Icon: Remnants of the North

by Vixavior

Act 3- Chapter 1: Leviathan

Leviathan

Proofread by TehSporkBandit

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“‘Dear Princess Twilight Sparkle,

The Pranceston University Medical Sciences department regret to inform you that your question regarding the foci of any species, Unicorn or similar, can not be conclusively answered. Doctor Pastern has surmised that at the point of magical discharge it might be possible to focus and capture the accumulated magical energy into the horn itself, much like a capacitor. However, he also believes that it could just as likely result in something more catastrophic. The greater the magical accumulation, the greater the possible damage-’ Hmmph, brightest minds my croup. Tell me something a filly couldn’t figure out.” Twilight’s growl of irritation echoes in the quiet cabin of the train car.

You look up from the smooth surface of your cell phone and across the narrow aisle at the bench seat facing you. Twilight keeps that pouting expression of stolid petulance even as you disdainfully let your glasses slip down the bridge of your nose. Shifting back and forth on her purple cushion, she lapses into an uncomfortable silence. “Yes, princess.”

You’ve only told us thrice in as many hours.

You’d gotten back from Zecora’s early that morning and had slept for two hours while on ‘guard duty’. You were supposed to look after the mountain of neatly stacked books at the back of the car, and from your rearward facing seat, you could do just that while staying near the stove. You and Applejack had spent an hour in the cold waiting for the train, and several more ferrying books from the platform to the de facto private train car. Twilight had gone off to write out a letter while everypony else accompanied Rainbow Dash to Ponyville Hospital. Applejack went as well, after you offered to stay behind. Of course, you subsequently fell asleep in front of the small wrought iron stove at the front of the train car. Twilight’s prattling had awoken you from your slumber moments ahead of the shunting train’s departure. You hadn’t even been informed that Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy weren’t joining the party to Canterlot until after Ponyville had shrunk in the distance out the window.

‘T-tap, t-tap’ you suck in a breath and listen to Twilight’s hoof rapping a tattoo against the wooden bench in time with the click of the railway ties. The irritating staccato sound matches the ringing chime of the bells on Rarity’s blue and white striped scarf. That strip of bejangled fabric was hung out to dry on the overhead emergency brake-line.

I think I made that damned scarf.

You content yourself to look out the window and watch the scenery race past. It hadn't even struck you how dissimilar the land looked until now. There are no warm colours or feeling of pastoral bliss you experienced on the last trip; autumn’s beauty disappeared under winter’s stark pallor. There are no bright blue skies and no comforting cheer of a vibrant sunset that should be setting on the distant horizon. Instead, a haze veils the land, turning it oppressive and morose.

That mood isn't lost on the others. The grey pall hangs over the car and blots out any remnant of conversation or cheer. The weather might not be the only factor, or even the biggest, but it’s hard to look across the aisle at the empty seats without missing Rainbow Dash or Fluttershy. Glancing back over at the second cause, you watch Twilight scan the letter again, “Twilight, why not get a little slee-”

“I said I’m fine.” Her stern refusal bounces around the inside of the car. The scratch of a pencil on parchment roll stops. You look over Twilight’s shoulder, seeing the group of three other ponies lift their heads and stare in your direction. The pencil in Pinkie’s mouth droops a bit before they all sheepishly hang their heads and go back to their game. Applejack gets up and trots down the central aisle towards the stove. Still, she furrows her brow and purses her lips to wordlessly ask, ‘do you need help?’ You aren’t entirely sure.

Twilight’s sullen demeanour sinks everypony’s spirits, as does the constant drain of fatigue, and the knowledge that Rainbow Dash is laid up in a hospital bed in observation after doctors repaired her burst eardrum. There is no kindly pat to bolster your spirits, and no infectious bluster of confidence to set you to the task. It’s lonely. A parable springs to mind as you sigh and look out the window as the world disappears in the pale distance. :

'The shepherd grieves over a single lost lamb in a flock'. Oh great, now I'm all melancholy. Must be the damned weather.

