Chapter 18: Stowaway
And so I lay, hiding in the tall grass, a mere few dozen yards from a train station at the edge of a town, waiting for said train to come by so that I may stowaway and/or hijack it. God, I hate waiting. I waited for some period of time dramatically elongated by my impatience. Any attempts to listen in on faraway conversations failed. I’d nothing to do but barely entertain myself with the passing bug crawling on my arm.
It was mind numbing, almost torturous, but my patience was finally rewarded. I could finally hear the sound of a numerous gears and parts all clanging together in the distance, making even the ground rubble slightly as it moved closer and closer. I dared not risk peaking out of my hiding spot because I noticed the mass of ponies assembling at the edge of the train station’s platform, but I still turned my head and looked onward down the tracks towards the source of the noise. My suspicions where finally visually confirmed when the sound of loud, screeching breaks was added to the aural mix. I watched as the locomotive finally stopped at the Ponyville train station.
The roar of the engine dwindled into a growl drowned out by the wave of ponies clashing with one another to get on and off the train. I still didn’t move from my hiding place, though it involved a little more waiting, I had already formed a small plan. I waited a few more long minutes, and as the sound of ponies started to dissipate, my heart beat fast and rapid, ready for anything. I heard one last pony yell loud enough to pierce the sound of the crowd, “All abort, Ponyville to Canterlot!!”
It’s time; it’s finally time!!
The conductor blew the train’s whistle, and it started to accelerate. Even now I still waited. Just a few…more…seconds…
NOW!
I dashed out of the grass as fast as my legs could. I put my rushing blood to work, firing on all cylinders. I aimed for and intersected the red caboose, grabbing onto the railing and throwing my body over it. Needless to say, my boots banged as they hit the metal floor. I wasn’t sure how rational of a thought it was, but habit and instinct took over. I pressed by body against the wall, next to the very end of the train and a door by the caboose.
I could hear footsteps in the cart. I waited a few more seconds to find a pony stick his head out, looking around. Instantly, my habits took over again. I almost tackled him, snatching his little horse neck with my left arm and holding his mouth shut with my right hand. I pulled him out of the cart and choked the poor pony. He thrashed and panicked, kicking his legs and trying to flap his wings, but I held him still.
His legs dropped limp as he lost consciousness. I quickly looked inside the caboose, and sighed in relief when I saw nobody else inside. Instead, one side of the cart seemed to be a shelves full of tools and spare parts. The other seemed to be a single bed and a personal crate. On either side were small bay windows that seemed to stick unusually far out of the walls of the caboose.
Above the bed was a large shelf, much of it filled with luggage and suitcases. I decide to put the unconscious pony up there, hiding it behind some of the smaller bits of luggage. As I did, curiosity stuck me and I wondered who this pony actually was. At first, I couldn’t find any traditionally source of identification such as a wallet or a collar, though I don’t know why I expected to find any of those. However, I found a nameplate built onto the wooden chest labeled “Latpip”.
Hmh, I thought to myself, That enough action for ya?
Now, I was on my way to Canterlot. I didn’t care who did it or for what reason, but I still had one friend in this world, and I’ll be damned if I just let her rot in some jail cell. I’ll take on anyone in my way; anyone and anything, even if it’s that fancy white horse again. As a matter of fact, part of me hopes to see her again. I really, really, wanted to beat that face to a bloody pulp.
But any kind of poorly planned rescue or face rearrangements would have to wait until this train gets me to where I needed to go. I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again, I hate waiting…
I lay down on the small bed, propping my feet onto the personal chest beyond the foot of the bed and pulled my hood over my eyes. I knotted my fingers behind my head, trying to get comfortable. It’d been a long time since I’ve had a real nap on a real bed, even if the bed was sized for kids. Before I even knew it, I lost conscious grasp on the world around me and fell into a deep sleep.
***
Like with most dreams, I found myself in someplace doing something. Like always, the sudden scenario is odd in retrospect, but at the moment, I’d forgotten the world, all I knew, and what little there was, was set in front of me, and until I woke up, it was reality.
I’d been running; running with fire in my lungs and absolute terror in my heart. I felt a pure fear I’d believed myself immune to. I’d once faced bloodstained field where steel and fire clashed and burned. I’ve been to times and places where death himself seemed to walked with his reaping scythe and ghostly swagger. I’d learned to no longer fear hell on earth nor death’s escape, and yet now, I was absolutely terrorized.
