The chariot station was near the very edge of the plateau the city of Canterlot was built on. Outside the city walls the side of the mountain stared dropping slowly first, then it quickly became a dead-drop of hundreds of feet. The only road carved in the hillside leading down was just safe enough for a pony-pulled cart and was constantly watched by guards, although not from the royal circles. The unfortunate troops who ended up out there didn’t have the training or discipline of the royal pegasi of the downtown area and were willing to close their eyes for a few seconds when given a hefty pouch. At least that was the genera assumption.
Silver nudged Coal who almost stopped gazing at the pair of familiarly brown earth ponies in strangely neat armor strolling by. They barely gave him a glance as they walked lazily, the metal of their armor reflecting the sunlight. As they passed several other pedestrians looked after them as well then snapped their gazes away. Coal turned forward and picked up his pace to catch up with Silver.
When they had first saw a guard Silver pulled Coal into the shadows but the two guards ignored them completely. The second time Silver let the ponies walk past them and got similar results. Since then, he was leading Coal through the streets just as fast as before, slipping between walls and pedestrians with practiced ease. Occasionally he corrected their route but their general direction remained west. Coal wanted to ask things from the unicorn but he dictated a pace too fast for conversation and the whole atmosphere of this part of the city told Coal to remain silent until they reached a safe place, whatever that might be. He guessed the chariot station they were headed for was not one.
The building which housed the station could have used a good makeover, but it at least matched the rest of the buildings around in means of maintenance. It looked nothing like the one they escaped from an hour or so ago, and the shady looking figures negotiating with each other didn’t help Coal to trust the place. He tugged at Silver’s tail.
“Is this the place you wanted to come?” He didn’t realize he was whispering until he finished speaking. The unicorn raised an eyebrow.
“Don’t you like it?” He made no effort keeping his voice low. “You gotta get used to places like these if you plan to leave the big city. Not everything in Equestria is shiny clean.”
Coal looked behind the unicorn as a pegasus stallion raised his voice to another who in turn tried to punch him. The first fluttered out from reach effortlessly and left with a growl, leaving the other cursing. “I leave the talking to you,” Coal told Silver.
Silver’s smile was just a little tense. “Don’t worry. I don’t plan staying here longer than necessary.” He started to move but looked back one more time. “Stop ogling them. They will think you want their good luck charms or to make trouble or something. Keep an eye open in case someone tries to get behind us, but don’t provoke anyone. And give me your pouch.”
Coal hesitated, but a stern look from the unicorn convinced him to do as asked. He followed Silver to a desk with small labels on it, bearing names of places with surprisingly low prices. Silver leaned against the desk with practiced causality, but pushed himself away just after a few exchanged words that were too low for Coal to make out. He motioned the earth pony to follow him then moved to the next desk.
While waiting, Coal took a careful look around and the rough looking stallions and mares were indeed carrying small gemstones embedded in their belts or vowed in vests and other clothing. It reminded Coal that they were still in Canterlot, whose citizens often thought they were above the ponies of the rest of the country, yet believed in all kinds of superstitions.
That reminded him to the words he had said to Starry, to come and see Coal in the perimeter chariot station. He had told her that they will be there but seeing the place, he started wishing the filly wasn’t going to show up. He will have to find another way to see her.
At the third table Silver finally spotted a good deal, apparently, because Coal’s pouch landed on the table then returned to Silver’s pocket noticeably thinner. Coal followed the unicorn and a dirty earth pony through the big building’s ground floor. Coal gulped as he looked around in the gloomy interior, busy with ponies all over the place. The other side was a wide open area with benches, shelves and barrels forming big rows that were occupied by chariots of various sizes and other wheeled contraptions. Their ride led Silver and Coal to a small two-wheeled cart, very similar to what they visited Ponyville with, except this one didn’t have a roof or padded seats. It seemed to be in good enough condition, even though it obviously wasn’t made the day before.
“This here is my darling,” the puller pony said in a voice Coal totally expected from him. “Been even to the Badlands with her, though I had to change a few part after that.” He tapped on the side panel which looked less worn than the rest. “It will get you to the bottom with no problem.”
“Excellent,” Silver said. “We’re ready when you are, Roug.”
“Hop on then,” the pony showed a chipped-toothed grin. “Gonna grab a bottle then off we go.” He trotted away to where a pony was packing bottles of dark liquid from a chariot.
Silver probed the cart then climbed up and looked down on Coal. “Come on. This is as good as it gets. At least for this price.”
Coal let Silver take is bag then climbed up next to him. The cart didn’t seem to have any sort of springs connecting the wheels to the body of the cart. This was going to be a rocky ride.
“How much did we pay for this?” He asked the unicorn, as the puller pony returned with a bottle in one pocket. He took a swig then began putting the harness on. “I’m gonna need the fuel.” He grinned back at them. “The hills are rocky this season.”
Silver met Coal’s eyes and smirked. “Funny fella, aint’ he? But to answer your question, I paid two hundred for him to get us to the bottom, where we will have a connection to… the next town, hopefully.”
Coal gaped. “Two hundred? We could get our own cart for that!”
Roug, who just finished with the straps looked back. “And who’s gonna pull it? You?”
“Maybe, yes.” Coal said, desperate at the loss of his hard-earned money. “This is ridiculous. Even the train would’ve been better.”
Silver shook his head dismissively. “Either we pay or we hoof it through the canyon and probably get lost or fall off a cliff, and we’d discussed the train already. We’ll find a way to get more money, I promise.”
After their puller pony exchanged some words with others they pulled out of the rows of barrels and headed for the gates in the city wall. After a short while several other chariots joined them, most of them carrying cargo, some of them ponies. They slowly formed into two rows, as if being one big caravan. Upon reaching the gates they stopped while the guards talked with the first two ponies in the rows then stepped aside, letting the whole bunch go. As their cart passed them Coal saw the guards inspecting a pouch which shone suspiciously. He shook his head in disbelief then leaned back in the hard seat and pulled his bag closer to himself.
The road twisted around a boulder which blocked the sight from the gate then split into three different paths, two continuing ahead and one to the left, towards the edge of the mountain and down. Their cart took the third route along with three others while the rest went on the way back around Canterlot. Coal could get only one glimpse of the distant towers of the royal castle before his view was blocked completely. They successfully left Canterlot. Now they had to find the rest of their way to Cloud Cover, then Ponyville, then… Whatever faith had planned for them.
***
Coal watched Silver’s radiant blue main flapping in the wind as their cart made good pace along the narrow path leading downwards, having left the others behind. The unicorn’s face reflected serious determination. Inside that head were probably answers to a lot of things Coal didn’t understand but was sure Silver did, but when Coal had made an effort the unicorn had revealed only part of it then steered the subject elsewhere. Coal still didn’t know why the unicorn left the station and insisted on Coal to follow him and hide from the guards, who showed no sign of realizing who Coal was. They apparently wanted to get Silver only. What Silver had sad to him in the restaurant still haunted him but the shock value was starting to wear off. His doubts returned as soon as he had time to think, and he couldn’t leave the idea alone. This was starting to feel a lot like Silver’s story in which Coal was a mere sidekick.
Silver noticed the other’s eyes on him and his mouth pulled into a smirk. “What’s on your mind, Coal?”
The earth pony turned his eyes forward. “Nothing in particular…”
Silver shifted in his seat so he was half-turned to Coal. “Come on. Nothing what happened today made an impression on you?”
Coal met the other’s eyes. “Well, there were some things…”
“Like what?”
Coal hesitated a few seconds. “Like when the guards started chasing us and you disappeared, and…” He wasn’t sure how to word his thoughts, but the unicorn understood the pause.