“Oh, for fillies’ sake, listen to this!” Twilight’s snarl breaks the silence again, “‘With regards to the list of Princesses, we can furnish a complete list of Equestrian Princesses of the Classical, Regency, and Contemporary eras, but Pre-Classical is steeped in- Gah!” Twilight crumples up the letter and roughly tosses the crinkled ball aside with her hoof. “Myth and folklore, that's what this is being called now? The most important area of reclamation study and we're filing it under myth and folklore?!” A yowl of impotent rage pierces the silence of the cabin before she finally curls up in the bench seat.

“Tea, Rightly?” Rarity quietly pads over, interjecting the moment Twilight’s head hits the pillow.

The Unicorn's voice comes as a surprise, but you flash a smile and pull yourself up. “Love some.” A glance cast in Twilight’s direction reveals that her eyes are open but every languid blink leaves her lids sagging lower than before.

Rarity's smile changes from pert politeness to a relaxed sincerity in moments. “A bién.” The fashionista’s ears perk forward as she ushers you a few seats forward on the opposite side of the aisle and seats you facing forward this time. “Oh, Applejack, be a dear and put the kettle on please. You’re already there after all.”

“Yes, Rarity, anythin’ yer highness asks.” Applejack’s answers as blasé as porridge but a smile forms on her lips before she ducks behind the wooden seatback. Applejack takes that extra second to place the crude iron kettle on an armature that will keep it from sliding or rattling. It is just a little bit peculiar how the train has hot water and a stove but no bathroom.

That thought is washed away by Rarity’s pensive hum. “It shouldn’t be long until we reach the Saddle Lake bridge. The view is simply divine. Granted, most of the time the sunshine adds the perfect accent, sparkling off the snow like an exquisite blanket of diamonds. You haven’t done much traveling in Equestria, have you? Why, we simply must do something about that. Spring time, perhaps?” You reply with an errant 'hmm' and an equally unenthusiastic nod. Trying another tactic, she gently rubs your knee with a hoof, “Well, dear, two bits for your thoughts?” She cranes her neck, re-emerging into view while you stare at the little basket that Applejack shuffles through.

“Sure, Rarity.” You look over Rarity’s shoulder at Applejack, “AJ?” The mare turns, holding the cord of a small tea strainer in her teeth like a tiny silver bell. She makes a murmur of acknowledgement before you continue, “Is there any coffee around there?”

Without putting the strainer down she calls back through clenched teeth, “Yuh bed’ja par’ner.” She doesn't like coffee, but she seems fine making it, “Wud'ja wan' in’id? Cream? Suga'?”

“Yes.” You reply without really thinking. “As in I want sugar and cream in my coffee. Not… replying to…” It’s enough to make you smile and Applejack, still holding the tea-strainer, returns the grin.

A thin ‘hmm’ and a dainty laugh draws your attention back to the Unicorn. She purses her lips while the corners creep up into a knowing smirk. You narrow your eyes and return that smirk, “So… Pinkie beat you in tic-tac-toe again, huh?” The grin morphs into a petulant frown.

“Knowing the mind of that pony is like knowing the thoughts of a mountain. You can be almost absolutely sure that it’s not thinking about anything one moment, then find yourself second guessing that the next.” She feigns a sigh of distress and settles back once again. “We'll probably stay in the royal archives for quite some time. It is rather large, so I’ve been told, so we might as well make a quick stop and pick up something more comfortable than a few sheets and pillows. Again, maybe we can stay in the royal suite. Although, there’s far too many ponies for that. The royal residence is simply divine, amazing, positively unparalleled in its glamourous comforts.” An airy note passes her lips.

“Yeah, I’ve been there. It’s nice, kind of like staying at the Ritz”

“The Ritz?” Rarity parrots, “do pray tell.”

You internally seethe and quickly change the subject , “It’s a sorta famous luxury place. Anyway, I‘ll settle with something to eat...” you can hear your own voice trail off as you catch a glance of movement over in the seat behind you.

