Midnight's Tail

by Midnightshadow

Off the Beaten Track

Midnight’s Tail

Part 4 - Off the Beaten Track

Thanks to: Chistery, Roy, Blaze, Pride, Peachy Punch and all my readers and editors :3

Set in Blaze’s “Conversion Bureau” universe

Original: Equestria Daily - Conversion Bureau

***

Peachy groaned and shook her head at the insistent prodding, opening tired eyes and blinking them several times. It wasn’t even morning! It was pitch black!

“Wha’? What?”

“Wake up, lass, we’ve got problems. You too my good pony.” The voice was one of the two drivers, carrying a lantern and gingerly yet insistently shaking Cobalt until he too woke up from his slumber. Peachy stretched her wings right out, and then her forehooves and back legs one by one, followed by her tail. She creaked. Sleeping upright was going to take some getting used to. Then her brain registered what she was being told, “Wait, problems? What problems?”

“Your two friends are gone, but I don’t think they went for a walkabout.”

“Gone? Whaddaya mean ‘gone’?”

Cobalt blinked in the lantern-light and trotted over to the van, sniffing, “I’m no bloodhound, but there were humans here, in addition to you two.” added Cobalt,

“You can smell that?” asked Peachy, raising an eyebrow.

“Nope. I can feel the tracks. Just one of the advantages of no shoes. It’s quite muddy here thanks to the natives.”

“Oh shit...what do we do? I mean, they can’t be horse-rustlers! They’d have taken everypony! You...you two,” Peachy waved a hoof at the driver and then at the van, where another shape was on the radio.

“Bud,” said the man, “and my little brother Larry.”

“Bud, thanks, did you see anything?”

“I didn’t see anything, I was asleep in the cab, ponies make quite a lot of noise, I didn’t think nothing of it at first. Whoever it was, they were pretty quick and silent, and they knew what they were after.”

“They didn’t get me and Cobalt...”

“I don’t know, maybe they didn’t know you were there. Maybe they expected ponies like you to sleep inside.”

“I’ll get the natives, guys, they seem to like me.” said Cobalt, and he set off coralling the ponies. Peachy went with Bud to talk to Larry.

“...That’s affirmative, we have a situation here. Get Central to take a peek into the traffic tonight, see if it can dredge anything local that looks odd...yes, comms are up, I see it updating now...” Larry was talking to the hands-free and punching keys on a laptop mounted on the dashboard, it doubled as a GPS routing device as well as the communications station for the archaic vehicle they were using.

Peachy craned her neck to see, but Bud pulled down a wheelchair access ramp and gestured to it. With a flutter of feathers, Peachy found herself rising into the air up to the cabin. She stepped in gingerly with a clatter of hooves, her bulk just about fitting in the space. Poking her muzzle through the middle, she could see out and see the screen, “What’s that dot?”

“That dot, Miss, is a suspicious horse-trailer that’s been empty up until now. Central reckons it took on either one large horse or two smaller ponies very recently, very near to us.”

“Midnight and Frontpage!”

“That your two friends?”

“Indeed. I’m Peachy Punch by the way, shake!” Peachy held out a hoof which the driver smiled at and took immediately, “that’s Cobalt back there.”

Two solid bangs came from the back, and Cobalt called, “They’re all in, close the hatch!”

Bud pushed a button and the ramp lifted up, Larry went around the back to secure it. A few moments later he hopped back up into the cabin and Bud started the engine.

A smile lit up Peachy’s face as she started humming, “We’re on the road again, dum de dum de dum, travelling places that I’ve never been...”

Larry laughed, “That’s not how it goes...hang on...”

The van lit up with the stirring tones of Willie Nelson at the push of a button,

On the road again -

Just can't wait to get on the road again.

The life I love is making music with my friends

And I can't wait to get on the road again.

On the road again,

Goin' places that I've never been.

Seein' things that I may never see again..

Peachy’s eyes lit up, “I haven’t heard this in forever!”

The pair sang in an awful off-key rendition barely in time with the music as Bud took them out onto the highway as urgently as possible, crooning face to muzzle the final lines and laughing heartily.

“We needed some travelling music on this excellent adventure. Now, let’s see where our friends are going...”

“Looks like the shield, what in tarnation are they up to?”

“I don’t know, but we’re not going to be able to catch them before they hit it.”

The chase sped on towards the coast, and the morning.

***

Midnight was still shaking himself dry when a cry came from above, “LOOK OUT BELOW!”

