Twilight looked over at her friends. They were mostly relaxing, waiting for the train. "Where are we going?" She shook her head. "I know we're waiting for the train, but then what?"
Roll tilted her head with a faint whirring. "It was my idea that you remain in Sun's Tears."
Sunset snorted at that. "Look, there has to be a pony that knows how to get back home, and we aren't going to find them in Sun's Tear. There was, what? A dozen houses? This track leads to some mega city of ponies. If there's anywhere we can find somebody to help, that's the place."
Twilight nodded, only to find True in front of her, smiling at her. Standing while she sat, he met her at eye level. He tilted his head before moving forward, touching nose to nose. "Are you..."
He licked her lips as she talked and curled up right under her snout. Dark red in her cheeks, Twilight looked down at the little pony. "I think he'd rather we stay."
"That's not an option." Sunset rolled onto her side. "Even if it were, it'd be an awful one. We belong home, with two feet and homework instead of life-and-death battles to face."
Twilight smirked at that. "Usually."
"Usually is better than never. This place has danger leaking from the rocks, and even you can see it."
A voice whispered gently in Twilight's ear, "But love and beauty as well. I think True likes you."
Twilight blinked at the voice she was certain was the goddess she had met not long before. "Thank you, you know, for the ice powers."
"You seemed able to channel energy well, and you are not yet warm to the passions of the world. It seemed fitting."
Was she just called frigid? Of course, that was a literal sex goddess doing the judging, so Twilight figured a lot of people would fit her definition of frigid.
"It, um, works well?"
"I'm glad to hear that," spoke the gentle voice. She couldn't see it, but she felt Lashtada smiling through the link they shared. "I have a favor to ask of you, and it is not small... You can say no. You are no worshipper of mine, and even if you were, you are a mortal, given free reign over yourself, even if we give you a path to happiness."
"Does it involve him?" Twilight's voice carried the suspicion in her voice.
Sunset raised a brow at her friend. "You know it's really creepy when you talk to yourself."
"I would speak to her as well, but we have a tie, and with her, I do not. Please tell her I'm sorry for scaring her. I understand her rudeness before, but she can't solve all problems with violence."
Twilight looked up at her horn, though the voice seemed more to come between her ears than anywhere else. "It's Lashtada again, and she says sorry about before."
Sunset shook her head slowly. "Is she calling just to say sorry?"
"No, she said she has a favor to ask."
Roll snorted out some steam. "That is logical that one would apologize to one you wish a favor from. What does she wish?"
"I would have apologized either way. You are a good person, I know this. Do you understand?"
Twilight smiled at... nothing. Where should she face when she was talking to herself? There were so many bits of courtesy not sufficient for the situation. "I accept your apology." It wasn't like Lashtada had a chance to finish what she was doing, even if it was... wrong, on so many levels. "So, uh, what did you want?"
"My children are captured, you know this. They are captured and abused and neglected. They are hardy and strong, but this is not what they are made to do. Can you not use this power I have given you to save them?" A warmth ran through Twilight's body. "At the least, you can make their plight known. You can tell the other ponies, so that they may act on my children's behalf."
"You want me to fight for you?"
"No! No, please... I am not a warring god. If you can simply free them, that is all that I require. I won't even try to hurt the gnolls. I hope they will be well and fruitful, but my children deserve better. They are kind and loving and... Please?"
As if bidden by the unspoken conversation, True hugged Twilight, wrapping his hooves around her neck as he nestled in close.
"I'm not saying no, but why not True Shot here?"
Lashtada let out a quiet sigh. "He is mute, if full of love. He is a dearest son, please watch over him, whether or not you act to free my other children, but he will not sound the horns that will bring help, nor is his archery enough alone to free his brothers and sisters."
Twilight started as she realized True had been shoved aside and Sunset was staring right into her eyes. "You leave my friend alone! She doesn't owe you a thing and I'm going to see she gets on the right side of the damn mirror, alright?"
The voice within drew quiet, and Twilight was left in uneasy peace.
The train arrived a few hour later, coming to a smooth halt just yards away from where they rested. As other ponies worked to offload supplied, Sunset and the party rose and approached the train.
One of the conductors raised a brow. "Huh, this ain't a station you know." He thumbed through his clipboard. "I don't have any pickups scheduled."