Twilight has evidently not dozed off after all and is reaching for her copy of the Clover diaries and its related appendices. The actual leather folio is in her satchel, but she reveres those like they are holy books and to never touch any of them unless she has to. Slowly leaning in, you whisper to Rarity, “I've got a few extra bits, so, if you're offering, would you mind getting Twilight her favourite dish or something? Just something to snap her out of her bookish trance.”

“I heard that, Rightly.” Twilight mutters back as you wince and bite your lip. Ponies have frustratingly good hearing. “I'm fine, stop fussing. If you really want to be a help, come look through these other references.”

You give Rarity an apologetic nod as Applejack looks back over her shoulder at you while putting the last few touches on a heavily heaped tea-tray. Rarity winks and you can see her silently mouth, 'I'll see to it darling'.

Another voice hails you with a familiar peppy cheer, “Heya, Rightly! Just found my checkerboard. Wanna play?” Pinkie’s vibrant beam feels slightly artificial, but it’s a welcome relief. The mare kept the set up game board balanced on her head, though each fine movement impels the playing pieces to slough back and forth like shuffleboard pucks. To her credit, not a single piece fell.

Turning her down isn't easy to do, but you bet it won't be too much longer. “Sure, in just a little bit when I'm done helping Twilight.”

“Oh-okay.” She takes it well but there is a bit of a deflated look to it. Pinkie aimlessly looks around, staring at every pony in turn before sighing and taking a seat again, curling up to stare out the window at a bank of darker clouds.

You cross the aisle to Twilight, once more taking your rear facing seat as she’s stretched out over most of her seat. Without prying her gaze from her book, she levitates a weighty volume over to you. “Good, start on that one. You're from the Gallopoli linguistics department so you should be even better at helping me with this. It's not all that different from Griffonic.” You obediently glance at the book only to find yourself staring at some illegible scratchy print.

Princess, ma’am, I can’t actually read this stuff. That was a lie you concocted.

“W-woa, little weird one there.” Pinkie mumbles.

“Twilight, you okay?” You ask as she keeps her gaze downcast at the book and sniffs.

“Fine, Riggly, fine. Just start on this one.” She sniffs again and rubs a hoof across her eyes.

“G-girls?” Pinkie’s voice squeaks a pitch higher than normal.

“Hold yer horses, girl, gotcha' some tea 'ere too, honey'n cream.”

Riggly?

You reach across the aisle and tilt Twilight’s chin up with your fingers.

“What?” She asks as you recoil with a gasp. Her left eye is completely red, not bloodshot, but solid red. A blood vessel must have burst.

“Oh, shit…” Twilight cranes her head back as your voice rises. “Applejack?! Get over here… please?” you pass a finger in front of Twilight’s face, but her eyes follow your digit’s every move.

The teatray clatters to the ground as Applejack gallops back and skids to a stop in that small gap between you and Twilight. “Woah-there.” Applejack's face pales as she casts a fugitive glance in your direction.

“Girls!” Pinkie’s apprehension inflames her nervous gasps.

“Not now, Pinkie. What, what is it? What's wrong?” Rarity pads over from her seat, stopping in the middle of the aisle instead of crowding the farmpony.

“Hold on!” Pinkie's warning is brief as you only catch a glimpse of the fuchsia blur. Pinkie yanks down hard on the emergency brake cord.

There was a sudden squeal of metal-on-metal as the sudden shock pitches you backward like a discarded toy. Your head snaps back against the padded seat, bringing stars to your eyes and a few stabbing jolts of pain to your neck. At the same time, the jostling and smashing tea-service sends a lash of boiling hot water over your fingertips, scalding them as you flick the offending fluid away with a yowl.

The chugging huff of the steam engine is heard more than felt, but you are only vaguely aware of motion as you gingerly paw the back of your head. You blearily stare at your fingers and see a smear of red.

