//------------------------------//
// 13 - All Roads Lead To... 
// Story: The Everglow of a Twilight Sunset 
// by David Silver 
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The train was faster than walking, but not faster than a gallop. It did have endurance on its side, as it ate up bits of the countryside day or night, and didn't seem to be bothered by the monsters they could occasionally see if they peered out the window hard enough.

Twilight sighed out. "We're safe, I think? Unless this is a dramatic ti--"

"Are you certain you are not bound to the Author?" asked Roll with a raising of a brow. "The manner in which you bring that up reminds me of the way her priests speak."

Sunset perked with curiosity. "Author?"

The stallion they were sharing a car with lifted an ear towards them. "Sorry for intruding, but I know a bit about the Author." Roll waved for him to continue, so he did, "The Author is the goddess that made all the Everglow races, and decided what brand of destiny we would all receive." He turned to display his cutie mark, er, brand, which showed a coin being passed from a hoof to a hoof. "You could say she's the overgod, over the others, but she's quite distant. She doesn't talk with us, basically ever."

"She should be more kind," whispered Lashtada in Twilight's ear, leaving her wondering which was better, the far off god or the one that was quite close.

"Even her priests aren't always sure, saying she acts through happenstance and 'dramatic reveals'. She gets a small section of pony temples, but I wonder sometimes if it's not just to be polite."

Sunset peered at the stallion curiously. "Do you, um, worship her?"

"Guilty as charged." He dipped his head towards Sunset. "I like knowing that everything has a purpose, including me. Why, I feel like I should have been here, to explain that to you, in service of the story. Who else would have?"

"Who else..." murmured Sunset as she looked around the mostly empty car. "Thank you though. There sure are a lot of gods."

Roll shook her head. "You have barely been introduced to a few of them. Even the gnolls have their favorites, though they are far from pony gods. I will remain with Lashtada."

True gave a squeak of agreement and nestled in with Roll in solidarity.

The stallion rose. "I'm going to get some drinks. Want some?" When they shook their head, he was gone, departed towards the dining car.

Twilight looked over at the others. "You know, she's still in there." She tapped her head. "She isn't being mean or anything, but she is obviously watching."

Roll dipped her head. "That is a blessing. Would that I could receive such attention."

"Please don't tell her, as I don't want to hurt her, but she is cold and hard in all the wrong ways," Lashtada whispered. "If she is assigned to me, I will peel that away from her, but until then, it is not mine to touch."

Sunset cocked a brow. "What's she saying? You have that thousand yard stare going on."

Twilight blushed softly. "S-she said she would help as much as she could, Roll."

Roll smiled with a click. "That is encouraging. It was not Lashtada that laid down this curse on my ancestors, so I doubt she will remove it, at least while I live."

The car rocked faintly as a dull thump came from above. Twilight squeaked even as Sunset ran for a window to peek out. True scaled her and peeked up from her shoulders. They could both see a reptilian form dominating the top of the cars. They had been boarded by a dragon!

The dragon seemed to notice Sunset and True looking at it and leaned over the side of the car to be closer to them. "Ah, there you are. Kindly pass along all your valuables and we can dispense with the violence and flames and etc, etc, etc." The brown dragon rolled a claw slowly. "No need to quiver and such, I just want a simple thing."

Twilight could see the dragon when it leaned over, and hear its every word. "Are we being mugged by a dragon?"

Roll rose to standing as she approached the side of the car. "You have chosen poorly. We have little of value."

"Oh?" A claw pointed at Twilight's headband and its jeweled part. "I see at least one thing worth having. Don't be stingy now."

It was a fire dragon, it said as much, that meant... Twilight's gem sparkled brightly as she gathered cold energy and blasted the dragon right in the face with a torrent of cold. It was larger than it was before, but it was not enough to make the dragon give up immediately. With an angry roar, it pulled back from the window, retreating to the top of the car. "Rude little horse! I'll pluck it from your charred corpse afterwards."

Sunset's horn began to glow. "Well, now we're in--" Her words were cut out as the arcane words forced their way from her lips as she bolstered their most martial member, expanding Roll out on all sides.

A claw smashed through a window, sending Twilight scurrying away from it before an arrow thudded into its thick scales. True was already drawing another arrow, his bow embedded in the sofas themselves.

"I brought back some for--" The stallion blinked and slowly closed the door as he backed away, leaving them to their battle that he was rude enough to interrupt.