“Yeah, I’m sorry I scared you there. I had to improvise and I didn’t have time to fill you in. I teleported behind the guards and prodded them with a spell, so they would go after me. I know the layout of the building quite well and I was sure I could outmaneuver them or fight them if I had to, which I did, but it was over quickly. Then I went to look for you, sneaked up to your guard, and almost missed because the others started moving above. I figured it was time for boldness and blasted through the wall to get you out as quickly as I could. I was hoping they would stop for the knocked-out fellow and I think I was right, since nobody bothered us since.”
Coal nodded. “Thanks, I really did think you left me for a moment. I was a little scared back there. And there was a thing with the guard that found me.”
“What was it? Did he hurt you?”
“No, he just, uhm… asked things. About you. And nothing about me.” He looked at the unicorn. “He said nothing about me, or the library, or books, or anything. He acted like I was only a random pony associated with Silver Beam, nothing more.”
“And that’s a bad thing?”
Coal let the comment slide. “He asked why I was running from them, then he asked if I knew you and to other ponies who I’ve never heard about. And he said their names like… Like reading them from a wanted poster. Now, I’m not so surprised yours was among them, but I still don’t understand why I wasn’t on that list. Not that I want to be, but…” He trailed off again.
The unicorn was silent for a moment. “I don’t know the answer to that, I’m afraid. I can only assume he didn’t know who you were supposed to be because they just arrived from a field trip, escorting that chariot. If they could have taken you back to the guard station they’d have discovered your identity for sure.” He smiled. “Don’t worry, what we plan to do will put you in that list soon enough.”
“Let’s hope it won’t come to that.”
“It won’t?” Silver arched an eyebrow. “Do you realize that we want to…” He glanced at the puller pony’s ears and lowered his voice, even though it was unlikely the pony would be able to understand their word over the noise of the wheels. “…we want to break into a restricted area, right in front of the noses of an investigation team working on the station? Do you think that’s not gonna stir up any mud in the water?”
“If you put it like that…” Coal really didn’t think about it that way. The idea still felt too unreal. “I assume that would do the trick.”
Silver shook his head. “If you commit yourself to break the law, you can’t jump out in the middle. You must see it through and in the end, you might just come out as the good guy.”
Coal smirked. “That sounds a lot like experience.”
Silver grinned. “Because it is.” He enjoyed Coal’s reaction for a minute. “Was there anything else on your mind?”
“Well…” Coal recovered from the answer from the unicorn which, in hindsight, he knew he should have expected. “I still don’t understand why you came after me and how did you find me in Canterlot. I never told you where I lived.”
Silver waved a hoof. “Simple. I knew you were into books and stuff and I started at the heaven for those kind of ponies, the biggest library in Canterlot. I asked around and some of them there remembered you. One of the librarians even offered to tell you about me the next time you came around, but I declined her offer. I wanted so surprise you, but in the end, it didn’t play out the way I wanted. I needed to get you out of there sooner than expected and not bring suspicion over myself. And for the why, it’s because I‘d told you I wanted to come, back at the station. It’s sort of meshes what I wanted to do anyway, and your little mystery intrigued me. Does that satisfy you?”
That was still a little vague, but it was going to have to do. Coal nodded and looked back over his shoulder, where the towers of the city should have been able to be seen, if they weren’t obstructed by the mountain’s side. He was sorry Starry didn’t make it to the place before they left, but thinking back what he had said to her, it would have to be a miracle if she did so. There must have been dozens of perimeter chariot stations in Canterlot, and the one they used was probably not high on the list she was happy to visit. But blind luck had brought them back together once. Maybe it would do so again.
Silver’s words echoed in his mind and he turned back. “What do you want to do?”
“With what?”
“You said our goals mesh. What are yours?”
“Oh…” Silver hesitated. “I just want to get back at the ponies who conspirated against me and to do so, I need evidence, which I hope a friend of mine will be able to provide. Once I clear my name I can get on with my life, as usual. In the meantime, I want to enjoy your company and see the resolution of the mystery of the storages. They’re connected to my career in a way.”
“How so?”
The unicorn shrugged. “They can make life so much easier once you learn how to use them, and I did.”
“Do you mean those things that killed hundreds of ponies?”
“Er… Kind of. Not exactly. That happened long ago, and we have come a long way in terms of safety since then. What you saw at the station was a rare exception, and even that was caused by tinkering. If the government would be willing to give the storages another shot we could come out with the improved ones and show them it’s not a lost cause.”
“They’d have to admit that they were wrong, though.”
“Happens more often that you think, but you’re right. Legalizing the storages again would be a major announcement with mostly unforeseeable consequences. I don’t believe they don’t know the quarter of companies still use them under the rug and I bet some of them are in Canterlot, too. Coming out would be admitting they knew but didn’t do anything about it. Can you see any of the Princesses doing that?”
Coal shook his head. “No, not really, though I’m not into current politics.”
“You realize they’ve been ruling for a while now, right?”
Coal blushed. “Yes… But that’s not the same. You have to see the whole picture, not only two ponies. Or one, considering a rather big timeframe. They always acted in light of the world’s current state. Something common today would have been impossible two hundred years ago.”
Silver nodded. “By that logic, do you see a chance for my cause?”
“The storages? Not in our lifetime. These things need time. Except…”
Silver raised an eyebrow. “Except what?”
Coal shuddered. “War. It always rewrites everything.”
“Oh. Right.”
They sat in relative silence, listening to the rattling of the ride, until Silver spoke again.
“Any other way?”
Coal shrugged, picking up the dropped trail of the conversation. “An internal force in the government itself can do powerful things. Princess Luna’s banishment wasn’t without consequences, though it wasn’t a hundred percent an internal conflict. Do you see what I mean? You’d have to start the change from inside.”
Silver stretched his front legs before him. “All right, then. When do we start?”
Coal blinked. “Start what?”
“Overthrowing the princesses, of course!” Silver grinned and nudged the earth pony in the side. “I’ll keep you as an advisor. We sneak in, earn their trust then push them off their thrones. Would you like a room in the castle facing west or east?”
“South, please,” Coal smiled. “As in the whole plan would go south, if you tried.”
Silver grinned. “That’s the spirit! I knew you still had your humor bone.”
Coal nodded and watched the cliff side rolling by as they continues their way towards the bottom. It was weird how fast Silver was changing the mood of their conversations.
They rode without a word for some time, Coal watching the scenery as much as it was and Silver inspecting his hooves, his seat and the wood of the side panel. He probably wasn’t one to sit in one place for hours. After an hour or so he turned to Coal.
“Do you need to get off for a minute?”
Coal fidgeted in the hard seat. "Now you mention it, a break would be nice."
"Okay, then." Silver leaned forward to address the puller pony. "Would you mind stopping for a minute?"
The cart immediately slowed down then halted next to a pile of rocks. Silver jumped off the seat and disappeared behind some bushes.
Roug detached himself from the harness. "That's not a bad idea, mate," he mumbled as he stretched his legs. "Are you having a pleasant ride?" he asked Coal who stepped on the ground too.
"It's all right..."
Roug pulled the flask out again and after taking a sip he motioned wit it to Coal. "Care for a taste?"
Coal sniffed at the content and grimaced. "No, thanks. I'm good."
The puller pony shook his head. “You’re missing out on first class stuff.” He looked at Silver who just emerged from his puddle-making business. “Do you want some?”
Silver took hold of the flask and held it to his nose then to his mouth. “Not bad,” he said with a grimace and floated it back. “Did you try it, Coal?”