“Pinkie you… you!” Your mind is still fuzzy and the ringing sound in your ears swallows up any immediate reply she may be saying. Rarity had tumbled backwards and collapsed in an undignified heap while Applejack braced her hooves on your seat and pressed herself against Twilight to keep the Alicorn from stumbling forward into the aisle. As it was, the farmpony’s hat lay at your feet.

Applejack let go of Twilight when it was safe and stoops to clutch her hat. Dusting it off, Applejack glowers at Pinkie, “Consarn it, girl! This ain’t no game, we have a serious-”

A loud bellowing snarl is loosed in the distance, rattling the panes of glass on the far side of the car and instilling a hush among the ponies. The wet growl had been conjured from the darkest depths of the primordial world and makes your body nearly numb. Pinkie slides open the window and pokes her head out to look around. After a quick double take towards the front of the train she screams, “Everypony out!”

Pinkie sprits across the car, just skidding to a stop and slipping her muzzle under Rarity's haunches to force her to her hooves. The Fashionista’s haughty and undignified squeals of protest fall flat as a second cavernous growl rumbles outside.

Wrapping one hand under Applejack's stomach, you lift her to her hooves. Errant screams tear from the front of the train moments before the locomotive shudders, sending a tremor through the floor.

A fleeting red figure zips past the window. Its leathery wings and red body is covered in black bark-like growths and treacherously hooked maw shows jagged teeth. You recognize it in a trice, “Cloud Gr…” your voice leaves you as a shadow falls over the cabin.

A massive muzzle hovers into view; its slate grey skin is smooth and oily from its turned up lips to the base of its thick corded neck. Snagged and overlapping teeth the size of steak knives stick out from the sides of its mouth like a crocodile.. A single metal band slides over its face showing a bulbous protruding sphere pitted with holes that makes the beast look like an enormous fly. Those spherical blinders scrape against the glass as a steely blue eye the size of a soccer ball roves and darts wildly to peer inside. Its pupil narrows into a cat-like slit before a blast from its nostril clouds the whole bank of windows.

A tapping sound on the roof makes the monster recoil. Applejack whispers hoarsely, “Go on, ah’ll take Twilight and meet ya’ll outside.” Rarity and Pinkie nod but stay frozen. “Go, now!” The harsh rasp sends them both galloping down the aisle and towards the back door.

In a fit of jitters you dumbly look back and forth while Applejack struggles to heave a squirming Twilight onto her back. “I'm fine Appleja-”

The world explodes into noise as the wall next to the stove disintegrates in a flurry of wooden splinters and glass shards. The leviathan’s massive muzzle thrashes as it bursts through the gap. Applejack reels back with Twilight into the booth-like seats behind you. You recoil away from the sweeping jaws, stumbling and falling flat on your rump while kicking the silver tea tray away from you and towards the open aisle. An unbridled scream tears from your throat.

“Rightly, Rightly!” Applejack’s cry drags your mind back from the brink. “We’ve gotta’ get to the back of the train!” The titanic creature’s breath washes over you like a stream. The rank smell of rotting vegetation causes your stomach to churn as it snorts and huffs to gets its jaws open further.

Looking around, you find a simple spar of wood that was once the window sill with a pane of glass still set in it. You snag it quickly and hold it close to your chest. The blindered monster's thrashing stops as suddenly as it started. Keeping its head still, a blue and black forked tongue slithers out with a sibilant hiss. The beast’s probing tongue inches closer and closer to the pair of ponies in the next row as its massive jaws start to unhinge like a serpent.

You nerve yourself up by taking a few deep breaths before wildly swinging the broken pane of glass. The impromptu axe misses the beast’s snaking tongue by a matter of inches and buries itself into the creature’s upper lip with a dark spatter of blood.

The earth-shaking roar deafens you completely as the force physically numbs your fingers. Its thrashing head whips from side to side, splintering the back of the seat and dashing you to the floor. You keep low and scramble across the floor, hearing the crackle of what was left of the teacup and saucers beneath your palms. The beast gnashes its teeth, shredding the material of the seat and gouging the solid wood before pushing it back and wedging you between the two benches.