I was running through some stone corridor. Dim torches, periodically placed, barely illuminated me and my way. As each boot hit the ground, I did not hear the familiar muffled thud from my old boots, instead, metal clashed on the stone floor. I barely realized it and cared not at all for at the moment I was more concerned about something chasing me.
Go away!!
No, it was multiple things.
Go the fuck away!!!
The seemingly endless hall finally rounded a corner to the left, where I stopped and leaned on the perpendicular wall, taking in every second of desperate rest and breath. I could hear many steps hitting the grown as whatever was chasing me continued their pursuit, getting closer by the second.
I looked down at my body. I was covered in a full set steel plate armor, and wielded a solid and beaten kite shield in my left arm. I saw the fresh blood trickling down my gauntlets and chest plate. I took no concern at the sight of blood, confident that it wasn’t mine or didn’t care if it was. With my right hand, I was reaching over to my left thigh, acting out of habit and with little thought. I pulled out a ravaged longsword from its sheath. The metal was heavy used and the edges where dented and dulled at all sides.
The footsteps grew louder as the pursuers rapidly drew closer, now merely feet away. I swung my sword horizontally as hard as I could, slashing at the face of one pony as it finally came into view. The pony’s speed only helped to drive the sword through his helmet, eye, and skull, but the old sword broke at the helm and the kill was quite messy. Blood squirted out, staining my armor even further, and my now short sword flung the blood, among other things, out further.
The pony’s body continued a bit farther, but fell to the floor, deceased and staining the cold stone floor with a warm crimson pool. The second pony, however, paid no attention to his lost comrade. As I killed the first pony, he managed to stop and swing his floating battle axe at me. I lifted my shield just in time, blocking the attack as well as lunging forward at my opponent. I swung my shield, parrying his attack and thrusting my own sword at him. I stabbed the pony just under his chin, driving the broken sword through his throat and all the way to the hilt.
The pony spent the last few seconds of life coughing blood and futilely searching for breath. His war axe fell to the ground along with his limbs. I let go of the broken weapon and let it fall to the floor with the body. I picked up the axe as a replacement and kept running down the hall as fast as I could.
As I kept running, the walls around me turned from dull stone walls to something more luminous and decorated. Torches became brighter and more frequent. Paintings and decorations atop columns began to appear and increase in frequency. The clank of my metal boots started to muffle as a tattered, red carpet started to appear on the floor. The long carpet seemed to repair itself and grow into better condition as I ran further and further.
Up ahead, I could see the end of the hall and a wall of light. I pushed myself just a little more, just a little further. I was so confident that this was the end, that this was my goal. I nearly tackled the wall of light, falling to one knee and stealing a moment of rest. I looked up to see a enormous, ruined thrown room.
Despair quickly grew within me. This wasn’t what I was looking for at all. The room was dark and damp. The ceiling wasn’t even there for the most part. Much of it had crumbled away, leaving room for decade old vines and allowing a full moon to fill the room with what little light it can. I grew angry at the starts above me. They seemed to torment me; they seemed to hate me.
Ahead of me were columns of stone that seem to hold up what little remained of the ceiling. They stood at either side, giving space in the center of the room. At the end of the room were two stone thrones beside each other. One on the left had the image of a crescent moon behind it, and behind that that was a dark blue, lunar themed banner. The throne on the right had a picture of the sun carved on it, and behind that was its own banner decorated yellow and with images of the sun.
I walked closer into the room, unsure of what to do or where to go know, a humongous form dropped out of the sky, nearly crushing me as it crashed into the ground without any sense of subtleness. At first, it seemed to be a boulder of metal and armor, but it soon unfolded on itself, raising itself on four gigantic legs and proving itself to me the demon it was.
Fully erect, it stood more than twice my height, nearly triple. It seemed to resemble a horse in some ways. It surely was shaped like one, but the skin was a mass of iron plating and the mane and tail were a series of bladed and sharp looking chains. Veins of black covered the body both above and under the metal skin. It was horrific, demonic, and ready to kill me. Even without visible eyes or even a mouth, I could still understand its thoughts; I heard it without a single sound.
Now you die.
It lowered its head and swung it forward like I giant mace. I held up my shield, but the force was so great, I was thrown back far threw the air, smashing into the wall behind me. The air was knocked from what little breath I still had. Before I could get up, before I knew it or could question how, the demon was already above me, reared up and ready to strike. I held up my shield, ready to block.