“No, I didn’t. I think it’s too dense for me.”
Roug winked at the unicorn. “You gotta train the kid, mate.” He pocketed the drink and trotted toward Silver’s bush. “Just a second.”
“Take your time,” Silver said then as soon as the pony was out of sight he went to the cart and waved his horn over the cart. Coal stepped closer, curious. “What are you doing?”
“Working on getting a compensation,” Silver said as he scanned the small chariot with his magic. “I’m certain he has something valuable stuffed in somewhere.”
“Valuable? What do you mean?”
Silver squinted as he concentrated. “You should have tried the drink. It wasn’t as bad as it smelled. Oh, that’s it…” He ended the spell and crouched down to peer under the bottom. Coal looked at Roug’s shadow which was stationary for the moment and took another step closer to Silver. “Silver, what are you doing? What if he sees you? What are you even trying to do?”
“He probably hid it in here somewhere… Wait… Yes.” Silver quickly stood up, smiling, offering no explanation.
Roug returned. “Hop on, fellas,” he said as he looked them over then reattached the harness. “The trip’s not over yet.”
They were on the move short after and Coal used the noise to hide his words from Roug while he leaned close to the unicorn. “What are you up to?”
Silver pointed at the puller pony. “Do you remember how much we paid for this trip?”
“Two hundred,” Coal frowned. “If you ask me-“
Silver held up a hoof. “What do you think it’s really worth?”
Coal shrugged. “A lot less, I assume.”
“That’s right. And that’s what I meant by compensation.”
“The stuff under the… “Coal gasped softly. “Do you want to rob him? Take his good luck charms?”
Silver winked and his horn flared with magic. “We’re gonna be even. Just don’t tell him.”
Coal furrowed his brow. “You want to steal from a stranger because you didn’t like his price.”
“He robbed us first," Silver said. “I’m just doing it more covertly.”
Coal watched with mixed emotions as a small wooden box floated between them from the back. Inside there were a few gemstones, bracelets and necklaces, each in its velvet nest. Quite a little fortune, from the looks of it. Silver choose a bracelet and few gems and returned the box to where it came from.
“Just like that?” Coal whispered then repeated it louder when the other didn’t react.
“Why, what did you expect? I don’t want to wait until he looks back at us and sees his treasure sitting in our lap. It’s bad enough you resisted the drink he offered. It was a way to see if he can trust you.”
“It was? I thought he was just being polite.”
“It’s a trick to spot inexperienced people. Make them do something unpleasant under the cover of courtesy and if they resist, as they would be expected to do, you know they can’t be trusted too much and can also be tricked into paying more. Remember it next time, when you found yourself in a similar situation.”
“Huh.” The complex system of dealing with stranger just got even more complicated. “Thanks for that.”
“No problem.“ Silver leaned forward. “I hope you don’t mind…” He put the stolen item into Coal’s saddlebags. The earth pony opened his mouth to protest, but thought better of it. He won’t be able to convince Silver to undo the theft and he couldn’t tell the puller pony about it either, unless he wanted to anger Silver and bring more trouble on their heads, so he held back the complaints. It was logical, to a degree, but was still wrong.
Silver apparently saw his doubts appear on his face because he leaned closer. “Look, we’re going to need all the money we can get. I understand your concerns but trust me on this sort of things. I didn’t take all of it and I didn’t do it because I’m greedy, but because without money we won't get far. He won’t notice what happened before we’re far away and he won’t have anything to pin it on us.”
“But why didn’t you just take some bits? That way we can leave his personal things alone.”
Silver shook his head. “It’s not that easy. He keeps every coin close to him for that exact reason. I can’t get to them without alerting him, and that would result in he leaving us out here and probably more notoriety on our heads which we really don’t need right now.” He held a hoof to his chin, thinking. “Think about it this way. How, do you think, did he get those bracelets and gems in the first place? He either stole them or bought them with money he took from passengers he smuggled out of Canterlot.”
“You can’t know that,” Coal protested, though only half-heartedly. He felt convinced this was the best course of action, given the circumstances, but Silver seemed in the roll and Coal was curious what else the unicorn had in his pouch of reasons.
“You’re right," Silver said, “I can’t know for sure, but does it make a difference? Besides, we don’t want to spend the money for selfish reasons... Or not entirely selfish reasons. Solving this problem would be beneficial for everybody involved.”
Coal nodded and lifted his gaze to the side of the mountain. He didn’t even consider the long-term effects. What Silver said hang on a single hair but it was a probability. He turned to the unicorn. “Aren’t you afraid he’ll discover the missing gems before we arrive?”
Silver grinned broadly in his triumph. “Good thinking, but you don’t need to worry. He’ll leave them alone during the trip. Checking on them supposedly disturbs their powers.”
“What a comfortable coincidence.”
Silver shrugged. “They’re no fools, but no geniuses either. He will probably make comments on them to see how we react, especially you. You’ll need to keep your cool. If he decides to open the box, we’re in trouble.”
“We can run.”
“Getting cocky? Yes, we can run, but word travels fast. I want to stay low if I can help it. Within reason, of course.”
They cornered a giant boulder and the midday sun light up the way they were about to continue descending. Roug stopped to get a few deep breaths, looking back on his passengers with a grin that made Coal shiver. The pony actually looked forward to the slope stretching before them.
“You’ll want to hold on to your hooves. We’ll stop a lot to let the brakes cool down, but they weren’t made yesterday and don’t grip so good, so it’s up to my ol’ kickers to do the job and the cart tends to sway a lot when that happens. Don’t lean over, don’t stand in your seats, and don’t vomit on each other.” He kicked a lever and something clicked beneath Coal. He looked at Silver.
“He uses brakes to counter our momentum while going downhill, I think," the unicorn offered. They started rolling, and Coal gulped at the number of curves along the way.
“That’s right,” the puller pony called back. “It’s like what the train uses on the other side, only smaller. Don’t worry if you smell something burning, it’s just the leather parts. I can swap those out in a jiffy.” They started on the slope and Coal heard a sound, like when one pushes a drawer across a wooden floor, but the brakes did seem to work. Their speed increased compared to the previous parts of the road, but Roug held the cart in the right direction.
They passed several corners where Coal was sure they would slip off the rather narrow road but the pony who made a living of doing this very think knew what he was doing. When they stopped for a few seconds he could smell the burned leather of the overheated brakes but Roug insisted keeping them as long as they could. He didn’t change his mind even when they crossed a hillside with long scratches in its site, pointing forward and down, evidence of a chariot not making it. Coal shivered as he thought of the fate of the ponies onboard and gripped the edge of the seat tighter, as if that’d make a difference if Roug miscalculated their speed. Even Silver looked on edge.
Finally, they reached a wide area where the ground was relatively flat with small buildings standing in a row. Two other groups were resting and chatting with one another as the puller ponies worked on the carts.
Roug pulled over and skidded to a halt, at a good distance from the others. “Stretch your legs, lads, we’re taking a break. Quite literally.” He chuckled and released himself from the harness. “My old straps need some changin’.”
Coal gladly left his seat of torture, flinging his bags across his back. His whole body ached from the rocky ride, especially his flanks but his legs weren’t spared either, having had holding onto the seat in order not to fall off. He took a look around while Silver hopped off on the other side and watching Roug as he opened a compartment built in the back of the cart. He pulled out some tools and a rolled up something, which Coal guessed was the spare leather. Silver watched intently, focused on how the system worked. Further away one of the chariot finished and the ponies were loading up, laughing and talking all the way, like the journey the were about to continue on was merely a tourist route. The pulled out and the sun reflected from the big metal springs underneath. Coal grunted. He wished for something like that on their ride.