The monster suddenly swings its head sideways towards Applejack and Twilight, perhaps tasting them on the air. They fling themselves flat as the beast tries to muscle itself into the enclosed space. Its thick neck stretches across the aisle and its nostrils touch the roof. You seize your opportunity, scuttling beneath its arched neck and near to the ponies. In a second, you watch as the beast yanks its head out, pulling two long wooden planks from the wall and disappearing from sight.

“Go!” You hiss breathlessly and dart down the centre aisle. Applejack springs out from her hiding place, galloping ahead of you to the back of the car with Twilight on her back.

Applejack swerves around several small mounds of debris and even jumps one beam laying half detached from the wall. Twilight’s senseless complaints momentarily ring louder than your panting “Put me down, I can run and fly myself!” The petulant princess was either unphased or unaware or the dangers around you.

Three claws drag against the wall to your left, ripping huge furrows through the wood and sending splinters spitting off in every direction like chaff. Applejack is almost at the back door, but the beast was too. Out the shattered windows the beast's charcoal-grey back crest undulates and moves like a river.

A sudden jolt pulses through the floor as the woodwork groans like an old farmhouse door. A sharp metallic ‘ping’ heralds the severance of the couplings. The train car tilts up under your feet, sending the mountain of books sloughing towards you like a mudslide. The wave of paper and parchment strikes Applejack and nearly engulfs her. Twilight slams against the wall as the car lists to the side.

There is a final crack as the wheels shunt completely from the track before the whole car slowly heels to the right with a cataclysmic groan of distress. One-by-one, the heavy benches ominously slide as you drop and cover your head as a shower of dust and wood shavings rains down. The stink of smouldering fabric reaches your nose as you see the open stove suspended in the air by the bent chimney, spilling most of its cinders onto the debris below. Coughing and hacking, you are surrounded by a half dozen chest high piles formed from dislodged seats and broken bits of wood.

“AJ!” You call out while extracting yourself from underneath the twisted deterius. Crawling between mangled wooden rails and ripped cushions, you squeeze through near the top of the heap.

Swinging your head around like a drunk, you spot the half covered orange mare pinned between the book stack and half of an overturned seat. The rear wall of the car shudders as several more tearing gashes rend the planking. “Go, get Twi and git!” Applejack grinds her teeth and arches her back against the dead weight of the shattered seat. Straining amid grunts and groans, you lurch forward, barely keeping your footing among the uneven refuse littering the floor.

Twilight is unsteadily rising to her hooves as if trying to power one leg at a time. You grip her around the barrel and heave the unsteady Alicorn to her hooves. "Twi, go to the front and try the door!" She stares blankly at you, "Twi?" She doesn't respond.

Don't just stands there!

You give her haunch a sharp slap to get her moving before darting over to Applejack. The farm-mare opens her eyes at your instructions to Twilight, “Didn'ya hear me? Git! Get the Princess outta' here!”

The beast snorts and butts its head against the ragged holes it tore in the back of the car. Finally it lunges and smashes through with a roar. It's enough to snake its head in, but its shoulders are constrained by the ratty edges and few last skeletal support spars. It pulls its head away again and rakes the planking around the ruined door to make a bigger entrance. You hop down and grasp the side of the shattered bench pinning Applejack.

“By Celestia, ah’m never gonna forgive ya' if ya’ don’t-”

“I didn't ask for forgiveness, you stubborn-stubborn ass! And I'm not about to abandon you, so shut up and push!” You grasp the edge of the overturned bench and heave it upwards. The heavy furnishings groan as you strain and heave until your fingers ache and jaw clenches hard enough to hurt. With a last croak, the bench shifts a fraction of an inch, just enough for Applejack to pry herself free with a snarl.

Freed from the jumble of broken furnishings, you feel the pile of debris shift underfoot like sand. Applejack slides back down and disappears from sight. You claw your way towards the top as Applejack flings herself from the tangle of lumber that trapped her moments before and lands near the top. Stretching out a hand you miss her hoof by inches as she backslides down between the heaps.