A yellow-orange streak of colour with a red mane and tail was whirring two wings inexpertly as fast as she could. Flying didn’t seem to be a problem, as such, but landings looked to be difficult.

Midnight ducked instinctively as the large four-legged, two-winged shape dropped out of the sky like a brick and impacted with the water, hooves first. A great wave splashed over both Midnight and Frontpage. Midnight spat the salt water out and sighed, he’d almost been dry. Stepping back in to the frigid waters, he headed for the coughing, spluttering shape. He gripped a wing firmly but carefully in his teeth and pulled steadily towards the shore until the half-drowned pegasus could stand, where she hopped out and shook herself dry.

Midnight sighed again, and shook his head to get the water out of his ears. Again. Peachy had the good manners to look slightly recalcitrant at least.

She spoke, “What happened to you guys? One minute Cobalt and I were asleep and the next thing I know I’m being shaken awake by our drivers - they’re Bud and Larry by the way, funny how I never thought to get their names earlier...”

“We were kidnapped, Peachy, damn fools wanted to get to Equestria. Without ponification. Where’s Cobalt?”

As if in answer, with a clatter of hooves, the slate-grey earth-pony rounded the bend and barely stopped short in a cloud of dust, breathing hard, covered in sweat but otherwise none the worse for wear, “Midnight, Frontpage, you two okay?”

Midnight shook his head in awe, “I want to know how you found us, how you got here so fast! It was pitch black!”

Peachy Punch smiled, “I guess human technology is good for some stuff eh? Whoever those guys were they weren’t very intelligent. Larry just asked the road system for any vehicles capable of transporting horses or ponies in the area and lucked out! I was sure that was you. We double-timed it until the shield and then they sent me an’ Cobalt for recon. I...I hadda fly! Hey holy shit I was flying! I didn’t even think! I just went for it!”

“You still don’t have landings down yet though, huh?” Frontpage grinned.

Peachy looked embarassed, Cobalt spoke up, “She’ll get them, just like Midnight his magic. What happened? I saw the wreck on the way down...”

Peachy breathlessly explained about their trip, about how they’d found the tracks, located what they sincerely hoped was the kidnappers and Midnight and Frontpage, and finally about how she and Cobalt had been sent through the shield once they’d reached it.

The four were walking back up the hill, Midnight pointed to the van with it’s interesting interior decour, “That’s where they ended up.”

Cobalt and Peachy both made faces, Midnight shook his head sadly, “Suffice to say they wont be bothering us any more. Well here we are, the shield’s just ahead, I can see our two friends leaning on it.”

Peachy looked with wide eyes at the empty air and then back to Midnight before trotting forwards and waving her hooves in the air experimentally, “You can see the shield?”

Midnight nodded, “Yeah, can’t you? I thought...I thought everypony could see it?”

“Maybe it’s just unicorns. Maybe it’s just you. Where is it?”

Midnight trotted past Peachy, who blushed and stopped waving her hoof about in the air as he stopped just shy of the border. It was so large that it almost seemed to go directly up, a shimmering wall that looked somewhat like a soap-bubble, fragile and indistinct as if it would burst at any moment. He knew differently; to those things not able to pass through it, it was an impenetrable barrier. Two men with a familiar van were on the other side, leaning against it.

“How are they...ooohhh, that looks freaky.’

“Not from where I’m standing,” said Midnight, “but I guess it looks weird to you. Guys! We must have given you quite the scare!”

They straightened and waved happily at the sight of all four of their charges. Bud, the eldest of the two, touched his hand to a cap, “Aye that you did. Twilight would’ve given us hell if we’d lost any of you. Made it safely then?”

“We did, thank you gentlemen.”

Midnight and Frontpage explained, pointing back down the hill, about what had happened. It was mercifully out of sight but they wondered if it would ever be out of mind.

“What are you going to say to the authorities? I don’t want anything to cause trouble none for...for later.” said Bud finally.

“I’ll make sure to praise your swift actions. You weren’t to know and I don’t want this to happen again with less favourable results.” Midnight did a double take, “Say, what keeps you two on two legs?”

“Me? I made a promise to my ma and pa to look after my li’l bro here.”

“And I want to see more of the world before I leave it,” said the other, smiling, “best damn job in the world taking you li’l critters to Equestria. One day I’ll see it fer myself, but until I’m ready, we’ll keep helping those who are.”

***

The van had driven off to it’s next destination, Midnight just hoped that the natives could stand the travel. It had certainly frazzled his nerves, it would have even without the last few hours. Now they stood on the shores of a new world - quite literally - and waited.