He turned to look at the small buildings in a row. They seemed barely big enough to hold one pony in sitting position, probably while taking a…
“They’re outhouses,” a voice said behind him. Coal turned to see a pony from the other group. The stallion flicked his hat and pointed at the facilities. “Get it? Because they’re houses out here?”
Coal blinked. Somebody grunted in pain.
“All right, I get it. Not my best one. Hey, where’re you headed on that piece of crap? You’re gonna crash if you’re not careful.”
Coal looked at Roug, who merely shrugged. “Better that being an asshat and telling bad jokes. At least by clients won’t be brain-dead at the end of the road.”
The pony grimaced and adjusted his hat. “Yeah, because that’s better than dead clients who can’t pay.” He strolled over to their cart. “I bet it eats up straps like candy.”
“It ain’t, trust me,” Roug said. “I packed up with luck yesterday. Wanna see?”
Silver and Coal exchanged a look.
The pony with the hat turned up his nose. “Oh yeah? I dare you to open that box.”
“You first,” Roug said with a small smile. Maybe he even enjoyed the argument. “I bet you need a whole other wagon to carry them, ‘cause a small box won’t be enough to keep you safe.”
The pony grinded his teeth. “You watch your back on the way down.”
“Why? ‘Cause you want me to see as you crash spectacularly behind me?”
Coal chuckled and received a murderous look from the hat pony who scowled and trotted back to his cart. Roug shook his head and went back to work.
“I was afraid you will show him your charms,” Silver said cautiously.
“I’m not an idiot,” the puller pony said. “That prick wasn’t worth it.”
“How do they work, though? I saw them in Canterlot, but never heard what they do exactly.” Silver winked at Coal, who stared at him in return. Who was the one who said not to spook the pony?
“It goes like this,” Roug said, kicking a latch closed behind the wheel then stood up. “You pay for an enchanter to choose a proper combination for you then locks them in a box. You’re supposed to carry the box without peeking into it to where you want to go and back, and the magic stored in the combination helps you stay on the right road. Open it, and the magic flies away and you have to pay a fee if you want to enchant them again.”
“Really? That’s fascinating.” Silver smiled, looking a bit awkward. “I didn’t know you take it that seriously in Canterlot.”
“I’m not from Canterlot,” Roug said, popping the tools back into their places. He walked to the front of the cart and shot a glance towards the other group. “I was born elsewhere. Now hop on, I don’t want to get stuck behind that idiot.”
The pony with the hat scowled at them as they left the plateau and continues down on the road.
***
“…and that’s two hundred. It was my pleasure, gentlecolts. Remember me next time you’re in the need of a ride in or out!”
“Will do,” Silver assured Roug, who saluted them and disappeared into a service building with the pouch of money in his mouth. Coal and Silver turned and left the muddy area where carts were parked, having arrived or ready to depart to one of the numerous destinations across Equestria, including the western city gate on the top of the steep path. The three of them made the trip without significant problems, not counting a near slip on an unexpected stream of water across the road which turned the hillside into a muddy slide and a pair of diamond dogs hiking in the distance. The savage animals didn’t pay much attention to them, though Roug picked up his pace until they were out of sight. As he explained, numerous incidents were reported where carts and ponies were attacked by dogs on the slopes where the dogs had a clear advantage in their ability to climb on steep cliffs, even with heavy backpacks. Coal made extra sure the glimmer of his necklace didn’t show in his bags, even though it was safely wrapped in a towel and hadn’t seen sunlight since they left Coal’s apartment.
The small settlement at the base of the mountain included a building in which clients and haulers made deals, a place where broken chariots were being repaired and a diner where the travelers could get drinks for a price that made Coal make a double take. Nothing that cheap could be any good not to mention healthy. He wanted to get something fresh while they were unmoving and Silver let him take a look at the menu displayed on the outer wall of the bar. The earth pony was then assured they would get proper food once they reached Cloud Cover and made the deal with Silver’s associate.
“Will the town have a place where you can… dispose of your loot?”
Silver nodded. “I already know who I will turn to with that problem. It’ll be no trouble. But for now…” He quickly steep out of a way of a speeding cart. “We have to decide how we’re getting there. I suppose it’s not that far, so the cheapest option would be hoofing it.”
“That doesn’t sound too fast, though.”
“I agree, but with limited budget, I’m afraid we can’t afford too much by means of transportation. I’m sure I can get proper money for the gems but until then, I don’t want to spend if we don’t have to.”
“All right…” Coal followed the unicorn who crossed the street to the dealing building. “But you still gave Roug two hundred for that trip.”
“That’s because we didn’t have a choice there. We needed someone with the proper knowledge and experience in order to make the trip safely, and that costs money, but now, we can walk the rest of the way. After Cloud Cover, though, it’s paying again.”
“Are you sure the roads are safe for walking, though? I mean, there were diamond dogs on the way to Ponyville…”
Silver frowned, much to Coal’s dismay. “I’m not entirely positive, but a diamond dog is lesser a problem than getting lost or falling off a cliff, I’d say.” They reached the door of the main building, which was held open by a rock and Coal could see several dozen ponies inside. “Let me see if there’s something we can learn about the dangers in there. Follow me.”
The damp air made Coal frown. The building only had the front door and one window open, making the place both in need of fresh air and proper lighting. Silver hesitated a little before making his way to a booth.
“Hi,” he said to the mare behind it who would have been smiling, were they in Canterlot. “Can you recommend somebody who can tell us about the diamond dog situation around here?”
“He’s having dinner,“ the mare said. Her voice was tired. “Wait until he comes back. Booth nine.”
“Thanks,” Silver dropped a coin which the mare snatched up immediately and turned to Coal who stood awkwardly as ponies swirled around him. “Let’s try another one.”
“All right,” Coal muttered and fell behind. Silver visited two more booths before steering Coal out the door. He didn’t seem particularly satisfied.
“Three bits and nothing. Does no one want to earn money?”
“Why did you give each of them one?” Coal said. “They didn’t ask for it.”
“It’s customary. Everybody does it.” He held a hoof to his chin then lowered it after getting mud on his white coat. “At least we know there is something with the diamond dogs. None of the ponies I talked to asked what I meant by their presence.”
“That’s not a good thing, I take it. So, we’re getting a ride again?”
Silver frowned. “Seems like it... Okay, let’s go. There must be someone here who can help us.”
Turned out there was. Silver spent several minutes sitting and talking with a bulky pegasus, who was eating an enormous plate of fried hay, talking quietly to the intently listening Silver in the restaurant building. Coal was sitting across the table yet he had trouble understating their words in the ambient noise. His attention wandered to other customers, most of them travelers in groups but there was two or three who sat alone, each with their backs to the wall. They snatched away their gaze when meeting Coal’s and he tried to make out the faded poster on the wall across them instead. It has obviously been there for years and the dust and steam from deep fried food made the picture and the words difficult to make out in the dim lighting. He thought he could read words like “your” and “assistant” above the form of something big, but a word hit his ears and he turned back to Silver and the pegasus.
“…not just diamonds,” the pegasus was saying. “If they sniff you out, they will rip you apart to get to the stuff."
Silver said something illegible, to which the pegasus grunted. "That's right. As soon as you can." He took a mouthful of fries, and his words were lost to Coal. Silver looked troubled.
"All right," the unicorn said, looking at Coal. "Coal, could you check if they had burgers?" His eyes showed concern. "Get one too, if you want to."