A fragmenting blast disintegrates the back of the car as the beast barrels inside. It ploughs through the first mound, sending sharpened spars flying like spears. But even with its tremendous bulk, it bogs down amid the refuse heaps like you and Applejack had. However, its scything claws gouge at the base of the heaps, sending them tumbling back towards its snapping maw as whip-like strands of saliva spatter on your back.

Hurriedly pushing yourself up the slope, you crest the top and tumble down the far side. Each jarring bump on the way down stuns you and stretching your hands out only scrapes your palms in your inexorable descent to the bottom of the refuse heaps. You strike the bottom with a disorienting bang and listen to the glass panel crack beneath you at shift in movement. Even as your glasses lazily hang from your ears an uncomfortable heat flashes across your face. Reflexively flicking at your ear, your fingers felt a burning pain from scattered coals that had spewed from the open stove onto a cushion

There is a screech and a responding bellow which shakes the car as you see the massive serpentine crest undulate from behind the pile. It strikes you, Applejack isn’t next to you, she hasn’t made it over the mound. A moment's reaction has you scoop up some of the cinders with the sleeve of your coat and scramble up the pile. As you reach the top, the full measure of the repulsive beast dons on you. It‘s long and broad with coils that spill over one another like a nest of vipers, all covered in oily grey scales. Two massive forelegs as thick as tree trunks propel it forward.

Its flaring crest ripples down its spine as that mottled tongue flickers out. Once more, it homes in on Applejack’s spot as she slips down the detritus pile with a quivering note of unease. Lunging at once, you cry out in horror as its slams its foreleg into her lower back. Flipping her over, it carves two bloody furrows in her flank.

Applejack’s torturous cry is the only sound resonating in your mind and galvanizes you into action. The beast’s muzzle opens wide to devour the mare, showing its cavernous black maw trimmed in a hedge of fangs. With your sleeve full of coals, you hurl the guttering yellow sparks at the creature’s open mouth. The incandescent cloud of sparks pelt across its rubbery skin and scorch its twisting black tongue. It rears, smashing the roof and crushing the left side of its visor, flattening the colander-like armour and blinding the beast on one side. It recoils violently in its vane throes while clawing at its gullet. Every motion shakes the cabin’s unsturdy frame as you descend the slope to reach the mare.

She is heavy, but you are able to wrap your arms around her forelegs and kick back to scramble up the slope in desperation. The roof, which until moments ago had been the train’s right side, splinters and bellies inward. There is the lone tapping sound somewhere outside, “Here-here-here! It's like tag, trust me, you'll love it!” Pinkie's taunts were frightfully far away.

You make for the door at the front of the car in a desperate hope for escape. The whole car’s frame is bent and slanted, wedging the door shut. “Twilight?” You look around in sudden panic, “Twilight?!” It’s just you and Applejack.

“Applejack, Rightly, up here!” You glance back over your shoulder towards the front of the car. Rarity pokes her head down from the large open hole near the stove where the beast had first ravaged the cabin.

“Where's Twilight?”

“It's okay, I saw her outside. Come on!” Rarity holds out a hoof while magically binding bolts of cloth, cushions, and other material to the hot stove pipe.

You take a few gasping breaths to settle your shaking hands. Applejack is your first concern, her left haunch is a mess of red and you don’t want to look too closely at the wound. “This isn’t going to be easy.” Muscle, sinews, and ponies in general, can be very heavy. “AJ, put your forehooves on the wall and you're gonna’ have to excuse me.”

She does as requested. It couldn't be anything but awkward as you push her rump up much to her whinnied surprise. Keeping her slightly propped forward, she keeps reflexively lifting her injured limb every time her hoof taps the ground. Grasping her by her weakened limb, you lift it up and duck your head between her legs so she sits on your shoulders in a 'piggyback'. Her forehooves are pressed against the walls as a stabilizer, but you still wobble while trying to stand up straight.

