies found themselves on a train, this time headed north to Bridleburg. The train clacked along the rails. It was louder now that the spreading moss was no longer muffling the sounds of the tracks. “You think that rain storm is really going to fix the problem?” asked Pokey. “I’m guessing not,” said Cheerilee. “Remember all the moss in the Diamond Dog Territories?” “It does rain there more frequently,” said Pokey. “But I get the impression that water doesn’t kill the moss, it just inactivates it for a while.” “I think you’re right,” said Cheerilee. “According to most texts, after the great flood cleansed the lands, there was a tri-colored rainbow that graced the sky.” She fished the Diamond from her pack, and set it on the table. “Diamonds don’t produce that sort of light, but they can refract, reflect, or focus it.” “Here’s the better question,” said Pokey. “If these stones are meant to kill the moss, why hasn’t it been dying around us?” “I’m not really sure,” said Cheerilee. “I’m guessing it’s because they’re supposed to work together. But if they’re supposed to cleanse the entire world, they should have some power by themselves, right?” She looked at the diamond again. “Unless...” She held the diamond to the sun light, and angled it at the table. The diamond absorbed the sunlight, and amplified it’s brilliance till neither pony could stand to look at it. The diamond focused the amplified sunlight into a pinpoint of heat. The table burst into flames before Cheerilee could put the diamond away. “The diamond is a focus,” said Pokey as he pounded out the fire. He pushed open the train window with a wave of his horn. “It doesn’t do anything on its own, which means we need all of them to really fix the problem.” Cheerilee pondered as the smoke ventilated from the windows. “Hey, this is a no smoking car!” yelled a voice from the hall. “Sorry!” Cheerilee yelled back. She turned back to Pokey; waving a hoof, and coughing. “We should be writing all this down so in a few thousand years some other band of ponies won’t have to figure this out,” she said. “You’re going to have to do that,” said Pokey. “I can barely read.” Cheerilee looked surprised. “Really?” asked Cheerilee. “It’s not really something I worried about in my youth,” admitted Pokey. “Trixie and Jenny always did the reading and thinking for us.” He looked out the window as he watched the town of Appleloosa become a dot in the distance. “I kind of wish they were here.” “I’m not a good enough traveling companion?” smirked Cheerilee. “It’s not that,” he said. “I just miss my sisters.” Cheerilee looked at back Pokey with doubt. “War Jenny is your sister?” she asked. Pokey shot a confused look at the pony. “Not literally, no, she’s not even a pony,” said Pokey. “Didn’t anyone ever explain the birds and the bees to you?” he joked. “I mean, you’ve been around a while. I’m sure you’ve figured out where foals come from; especially since you managed to not have one of your own.” Cheerilee’s persistent smile shattered at the callous remark. Her eyes filled with tears as she ran sobbing from the train car. Pokey stood stunned for a moment. What had just happened? The train had found its way into Bridleburg before Pokey even caught glimpse of Cheerilee again. She said that she was going to get a hotel, and that Pokey could find his own accommodations. Pokey walked through the streets; the light of the near full moon filled the sky with its pale beauty. He trotted toward the clinic, hoping that Dr. Castor would lend him a room for the evening. By the most fortunate of circumstances, Pokey ran into Dr. Castor as he was escorting a turquoise pegasus out of the clinic. Her was flank boldly marked with a raining cloud. She looked up to see Pokey staring in total confusion. “Hi!” she said happily. “What in the name of Luna are you doing here?” he demanded “I thought I put you on the train back to Ponyville.” “I got off,” Medley said with a smile. She danced up to Pokey and gave him an enormous hug. “I told War Jenny that I would tell you that she did an excellent job trying to keep me on the train.” She stepped back, still grinning. “She didn’t actually though, or I wouldn’t be here.” Pokey face-hoofed so hard he thought he might break his nose again. “My goddess, Medley,” he said. “I put you on that damn train because you’re...” “Pregnant?” she asked. “Yeah, I figured that out already. Thanks for telling me, by the way,” she said sarcastically. Medley looked around a moment. “So where is every pony?” asked Medley. Pokey ignored her question. “Why aren’t you in Ponyville?” he asked. “Because I was getting the emerald,” said Medley. She dug the emerald from her pack, and presented the gemstone in her teeth. The acorn sized stone pulsed green, filling the street with its emerald light. “And I figured out what we’re supposed to do with them.” “Use it to destroy the Blight so Celestia doesn’t have to flood the world again?” said Pokey. Medley frowned; so much for the thrill of being smart. She stuffed the emerald collar back into her bag. “What’s this about a flood now?” asked Dr. Castor. “Flood mythology, Doc,” replied Pokey. “The Time of Cleansing to us, anyway.” “Right then,” said Dr. Castor. “If that’s what you’re tryin’ to prevent, then don’t let me get your way.” He looked to Medley, then back at Pokey. “Do send this young lady home though, would yah?” “Believe me,” said Pokey. “I’ve tried.” “Where is every pony?” asked Medley again. “I’ll let Cheerilee explain,” said Pokey. “She’s at the hotel.” “Well if she’s there, then what are you doing here?” asked Medley. “I think I upset her,” said Pokey. “I made a crack about her not having any kids and...” “You did what?” barked Medley. “You inconsiderate ass! How could you?” “How could I what?” asked Pokey. “I thought we were at the point in our friendship where we could joke around a bit, but apparently not.” “She can’t have foals, you idiot,” growled Medley. Pokey grimaced. The weight of his sheer stupidity crushed him like a piano from the sky. He face hoofed again. “I gotta go get some flowers,” said Pokey. “I’ll meet you back at the hotel.” Cheerilee stood in her hotel room listening to the radio. The walls were decorated with a light pink floral wallpaper, and the same cheap art she’d come to expect from Equestria’s hotel industry. A sad song came in over the airwaves, making her feel even worse. She felt foolish for having snapped at Pokey, but he was so absolutely callous that she couldn’t help herself. The knock on Cheerilee’s door was unexpected. If it was Pokey, she’d vowed to punch him in the face. She took a deep breath and opened the door to find Pokey with a bouquet of flowers, and somber frown. “I’m sorry,” he apologized. “I had no idea. I shouldn’t have even joked about it, and I’m sorry. I’m a horrible pony.” Cheerilee stared at the flowers, then back at Pokey. She sighed, affixing a small smile. “You’re forgiven,” she said. “I shouldn’t have been so sensitive. I’m too old to be starting a family anyway. It just caught me by surprise, that’s all.” The door opened wider to reveal Medley, standing beside Pokey with a cart of food. She stared in disbelief for a moment. “Didn’t we put you on a train?” she asked.