Coal frowned, but got the message. He stood up and started walking to the counter, actually curious what food was served in a place like this. When he took a few steps his talent snatched his gaze to the side, at the old poster he noticed earlier. He mumbled an apology as he slipped between two desks to get a closer look, Silver and his companion momentarily forgotten.
The old image shoved a tall, box-like thing with a grinning unicorn mare standing beside it in an elegant dress, almost half the size of the box, presenting the thing to the public. The stylized text wrapped around the image and though heavily faded, he could now read it: "Your number one assistant!" There were smaller letters at the bottom but it was so dirty and torn Coal was unable to make sense of them. He looked closer at the object in the center. Though different in appearance, it reminded him of drawings and photographs of a similar device. Come to think of it, he had managed to get a look on some old advertisements in the Canterlot Library, even if they were much simpler than this one. It wasn’t even that long ago, maybe several weeks...? He saw a connection between the storages and Ponyville and that was his reason to go there. His attention was then steered elsewhere, but he never forgot what drove him to dig into the subject in the first place. His talent still reacted to the image before him, so apparently he was still on the same path. Maybe Twilight Sparkle was in the center of all this and he just had to find his way to her, if she was even still alive. But alicorns couldn’t die, could they?
"Can I help you?"
Coal jumped and spun around to see a wide-eyed waiter. The filly took a step back, nearly knocking the tray she was levitating into another guest's head in the process.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you..."
Coal waved a hoof, looking back at th poster for a second. "It's all right. I was lost in thought there."
"Okay, then. I, uhm, saw you standing there, just staring at that thing. I didn't mean to disturb you, I just didn't know..."
Coal smiled at the sweet filly. "It's okay, really. By the way..." He looked at the poster again. "Do you know what does this image is about?”
The waiter raised an eyebrow, uncertain. "That old thing? I have no idea. It's been here long before I got here. So, if everything’s all right, can I get you something?"
Coal glanced at Silver, who was still talking with the grim pegasus, his hind legs tapping his chair nervously. He said he needed time, Coal thought. He knew what he was doing. He got them this far.
"Do you have hay burgers?"
She nodded and he followed her to the counter where, after a short wait, a steaming burger was put in front of him, making him realize how hungry he was. While eating, he turned the poster over in his head. If it was an old advertisement about the storages it was a miracle it was still around, not to mention so close to Canterlot, why it was so hard to read, and why it didn’t mean anything to a filly who was born probably after the storages were outlawed. The government went great lengths to remove everything promoting the devices, but their efforts seemed more and more insufficient each day Coal learnt something about Silver, the station, the unicorn’s friends, and now this poster. It was part of national history and as such, it was almost impossible to erase.
***
It’s remarkable how a pony’s view of the world can lose it’s footing in isolation then threaten to collapse altogether at some simple questions from a stranger, whose intentions lay completely elsewhere. What the young filly, Crimson Flares, said to her had upset her to such a degree sleep was even more difficult than regularly. There were so many thing floating in a sea of doubt in her mind, she was lost in the waves of things contradicting one another. The world she had been torn out from was distant enough now that she could see it as an outsider, an indifferent party, able to ask thing her past self wouldn’t have even dared to consider. The role of her past mentor, the role of her friends as the Elements of Harmony, her role as a fellow ruler of Equestria, her role as an inventor, they all had been reasonably clear, if difficult. Each had a goal, a purpose.
The almost complete silence of the tunnels was broken only by a rare but steady drip of water far away, the occasional movement of a pony in another cell or a dog somewhere, the faint crackling of a torch on the wall and her own breathing as she lay on her side, staring at the grey contour of the bars at the opening of her cellar. There was not much to keep her mind occupied as it ran in circles, unstoppable. She couldn’t sleep, she felt restless after maybe two days of recovery and doing nothing. She would have been glad for this state but after she experienced dark magic, dogs who had spell sheets and another pony who had spent her whole life in the dark and wasn’t corrupted by the dark magic she must have been using exclusively to obey the dogs… The fact that the filly came to her, free from her cell, smiling and shrugging at the mention of one of the most dangerous forces on the world left her at uneasy. It didn’t fit in her understanding of how things usually worked, it went against what she had learnt in the past. She couldn’t let it go. It was something she was always looking for, it pushed the boundaries of what could be done with magic. Even if it wasn’t something that could help her get out and back to Equestria, if it wasn’t a revelation that would benefit her and the country, it was a question without an answer. The foundation of what the ponies stood for, what drove the world around the sun, what Celestia herself was, in essence.
She closed her eyes, blocking out even the faintest light. The exact things that had happened before she first woke up as a slave were still a mystery, but pieces were coming to her as she regained control over her own thoughts. She knew somebody did something horrible to her and so far it was obvious who the villain was but now, it was not that easy anymore. She was certain Celestia was the one who banisher her from her old life to be a specimen in an experiment, but what if it was not what happened? What if she was to find out it was she, Twilight, who had become the villain of the peace?
She felt horrible at the thought but the tiny amount of probability didn’t let her discard it at once. Even a negative answer was better than no answer.
Her thoughts turned to Crimson. It’s been a good several hours since she left in a hurry and since then, Twilight was alone. She hoped the filly would come back after Sturly was done checking the cells but apparently, the dog locked the filly’s door. How Crimson was able to talk the dogs into leaving it open in the first place was a trick she herself was eager to learn. Her candle was out of wax, the weird gemstones in the wall were almost completely dark, and the torch in the corridor was too far away to provide any illumination in her cell. There was nothing to do besides sleep, but sleep proved to be too difficult.
With slow motions, she pushed herself to a sitting position and turned her head towards the gemstones. She expected them to run out of magic soon, then at least something would happen. Sturly had said they were out of the things, but if they had enough to provide three to her, there were bound to be more. She put a hoof to them but she might have just as well touched regular stone, they were so cold and… mundane. Still, they had magic, and it was more than she could say about...
Wait. If this place only had dark magic, then whoever infused these gems was only able to use dark magic, and if her memories were correct, dark magic behaved different when trapped. In the Crystal Empire, the crystals there were of dark colors, and touching them had left her feeling weird. They didn’t glow as regular gems, they were more like… bubbling and swirling. These, however, looked just like the ones in Canterlot and her home. However they were created, it wasn’t possible with claws and brute force. The dogs had unicorn slaves who were making these for sure, but where could the dog find enough unicorns who could work with dark magic to necessitate that amount of stones she had to sort not long ago? That wasn’t a few dozen, that was several hundred! What purpose diamond dogs hoped to find for that amount of enchanted gemstones? Illumination was easier with candles and torches, and creative use required an exterior magic source, like a unicorn, to work effectively.
Her thoughts stopped in their tracks. No, that last one wasn’t correct. One didn’t necessarily need magical ability on her own to use magic. Twilight herself proved that, when she created the devices of artificial magical storage. True, the design wasn’t perfect as the devices tended to leak a bit, but the principle was working. Or had been, when she last saw it. There was only one big incident she could recall, but that was before the first device was released for the public. Her memories cut off after that, but she remembered her fears that the storages were not ready.
She stared into the faint glow and was able to make out the reflections of her eyes in the facets. The idea of the dogs getting hold of one was ridiculous, and the idea of them developing the same principle was impossible. Even she had needed years to do that, and she had the advantage of her cutie mark. Her talent was the very essence of the world itself, the magical bond that held everything together, made life possible. No other pony was capable to do what she could. She was powerful. She could do what others only dreamed of. She could rival the princesses. She was... dangerous.