Rarity reaches out for Applejack’s forehooves, “Grab the pipe if you need some stability.” You strain against Applejack’s weight and lower your head before planting both your hands on her rump and pushing as hard as possible. Finally, Rarity manages to pull the Earth-mare clear. You’ll almost certainly be yelled at for that later on, but right now there are worse things to worry about.

There is a zipping snap as a gargoyle-like harrier swoops by the jagged opening. Setting your knee against the insulated chimney flue, it groans and shifts against your weight but you scramble up the crooked length towards the exit. Kicking off the chimney and dragging yourself up, you grunt, groan, and thrash before finally pulling yourself up. Rolling onto your back, you look up at the grey sky and listen to the panting from you and Applejack who lay sprawled out a few feet away.

“Back! Back, you churlish ruffians!” Rarity’s seething growl is matched by a repulsed whine lodged in the back of her throat. She swats at another bat-like figure that you only glimpse out of the corner of your eye, but that stink of copper was back.

A whistling zip tears overhead with a palpable rush of wind from leathery wings. As you slowly stir, a demonic face looms up over yours. It backs off with a wide-eyed stupor of fear and a confused warble. Looking over at Rarity though, it steeples its claws as several electric sparks burst from between the jagged tips. Its palms began to glow, but as its hands reach chest height with a roiling mass of electric energy coalesced between its fingers, Applejack lashes her hoof out as swift as a lightning bolt. It catches the Gremlin in the hip, sending it flying through the void as an uncontrolled arc of lightning scythes from its fingers into the sky. “S-still nothin' wrong with Kicks McGee.”

Rarity grasps you around the arm and pulls you up as another Gremlin wheels overhead and dives. Rarity’s shriek is loud and disconcerting as she sweeps her head from side to side, tossing the Gremlin off. Another three or four wing past like a darkened cloud, snipping past your ear tips but always giving you a wider berth than the others.

From your perch atop the ruined train car, you cast a quick glance around. Of the four cars, only the final two looked unscathed while the first had its roof peeled off like a tin can. Thick billowing smoke pours from the cabin of the engine while the crumpled smoke stack speaks to the ruin met out upon it by the beast. It could have been worse: the engine stopped not far short of the Saddle Lake bridge.

You look at the engine, spotting a strange waddling mass that you think might be somepony limping away. It isn’t Twilight, but a hunched form, bent almost double under the weight of a voluminous black cloak. A raucous raven croak breaks the silence as you watch the cloak start to writhe and roil. Beaked heads poke up from the huddled mass as the shape lumbers forwards.

With nothing to strike at the flock of Gremlins, you take off your blue and yellow coat and swing it at the fiends. One is struck and sent spiralling through the air to careen into a snow drift.

“Where is that thing?” The malevolent beast has vanished. A more pertinent question flashes through your mind as you spastically search, “Where's Twilight?!”

A bloodcurdling roar breaks any semblance of peace as you look over the rear of the train. You catch a flash of the leviathan’s crest as it emerges from behind the caboose. Arcing your head out and trying to see it again, you glimpse a bright fuschia shape bounding through the snow with remarkable speed. Pinkie is alone, carefree, as if prancing through any other field and heading away from the train. The titanic beast bellows and surges forward into the pristine white blanket of snow. Its powerful forelegs kick up huge white plumes as it snaps at the infuriating mare.

Turning toward it and backing off hoof by hoof, Pinkie springs, ducks, dodges, and weaves well enough to put any professional boxer to shame. She waits, letting the beast stamp forward before darting through its legs and letting it trip itself up amid its greasy coils.

Pinkie was doing fine, you have your own issues as you spot a delusional looking pony wandering on the other side of the engine. “Is that her?!” You point. It may be any dark coated pony at a glance. Sure enough, Twilight drunkenly meanders to and fro for a few more steps before dropping to her side.

You shoot a gaze at Rarity muttering, “How could you let her go?!”

The fashionista’s eyes swell with tears. “S-she was here a second ago and you and Applejack needed help!”

