In Another Life II: Chance's Folly

by Bateman66

Beside the Dying Fire

Alistair opened his eyes slowly but was only met with darkness still before him. He could feel his body lying down against something, something pointy and rigid. He imagined it was a piece of the train.

He gasped for air, just to make sure he still could, and tasted an ashen presence deep in his mouth that made him feel like he’d just eaten the leftovers of a chimney. Regaining awareness around him, he immediately felt a surge of achiness erupt through his nerves. Cringing at the sudden pain, he moaned lowly underneath wherever he was hoping that something heard him.

Pressing his hands forward, he pushed with all his might against the large object, probably some scrap, that seemed to be sitting uncomfortably close to his face. It took a considerable larger amount of stamina to move the twisted metal in front of him, but he moved it none the less.

Grunting at his hard work, he bent his legs forward and slowly ascended upwards, evening himself out into a bent stance. He felt his back arching over but that was just in response to the weak feeling along his spine. Normally that would have worried him but he just felt lucky to be alive.

Now at his feet, Alistair examined the wreckage he stood in.

The train was gone, any resemblance it had to its former state was completely torn away. Large chunks of car’s were ripped apart and spread all throughout area, making a thick layer of metal over the ground. Some pieces stood up asymmetrically in certain regions, jutting towards the sky like emaciated trees.

This covered most of the space around the train tracks, but off to the left and right, where a grassy divide between the tracks and the sprawling Everfree Forest was, most of it was untouched save for a few small fires that had erupted along the surface. Similar fires dotted parts of the metal ground, probably remnants of stored up fuel or coal.

Nothing seemed visually distinct in the rubble, all pieces just forming a larger picture of assorted metal wreckage. Alistair took this all, glancing around quietly as he stood somberly among the ruins. Sighing to himself, he suddenly realized something.

“Jam…Commodore,” he muttered, “where are they?”

“Jam!” he yelled out, “Commodore! Where are you guys!?” His voice echoed around the lifeless space, nobody responding to his call.

“Guys!” he yelled once more, this time with a fearful tinge. “Can you hear me!?”

Nothing, just the sound of himself.

“Oh man…” he looked around to see if anypony was coming but found just the tracks behind him, stretching all the way back to Ponyville were their journey began. “Oh…” he nervously moaned. “Where are they?”

He stepped down from where he stood and walked among the shattered wreckage. He called for them as he moved, hoping for some sort of response.

“Jam! Commodore! It’s me, Alistair!” the voice echoed again. “Hel-lo! Guys, can you hear me!? I’m over here!”

He continued to call for them several other times as he moved down the line of destruction. However, after a short distance, his paced became slowed, his feet beginning to drag against the pointy surface. “G-Guys…” he let out in a tired breath, “I…”

He stopped moving, staring off towards the seemingly endless space he was walking. Feeling a wave of drowsiness hit him, he fell to his knees. Grimacing at the hard impact he made, he found his entire body falling over onto the unforgiving rubble.

Get up!, his mind commanded sharply. You’re not done yet!

He attempted to lift himself up but his body felt weakened beyond motion, his muscles simply not responding to the orders he gave them. His entire body moaned in pain, the trauma he’d endured in the crash hitting him all at once. He moaned face down, almost all noise being muffled out.

You can do it! C’mon!

He tried once more to get up, but was only met with a tiny stir from his shoulders.

I can’t, I just can’t...

He began to weep, his eyes shut tightly to hold back the tears he couldn’t stop. He whimpered under the wreckage, scared over what may had happened to his friends and what may happen to him.

For a moment, all that could be heard around him was his soft sobbing, the sounds of the approaching autumn becoming distant to his ears. He considered trying to get up, but he could not find even an effort within himself to move.

This can’t be…not now…not now…

His vision began to fade out, his ears warping the sound around him. He knew all to well what was happening, the ending to all—

“ALISTAIR!” screamed a familiar voice that pierced through his mind, shattering the approaching illusions.

He felt a pair of hooves roughly grip his shoulders and turn him over. His vision now clear, he dryly smiled up at the frantic Commodore and Jam who stood over him.

“Y-You guys found me…” he uttered quietly.

“You bet we did!” shouted Commodore with tears in his eyes. “We were so worried…”

Alistair chuckled, and then coughed hoarsely. “I’m fine, just a few cuts and bruises…and maybe a compound fracture…”

“Don’t say that!” said Jam, just as worried as his friend. “Help is on the way, you’re going to be alright.”

“The Guards,” muttered Alistair, “took them long enough…”

They didn’t say anything for a moment, Alistair looking blankly up towards the night as the two young colts looked down at him. After a few minutes of this, Commodore pointed his shaggy blue foreleg towards the sky.

“There they are, it’s the Guards! Thank Celestia!”

Alistair wanted to look behind himself and gape at the probably awesome approach of the valiant Guard Ponies, their fluttering pegasus wings and flying golden chariots probably shinning as brightly as the morning sun. However, he instead stared out towards the wide and expansive Everfree Forest. He smiled to himself the longer he looked.

He knew she was out there, Shale Press and the rest of her cronies, no doubt already galloping through the winding woods, creating as much distance they could from the train wreckage. He knew, with all certainty in his heart that they’d be back. Maybe not soon, but that’d be back, their beef with him was far from over.

She’d had such grand things, not only about herself, but about her organization as well. Boasting its hidden power and abilities, stating that he would never be able to stop them. And yet, she hadn’t even given him their name, giving vague but still descriptive facts about whoever she worked for. Shaking his heard wearily, he promised to focus on it some other time.

The sounds and voices of the Guards became closer; somepony was shouting orders as the group began to disperse around the crashed train. He heard a group approaching where they he lay with Commodore and Jam holding him tight. Looking at both of them, he smiled.

“I’m think I’m going to take a nap now guys…getting pretty tired…”

“No!” shouted Commodore, shaking him abrasively. “You need to stay awake, help's here!”

Alistair’s vision began to blur as sounds once again became distorted echoes to his ears. He heard a stallion’s voice close to them.

“Which one of you is Mr. Alistair? Twilight Sparkle wishes to know if you’re alright, she’s on her way now.”

With that happy thought in mind, Alistair shut his eyes and drifted off to sleep, content with the night’s events.