Twilight couldn’t remember the point of when she finally fell asleep, but she found herself curled up under the three dun gemstones. If there was any more magic left in them, their light was overpowered by the candle, which was changed to a new one while she was sleeping. It stung at her eye and she looked away, clearing the stickiness from her eyes. She had no way of telling how long she had been asleep, of course, but the pain in her stomach was an indication. Or not, she thought, as she spotted the plate of food and noticed the smell.
She ravenously consumed everything she found, barely tasting. She felt alive and strangely in control. After she finished she levitated the plate so she could lick off the remaining, but as she noticed the purple glow enveloping the object she gasped and the plate cluttered to the ground. She grasped her horn with her hooves and felt no ring there.
She huddled to the bars and looked both ways in the corridor and saw a shadow moving in the distance, too far to make out clearly, but too big to be a pony. Did Sturly remove the ring? Could she do that? I was definitely her who brought her food, at least she was the only dog who Twilight has ever seen here. Someone else came and did it while she slept, then, maybe so she didn’t see how exactly the ring worked.
She sat back down, lit her horn again and spin the plate in the air. It was good to have her magic back, but that also meant more tiring work soon. Maybe sorting gems again. But doing that for two or three hours then lying knocked out for two days wasn’t really efficient, there was something else in plans for her. Maybe she will be taken back to her usual cell? She looked to her right, where Crimson had disappeared. Twilight hasn’t seen the filly since and she was afraid she might never talk to her again. There was so much potential topics to discuss with her.
She put down the plate and focused on the gemstones. A quick spell was enough to see inside them, though her magic muscles felt tender and she had to concentrate even on such a simple spell. There was still some power remaining in the gems, and it reassured her earlier assumption about their purpose. They were designed to slowly, but steadily heal a unicorn’s innate magic, recharging her. It felt weird that it worked despite the ring, but it was only disabling her use of magic, not the other way around. She sucked out the remaining magic which wasn’t much, but it felt so good to use her horn again.
She turned around in the small cell. What could she do now that she had no restraints that wouldn’t cause suspicion, before she was either taken away or given a ring again? What could she even do after so much time without practice?
She focused and reached out of the cell and out the corridor for any sign of life. The spell’s range was usually determined by the pony who cast it and even though she suspected the near past had taken a toll on her abilities, the results were disappointing. She felt only two living things, both far away, one in the direction she’d seen the shadow in the corridor and the other next to it. Were they Sturly and Crimson? She had no way of telling.
She stepped to the bars and looked for the nearest torch on the wall. She lit her horn and the torch lifted a bit, then cluttered to the ground loudly. She backed away from the bars and when she sat down she felt a weird but familiar numbness in her horn. It took some seconds but she finally placed it. She felt it when she had cast the old spell on the paper given by the dogs. When she heavily used dark magic.
Heavy steps came closer and a dark figure moved past her cellar to the left, then she heard some muttering and the light shifted in the tunnel. She crept forward and saw the torch back in its holder. She will have to be more careful with her experiments in the future. Though she was only a shadow of her old self the dogs might not know how strong she really was and might underestimate her, giving her opportunities. She was in a losing position but with patience, enough thinking and luck she could still turn the tables around. Maybe even help Crimson as well.
***
Something stung at her eye and she covered her face with her hooves and tried to go back to sleep, but the stings continued on her whole body. She wanted them to stop. She was exhausted from the work she had done. She had to do gem seeking again near those strange circular caves with ponds in them. She remembered those to be boring, but not quite that boring...
She tried to draw a shield around her but she failed. She had drained herself again... No, she had a ring on her horn. The dogs didn’t trust her with her only tool and weapon, even when she was worked to the end of her strength. A wise choice.
The stings continued coming. She forced her eyes open to see what was bothering her and it stopped. She squinted at the candlelight and cleared her eyes. She didn’t remember her candle being alight.
A soft giggle hit her ears and her head shot up, looking around. Her eyes finally focused on the candle, the bars, and two eyes. She scrambled back by instinct before recognizing Crimson Flares.
“Hi there!” The filly whispered cheerfully and let several small stones fall to the ground from her magic grip. “What’s going on?”
“Hi, Crimson...” Twilight sat down next to the bars and looked the pony over. She was just as dirty as last time, but now she was even smellier. “What happened to you?”
Crimson raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean? I’m fine. Had a rough shift, got myself vomited over and got kicked a little but no biggie. I see you still got your ring. Didn’t they remove that when you went to do... What, exactly?
“I, uh...” Twilight’s brain was responding a little slowly. “The usual. Looking for gems in the ground.”
Crimson nodded knowingly. “I know how that is. I don’t blame you for being tired. I wouldn’t have come now but I was afraid I would miss my chance and won’t be able to sneak to you while you’re not working! So, sorry for waking you, but I was so happy to see another pony! You don’t know how tiring it is to see ugly dog muzzles all day long.” She grimaced. “Why do we say all day long, anyway? We don’t have days here.”
“It’s a phrase, from the outside world. The sun, you know…”
“Oh. Sure. Anyway, are you feeling better that the last time we met? Those gems are supposed to...” Her eyes moved to the side and she grinned. “Yes, they’re empty! Good work, you.” Her smile disappeared. “I guess that means they will get you back to your usual place, won’t they?”
“Back?” Twilight started. She was expecting that to happen, but she didn’t want to leave this cell. Well, yes, she did, but this cell meant being close to this weird little pony, a possible friend. “I don’t want to go back.”
Crimson nodded. “I know how you feel. This is by far the best place I’ve seen since mom went away. I get to sneak around, meet ponies, you know...” She trailed off. “I was happy to meet you.”
“Hey,” Twilight said. “Don’t write me off just yet. I want to stay too. I have so many questions for you!”
“You do?” She looked up. “About what?”
Twilight gestured around them. “About this place. I didn’t realize this before, but there is more here than I previously noticed. Something is going on with the magic here, with the dogs, with the strange caves... I want to know what’s going on, and since you’ve been here so much longer than me you probably know more. Will you help me?”
Crimson grinned. “Investigation, huh? You know, you’re not the first one to find out what the clawers are doing with the gems, but they are all gone now. I can tell you some things, but be careful.”
Twilight’s mouth went dry. “What happened to them?”
The filly shrugged, scraping rust from the bottom of the bars. “They just disappeared. They went on the usual shifts then never came back. I don’t know if they took them because they poked around too much, but only those who talked were taken.”
“How come you never were?”
“They liked me, and I knew how to stay silent. Not everyone who wanted to solve the secrets was taken, only the ones who actually did something. Amongst us, they talked a lot about it. I didn’t always understand what they were on about, but they seemed so much alive when they talked. I liked being around, but they always told me to sit elsewhere, so I did... I don’t remember everything they said.”
Twilight studied the filly in the light of the candle. She was young, but she had so much behind her a filly her age shouldn’t have had. “Your mother,” she said carefully, “was she taken like that too?”
Crimson nodded. If there was a tear in her eyes, Twilight couldn’t see it. “Listen, if you don’t want to...”
“No, it’s okay,” the filly said. “Don’t worry.” She met Twilight’s eyes. “I want to help. I want to get revenge. I want to get out of here, to see your Equestria. I had enough of this life. Even if they catch me and kill me, even that’d be better.”
The bars were in the way, but Twilight tried to put a hoof on the filly’s. “I will do my best to protect you. There isn’t much to me up there anymore, but you could still start over, have a normal life.”
Crimson pulled her leg back, as if uncomfortable. “Thanks, uh...”
“What’s wrong?”
“I’m not really used to touches. And I forgot your name.”
“Oh. It’s Twilight. Twilight Sparkle.”
“Right. But why did you say there isn’t much for you up there? Didn’t you say it was so very good?”