With an angry roar, two sets of claws dug into the roof above them, only to peel it back, revealing the enraged dragon to view before it tossed the roof segment aside, its attack lane cleared. "Look what you made me do!"

The open space was enough room for Twilight to pepper the beast with little bolts of cold as another arrow sailed through the air, just to shatter against its tough scales. It went in after the troublesome unicorn, just to discover that mechanical ponies were not worth ignoring.

Close enough,  Roll surged at the terrific form in a mechanical fury, meeting claws with claws, though the dragon had the distinct size and strength advantage. She managed a few savage cuts before being swatted aside. "I'm taking that. Give it up or know you killed your little friends." It drew a mighty breath, flames licking around its snout.

Sunset tried to scorch the dragon, but flames were of little regard to it.

"I think she has a problem similar to your friend, Sunset," whispered Lashtada.

Twilight twitched an ear softly. "Um, wait, let's not be hasty about this..."

"We're already hasty! You're the one that attacked me!" The dragon's wings flared wide with fury.

Think within the rules of the world, and with the cards you have, or so Twilight reasoned. "What if we could get you something even more precious than this old thing?"

The dragon raised a leathery brow down at Twilight. "You have my attention, little ice slinger, what are you offering?"

The voice gently whispered, "there's a male I'm sure she is compatible with in temperament and biology..."

Twilight cleared her throat. "A majestic female as you needs a dragon that knows how to treat a la--"

The dragon leaned in close to Twilight, gazing at her as if she were crazy. "What do you know about dragons?"

"Enough to know if you fly that way," Twilight pointed. "For four hours, and give the dragon you meet a chance, he will be everything you want."

The she-dragon blinked in confusion. "You do realize I can catch up to this train easily. If you are trying to get me to fly away for a time, I will return. This thing only moves along its nice straight line, it's not hard to find, and not that fast." She thrust a claw at Twilight, dangerously close to cutting her open. "If this is a ruse, it's a poor one at best."

Twilight dipped her head. "Then you can come back, but you probably won't, uh, have time for that."

The dragon blinked again before she grasped the meaning. "Huh. I doubt that..." She took off despite the words and let their car be, missing portion of the ceiling or not.

"Aw, you did a wonderful thing. I hope they find happiness together," cried out Lashtada with joy in Twilight's head.

Roll shook her head slowly. "Unless you have gained additional talents we are not aware of, I will assume the goddess guides your actions."

Sunset rolled her eyes. "Well, in this case, I'll let her off the hook."

"She is so gracious." There was something in Lashtada's tone that implied a lack of patience, or a plan for revenge later.

True pointed up at the missing ceiling piece and squeaked.

Twilight craned her head back to look at the damage as she sighed. "I hope we aren't asked to pay for that..."

The door opened, admitting the stallion from before back in as he trotted along with a try balanced on his back with drinks for everyone on it, even Roll. "I see your, um, guest took off. I gather she's not coming back?" He looked around curiously. "None of you look hurt, that's good! No wonder I felt thirsty. That wasn't my fight." He passed the drinks around without being asked. It was a pony malt whisky that he set to each person in kind, regardless of age, or metal.

Twilight accepted her drink with the glow of magic. "I don't think she'll come back, at least not soon."

Roll raised a brow. "So long as there is a dragon where you indicated, I should think not."

Sunset threw up her hooves before she took her drink in her magic. "We're a dragon dating service now?"

True squeaked and pantomimed with a waving of hooves and a fierce fwoosh of imaginary breath.

"Well, it is better than being cooked alive." Sunset settled in place and took a draw of her new drink before realizing it wasn't water at all. Smooth, but not water. "What is it with this world and booze?!"

Twilight nursed hers without complaint. "Thanks."

Roll nudged her glass lightly. "I do not require or benefit from libations."

"You don't drink it for yourself." He nosed at his own glass. "Drink for your friends, and for the gods to smile on you. May your story remain interesting even during the boring moments." He took a long draw through the straw after the curious blessing.

Roll nodded slowly. "May my companions find what they seek." She lowered her lips to the straw and chugged it down without stopping for air. Of course, she didn't breathe, and she normally didn't drink. It did not affect her in the slightest, except to make a little smile on her face. She was part of things, at least a little.

Sunset settled beside Twilight, who tensed in fear. "Relax... How is it?"

"Oh, uh, not bad?"

"You said that about the dwarf stuff."

Twilight laughed, but sipped again. Whatever she truly thought of the dwarf booze, this one she kept working on and seemed to enjoy herself with.