Shellstrings

by shortskirtsandexplosions

Destinations

"Woohooo!" Minuette bounced and bounced in her seat. "Appleloosa, here we come!"

"Settle down, Minuette." Lemon Hearts waved a hoof, sitting across from her. "You don't want to rock the car."

"Lemon Hearts, it's a train," Twinkleshine said. "Four little ponies—much less one—can't even jostle something so massive."

"Oh really?" Lemon Hearts smirked. "I thought Moondancer and Twilight were the scientists of the bunch."

"Some of them rubbed off on me. Is that a crime?"

"Heheheh..."

Lyra, in the meantime, slumped against a window. She sighed, her breath forming a circular patch of fog against the glass. She watched as Ponyville grew more and more distant along the verdant green horizon.

"What's the matter, Lyra?" Minuette hummed. "Not a fan of trains?"

"Just... not a fan of moving," Lyra muttered.

Lemon Hearts swallowed. "Well..." She stared down at the coach floor between their seats. "...why would nature give us hooves... if not for making bold trots in the right direction?"

Lyra muttered: "Is that what Dr. Stinkenfurter likes to say?"

Twinkleshine and Minuette winced.

"If it makes you any happier to know, Lyra..." Lemon Hearts lifted her chin with a calm smile. "Shrinkenfurter won't be anywhere near Appleloosa for the extent of our vacation."

"Hmmmm..." Lyra smirked. "That is rather snazzy." She placed her saddlebag down and curled up in the seat. "Phweeeeeeeeee..." Her eyes gazed at the lonesome splotch of gold that Ponyville had become. "Still... could be worse. I could be flying." A cold, cold shudder. "Goddess, I hate flying."

All of the ponies had left the station.

All of the ponies... except for Bon Bon.

The mare stood lonesomely on the edge of the platform, gazing south.

The train carrying Lyra was a distant speck, trailing smoke into the crystal blue sky.

A lump formed in Bon Bon's throat.

But before she could move anywhere or do anything...

...a chiming sound emanated from her saddlebags.

"... ... ...?" Bon Bon opened one flap and stared inside. Her eyes reflected a violet glow. Pensively, she reached in... then pulled out a sound stone that was vibrating and flickering with deep manalight. After a nervous breath, she gave the thing a shake and raised it to her muzzle. "Agent Sweetie Drops reporting."

"Damn, girl!" a voice emanated from the sound stone. "That was quick! Where do you hide that thing? In your plot?"

Bon Bon gulped. "Just get on with it, Betsy. What's the situation?"

"It's a green light, Sweetie Drops."

"What is?"

"There's going to be a meeting. Horizons is asking Haze, Sharp Quill, and me to meet up with her. And guess what? It's not going to be in Canterlot."

Bon Bon blinked. "I'm guessing I wasn't invited."

"Damn straight. Which is precisely why you should be there. We're gonna pop the lid on whatever the Hell Special Agent Horizons is hiding."

Bon Bon stared at the steamy signature of the train. She breathed... breathed...

"Sweetie Drops? Are you in?"

Bon Bon gulped. She raised the sound stone closer to her lips. "I'll be there." That said, she pocketed the stone, twirled around, and trotted firmly towards the center of Ponyville.

Barking noises.

A herding dog with bristled black fur scampered up a steep embankment, growling and yipping its head off. It hopped up several jagged cliffsides and made its way up the ridge.

Seconds passed...

Grunting for breath, a thick hairy buffalo stumbled up after him.

"Little Paws!" the buffalo wheezed. Ornamental feathers and beads dangled from his horns as he struggled to keep up with his animal companion. "Little Paws! Get back here!" His beady eyes squinted even thinner. "What's gotten into you?!"

A cold wind blew over the nearby mountaintops, blowing sand and dust down into the valley beyond. One by one, the stars peeked out through the evening veil overhead. The air grew colder... bone chilling.

"Grnnngh... we must head back home!" the buffalo insisted, shivering. "Night's falling! If we're not back in time for the lighting of the fire, Chief Thunderhooves will have my neck! Or even worse!" He gulped. "Little Strongheart will chew me out!"

Silence.

"Grnnnggh..." The buffalo rolled his eyes. "Why am I trying to reason with a dog?"

Just as he said this, a flicker of green light rippled across the heavens. A discordant yipping sound shattered the quiet air... and then all was still.

"... ... ..." The buffalo froze in place. "...Little Paws?"

The ridge above was barren... silent.

"Little Paws? Are you there, buddy?"

No response.

Chewing on his bottom lip, the buffalo stepped slowly up the embankment. The hill grew steepest around a throng of thornbushes, but he nevertheless climbed his way into the growing starlight.

"Grnnngh... mrmmfff..."

At last, he edged a pronounced cliff, struggling to pull his weight over the jutting precipice. Through his own panting breaths, he became aware of a persistent, growing percussion noise... like the sound of a thousand crickets rising slowly in intensity.

"Mrmmmff... huh...?"

He raised a hoof up to his hairy face, lifting the dangling ornaments out from vision. His beady eyes blinked, reflecting a deep, gaping cave... and then something else.

"Ancestors," the buffalo squeaked. "Protect—!"

The cricket song intensified—then burst with a violent pulse of green light.

The plateau was barren yet again...