Twilight frowned. Was she supposed to fill in her with what happened, especially when even she herself wasn’t completely sure about it? “It’s a long story. Even I don’t understand everything, but I know I was sent here on purpose. Maybe I did something, maybe not... But it was no accident.”
“Did you break the rules?”
“I suppose... But that’s not important right now. We should...” She glanced around in the darkness. “We will have to find a better way to talk. This is too risky. Do you have a suggestion?”
Crimson thought about it. “Well, I could get Sturly to let me in your cell, if that’s good enough, but it will be tricky. We’re not really supposed to talk to each other, only if we are in one place on purpose, like eating or raising children. Or...” She trailed off uncomfortably and was she... Blushing?
“What?” Twilight prodded.
“It’s not relevant to us, but... You know... Where kids come from...”
“Oh. I...”
Crimson shrugged. “I guess it’s what keeps the new ponies coming. I hear that sometimes new ones come from above, like you, too. Anyway, I will try to get Sturly to let us eat together or something. I don’t understand why that would be better than this, though.”
‘That’d be wonderful. Trust me, it’s different when there isn’t a set of bars between you and the other.”
“If you say so... But I should go back to my place. I’ll have to move mine carts soon, so... Good night, I guess.”
Twilight smiled at the filly. “Good night, Crimson.”
The light wobbled away in Crimson’s levitational field. How come she didn’t have to wear a ring? She was supposed to be the best in magic, according to her. She was the only pony Twilight knew about, so should she be so suspicious about her so soon? She could either be lying or she could be wrong. Twilight has yet to see what the filly could really do before truly trusting her.
***
The burger was pretty good for that little money, making Coal wonder if he was just accustomed to the higher Canterlot prices. He absent-mindedly wiped his mouth and gazed across the ponies in the diner. They either ate in silence or talked quietly. There was a sense of temporariness to the whole place, like the ponies were ready to leave the building at a moment’s notice. He didn’t feel it in the chariot station near Ponyville, but he had been distracted by Starry and her friend back then.
He saw Silver and the other pony stand up from their table. The pegasus moved to the exit wile Silver joined Coal at the counter.
“So?” Coal asked Silver sat on the next stool.
The white unicorn frowned. “We’ll have to take a carriage and hope we can sell the gemstones in Cloud Cover. There have been incidents where diamond dogs attacked travelers and not just robbed them, but hurt them badly. Each carriage will have magical protection of some sort.”
“That’s what you were talking about with that pegasus?”
Silver studied him. “Partly. Are you upset because I wanted you away for a while?”
Coal looked at his plate. “I’m just afraid you’re planning something behind my back.”
The unicorn sighed and put a hoof on Coal’s shoulder. “I understand, but I’m not, believe me. I only wanted you to be further away so that fellow would be more likely to talk.”
“Is the diamond dog problem that much a secret? Or a tender subject?”
“No, not really, it’s just that...” He leaned closer. “These people are not exactly swimming in money. I had to ask if there was a chance to sell them here, and the less parties are involved the better.”
“Well, all right...” Coal looked around uncomfortable. “So, it’s hunting a ride again, isn’t it? With some sort of protection?”
“Hey, don’t forget about me. Do you remember how I stood against the timberwolf?” He furrowed his brows. “On second thought, never mind.”
They left the place, Coal shooting a last glance at the poster as they went past it. Why did it seem so strange? He had a good explanation for it being there.
As they neared the carriages, Silver went ahead and entered the building where the booths were. Coal hesitated and seeing the crow inside, he decided waiting outside. After receiving several looks from passing strangers as he stood beside the door he walked further away to inspect the various carts and other means of transportation behind the building. For the most part, they didn’t look armored in any particular way, but maybe they were the ones going up in Canterlot and needing to be light. Further away Coal saw some bigger ones with plates on the sides, but they didn’t look remarkably safe either.
He walked, trying to look like a pony who had a purpose to be there. He felt so out of place among the merchants and puller ponies and passengers and the rest, and Silver seemed to be at home in their world. He must have seen quite a lot in his life before the station, and he left the place with no apparent difficulty, just to join Coal. It made him wander if he should be wary of Silver deserting him at some point, despite the unicorn’s assurance to the contrary.
He stopped short as he spotted Roug in the crowd. The stallion was talking with someone and didn’t look his way, but Coal took a step back nevertheless. The cart they came with stood nearby, the back plate open as a pony worked on it. Coal turned and trotted back to the building to find Silver.
He found the unicorn standing in line, waiting to buy their ride. The unicorn looked at Coal questioningly as the earth pony squeezed between two ponies to get to him.
“What’s wrong?”
“I saw Roug out there,” Coal said, motioning behind himself.
“Not surprising, given his profession.”
“Well, what if he discovers...” He lowered his voice. “The missing pieces? The trip is over, he can open the box safely. What will he do if he sees us here? He will cause a scene for sure!”
Silver shook his head. “Don’t worry about it, Coal. Act natural. He can’t pin it on us, I made sure of it. Besides, I think he meant the end of the trip by arriving back in Canterlot. I didn’t see any enchanters around here...”
That wasn’t a bad argument, Col had to admit. “All right, but I saw the back of his cart open. He could just take a peek, to see if they’re still there, couldn’t he?”
“Calm down, buddy.” The pony before Silver moved and the unicorn was up. He turned to the tired-looking mare in the booth. “Hi, I’d like a ride to Cloud Cover as soon as possible for two.”
“Any luggage?” The mare asked and pulled out two pieces of paper.
“No, just a small saddlebag.”
“We have a six-seater going in half an hour. It stops at Junction Seventeen and Lavender Hills. Do you want it?”
“Yes.”
“Fifty-seven bits. Look for Daisy Leaf.”
Silver paid and levitated the two tickets as he pushed Coal out the door. “Don’t worry about it, Coal. I wouldn’t have done it if I didn’t think it was safe enough to do so. Now, we have to find this Daisy Leaf... Such a feminine name, don’t you think? I wonder if it’s really a mare. I’ve only seen stallions pulling carts.”
Coal didn’t answer, as he looked around for Roug, but the earth pony was nowhere to be seen. Maybe Coal was overstressing the issue.
They walked along the side of the building on the same side Coal had walked a minute ago. It was still busy with life and the two of them dived back into it, with the lead of Silver. There were post standing along the path, each with a name on a sign. Roug’s was not among them.
They found the ponyeventually, who turned out to be indeed female, though she wasn’t going to pull the cart alone. The trio of bulky earth pony stallions were packing the luggage on top of the carriage while she checked the saddles. The mare told Coal and Silver to wait inside the cart for a thirty minutes or so before depart. The interior had two sets of seats, facing each other. They two of them sat down, Silver sitting in the forward-facing one.
“What’s that?” Silver stretched his neck to take a look at the title of the book Coal had pulled out to pass the time. “Is it that book I used to...?”
“Yes, it is. Should I be afraid you might use it again as a weapon?”
“Hopefully not,” Silver smirked. “I believe I can fight a diamond dog or two on my own, if it comes down to that.” He leaned forward and looked at the pages skeptically. “Are you really studying magic?”
Coal shoved the cover to Silver. “Magical theory, not real magic. I mean... Not practical magic. It’s only... Well, theory.”
“I remember you saying you knew something about the storages, back in the station near Ponyville. Did you mean the mechanics of it or just how to operate them?”
“Mainly the main principles only, but yes, the mechanics. I found it interesting why such a simple and useful idea wasn’t developed and widespread already, and I did a little research and though I found some things. I didn’t understand any of it, so I’ve taken up learning about magic as well and found the subject fascinating. Am I the first non-unicorn to do so?”