Their wait was rewarded with a golden shape skimming low across the waves. What they first thought to be a boat turned out to be a large flying chariot with wheels pulled by four pegasus ponies in regal armour. It swooped around the bay twice and then came in for a landing in the surf. Inside was a smallish, dark blue shape - there was something odd about her which took Midnight a few moments to process, before he blurted out, “Winged unicorn!”

The dark blue winged unicorn smiled to herself, “Good morning, ponies. I am Luna-”

“You’re...from my dream...” said Midnight, jaw dropping, “you were on a throne with another pony like you, she was...bigger, different colours.”

Luna inclined her head, nodding, “My sister Celestia, we two are the rulers of Equestria, your princesses.”

“Our princesses?” squeaked Peachy Punch, “Do...do we need to swear allegiance or something? I mean...”

“Peachy,” said Luna smiling, and the pegasus blanched that this strange yet somehow familiar regal pony knew her name, “you accepted us into your heart didn’t you?”

Peachy nodded, as did Cobalt. Frontpage flicked his ears happily and Midnight inclined his head in a pony-nod.

Luna smiled, “And this...feels like home?”

Midnight had to admit, things felt somehow right, “Yes, Princess, I think it does.”

“Then it’s agreed!” Luna’s laugh filled the air like a thousand twinkling bells, “your carriage awaits, sons and daughters of Equestria.”

***

The charriot sped through the clouds, high up, as if it were a jet. He’d had trepidations at first of the capability of the pegasi soldiers to pull it, let alone make it fly, but after the smooth takeoff he just relaxed and went with it, “Magic.” he said idly.

“You see, don’t you?” said Luna quietly, “You’re a unicorn of some talent, forgive me but you do not...feel like a great mage, but you are a unicorn.”

“You mean my talent? My cutie mark, did you call it? Do you know what it is?”

“You don’t have one yet, but never fear, you will discover your true purpose. I see at least one of your group has.”

“You were speaking of magic?”

“Humans...you know why they can’t enter Equestria?”

“I...I thought the shield...”

Luna shook her head, “It is a manifestation of the differences between our two realms. Adult humans are...too in-tune with their own world. When you let our magic in to your heart, we offer you a piece of our realm. It’s up to you to accept it. We cannot force the change, it really is a gift, freely given.”

“It is magic then?”

“We have no other word for it,” Luna smiled, “You could argue metaphysics all day with our greatest thaumatists, we were delighted when we discovered your adherence to the scientific method, as you call it. Our realms just...work differently.”

They travelled the rest of the trip in silence. The ocean below, so blue and green, so pure, like nothing he had ever seen except in pictures. It tugged at his heart and lifted his spirits. Midnight felt joy rising in his blood, almost an audible song, as the ocean gave way to yellow beaches, to scrubland and finally to green and pleasant rolling hills. They were travelling fast, very fast. There was an itch between his eyes that told him the charriot and it’s fliers was magically enchanted but still he marvelled at it.

When the charriot swooped lower to come in for a landing he almost felt a pang of regret. They were landing in a decent-sized village, the architecture quaint and somehow recognizable. There were differences, but he recognized chairs, tables, streets, windows and doors. Luna stepped regally out from the back of the chariot and was all but assaulted by smiling happy ponies nuzzling and greeting her.

“Ah, my beloved subjects!” she cried, and cheers went up, wreathes of flowers were thrown into the air and several given to Peachy, Midnight and the gang.

“I want to welcome you to Ponyville, where you’ll be spending your time until you are done with your orientation.”

Midnight looked sideways at the smirking princess, “What do you mean?”

“I mean I’m sending you to school.” A bell tolled in the distance, and a stream of eager young foals sped through the streets heading towards what had to be the schoolhouse, “and we’re just in time, hop along to class now! I’ll sort everything else out.”

***

Note: Willie Nelson’s “On the Road Again” lyrics are, of course, from the great Willie Nelson. I know this was a shorter chapter, but it felt right. I’ll back back with part 5!

Comments

[FanOfMostEverything]

Most enjoyable so far. I look forward to seeing how you show this next step in the process.

[Cloudhammer]

I like your theory on the reason why human technology but not humans can cross the Barrier.

[Magical Trevor]

I LOVE that song! *Keeps reading avidly*

~ Moonstone, Minstrel of Equestria

[Zervziel]

You should've named the treasure-hunter humans. I vote for Splat and Squish