The iron horse drove its heavy hooves into my shield and me. I couldn’t stop the enormous momentum. I could feel bones breaking and organs tearing within my chest. I would not survive another hit like that and I knew it.
The demon reared up for the finishing blow. The only thing to accompany on my death bed was a gentle breeze through the room, but something was odd about this breeze and a little special. It rapidly turned to gust with an unusually amount of force. I was lifted off the ground, avoiding the killing blow, but quickly found myself flying through the air of the hall I had came from. I only flew for a few seconds before smashing into the wall of the caboose.
***
I opened my eyes and gasped for breath as I was suddenly thrown back into reality and consciousness. I was against the wall of the caboose, facing the ceiling, but I barely noticed it for gravity gave no mercy as she pulled me back to the metal floor. I got up unpleasantly, rubbing my head and refitting my robe.
Something was off about the whole thing, not just waking up on the side of a wall, but something else. It took me a moment before I realize what. The rubble of the cart across the tracks stopped. The entire train stopped.
Oh, shit! Are we there already?!”
The caboose had a side window on either side, prefect for viewing what’s happening in front of the train. I quickly leaned over and looked, but as with all bad news, it did not help to see what I saw.
Dozens of ponies, some of which wore decorated, gold plated armor, could be seen entering and leaving each train cart one by one. The train hasn’t stopped because we’re there, its getting searched.
Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit!
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Or maybe neither will happen and you will go about updating this story like nothing happened.
Anyway, good chapter. Seems like Dave's cornered. That's bad for whomever finds him.
Wow. I don't know what to say! Thanks for putting my name in the story! Onto my review: I loved this chapter like I do every one! And like every chapter, there's a cliffhanger... I'll be checking for updates like i do everyday.
4599517 Aey, I gotta ask you,
Do you legitimately like my story so much, or do you just like everything?
Seriously though, I was looking through the old comments and reading yours, I couldn't figure out if you were being honest, or sarcastic, or if you just say stuff like that on every comment page. I know it sounds dumb, but it's on my nerves now, so answer the damn question already!
4601985 Of course I love the story! To be honest, when I get on every day to check for story updates I'm really hoping it's this. Sure, I have other stories on my favorite list but this is probably one of my favorite if not my favourite. I really mean all of this! No sarcasm involved.
4603150
4603233 you know what that means right? RELEASE FASTER!
Update now
4610333
it was just an idea to try and tie up a lose end before it appeared, though I wouldn't be surprised if it had been implemented in real life at some point in time.
Also, why is your entire comment surrounded by a blue box?
4491422
Your grammer is bad, like really bad.
4491422
You are talking about Maud......Part of the Pie family....which make no sense on how the fuck the farm rocks work. Plus with Pinkie and her reality bending power. They are not normal ponies.
Applejack capable of that kind of strength because of her hardwork on farm. Is like muscle building. You can break any bloody joint whether is equine or human or any species. As long there is joint, it gonna break like a rotten stick.
Well I heard LordofMyth was bitching here so I more than likely will enjoy this.
4489897
"not to mention only one swat of the hoof and he would be crippled if not dead."
You are literally making shit up.
Also, your spelling and grammar skills are atrocious, horrible, and a disgrace.
4760891 4761297 4762370 4762726
you 4 came here just to complain to/about one user?
and his 2-month old comment?
This is...odd...
Its great that I've got a few more readers, really, but I haven't done anything to this story in weeks.
What led you guys here?
4762922 We have a group of spies that work for us.
4762922
The Inquisition has found the user comment to be heretical to the benefit of the Mankind thus we commit the act to this traitor of Mankind.
also what 4763233 have said
I fucking love this story.
4762922
We are the Stasi, Cheka, KGB, NKVD, Red Guard etc of fimfiction.
4764364
Good chapter I request another!
4769732 4769879 4769901
...alright then...
I seriously can't tell if you like my story or not...
4780496 4780556 4780643 4780785 4780809 4780864 4780891
words please, they're much more infromative
4781365 just keep doing what you`re doing
4847415 I'm glad you think so
one other thing, your avatar pic and your username is astoundingly familiar, but I can't figure out why.
have we messaged each other b4?
4848217 I don't think we have
4849164 oh, I figured it out!!
We're in 2 of the same groups. I probably just saw a comment you made in 1 of them.
Pheeu. I'm glad to be rid of that mental itch.
4849767 ah, okay