“Certainly not, but you’re the first I know, and I’ve met many strange people.” He looked out the window, seemingly deep in thoughts. “If you were to shown a storage,” he said slowly, “could you do anything with it?”
“I hope so,” Coal said. “They were supposed to be easy to operate, even if you weren’t very skilled.”
“Yes, yes, you could make things float in the air. I meant creative stuff. Things that the average non-unicorn has no idea about.”
“Like what?”
“For example... Casting complex spells. One you could... Change ponies with?” Silver was strangely awkward. Coal closed the book.
“Do you want to control people? Alter their mindset? Get them to speak the truth and such?”
The other’s expression assured Coal that his guesses were not far off.
“Something along those lines," Silver said. "Now, I don’t want you to actually do any of that, I’m speaking only hypothetically, but can you imagine?”
“Uh-um. I... I don’t want to kill your enthusiasm, but those are not so easy to do. Possible, theoretically, but they require much more skill than I have.” When he said it did he realize what was wrong with that sentence. “I don’t even have real skills. I can talk about it, but I can’t effective do anything.” Maybe with a storage, perhaps? He’s never had the opportunity to even touch one. “At least I don’t think so. I have yet to try.”
“It’s okay,” Silver waved it off. “I don’t expect you to solve my problems I’m more qualified to do anyway.” He gestured to the book and sunken deep in his thoughts. Coal eyed him for several seconds but when the unicorn deliberately avoided eye contact he opened his book again, though his thought remained with Silver’s words about mind control.
***
Though the old pegasus had fond memories from the earlier chapters of her life, nowadays she had to keep them at the back of her mind as best she could. It was to be safe, to hide from them who have taken her old life from her. Starry had explained it to her at several points when she started to doubt it and the young pony hadn’t been the only one to do so, yet even the years and events following the day when it all went wrong haven’t been enough to let her live her life as if it was someone else’s. Even if it was the logical choice, the safe route, the concept felt inherently wrong. Too far-fetched, too unlikely to actually happen to her of all ponies. Even after years of hiding and healing while taking care of the young Starry then being taken care by her wasn’t enough for her to fully adjust. She did do what needed to be done, kept herself composed when the situation called for it, all behind a mask she took off every night to wipe off her tears. She didn’t want to betray her old self, not when there was a chance that Twilight could be still alive and things could go back to the way they were. She wasn’t so certain about her other friends but she couldn’t believe they were indeed gone, as Starry had suggested. She knew the filly was just trying to stop her from eating herself but she wasn’t really good at it. Kindness, after all, was her element, not Starry’s.
Fluttershy, old and tired after years of hiding from the world tried to undone the latch on her personal bag. After seeing her use various satchels and cheap pouches for her most personal belongings Starry had bought her a proper, lockable pack for her birthday. It was nice and practical enough, but the latch was just a little too difficult to undone.
After a few tries she succeeded and dug into the bag. Her things were kept nice and safe inside, each in their own little pocket. The one she was looking for was wide and flat and contained a book filled with horn-writing. She gently pulled the journal free and let her memories rush forward again at the sight of it before pushing them back. Starry will have questions, no doubt, and Fluttershy was going to need those memories to answer them thoughtfully for they, with the knowledge in the book, could change things drastically in Equestria. Again.
Determined, she looked up from the plain cover and at Starry, who was sitting on the opposing seat, dazing at the afternoon sunlight. The carriage rocked slightly as it carried them westward, to where Starry insisted they needed to go, in pursuit of her friend, Violet. Fluttershy herself didn’t know the pony personally but she knew she was a pegasus from the chariot station and had worked with Starry for some time. The old pegasus was tired as well after the flight that took them to cross Canterlot to reach the chariot station in time, but she doubted she would get a better time to catch Starry’s attention on something so mundane as an old book. They were thankfully alone in the cart, too.
She cleared her throat to get the young pony’s attention then smiled as Starry stretched a bit while trying to adjust her clothes to cover up her bare flank.
“Did you say something?” The young pegasus yawned.
“No... Well, kind of. I said ahem.”
Starry blinked at her.
“Never mind,” Fluttershy mumbled. “I wanted to give something to you.”
Starry glanced at the book, waiting.
“It belonged to my friend,” Fluttershy went on, ”who had left it for me, to keep it safe. I was supposed to bring it to Princess Celestia, but things... changed and I no longer think that’d be a good idea.” She handed the book to Starry whose face brightened as she saw the cover.
“I saw this before,” she said as she flipped open the book. “It’s very important to you, I suppose.”
“It is. I got it well before I even met you. I’ve been planning giving it to you for a while now but I thought it would be better if you didn’t know what was in it, but I’m afraid I can’t postpone it any more. You’ve seen things from my life, and it’s better if you learned about them from the best source there is.”
Starry’s face changed to amused. “Your past? You mean the Elements? Your friends?”
“Yes, and more. That,” she gestured to the book, “is the personal journal of Twilight Sparkle. She started it just before she was assigned to go on a mission for Celestia and kept it going as far as she... was allowed. That assignment was the point where things started to go bad for the six of us. Eight, if you count Spike and Celestia herself.”
Starry looked at the book with eagerness. She wasn’t one to be lost in reading too often, but Fluttershy’s past always got to her. She knew a lot about what happened decades ago already, but the older pony had kept certain details hidden.
“Some of the pages are missing, unfortunately,” Fluttershy said, “but the most important parts are there. If you have any questions, I will do my best to answer them.”
Starry cocked her head. “Why do I get the feeling you’re gonna say, ‘before I go’?”
The yellow pegasus hesitated in confusion. She didn’t want to abandon Starry, but the question brought up certain worries she has been thinking about lately. She couldn’t lose the feeling that the clock was ticking, her days were running out. She wasn’t immortal.
“I’m not going anywhere, dear, don’t worry. I actually meant to give this book to you at some point, but I was hoping you’d be a little older... I mean, seen more things in the world. Some part are hard to read, to be honest.” They were certainly hard for her, learning what Twilight had gone through, the road her friend had descended.
Starry eyed her with compassion. “It shook you, didn’t it?”
Fluttershy nodded.
“I can imagine...” Starry hesitated, then flapped through a few pages. “Wait... Are these little books, glued together?”
“They are. Twilight liked having thing in order.”
“I did find it strange to have one actual book as your journal. “She read a few lines. “Even her writing is neat.” She glanced up at the other. “Is it really going to be a shocking read?”
“Not at the beginning. The second half is where the important things started happening. She didn’t write down everything, unfortunately, but it’s enough to understand.”
“What happened to her?”
“You will need to read it through to see that. I wouldn’t want to spoil it for you.”
“Oh, right. Of course.” Starry closed the journal and hid it in her own bag, much to Fluttershy’s disappointment. “I will read it when I’m not so sleepy.” She smiled warmly. “Thank you. I’m going to take care of it, I promise.” She closed her eyes and slumped down in her seat.
Fluttershy couldn’t read the emotion on the filly’s face, though she was certain Starry was grateful for her trust. The filly was usually easy to interpret but as she got older she became less and less easy to read. It made Fluttershy fear she was losing her, despite the obvious effort the filly was putting in their friendship while trying to get her own life going somewhere. Her... disability, to use a not quite correct word, placed her at the edge of society. She wasn’t an outcast, ponies weren’t evil like that, but rarely did someone look at her and see an equal in her.
That was mostly the reason they stuck together. That was initially what had brought them together, at least. Their bond only got stronger as they went through all the hardship being a former bearer meant in a world where she simply wasn’t supposed to exist anymore, neither in the past nor in the present.