The black huddled figure points a crooked claw at you as the living cloak disperses into a cloud of ravens. They spiral and swarm in a great onyx vortex as you leap from the top of the train car and into the snow. Picking yourself up, you dash forward towards the prone Alicorn. With a single unified croak, the ravens descend on you. The raking slices of talons and peck of sturdy beaks drives you to seek safety between the train cars as you throw your arms up to protect your head. The vicious carrion feeders latch on with their talons, tugging you off balance and harrying your every move.

“Take her, take her!” A familiar rasping voice echoes across the snow-fields. There is a clatter of tin above you, causing your head to incline. A gangly impish figure leers down at you from the roof and flashes a broken-fanged grin, “I see you, I smell your fear, it runs down your legs, nithinger. You can only do more harm to those ponies than good.” It is the same creature that stalked you in the castle. You can hear Twilight’s plaintive cry, kicking your legs into action, you dart forward. The black winged cloud spews between the cars, driving you to the ground before they disappear altogether.

A sharp cutting wind begins to blow, rasping your face with a billow of sand-like snow. The clouds begin to bubble and roil in a tumultuous black mass like a tornado’s downdraft. A massive black shape glides through the oily cloudbank overhead, blotting out any semblance of light as its shadow covers the whole train. It was as large as a tall ship and gives off a deep reverberating rumble like thunder as it streams across the void. Its angular beams and thick trusses ooze noxious vapors but, for a moment, you think you see a ghostly human shape in the mists.

Scrambling through the snow, you duck out from the train cars and look towards the spot Twilight had been moments before. She is gone, as is the winged host as a sudden rush of a tempestuous wind sends the snow scything sideways into you in a great obscuring haze. The ice fog scrapes the open expanses to your left and right, deafening you with its noisy roar and hiding all the creatures as they dissolve into the worsening squall.

“AJ, Rarity, get down-” a faint whistle from the engine triggers something in your mind: It was a steam engine with the lack of proper venting, freezing cold, and freely buring fuel. Curses don't help it at that moment as you barely hear hooves on the metal rails behind you. Applejack and Rarity are barely visible as you rush towards to them and cast your coat over Applejack's back. “Take this and get moving as quick as you can or we're in trouble!”

They listen, but Rarity calls out in a huff, “Rightly, I don't mean to sound rude, but we're already in trouble up to our withers!”

“Alright, I misspoke. What I mean is: we'll be dead!”

She doesn't balk at the statement. Instead, the Unicorn throws her side against Applejack so they can redouble their efforts in hustling away. Ponies have a difficult time in the deep snow and Applejack is in no shape to 'spring' like Pinkie could. Even as the wind erases the divot where Twilight had lain, it was plain to see there are no hoofprints radiating from that spot.

Please say you teleported to safety Twilight, pleaaase.

You look around for a few seconds before cutting back on a tangent to warn Pinkie. A harsh crackle and splash in front of the train had you glance back towards the engine.

As quickly as it started, the snow squall and grey skies clear leaving a smoking mass of black pouring from the damaged steam engine. It’s gone, all gone, no massive creature, no gremlins, and no sign of Twilight.

“Pinkie?” There is no response. “Pinkamina!” With no idea if she can hear or not you cup your hands to your mouth, “Pinkie get as far away as you can, the boiler might explo-”

The world seems to go blank amidst the unearthly roar of the cataclysmic explosion. An enormous bursting plume of white geysers into the air while a great roiling wave knocks you flat on your back. Fragments of wood and splinters whiz past a hair’s breadth from your face. Slow arcing trails of twisted metal blaze through the frozen air above you like meteors, leaving beautiful feathery streaks in their wake. The kiss of the faint wind freezes your nose as the thumping beat of your heart fills your ears.

Slowly, the thrum of the explosion fades, your vision clouds, and the world softly ebbs away.

Author's Note:

I actually forgot today was Tuesday, aaaalmost missed posting it . Sorry about that, but hey, I got it!

I fFigured it was best to start off with a bang too; trains make such a tempting little targetdon't they? Anyhow, thanks for making it this far and welcome to Act 3!