Roll produced a small pile of coins and set it on the clipboard. "We are bound for Viljatown."
"Ah, here it is." He pocketed the change, though some of it went into a different pocket than the others. "Thank you for riding the Lightning Rail, soon tying all of Everglow together!" He stepped aside as he waved inside, allowing them all to enter.
The train was mostly empty, as people were only riding from the last station to there if they were part of the resupplying mission. They found comfortable chairs and were about the only ones present. Despite this, a waiter came along and saw to them even as the train raised and began to slide on its bed of lightning westwards. "Would you care for a drink?" asked the pony with a smile. "We got a selection of dwarven spirits and some fine earth-bound liquors to wet your whistle."
Sunset glanced aside at Twilight. "What do you have that isn't fermented?"
"Refrigeration is expensive," noted the pony. "If ya want most other things, they're a bit costly. We got a bottle of milk, some water? Verified purified in Viljatown!"
Twilight got the idea the dwarven ale was about as much booze as she'd get to try with Sunset around. "The water sounds fine, thanks."
True waved the pony closer then starting gesturing oddly before the correct selection was made off the menu the pony had. "Two waters and one cider, a fine selection." He tipped his hat before he moved off.
Sunset seemed surprised. "Huh, I didn't think you'd go for something hard."
True snorted at Sunset and thumped his chest loudly.
"Right right, not as young as appearances might suggest," agreed Sunset. "Still surprises me sometimes."
Roll shook her head. "This may cause issues, if others assume you to be a minor instead of a height-disadvantaged adult. We are fortunate the waiter did not seem bothered."
Twilight shrugged softly. "He's obviously with us. If we didn't want him having cider, we would have said something, right? I mean, this is..." How do you say they were in a backward world without coming off as rude? "In our world, there are rules about drinking ages, I bet not so much here, just what your parents let you get away with and how much."
"You are correct." Roll nodded. "But there are other things that minors are not permitted to attend, even with parental permission."
Sunset shook her head, but the drinks arrived, carried on a platter on the back of the pony.
"Here you are," he said in a friendly tone. Just as friendly, he collected the fee and made his way along.
From what Twilight remembered, the price of the things that were not booze were marked up about fifty percent, but they'd still be hard pressed to go broke just from drinks. She noticed there was a straw in her glass and smiled. It was such a silly little thing, and it was wrong. It wasn't made of plastic. It was some kind of straw. Heh, straw straws, go figure. The convenience of it over lapping was noticeable, and she felt almost normal.
The dozed off as hours passed uneventfully, but were stirred back to alertness as the train came to a halt at a town barely larger than Sun's Tears. The conductor announced it as, "This stop, Turves. Turves! If you're getting off, now the time to do so, and thank you for riding the Lightning Rail!"
Lashtada gently whispered, "Turves, so close to my people's home, when they had a home. You will now press farther from it, if only to--"
Sunlight was perched, staring death at Twilight, or the divine thing that whispered to her. "Your eyes go all weird when she does that, it's not as subtle as she thinks it is. Stop that!"
"Does she have a boyfriend?"
Twilight blinked at the internal question. "Not that I know of?"
"That explains much..."
The train came to a smooth start, but they weren't alone. A single stallion had joined them, getting on at Turves. "Oh my, what a group this is. Is that a short-leg?" He sounded friendly, if curious.
True squeaked at being referenced and rose to his full, if small, stature.
"It is! I hardly ever see them outside their little town." He offered a hoof towards True. "It's nice to meet you."
True met the hoof with one of his own.
"Why isn't he answering?" The stallion tilted his head before he got it before it could be said. "Oh no! Was he born that way or?"
Roll put a metal hoof before True. "He was injured."
"I'm sorry to hear that." He nodded to True. "Damn shame. Was it a hunting accident? Are you a hunter?" He pointed to the bow and arrow perched on True's back. "Those look a bit oversized for such a small pony."
Sunset pulled with her magic on the bow. "We plan to get a slightly smaller one when we get into Viljatown."
"Oh yes, that would be the place to do it." He nodded. "Big place. Ever been? I've never seen a short-leg there before."
True squeaked and pointed to himself.
"Too right, guess I'll see at least one!"